Budgie : Budgie (Debut) 1st Press 1L/1L MCA 1971

This now rare and very collectable first pressing on the MCA red and pink 'Dog Bone' label plays with stunning audio and only minimal interference.  I cannot emphasise enough just how incredibly well it plays for the vast majority.  Indeed much of it plays with Near Mint quality if not better!  Yes there is a little interference but it is only very brief and the clarity, depth and power on this classic is mega impressive to say the least.

The cover is also in excellent condition with only minimal shelf wear and the original inner has no side splits, just one small tear on the top edge.

This record has only one stamper on S1 (M 1) denoting it as one of the earliest of the first pressings issued.

MCA // MKPS 2018 // 7 - LNMG - 240 - 1L / 7 - LNMG - 241 - 1L // M 1 & BC 1

The audio on S1 is Near Mint (Mint- for the majority / track 1 intro G+ for 2 seconds / track 4 intro Ex+)

The audio on S2 is Ex+ (Near Mint in many sections / track 1 VG- for 5 seconds / tracks 3 & 4 Near Mint+) 

The cover is Ex

The labels are Near Mint-

The inner sleeve is Ex-

The vinyl is in excellent condition and has no scratches.  S1 is very impressive and has only a small number of faint hairlines with only a couple that are a little more obvious.  S2 has a few more hairlines of which two are longer and a little more obvious but they have no bearing on the stunning audio.  It is still one of the 'cleanest' versions of this first pressing I have seen and whilst not visually perfect you won't find many better!  There is some spindle wear but not an excessive amount and this vinyl has withstood the passage of time extremely well.  The MCA 'Dog Bone' labels are also in great shape with no marking.

Play grading  

First of all I will say that S1 plays with stunning quality for the vast majority but on the 'Guts' intro there is one minor skip/pop type sound.   Apart from that the intro plays very cleanly with very little static at the start.  From then on it plays nigh on perfectly with no intrusion on the audio whatsoever.  There are a handful of mega light dust ticks but they are barely audible.  A couple of very quiet static sounds near the end but the majority is Near Mint without a doubt.  The depth and power of the music is so impressive and provides a superb start to the album...apart from that one second at the beginning!

'Everything In My Heart' plays with stunning clarity from start to finish and all I could detect were a small number of dust ticks that you could easily miss as they are so quiet!  This is Mint- in my opinion.  A fantastic version!

The quiet intro on 'The Author' also plays with wonderful clarity with only one faint tick and the bare minimum of mega light static.  Hardly noticeable!  As the track really hits the 'high' notes the playback is sensational!  There is no intrusive 'background' and I cannot adequately put into words just how well it plays!  It has such power and definition and there is not one single click or pop.  I have sold a 3 or 4 first pressings in my time and this is undoubtedly the strongest version of this classic that I have ever heard.  A super clean intro with the remainder also playing to a Near Mint standard although arguably the majority is better than that!

'Nude Disintegrating Parachutist Woman' has only a couple of light static ticks at the start and the remainder of this quiet intro plays with amazing clarity and barely any static.  What really strikes you is just how well the quieter sections play on this all time classic album.  As the volume increases the definition of the audio is so impressive and there is no interference whatsoever.  Bourge's work cannot be underestimated and of course the rhythm section provides stunning back up here.  When the classic 'riff' kicks in the audio is spectacular and I am just running out of superlatives here!  I might have to keep this album!  The quieter solo bass section is Mint as there is just no 'background' and from then it continues to play with breathtaking clarity and power.  There is just odd touch of barely audible static deep in the background here and there but I only mention it to be complete in my grading and I am sure I only hear it because I sit so close to the speakers!  This is a Near Mint version but again the majority plays as Mint and that is no exaggeration.  Wow what a version!

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'Rape Of The Locks' on S2 has a very strong intro with only minimal light static and a couple of light ticks also.  As Shelley's vocal comes in the audio is faultless but after 30 seconds or so there are 4,5 light clicks.  A couple are a little louder but they are not that intrusive as the music is rather loud!  From then on it plays with great power and depth and very little static.  This is another impressive track and apart from that 4 to 5 seconds of interference near the beginning and only a minimal amount of very light static the playback is very impressive.  I would grade this as Ex+ overall but VG- during the 4 to 5 seconds of light interference.  It is fair to say that many sections play with Near Mint quality .

'All Night Petrol' plays with great clarity from the very start and there is barely any static on the intro.  Thereafter the audio is so deep and rich and with a warmth also that you only get from vinyl.  There is the odd very light static sound but again this is not intrusive in any way and there is only one light click which could easily be missed due to the high decibel level!  A very impressive version with a stunning fade out.

The acoustic 'You And I' plays with exceptional clarity and all I heard was one very faint tick near the beginning.  This is Mint- in my educated opinion and the audio has lost none of its definition over the intervening years.  A spectacular version that any collector would be hugely impressed with.

The classic 'Homicidal Suicidal' is 'as new' from the very first groove.  I have played it twice now and I have no hesitation in saying this is the strongest version I have ever had the pleasure in listening to.  With the 'deepest' audio that you could imagine there are no clicks, pops or crackle and there is only a minimal amount of mega light static in the background every now and then.  I am sure many sellers would not even mention this as it is so insignificant but as I said before I like to be 100% complete in my grading and in no way is this minor static intrusive.  It really is super quiet!  Just ever so slightly more obvious in a couple of places.  It plays with stunning power and depth throughout and with such incredible resonance.  When you get a vinyl as 'clean' as this the sound really fills the room as you can easily turn it up loud without fear of distortion and the 'high octane' end provides an emphatic finish to this classic album with no distortion at all.  In fact there is no distortion anywhere on this album which is a real rarity.  This closing track is infinitely worthy of a Near Mint grading and it would be very difficult to find better.

In summary this highly collectable first pressing plays with a quality that is so hard to find today.  The clarity and sonic quality could scarcely be any better and whilst it isn't perfect there cannot be many as good as this today.  As we all know only a limited number were pressed as it was their debut and they did not have a following like Black Sabbath!  Although they did of course share the same producer.  I believe I have provided an honest assessment of the audio and I have listened to every second in order to do so.  Some tracks more than once I hasten to add, you just have to with this album!  This first pressing is rare and so collectable and despite its imperfections it is the most impressive I have heard in many a year.  The cover is also in excellent condition with very little shelf wear as is the original inner.

The Cover

This iconic cover is in excellent condition when you consider its rarity and it has been very well looked after over the decades.  The top and bottom edge do have some rubbing but there are certainly no splits and the spine remains in great shape with only a couple of tiny rubs.  Remarkably the opening edge has no handling wear whatsoever.  The corners have also survived the years extremely well and have only minimal wear.  The front cover is very clean with only a couple of minor 'specks', a faint ringwear outline and a little fading along the bottom edge.  The back cover is even better with just a little ringwear.  This is a very impressive example when you think it was only produced with rather thin card and you won't see many better than this!

Inner Sleeve

The original poly-lined inner is very clean with no side splits and just one small tear on the top edge.  There is no marking and only a small amount of creasing.

The Labels

The famous 'Dog Bone' MCA labels are in lovely condition with no marking and not a great deal of spindle wear.  The orange and pink colours remain very strong.

Play tested on my Pro-Ject Essential III Turntable / B&W 684 Speakers

This record has been cleaned on a Pro-Ject VC-S machine

MCA // MKPS 2018 // 7 - LNMG - 240 - 1L / 7 - LNMG - 241 - 1L // M 1 & BC 1

I grade according to "Record Collector" guidelines.

Any questions please feel free to ask

Please pay within 4 days of auction end

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