Bob Dylan – Self Titled 1st album MONO+ Amazingly rare 4 page in depth retrospective from Record Mirror

First U.K. Pressing

Matrix side A): BPG62022 1 L 2 = 4 20 V V 3

side B): BPG62022 2L 1// 420 V0V

Catalogue N0...62022 First released in 1962

''33'' on the label also track one is incorrectly titled 'She's No Good' instead of 'You're No Good’ on the cover; indicating earliest 1st pressing!!!

Overall condition is EXCELLENT

Sleeve EXCELLENT

The front, flipback, laminated picture sleeve is still bright and glossy in very good condition with no tears or splits, though there is very slight ring wear where the top edge of the record sits but otherwise it is in EXCELLENT condition with the colours still very bright there isn’t any writing, taping or stickers. There are a couple of small creases and a slight mark on the back but it’s not significant – see photo.

Spine EXCELLENT the spine is firm and totally legible. I will also include the original plastic outer that I bought with it, which still fits tightly and has successfully kept the dust off for all these years

Record EXCELLENT It’s pressed on heavyweight vinyl The record itself is clean and glossy and the disc retains its deep, black vinyl sheen.

Labels EXCELLENT The orange CBS rough textured paper labels labels show some minimal signs of use, have no writing and are clean with little spindle marking. The speed is shown on the label as ''33'' which indicates the earliest 1st pressing!!!

Audio Quality EXCELLENT It plays really well apart from some of the usual vinyl hiss and crackle between tracks that unfortunately are noticeable in some of the quietest passages but vanish after a few seconds and don’t detract from the overall sound, which is still amazing. although deep cleaning would probably remove them. There are a few quiet clicks on the last track of side two, but they are not intrusive enough spoil the listening experience.

But, to quote the Record Collector grading system for the category of EXCELLENT, there is very little lessening in sound quality.”

It lays flat on the turntable and plays well without the needle sticking or jumping.

Please remember even new, factory fresh vinyl is likely to have some clicks and pops, but the richness of sound will always be better than digital. OK eventually the robots and aliens will make digital sound as good, but until then, it’s a compromise, you have to choose; deep rich tones and a beautiful sleeve (often with lyrics or other notes) or clinical sterility with nothing to see and a narrow frequency range.

Until 1970 I only ever played my albums on a Garrard Sp25 Mk11 with a Sonotone 9TAHC cartridge and from 1970 onwards on a Pioneer PL12D with a Shure N75 ED-T2 cartridge and stylus, tracking at 1.5 grams which I continue to use today – although the stylus has been replaced regularly

TRACKLISTING: You're No Good Talkin' New York In My Time Of Dying Man Of Constant Sorrow Fixin' To Die Pretty Peggy-O Highway 51 Gospel Plow Baby, Let Me Follow You Down House Of The Risin' Sun Freight Train Blues Song To Woody See That My Grave Is Kept Clean

PRESS CUTTING I’m also including an in-depth four page retrospective from Record Mirror in 1971 which traces Dylan’s career and his influence on the world of music from his earliest days – with a lot about this first album. There are some fascinating insights into Dylan’s thoughts on a wide range of things that he normally would not discuss with the press. I think this press cutting is very rare, as I’ve never seen it referred to in books or on the web.

Summary:this ICONIC, masterwork album is a lovely piece of genuine memorabilia from a bygone time. There are very few people who have had such influence on music that they have totally changed it, even fewer who have single handedly changed the world. This was Dylan’s first studio album and it’s hard to believe that he had only just turned twenty at the time, as the emotive, raw edge to his voice and playing sound more like they come from a much older bluesman who had lived a long life travelling a hard road. If you haven’t heard it on vinyl this could be for you. It certainly doesn’t sound 60 years old!

Admittedly it is not in Mint condition, although the album overall counts as EXCELLENT but that is why I’m starting at a sensible price so a genuine fan or collector can enjoy it without paying rip off prices.

If you check my feedback you will see many people think my grading is spot on.

I’m not a dealer of any sort, but am just downsizing and having to clear things out and trying to survive on a poxy pension. Good luck with your bidding and feel free to ask any question.

A Word About Payment and Postage

Sorry but I accept Paypal only and it will be posted as soon as payment has cleared, which must be paid within 24hours of the end of the auction. This may seem harsh but I’m fed up with time wasters!

I use 12" Vinyl LP Record Cruciform postal mailers and protect them with an additional layer of bubblewrap. In the UK I use Royal Mail Signed For.

Price for postage is for 2nd class and reflects the fact that eBay & PayPal take a combined total fee of 13.4% on shipping charges. If you are outside the UK, I will use Ebay’s Global Shipping Program and you are therefore accepting their shipping terms and charges over which I have no control.

Record Collector grading system used

MINT: The record itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. The cover and any extra items such as the lyric sheet, booklet or poster are in perfect condition. Records advertised as Sealed or Unplayed should be Mint.

EXCELLENT: The record shows some signs of having been played, but there is very little lessening in sound quality. The cover and packaging might have slight wear and / or creasing.

VERY GOOD: The record has obviously been played many times, but displays no major deterioration in sound quality, despite noticeable surface marks and the occasional light scratch. Normal wear and tear on the cover or extra items, without any major defects, is acceptable.

GOOD: The record has been played so much that the sound quality has noticeably deteriorated, perhaps with some distortion and mild scratches. The cover and contents suffer from folding, scuffing of edges, spine splits, discolouration, etc.

FAIR: The record is still just playable but has not been cared for properly and displays considerable surface noise; it may even jump. The cover and contents will be torn, stained and / or defaced.

POOR: The record will not play properly due to scratches, bad surface noise, etc. The cover and contents will be badly damaged or partly missing.

As well as the above grades, Near Mint is often used as well; this is really for a record that appears new but is known to have been played because the label has light spindle marks or because it has come from a previous owner and is assumed to have been played by them. For records which appear to fall between the accepted grades, + and - are also often added to the grading.