CARDIACS - The Seaside 1990 UK 1st press LP rare indie gem ALPH LP013 EXCELLENT

	£		26
	$		34

CARDIACS - The Seaside

An increasingly rare (especially in such truly excellent plus condition as this) and sought after UK 1st pressing of this 1984 indie gem on the ALPHABET Business Company record label, ALPH LP013

The dead wax matrix numbers are :

Side 1  ALPH LP - 013 - A  * MAX (hand etched)

Side 2  ALPH LP - 013 - B * MAX (hand etched)

 The appearance of the thick, heavy duty vinyl is excellent+. Completely flat and when viewed in normal daylight still retaining it's original jet black glossy sheen with a beautiful luster. In fact in normal daylight both sides of the vinyl are hard to fault in any way. Under a bright light and when tilted at the right angle I can just make out a few wispy hairlines and a couple of light pencil thin scuffs - none of these are feelable and are all strictly surface only, completely non-intrusive and do not impact upon audio quality at all. It is obvious that this record has been played sparingly and considering it's 28 year antiquity is in remarkable condition...I can't imagine that there can be many UK 1st press copies in better condition than this.

The original 1st pressing labels are pristine. Beautiful, rich and vibrant colouring with all the gold coloured text in perfect order. If it wasn't for just a couple of very, very light and faint spindle trails adjacent to the centre hole on each side the condition of each label would be perfect.

The matt textured outer sleeve is excellent.  All edges remain impressively firm with (unbelievably) no scuffing whatsoever. And this includes the spine which is rigid with all writing perfectly legible. Each corner remains a perfectly defined right angle with no scuffing or rubbing. The only blemishes, and these are very minor, are four 1cm surface horizontal creases adjacent to the spine on the front side and five similar creases on the reverse side - very minor indeed. All photography, imagery and art work on both the front and reverse sides remain beautifully intact. Note the text on the spine "ALPH LP 013" and on the reverse side in the top right hand corner "ALPH LP013" which are indicative of UK first pressings.

Finally, the quality of the audio is stunning. Fantastic tone and clarity throughout, even on the higher notes and frequencies. No distortion, no skips, clicks or even the usual light background crackle. The dead wax areas are silent, the interludes are silent, and in between it's great music all the way with every track making for a great listen. You might notice the odd nano second of static but this is no different to playing a brand new record. A true indie gem in truly great condition.

The tracks are :

Side 1 :

1. Jibber and twitch

2. Gina Lollabridgida

3. Hello Mr. Sparrow

4. It's A Lovely Day

5. A Wooden Fish On Wheels

Side 2 :

1. Hope Day

2. Ice a spot and a dot on the Dog

3. R. E. S.

4. To Go Off And Things

Comes with original die cut plain white inner sleeve which has no tears or splits and remains in excellent condition. Note that I always post the record in a new plain white inner sleeve in order to protect the original.

In summary a truly excellent (at least) copy of this rare and increasingly sought after 1990 UK 1st press indie gem, a worthy addition to any record collection and only continuing to gain in value. There can't be many better condition UK 1st pressings than this still in circulation.

 If you require any further information, including photos, then let me know and I'll do my best to oblige. 

If this record interests you then take a look at my other 60's & 70's classic vinyl listings.

A bit about myself : I have been collecting vinyl for more than 48 years and have amassed a huge collection covering a varied genre, but mostly of 1960's and 70's origin. Most of my records were originally bought by myself for my own collection, but during the past 30 years I have embellished my collection by buying records from a variety of sources : friends/acquaintances, car boot sales, auctions, and even through putting up a "vinyl wanted" notice in my wife's shop! I never intended selling any of my records but I am now retired and a combination of space requirements (caused partly by duplication) and a need to help fund my retirement has prompted me to "rationalise" my record collection and sell many of my much loved gems. My only wish is that they go to good homes.

My ebay feedback speaks for itself so rest assured that you are buying from a trusted seller and in the very unlikely event that you are unhappy with your purchase just e-mail me and I'll sort out the problem. I offer a "no quibble" refund policy. 

On the subject of postage, I take great care in the packaging of all items, using a proper vinyl cardboard mailer along with at least two cardboard stiffeners. I take great care in separating the record from the outer sleeve in order to help prevent sleeve damage in transit and I always insert the vinyl, outer sleeve and inner into a clear plastic sleeve, thus adding further protection. 

For this item postage & packaging will be Royal Mail 1st class  : 

UK £3.00, continental Europe £8.00, and Rest of the World £12.00. 

 I do discount post & packaging costs for multiple purchases. I do NOT profit from postage.

Good luck with your bidding! Richard

NOTE : My vinyl descriptions comply with the official Record Collector vinyl grading guidelines :

Mint

The records 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 are torn, stained and/or defaced

Poor

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

Bad

The record is unplayable or might even be broken, and is only of use as a collection-filler