COLOSSEUM Those Who Are About To Die 1969 UK 1st press Prog LP Nr MINT TOP AUDIO

	£		49
	$		65

COLOSSEUM - THOSE WHO ARE ABOUT TO DIE SALUTE YOU

An increasingly rare and sought after very first UK pressing of this 1969 rock classic, on the Fontana label, STEREO STL 550

in BEAUTIFUL NEAR MINT CONDITION!!

The dead wax matrix numbers are :

Side 1  886765  1Y//1  420  11  1 3 (last digit very difficult to make out)

Side 2  886765  2Y//1  420  1 2 6 (last digit very difficult to make out)

The appearance of the vinyl is superb. The vinyl has a gorgeous jet black sheen on each side - wonderful! No discernible marks at all, and even under a bright light and when tilted at an angle I could detect no blemishes whatsoever. This vinyl has obviously only been played a few times, if that. Beautiful vinyl both sides.

The labels are pristine. I can't fault the labels at all, with not even the usual one or two very faint spindle trails adjacent to the centre hole.

The outside-laminated gatefold sleeve is excellent+.  Such an iconic sleeve, and so rare to come across an original in anywhere near as good a condition as this. All the edges are firm with with no scuffing at all; the spine is rigid with no creasing and all writing perfectly legible; the colouring and artwork is unfettered by marks, nicks, writing, doodles, scrapes, abrasions, scuffs, or rubs...it's just beautiful. The corners are well defined right angles with no rubbing and the opening sides are rigid with no fraying. The inside (non-laminated) of the gatefold remains in great shape, with the only blemish being a small age discolouration spot beneath the word "COLOSSEUM" on the left side (see photo)...if it wasn't for this tiny blemish I would have no hesitation in grading the cover as "near mint" (and that's a grading that I rarely use).

Finally, the quality of the audio is exquisite!. No skips, "pops" or anything untoward of that nature. No background interference/crackle, just simply great music with beautiful tone and clarity even at higher volume and higher frequency. Each track makes for a great listen with a bit of rock, psych, prog, jazz and even blues all fused in here somewhere. A terribly underrated album that is only now being properly appreciated for it's outstanding musical content, played by musicians at the very top of their game. Wonderful!

The tracks are :

Side 1 :

1. WALKING IN THE PARK

2. PLENTY HARD LUCK

3. MANDARIN

4. DEBUT

Side 2 :

1. BEWARE THE IDES OF MARCH

2. THE ROAD SHE WALKED BEFORE

3. BACKWATER BLUES

4. THOSE ABOUT TO DIE

Comes with original white "PLASTIC BAGS CAN BE DANGEROUS" inner sleeve which has no splits or tears and remains in near mint 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 near mint copy (and it's so rare that I grade any record as "near mint") of this rare and sought after 1969 UK very 1st pressing rock classic - a "must" for any serious vinyl collector and which will only continue to gain in value. 

 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 am now retired and take great delight in being able to spend more time scouring the country and attending boot sales and auctions in the hope of unearthing more vinyl gems...I am 63 years of age now and am still discovering bands and music of the 60's and 70's that I have never come across before. Wonderful! Richard

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 UK £4.00, Royal Mail 1st class signed for; continental Europe £11 and Rest of the World £15, Royal Mail 1st class tracked and signed for. 

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

Good luck with your bidding!

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