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Colosseum : Those Who Are About To Die Salute You 1Y1 / 2Y1 1st press 1969 Vertigo

This first pressing is absolutely stunning!  In all my years I have never heard one play with such clean clinical audio and you would be happy if you had just bought it brand new!  No exaggeration - the clarity, depth, warmth and power of the audio is incredible and there is only one very quiet tick on S2, no more than that.  I cannot overstate just how 'complete' the audio is and it is easily a FINAL UPGRADE archive classic in every way.  Not surprisingly the vinyl is in superb condition also with only a few very faint hairlines.

The laminated cover is also the best I have seen.  It is not far from 'new' and has retained its shape and structure perfectly.  The poly-lined inner (dated 1-71) is in great condition also.  This is one stunning album!

This first pressing was pressed on the Fontana label with a 1Y1/2Y1 matrix and the cover is only laminated on the outside.  'Backwater Blues' is published by Kensington Music as per the S2 label.

886765  1Y // 1  420 1 1  1 6

886765  2Y // 1  420  1 1  1 7

The audio on S1 is Mint(-)

The audio on S2 is Mint(-)

The gatefold is Near Mint

The inner sleeve is Near Mint

The Fontana labels are Mint-

Visual description

The vinyl is in lovely condition with a fine glossy sheen and no marks or scratches.  Under 'normal' lighting it looks pristine and only under a bright light can you see a small number of faint hairlines.  There is no groove or surface wear and no 'bag rash' either.  The Fontana labels are in superb shape with no marking and only a couple of very faint spindle traces on each side.

Play grading

The intro on 'Walking In The Park' is 'as new' with impeccable clarity, depth and warmth and Litherland's opening vocal is of the same high end standard.  The mid instrumental with Litherland's guitar very much in evidence plays with stunning quality and the closing vocal / instrumental just could not play with any greater precision.  Superb work from Hiseman on this track and a strong bass line from Reeves also.  I cannot emphasise enough just how immaculate the audio is and Mint is no exaggeration.

'Plenty Hard Luck' again plays with breathtaking quality through every section.  The clarity and definition of the audio is comparable to a record pressed yesterday not 56 years ago!  The mid instrumental is a prime example of that - from start to finish there is not even a solitary dust tick let alone anything more and if you win this album just listen to the fade out as further proof of that!  Another Mint track.

This is one impressive album.  I have just listened to 'Mandarin' and to say it plays with stunning quality is an understatement!  Reeves' long bass section demonstrates just how good it is - remember it's so quiet and yet the clarity is sensational.  The next part of this instrumental is just as clean and precise and the entire track easily deserves a Mint grading.  Wow!

The opening section on 'Debut' plays without fault and as Hiseman introduces the first relatively quiet section there is literally no background.  The following work from Heckstall-Smith is flawless and the remainder has no intrusion either.  Once again the clarity and depth on the audio is astonishing and Mint is again 100% deserved.  This is clearly an album that has been so carefully looked after down the decades - I suspected as much when I saw the pristine cover!

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The Bach inspired 'Beware The Ides Of March' plays with STUNNING quality throughout.  Once again I cannot put into words just how clean and precise the audio is, the sonic quality is unrivalled and it plays 'as new' through every section.  It's very 'busy' in a couple of passages and is there any loss in sound quality?  A big no!  This is audio of the highest calibre and there is no distortion on the top end either.  Mint

The intro on 'The Road She Walked Before' is perfect and the opening vocal is equal to that.  Litherland may not have had the strongest vocal but it kind of suits the music in my opinion.  It continues to play with a sonic quality that is second to none and Mint is again deserved.  Another perfectly clean fade out by the way.

The intro and opening vocal on 'Backwater Blues' play with sublime clarity and this standard is kept up as it progresses.  The quieter bass / sax section is so clean and there is just one light tick as it builds into the next section - thus far the only background on the album!  The 'stand alone' sax piece plays to perfection and as Greenslade returns the playback is faultless.  The final vocal section is just as strong and clear and with only one minor tick this still deserves a Mint- grade.

The high powered intro on 'Those About To Die' is so dynamic and 'as new' is the only way I can describe it.  Litherland's solo is equal to that and it continues to play with phenomenal quality for a final track.  For once there is no inner groove distortion and brief quiet interlude plays beautifully without any background.  Back to the high octane level and the next section plays with such power and the next quiet passage is as good as the first!  Once again you can hear each note so succinctly and the end section plays with exceptional clarity and power.  A Mint conclusion to this STUNNING album.

The Gatefold & Inner Sleeve

The cover is in fantastic condition with barely any wear.  It has just one small section of 'feathering' on the opening edge, the back cover edge, and a couple of tiny crimps near the bottom on the same edge.  That is it!  The edges, spine and corners are in superb condition and the laminated front and back cover have no marking or creasing.  The inside of the gatefold is immaculate with no marking either.  A stunning example!

This poly-lined inner sleeve has only a little creasing, it is in superb condition.

Play tested on my Rega P2 with AT-VM95EN Cart / Denon PMA-520AE Amp / B&W 684 Speakers

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

886765  1Y // 1  420 1 1  1 6

886765  2Y // 1  420  1 1  1 7

I grade according to "Record Collector" guidelines.

Any questions please feel free to ask

Please pay within 4 days of auction end

Recent Feedback

Postage & Packaging

I will only send items items worldwide via tracked shipping.  This provides 'peace of mind' in case of loss or damage.  The shipping costs are shown below and combined shipping is always offered.  Any over-payment will always be refunded.

The Royal Mail only insure up to a value of £250 so if an item sells for more it may be wise to use a courier service (e.g. Parcelforce or DPD).  An extra insurance premium will be required but I will not know the exact amount until the final sale price is known.  Because of this I will sometimes have to estimate the cost and this will be shown in the listing.  Please wait for the invoice before making payment and if you have any questions please feel free to ask.  Many thanks.

All vinyls are packaged in strong over-sized custom made mailers with plenty of extra cardboard protection.  They are placed inside separate poly-lined inners outside the cover so as to avoid seam splits in transit and then placed inside a PVC sleeve to provide even more protection.  I pride myself on my high quality packaging as my feed confirms and if any customer has any specific requirements I am more than happy to help.

The mailers I use cost £1.00 each and I will use anything between 3-5 cardboard stiffeners which cost approx £0.18 each.  There is also the cost of the poly-lined inner and PVC sleeve to consider, it all adds up!  Not forgetting that eBay take 10% of the shipping fee also!!

UK Postage Rates (First Class Recorded - Max 2kg)

LPs/12" singles : £6.50 up to 1kg then £1.00 per extra item 

EUROPE (Tracked - Max 2kg)

LPs/12" singles : £13.95 then £2.00 per extra

USA (Tracked - Max 2kg)

LPs/12" singles : £22.95 then £2.50 per extra 

REST OF WORLD (Tracked - Max 2kg)  

LPs/12" singles : £21.95 then £2.50 per extra

If you are not entirely happy with your purchase please contact me before leaving feedback and I will always resolve any issue, 100% guaranteed.  If you would prefer to send the item back I will also pay the return shipping cost if I am at fault, I am only human after all!!