COLOSSEUM VALENTYNE SUITE 1st PRESS 1Y1/2Y1 VERTIGO *Stunning* AUDIO NM/MINT
£
31
$
41
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Description
Colosseum Valentyne Suite : Original 1st Pressing 1Y1 / 2Y1
This UK first pressing was the first record ever released on the Vertigo Swirl label hence the catalogue number VO 1 and is highly collectable for that reason alone.
The Vertigo variants are all rare but the easiest way to determine a genuine first pressing is to see if it has 'A Philips Record Product' towards the bottom of the Side B label and this one has that!
886775 / 1Y*1 / 420 1 1 1 5
886775 / 2*Y*1 / 420 1 5 1 7
The audio on S1 is Mint (track 2 intro Ex+)
The audio on S2 is Near Mint (Mint in many sections / track 1 Ex in a couple of short sections)
The gatefold is VG+
The original inner sleeve is Ex+
The Side A label is Ex and the Side B label is Near Mint
Visual grading
For such a rare pressing this is a superb looking vinyl. There are some hairlines although the majority of them have been caused by sleeve removal. They are superficial and have no affect on the high quality of the audio. There are a couple of small hairlines on Side A that are a little more obvious but there are no scratches anywhere to be seen. Overall it is a very impressive looking vinyl and is certainly the cleanest first Vertigo pressing I have seen.
Play grading
S1 has barely any lead in static and 'The Kettle' plays with superb audio from the very first note. There is no interference and no distortion either. The depth and power of the audio is truly breathtaking and would be impossible to improve upon. A sensational start to this rare LP.
There are a few light dust ticks on the 'Elegy' intro but they are so much in the background and do not class as interference in my opinion. The remainder of the track is Mint and plays with sublime quality. Tremendous clarity and no 'background' of any kind and the quiet fade out also plays perfectly.
The quiet intro on 'Butty's Blues' is stunning with no interference at all. In fact every second of this track plays with a clarity that is second to none. This is so impressive and in all honesty it is 'as new'. For a vinyl that is very nearly 50 years old the quality of the audio here is mind-blowing! This is without doubt the 'cleanest' version of this track I have ever heard. The sonic quality is a of a fantastic standard and again the fade out doesn't even have a solitary dust tick let alone anything worse.
'The Machine Demands A Sacrifice' is equal to this standard. The clarity throughout is 'high end' and again plays 'as new'. You can hear every note and nuance so clearly it is incredible to think this was released back in '69. This is a vinyl that has been very well preserved. The very quiet fade out/in section is absolutely stunning. No clicks, pops etc and no static either, just pure perfect audio as it should be heard. The crescendo build up at the end plays with such precision, there is no interference at all. I rarely grade as Mint but this track deserves that accolade it could not play any better.
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'January's Search' of 'The Valentyne Suite' has only the lightest of static on the intro and then plays with wonderful depth and clarity. As the track progresses there is some static that is higher in the mix but the music still plays very clearly. On a couple of occasions there is a little static distortion on the top end as you often get on vinyls of this age. However, there are no clicks or pops and the majority plays to a superb standard. Indeed the long loud end section plays with such stunning power and clarity it again sounds 'as new'. I cannot stress enough just how well much of this plays.
'February's Valentyne' is mega impressive from the very first groove. There is nothing to detract from the audio here and aside from a hint of barely audible static on the intro the sound quality is practically Mint. It is so rare for such a highly collectable first Vertigo pressing to play with such astounding clarity. There is no distortion here it is just one superb listen!
'The Grass Is Always Greener...' ends the side with wonderful audio again. There is some minor static here and there but it isn't intrusive and the quieter mid section plays superbly well with no 'background' at all. The solo guitar section that follows is mesmeric and just so powerful and this is more than matched by the wall of sound thereafter. To say it plays well is an understatement! The power and depth is all encompassing and you can turn it up to loud and not be worried about distortion because there isn't any! The final end section has minimal light static and provides a fantastic end to this rare album.
In summary this genuine UK first pressing has super impressive audio and only a little static interference on S2. It is rare to find a genuine first pressing that was Philips Vertigo's first ever release playing with such clarity and definition. Much of the album is Mint and you cannot say that too often.
The Gatefold
For such a rare pressing the gatefold is relatively clean and the main areas of wear are on the edges and wide spine where there is some rubbing. The corners have some shelf wear also but not a massive amount as does the opening edge. The front cover is very clean with only a couple of minor scuffs and the back cover is even more impressive with no marks at all. So not a perfect copy but a perfectly acceptable one considering its rarity and age.
Inner sleeve
The large swirl inner sleeve is in superb condition with no splits or tears and only very minor creasing and a little age related fading. It would be difficult to find a cleaner one really.
The labels
The swirl side A label does not have too much spindle wear but there are a couple of faint orange marks. Side B is perfectly clean with not a great deal of spindle wear again.
Play tested on my Pro-Ject Essential III Turntable // B & W 684 Speakers
This record has been professionally cleaned on a Pro-Ject VC-S machine
886775 / 1Y*1 / 420 1 1 1 5
886775 / 2*Y*1 / 420 1 5 1 7
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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