I will declare a lower amount on the customs form for all countries so as to avoid/decrease high import charges.  However, in the case of the EU all purchases are subject to VAT which eBay collect at point of sale.  No shipping to Russia currently.

Egg : The Civil Surface A-1U / B-1U 1st Press Caroline Records 1974

This first pressing plays with stunning quality on both sides with a clarity, depth and warmth that would be hard to match.  I cannot emphasise enough just how well it plays and it is obvious that it has only been on a turntable a handful of times at most.  I have only graded one track on S2 as Near Mint+ because of one light tick and a couple of very quiet statics, all other tracks are Mint- or Mint.  It is a FINAL UPGRADE archive pressing in my opinion and not surprisingly the vinyl is in immaculate condition also.

The cover is in superb condition with barely any wear and has retained its original shape and structure perfectly.  The original inner sleeve is in excellent condition also.

C 1510 A-1U  H 1 // C 1510 B-1U  R 1

The audio on S1 is Mint(-)

The audio on S2 is Mint(-) (T2 Near Mint+)

The cover is Near Mint-

The inner sleeve is Ex+

The labels are Mint-

Visual description

The vinyl is in beautiful condition and still has an immaculate jet-black glossy sheen with no marks or scratches.  When I look under a bright light I can only make out a couple of ultra faint and small hairlines on each side - you would not be disappointed if you had just bought this record brand new!  The labels are super clean with barely any spindle wear.  A stunning example.

Play grading

The metronome intro on 'Germ Patrol' plays with incredible clarity and there are only 2/3 barely audible statics.  As the music comes in the playback is so strong and deep and it continues to play with sublime clarity and depth.  In fact the more I play it the more impressed I am!  Each note is so clean and precise and Brooks' drums especially.  This is actually well documented as they are very high in the mix but it doesn't reflect badly on the audio in my opinion.  Every section of this instrumental plays with exceptional sonic quality - the depth and resonance of the audio is high end indeed and already it is clear this vinyl has been so well cared for and hardly played.  A Mint- start to the album - not sure the minus is necessary though!

'Wind Quartet I' keeps up the standard and plays with stunning quality from start to finish.  A couple of light statics but again you barely hear them.  The clarity of sound is out of this world!  Mint-

The powerful intro on 'Enneagram' plays to perfection and the quality does not drop as it progresses.  Once more the audio definition and clarity is equal to that of any unplayed record and there are a number of quiet passages during this 9 minute instrumental which in a way makes it even more impressive.  The end section is powerful but again the depth of the audio is stunning and there is also no distortion on the top end.  Again the drums are very loud!  The super quiet radiophonic type vocal near the end does not even have one single static sound, that is a measure of the clarity on offer here.  This time I have no hesitation in grading this number as Mint

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The intro on 'Prelude' again plays with wonderful clarity - I just cannot believe how clean this vinyl is!  As the percussion comes in the sonic quality is so strong and it continues in the same way.  The vocals from Gaskin and co play beautifully and in the next section I only 'picked up' a handful of mega quiet statics that hardly require a mention.  A Mint- track.

'Wring Out The Ground (Loosely Now' is of the same high end standard with barely any background.  After the first vocal section, which is perfect, there are a couple of minor statics followed by a light tick but the rest of this quiet passage plays with stunning clarity.  The jazz-like instrumental is flawless and Campbell's next vocal has no interference either.  The remainder is just as clean and overall I will grade as Near Mint+ because I do not think Near Mint does it justice!

'Nearch' plays with outstanding audio from the first note to the last.  It has a CD clean aesthetic quality but with the warmth and depth you only find on vinyl.  The staccato end section is amazing!  The silences gradually get longer and yet the clarity is on another level.  I heard only a couple of very quiet statics so I will say Mint- but in all honesty...

'Wind Quartet II' ends the album with stunning clarity and warmth once more.  Superb musicianship from all four and... no ticks, clicks or pops.  Just a handful of inconsequential statics that you hardly notice but they have the soft touch of a ballerina!!  It plays with remarkable clarity throughout and Mint- is again well deserved.  A STUNNING album.

The Cover & Inner Sleeve

The cover is in superb condition with hardly any wear.  The top edge is perfect and the bottom edge has only minimal rubbing in a couple of sections.  The spine is close to perfect and all four corners are in superb order with barely any wear.  The opening edge is immaculate.  The front cover is so clean and whilst it may not have the Caroline Records sticker (not all were issued with it) it does still have the original handwritten £1.46p price sticker.  The back cover is pristine with just one small sticker on it.  Even with that it's still worth a Near Mint- grade.

The original plain white die-cut inner is in great condition with no side splits or tears and hardly any creasing.  It has just a little age related fading down the left and right edges.

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

C 1510 A-1U  H 1 // C 1510 B-1U  R 1

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!!