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Gentle Giant : Octopus 1Y1 / 2Y1 2nd Vertigo Press Excellency Music 1972

This very collectable Vertigo pressing plays to a very high standard with only minimal intrusion.  There are no clicks or pops only a small number of minor ticks and very minimal static.  There is a little distortion on a couple of tracks but it is kept to an absolute minimum and does not last long, it is hardly intrusive.  Please see below for a full audio grading.

The gatefold is in fantastic condition with barely any wear - just a couple of small 'nicks' by the right edge in the top right corner.  It has kept its original shape and structure perfectly and is without doubt one of the best I have ever seen.  The original Vertigo inner sleeve is in excellent condition also.

This record still has the first press matrix but is known as a second pressing because it has the Excellency Music credit on the S2 label as opposed to the Alucard one which is on the first pressing.

6360080 1Y // 1 ▽ 420 1 1  5   04

6360080 2Y // 1 ▽ 420 1 1  3   04

The audio on S1 is Ex+ (T2 & T4 Near Mint)

The audio on S2 is Near Mint- (T1 intro Ex then Mint- / T2 Mint-)

The gatefold is Near Mint-

The Vertigo inner sleeve is Ex

The labels are Near Mint-

Visual description

The vinyl is in excellent condition and still holds a strong glossy look with no obvious marks or scratches.  Under a bright light you can see some hairlines but there is nothing that stands out.  A small mark in the S2 run off only.  The Vertigo labels are super clean with only a little spindle wear around the centre.

Play grading

The opening vocal on 'The Advent Of Panurge' plays so clearly with hardly any intrusion - minimal static at the start and then superb clarity from then on.  As the volume increases into the first instrumental section the audio is faultless and the depth especially is so impressive.  The 'chorus' is perfect and it continues to play with great quality and I only heard three ticks, no loud clicks.  The quieter vocal passage at the end plays with sublime clarity and the closing instrumental / vocal could not play any better.  Overall Ex+ is a fair assessment of the audio but the majority is certainly stronger than that.

'Raconteur, Troubadour' plays with stunning clarity, depth and warmth through every vocal and instrumental section.  I cannot fault it, each note is so clean and precise and nothing gets in the way of the audio.  The middle strings section is a case in point, incredible sound!  The remainder plays without fault, just a hint of very light static right at the end.  Near Mint

The high powered vocal intro on 'A Cry For Everyone' plays very clearly with only a minor touch of distortion for 2/3 seconds and the following instrumental has no clicks or pops and only very minimal static in a couple of places.  From then it plays in much the same way - no actual interference and only a couple of minor ticks.  The long instrumental section is stunning and the end vocal is very impressive also.  If there is any distortion it is so so minimal and does not intrude on the listen, even distortion seems like too harsh a word!  Ex+ at the very least.

'Knots' ends S1 with superb audio!  The clarity and definition of the audio is up there with the best I have ever heard and has no interference.  Perhaps a minimal amount of inner groove distortion towards the end but I only mention it for the sake of completeness, it still sounds fantastic!  Near Mint

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The 'intro' on 'The Boys In The Band' has only minimal light static and as the music begins the playback is incredible!  So strong and with tremendous depth also.  It continues to play with stunning precision through every section with zero interference.  Ex right at the start but easily Mint- from then on.

The intro on 'Dog's Life' has only a couple of mega quiet statics and the opening vocal is perfect.  This standard is kept up as it progresses and again there are no ticks, clicks or pops and no static either - the clarity of sound is stunning throughout and I am confident in grading this as Mint- such is the quality.

The piano intro on 'Think Of Me With Kindness' has just one static tick and the opening vocal section is near perfect with only a couple of very quiet statics.  This classic then plays with sublime clarity and no intrusion, the clarity is again so impressive even during the many quieter sections.  A great melody and Near Mint- is about right.

The intro on 'River' has no interference and the opening vocal is equally as strong.  From then on it plays with great quality for the vast majority.  I only noticed one very quiet tick and some very minor inner groove distortion during the instrumental section towards the end.  In saying that is still plays very clearly and you cannot really fault the clarity.  Near Mint-

The Gatefold & Vertigo Inner Sleeve

The cover is in superb condition, definitely one of the best I have seen.  The edges are unmarked and the wide spine is just as impressive including the corners.  The right hand corners are equally as clean and the opening edge looks untouched with only a tiny amount of crimping at either end, hardly worth a mention really.  The front cover is stunning and has none of the fading / marking around the edges that you so often see.  It has just one small mark / 'nick' by the top right corner and no other marking.  The back cover is even better and the inside of the gatefold is immaculate.  This truly is a stunning example of this iconic cover.

The original Vertigo inner is in excellent condition with no side splits or tears and only a little age related fading.  There is no obvious marking and not too much creasing.

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

6360080 1Y // 1 ▽ 420 1 1  5   04

6360080 2Y // 1 ▽ 420 1 1  3   04

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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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!!

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