If - superb jazz rock debut album on pink Island

	£		46
	$		61

If

“If”

Superb condition, you will find it difficult to find another one in such great condition! 

Rare original 1970 Island ILPS 9129 

UK stereo 1st pressing pink label with white"i" in superb condition, plays superbly.

Side 1:       ILPS 9129 

A * 1 1 1

B s 1 1 6

I bought this when it was first released and it has been stored in a protective polythene outer sleeve and the vinyl has always been kept clean. It has been recently “vacuumed” on my Moth Record Cleaning machine using L’Art du Son” cleaning fluid, which has no alcohol in it, to restore it to its original lustre. This LP has never been loaned out or taken to any party so I know its entire history and it has always been played on quality equipment.

Vinyl:                  Excellent+

Plays superbly with some occasional feint surface noise here and there but nothing to spoil the enjoyment of the recording. There is some very soft crackle evident on the lead-in on Track 1 on both sides although this is when there is no music so it has no effect on replay. This is being very critical and is a reflection of the poor quality vinyl used on pink Island issues around this time as opposed to surface noise caused by wear or damage. This LP plays as only early vinyl can with strong instrument separation and 3-D image placement.

The acoustic instruments sound crisp and clear and the whole LP plays with no distortion. It sounds alarmingly “real” (unlike CDs), the drum sound is very accurate with the cymbals ringing clear and actually sounding metalic, the bass is strong and deep as only original vinyl replay can give. Great fat brass section sound.

Please note: There are a few extremely fine, non-sounding, hairlines (probably cause by removal from the inner sleeve), on both sides. This is being extremely critical. Other than that this is probably the best condition copy of this LP you’ll be able to lay your hands on (unless you know someone, such as me, who has had a copy from new, always kept it scrupulously clean, never loaned it out and always played it on quality equipment).

I have played this on my latest set-up which is Project Perspective deck, Ortofon Kontrapunkt b cartridge through Musical Fidelity XLPS2 twin mono block phono stage into a WAD Pre–11 valve pre amp coupled to a Musical Fidelity A3.2cr power amp and finally Ruark Prelude ‘speakers and it sounds wonderfully dynamic and clear. As a double check I have also listened to this through my Sennheiser HD 565 Ovation headphones linked to a Musical Fidelity X-Cans V2 valve headphone amp and only if listened to very carefully is the occasional mere touch of low-level surface noise evident in the quiet parts of the recording.

It is worth bearing in mind that other systems may not reveal the same level of hi-fi sound, especially concerning the reproduction of any surface noise.

Sleeve:         Excellent

Very slight ring-wear on the front and rear of the sleeve as well as a few creases as you can see from the photographs. No “feathering” on the edges and the spine is still strong with no tears but the text has virtually worn away. It does seem to be a particularly fragile sleeve as the silver grey image almost seems to have been sprayed on it is so thinly applied. There is no writing or sticker marks on any of the sleeve surfaces.

Inner sleeve:          Excellent+

This is the original paper inner sleeve with and shows little sign of age with barely any creasing evident. There are no splits or tears to this inner sleeve. It has the British Patent No. 800513 & 973939 as well as MADE IN ENGLAND 31 /0770 either side of the "Plastic Bags Can be Dangerous" warning box.

Labels:                  Excellent

Both labels are clean and bright. There is no spindle wear. There is what appears to be an ink dot in the white letter "i" on Side 1 as can be seen in the photograph. Interestingly, the colour printing registration seems to be slightly out of alignment with the pink fill overlapping the white "i" from right to left. This is not evident on Side 2 although the pink fill does overlap the white "i" very slightly from top to bottom. This can be verified in the photographs. I have no idea whether all the "If" albums had these minor print flaws. If not, then this could possibly make this LP more of a collector's item - I don't know for sure as I'm not a collector.

This record has been visually and play graded as accurately as possible using the Record Collector's grading system (please see below) with an added + where the condition is somewhere between two grades.

MINT: The record itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. The cover and any extra items such as lyric sheet, booklet or poster are in perfect condition. Records listed as un-played should be mint.

EXCELLENT: The record shows some signs of having played, but there is very little lessening in sound quality. The cover and packaging might have some 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 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, discoloration etc.

Posting & Packing:

*New Royal Mail postage rates from 1st April 2013

The postage quoted is for Royal Mail 2nd Class & Royal Mail Airmail, so if you require any other method of posting or insurance please ask.

I always keep proof of posting & will assist you if you need to make a claim for loss or damage with Royal Mail. Please ensure you provide me with your correct address information.

All LPs will be posted in thick purpose-made cardboard mailers with cardboard inserts for extra protection and the sleeve and LP will be separated to avoid any potential damage to either.

UK

Royal Mail Second Class service - £4.00

EUROPE

Royal Mail Airsure with full tracking details and Royal Mail Insurance -  £12.75.

USA & REST OF THE WORLD

Royal Mail Airsure with full tracking details and Royal Mail Insurance -  £15.75.