KING CRIMSON IN THE COURT OF UK LP PINK ISLAND 1ST EX+

	£		155
	$		205

KING CRIMSON - IN THE COURT OF THE CRIMSON KING

THE DEBUT ALBUM 1ST PRESS ON PINK ISLAND

• CATALOGUE:ILPS 9111
• MATRIX:ILPS 911 A-3 / B-3
• GENUINE FIRST PRESS

THE SLEEVE

NON LAMINATED GATEFOLD AND IS THE GENUINE FIRST PRESS SLEEVE. THIS IS EASILY NOTED BY THE MANUFACTURER OF THE SLEEVE WHICH ON THIS AND EVERY FIRST PRESS IS THE E.J.DAY CO, AND ON LATER ISSUES ROBOR LTD

THE FRONT SURFACE IS IN EXCEPTIONAL CONDITION. FLAT AND CLEAN WITH NO HEAVY CREASES.THIS DELICATE SLEEVE IS SO PRONE TO SHELF WEAR IN THE FORM OF COLOUR LOSS, AND OH SO OFTEN WITH PAPER TEARS DUE TO STICKERS BEING REMOVED.

THERE ARE A FEW LIGHT LINES NEAR THE SPINE AND ONE SMALL THUMB CREASE NEAR THE OPENING EDGE TOWARDS THE TOP. THE COLOURS IN FACT ARE VERY PROMINENT STILL. THERE IS SOME LIGHT SHELF WEAR TO THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES, AND THE SAME VERY LIGHT WEAR TO THE SPINE. THE LETTERING ON THE SPINE HOWEVER IS PERFECTLY LEGIBLE

THE REAR SURFACE IS NOT QUITE SO NICE AS THE FRONT AS THERE IS ONE SMALL PAPER SNAG IN THE BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER, BUT AGAIN NO HEAVY CREASES OR INDEED ANY RING WEAR.

OPENING THE GATEFOLD REVEALS A PERFECT INNER SURFACE WITH NO COLOUR LOSS AND NO MARKS STAINS OR CREASES.

THE PINK ISLAND LABELS ARE IN EXCELLENT CONDITION, NO MARKS AND NO SPINDLE HOLE WEAR. THE SPINDLE HOLE HAS ONLY 3-4 VERY LIGHT SPIDER LINES NEAR IT AND THIS CLEARLY INDICATES HOW LITTLE THE LP HAS BEEN PLAYED, AND INDEED HOW CAREFULLY IT WAS PLACED ON THE TURNTABLE

THE VINYL GLEAMS LIKE NEW, AND HAS RETAINED ALL OF ITS ORIGINAL SHEEN. THE SURFACE IS CLEAN, AND SCRATCH FREE. THERE ARE A COUPLE OF REALLY LIGHT HANDLING LINES ON EACH SIDE WHICH I CAN SEE UNDER THE ARTIFICIAL LIGHT I AM NOW UNDER. THESE WERE NOT APPARENT IN DAYLIGHT, SO THATS HOW LIGHT THEY ARE

ITHIS ALBUM HAS MANY QUIET PASSAGES IN FACT MANY SILENT PASSAGES WOULD BE A MORE ACURATE DESCRIPTION. IT HAS TO PLAY WITHOUT BACKGROUND CRACKLE OR IT JUST IS NOT WORTH OWNING IN MY OPINION

GENTLY LOWERING THE STYLUS ONTO SIDE ONE, THE RUN IN GROOVE IS NEAR SILENT. I HAVE HEARD SO MANY OF THESE ALBUMS THAT SOUND LIKE FRYING BACON IT IS AN INSTANT PLEASURE TE REALISE THAT THIS COPY IS WAY WAY ABOVE THE NORM. THERE IS NO BACKGROUND CRACKLES AT ALL. PERHAPS THE ODD BIT OF STATIC, AND THE VERY OCCASIONAL LIGHT POP WHICH IS BARELY AUDIBLE. SCHIZOID MAN OF COURSE IS A LOUDISH TRACK AND WOULD MASK MOST NOISES, SO THE REAL TEST STARTS ON TRACK 2 " I TALK TO THE WIND" . AGAIN THERE IS THE BEAUTIFUL BACKGROUND SILENCE AND THE ONLY THING THAT HAPPENED HERE WAS THREE VERY LIGHT ROTATIONAL CLICKS ABOUT A FIFTH OF THE WAY INTO THE TRACK. ON INSPECTION THERE IS A MINISCULE MARK ON THE VINYL WHICH I PREVIOUSLY DIDN'T SPOT. IT IS THAT SMALL. THE ROTATIONAL CLICKS ARE VERY VERY LIGHT AND ONCE THEY ARE GONE ITS BACK TO THE NEAR SILENCE. AS WITH TRACK ONE THE ONLY OTHER NOISES ARE THE VERY OCCASIONAL LIGHT LITTLE POPS. THERE IS NO BACKGROUND CRACKLE WHATSOEVER. EACH NOTE IS HEARD WITH SUPERB CRISP CLARITY UNAFFECTED BY ANY INTERFERENCE.

EPITAPH IS A BEAUTIFUL PIECE OF MUSIC AND AGAIN WOULD BE RUINED BY ANY BACKGROUND. I AM DELIGHTED TO BE ABLE TO SAY THAT THIS IS ONCE AGAIN TOTALLY FREE FROM ANY CRACKLE WHATSOEVER. I COUNTED TWO MAYBE THREE OF THOSE LIGHT POPS SPREAD THROUGH THE 8 MINUTES THAT THIS TRACK RUNS FOR. I BELIEVE ANOTHER SIGN OF AN ALBUM IN GREAT CONDITION IS THE NOISES IT MAKES DURING THE RUN OFF, AND IN THIS CASE AS SIDE ONE CONCLUDED AND THE STYLUS HITS THAT DEAD WAX, THERE IS NOTHING TO HEAR BUT SILENCE AND A LITTLE STATIC. ITS SUPERB AND SIDE ONE EASILY GRADES EX+

SIDE 2 OPENS WITH THE SAME NEAR SILENCE IN THE RUN IN

TO ME MOONCHILD IS THE DANGEROUS TRACK AND I HAVE LOST COUNT OF HOW MANY COPIES I HAVE PLAYED ONLY TO STOP ONCE THIS MOST QUIET OF TRACKS STARTS AS MOST VINYLS THAT I HAVE LISTENED TO HAVE MADE HEARING THIS TRACK IMPOSSSIBLE, AND IF I WOULDN'T HAVE IT IN MY COLLECTION, THEN I WON'T LIST IT

12 MINUTES OF THE MOST GENTLE MUSIC INTERLACED WITH NEAR SILENT SECTIONS OF VARIOUS PERCUSSION INSTRUMENTS BEING TAPPED, AND PASSAGES OF HARP LIKE TRANQUILITY. SO ANY BACKGROUND JUST KILLS IT STONE DEAD!!!

THE VINYL PERFORMS SUPERBLY ON THIS TRACK AND EVEN IN THE MOST SILENT PARTS THERE IS NO BACKGROUND WHATSOEVER. ODD SEMI SECONDS OF BARELY AUDIBLE STATIC, AND A FEW LIGHT AND  ALMOST SILENT LITTLE LIGHT POPS (NOT CLICKS)

ALL 12 MINUTES PLAY BEAUTIFULLY, AND AS THE FINAL TRACK (COURT OF THE CRIMSON KING) STARTS IT IS VERY CLEAR THAT THIS ALBUM IS IN SUPERB ALL ROUND CONDITION

THE LAST TRACK PLAYS SUPERBLY AGAIN ALL THE WAY THROUGH

EACH LINKING GROOVE IS SILENT, AND THE TRACKS PLAY BEAUTIFULLY ALL THE WAY THROUGH WITH CRISP CLEAN STEREO SOUND AND A WONDERFUL PRODUCTION. CLEAR AS A BELL WOULD BE A GOOD DESCRIPTION.

SO AS I SAID APART FORM THE ODD LIGHT POP HERE AND THERE THE ALBUM PLAYS TO A VERY HIGH GRADE AND I HAVE NO HESITATION IN GRADING IT EXCELLENT PLUS, AND HONESTLY WITHOUT THESE ODD LITTLE POPS I WOULD HAVE GRADED THIS NEAR MINT.

I CANNOT STRESS HOW HARD IT IS TO GET A COPY OF THIS ALBUM THAT PLAYS WITHOUT BACKGROUND, AND TO FIND ONE THIS GOOD IS VERY RARE INDEED. THE REASON I HAVE GONE TO GREAT LENGTHS TO DESCRIBE EVERY TRACK AND EVERY NOISE IS BECAUSE I JUST KNOW HOW IMPOSSIBLE THIS ALBUM IS TO FIND IN THIS HIGHEST GRADE. IT REALLY WOULD BE NEAR MINT SO IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR ABRILLIANT COPY OF THIS RARE ALBUM THEN THIS ONE WILL DEFINITELY FIT THE BILL. IT IS THE SECOND BEST COPY I HAVE EVER HEARD

I HAVE NO DOUBT IN MY MIND THAT THE NEW OWNER WILL BE DELIGHTED WITH THIS ALBUM, BUT AS ALWAYS I OFFER AN UNCONDITIONAL REFUND IF NOT AS STATED

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR BID IF YOU CHOSE TO GO FOR IT

GARRY