MARC BRIERLEY - Welcome To the Citadel SUPER RARE '68 UK folk gem CBS 63478, EX+

	£		300
	$		398

MARC BRIERLEY - WELCOME TO THE CITADEL

Exceedingly rare original UK 1968 12" LP on the CBS label, STEREO S 63478

Matrix Numbers : Side 1 SBPG 63478 A1  Side 2   SBPG 63478 B1 

An extremely collectible copy of this rare and highly sought after 1968 folk gem, even rarer in such superb condition as this!

It's hard to fault this package in any way. Each side of the vinyl gleams with the original lacquered sheen. The vinyl is totally flat and remains in wonderful condition with the groove definitions clear and concise. The only blemishes (too strong a word) are 2 tiny surface scuffs on track, side 1 a further tiny surface scuff on side 1 track 2, and a few wispy hairline and almost invisible paper scuffs on the remainder of side 1 and side 2 - these are all strictly surface only and mostly only discernible under a bright light and when held at the right angle. This is late 60's CBS heavy duty vinyl and not the later flimsy vinyl which distorted so easily; this vinyl was built to last and it has done exactly that.  The evidence suggests that this album has not been played many times. EXCELLENT+

The labels are excellent. Gorgeous original CBS deep orange, with an even matt finish throughout. The only flaws are a couple of very faint spindle trails adjacent to the centre hole on side 2, and what looks like a small doodle beside the track 6 title on side 1.

The gorgeous Upton Printing Group front-laminated outer sleeve is excellent+. All of the edges and corners remain perfectly defined with no rubbing or scuffing, and all of the colours have retained their rich vibrancy. The opening edge remains beautifully defined with no fraying whatsoever. Remarkably, the spine remains in perfectly rigid condition with no marks whatsoever and the reverse side is flawless, with just a little hint of age discolouration towards the spine edge...nothing really. The only blemish is three mild (but visible) laminate creases towards the top right hand corner on the front side. EXCELLENT+

The audio quality is superb. Beautiful tone and clarity throughout and no distortion whatsoever.  All frequencies are clear and sharply defined resulting in wonderful clarity of both instrumentation and vocalisation. No pops, clicks, jumps, interference, or background crackle...just perfect.

The track listing is :

Side 1:

1. The Answer Is

2. Vagabond Of Sleep

3. Matchbox Men

4. Over the Hills

5. Symphony

6. Take Me For A Ride On Your Aeroplane

7. Welcome To the Citadel

Side 2 :

1. Hole On, Hold On, The Garden Sure Looks Good Spread On The Floor

2. Autograph Of Time

3. Sunlight Sleepers Song

4. Making Love

5. Time Itself

6. And Who Would But Think

7. Thoughts & Sounds

Comes complete with the original CBS inner which has no tears or splits and is itself in excellent+ condition...symptomatic of just how well the vinyl and outer sleeve have been looked after all of these years.

I can't imagine that another copy of this 49 year old folk gem exists which is in better condition than this!

If this record interests you then take a look at my other listings for more 50's, 60's and 70's classic vinyl including the exceedingly rare second Marc Brierley album!!

 If you require any further information, including photos, then let me know and I'll do my best to oblige. 

A bit about myself : I have been collecting vinyl for almost 50 years and have amassed a huge collection covering a varied genre, but mostly of 1960's and 70's origin. Most of my records were originally bought by myself for my own collection, but over the years I have embellished my collection by buying records from a variety of sources : friends/acquaintances, car boots, auctions, and even through putting up a "vinyl wanted" notice in my wife's shop! I never intended selling any of my records but now I am retired and a combination of space requirements (caused partly by duplication) and a need to help fund my retirement has prompted me to "rationalise" my record collection and sell many of them. 

My ebay feedback speaks for itself so rest assured that you are buying from a trusted seller and in the very unlikely event that you are unhappy with your purchase just e-mail me and I'll sort out the problem. I offer a "no quibble" refund policy. 

On the subject of POSTAGE, I take great care in the packaging of all items, using a proper vinyl cardboard mailer along with at least two cardboard stiffeners. I take great care in removing the record from the outer sleeve in order to prevent sleeve damage in transit. Furthermore, all records selling for more than £40 are placed within a polythene sleeve and the record itself in a new plain white inner sleeve, thus ensuring that the original inner reaches it's destination completely unscathed. I take great care in minimising all risk thereby ensuring, as far as possible, that your purchase reaches it's destination in exactly the same condition as when I post it. 

For this item postage & packaging will be Royal Mail 1st class tracked and signed for : UK £5, continental Europe (including Russia) £11, and Rest of the World £16. 

I do discount post & packaging costs for multiple purchases - normally a further £1 per LP for the UK, £2 per LP for continental Europe, and £3 per LP for USA and the rest of the world.. I do NOT profiteer from postage costs. Good luck with your bidding. Richard

Descriptions of any records I sell comply with the Rare Record Price Guide grading guidelines :

Mint

Description: 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 the lyric sheet, booklet or poster are in perfect condition. Records advertised as Sealed or Unplayed should be Mint.

Excellent

Description: The record shows some signs of having been played, but there is very little lessening in sound quality. The cover and packag­ing might have slight wear and/or creasing.

Very Good

Description: 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, without any major defects, is acceptable.

Good

Description: 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.

Fair 

Description: The record is still just playable but has not been cared for prop­erly and displays considerable surface noise; it may even jump. The cover and contents will be torn, stained and/or defaced.

Poor

Description: The record will not play properly due to scratches, bad surface noise, etc. The cover and contents will be badly damaged or partly missing.

Bad

Description: The record is unplayable or might even be broken, and is only of use as a collection-filler.