Pink Floyd : The Dark Side Of The Moon A2 / B2 1st Press (Complete with Poster/Stickers)

This first pressing is stunning in every way.  As per my grading below I have never sold one before that has audio as exceptional as this.  The clarity, depth and warmth is so impressive and there is barely any 'background', there is nothing intrusive to be heard.  It plays practically 'as new' and that is not just a selling technique, that is true assessment of the wonderful audio on offer here.  It is also visually stunning with no marking etc of any kind.  A sublime time warp classic if ever there was one.

The cover is also in excellent condition and has hardly any shelf wear.  The posters and stickers are in great order and the original black inner is also included and remains in very good condition.

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SHVL 804 // A - 2 / B - 2 // HP 7 / GDT 2

The audio on S1 is Mint- (Track 5 'The Great Gig...' Near Mint-)

The audio on S2 is Mint-

The gatefold is Ex+

The original black inner is VG

The labels are Near Mint

The posters are Near Mint-

The stickers are Ex+

Visual grading

This is the most impressive A2/B2 pressing that I have ever seen.  It is stunning with a radiant glossy sheen and so rarely found in this condition today.  It has only been lightly played judging but the audio quality and there is not that much spindle wear on either side.  There are no marks or scratches and only a small number of very faint hairlines which are not easy to find!  At first glance it looks 'as new' and that is no exaggeration.  This is a time warp classic and run out grooves and iconic labels are also in fantastic condition.  Absolutely stunning!

Play grading  

The 'heartbeat' intro on 'Speak To Me' has to be the 'cleanest' I have ever heard on an A2/B2 first pressing.  There is no static, just one very minor tick, and the clarity is just outstanding.  It continues in this same precise way on the 'spoken' section and as the volume builds also.  This iconic intro easily grades as Mint- it is sensational!  In fact I would go so far to say the clarity could not be any greater on any other pressing.

The segue into 'Breathe' is perfect and the instrumental opening then plays without fault.  The two verses play with sublime definition and again there is no 'background' of any kind.  This is Mint- and so far the standard of the audio could not be any better.

'On The Run' is quite simply immaculate and the sonic quality on offer here is incredible.  Every second plays with such fine precision and even on the 'crash' there is no distortion.  You can hear every note on the 'running man' section, it is breathtaking - literally as you can hear his shallow breaths easily!  There is just one light static tick and again this is deserving of a Mint- grade.  Wow!

The segue into 'Time' is 'as new' and the 'clocks' then chime perfectly with no reverb or distortion.  The metronome intro has no 'background' and the instrumental opening then plays beautifully with no interference.  I am already running out of suitable adjectives for the quality of the audio on this side.  It is 'shop fresh'!  The first verse and chorus cannot be faulted and Gilmour's first solo sounds as if the record was only pressed yesterday!  The remainder of this classic is of the same 'high end' standard and it goes without saying that there is no 'background' of any kind.

The 'Breathe Reprise' demonstrates perfect clarity and Mint- is again deserved.

The gentle piano intro into 'The Great Gig In The Sky' begins superbly with no background static and just one soft click and an even quieter tick after 10 seconds.  The rest of this opening section is so 'clean' with only a couple of dust ticks, nothing intrusive basically.  As 'Clare Torry' commands centre stage the audio is so powerful and deep, there is nothing to fault, and there is no distortion on the top end.  This is phenomenal!  There is one very light click at the start of the final piano section but I am pleased to say the remainder plays with stunning clarity and what strikes me is that there is just no background static whatsoever.  The audio is super 'clean' and it's rarely this good on later pressings let alone A2/B2 ones!  There are two light static ticks on the final note but by then the audio has more or less come to a finish anyway.  This classic isn't quite perfect but it is certainly not far from it and I honestly believe a Near Mint- grade is a true reflection of the quality here.

I have graded many of the tracks on this side as Mint- so that I adhere to RC guidelines.  The audio, for the vast majority, plays as Mint and that is in my educated opinion.  I know perfect audio when I hear it!

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The intro on 'Money' is as 'fresh' as the day when it was first released back in '71.  There is no 'background' and the first verse then plays to the same standard.  How do I describe the iconic instrumental section in an original way?!  It is without doubt the most 'complete' I have ever heard, it is STUNNING!  Every note is so sharply defined and each section could not play with any greater definition.  Again there is no distortion and you can easily turn up the volume to maximum!  The playback is fantastic!  The remainder is of the same exact quality and rarely there is no static or worse on the 'spoken' outro.  In all honesty this classic is Mint but I will grade as Mint- so as to adhere to RC guidelines!  This version does not have the skip pressed into the grooves as per some copies.

The long intro on 'Us And Them' plays with such beautiful precision and with a warmth and depth that is so rarely found today.  I cannot emphasise enough just how stunning it actually is!  Mint is a grading too often used on eBay but I listen to every second of every track and having sold records for a number of years now I like to think I know what I am talking about!  With only a couple of barely audible dust ticks this is audio of the highest calibre and there is just no interference anywhere.  Each verse and chorus is equal to that of any unplayed vinyl and the instrumental sections are just as good. Mint is a worthy grade here for certain.  A sensational version from start to finish.

'Any Colour You Like' is just a shade off this 'high end' standard.  There are a couple of light ticks but blink and you miss them they are very quiet!  It plays with wonderful depth and power and I am happy to grade this as Mint-

The quiet intro on 'Brain Damage' is faultless and the first vocal is 'as new' with impeccable clarity.  It continues to play with outstanding quality and the first 'chorus' has no 'background'.  The remainder plays as you would want it to with sublime clarity and definition.  There is no sign of any interference and what is impressive is that there is no distortion which is a rarity for this track.  Mint again.

'Eclipse' ends this incredible album with all-encompassing audio that just 'fills' the room with incredible depth and power.  There is perhaps just a minimal amount of inner groove distortion but so much less than you usually find.  The super quiet 'heartbeat' ending is so 'clean' with barely any static, just a little right at the end.

In summary this classic album easily qualifies as a FINAL UPGRADE in my opinion.  I have sold a number of these down the years but I can honestly say never one as impressive as this.  There is hardly any 'background' and the clarity and sonic quality of the audio is breathtaking.  I suspected it would play well by its stunning visual quality but could only hope it would play this well!  The first and early pressings have so much more depth and warmth than the later pressings/reissues and when you find one as well preserved as this one you can only sit back, enjoy and admire the audio quality.

The Gatefold

The cover is one of the later ones issued with this pressing and has only minimal shelf wear.  It is the 'black' version not the 'midnight blue' one but as it is a very early one the 'black' is more of a dull shade - it isn't the brighter, sharper black you see with later pressings.  As for the condition well you couldn't find much better really!  The edges have very little rubbing and the spine is in fantastic condition with only one minor white 'spot'.  The corners of the spine have hardly any rubbing either and the right hand corners are in very similar condition.  It is so rare to find the corners as 'clean' as this!  The opening edge also looks untouched and is in superb shape.  The front cover has no marking or scratching and the back cover is equally as good and I am pleased to say the inside is also immaculate.  The colours are strong and vibrant throughout and this is without doubt one of the most impressive examples of this iconic cover that I have seen in a long time.

The Inner

The original poly-lined black inner has no side splits but there are a couple of obvious tears on the central 'window'.  Aside from that it has no marking and only minimal creasing.

The Labels

The 'solid blue' labels are in wonderful condition with no marking or writing and the pale blue colour is still very strong.  As stated there really is not very much spindle wear and it is clear this record has not been played very much.

The Posters and Stickers

The posters have no splits, tears or pinholes and do not appear to have been opened very much at all.  There is some faint 'mottling' on a couple of the reverse sides but this is commonly seen and does not detract from the superb condition.

The stickers again have no marking or tears and only minor creasing running down them near the right edges.  They are the 'Crack Back / FasPrint' variety with the dark brown diagonal stripes on the back.

Play tested on my Pro-Ject Essential III Turntable / B&W 684 Speakers

This record has been professionally cleaned on a Pro-Ject VC-S machine

SHVL 804 // A - 2 / B - 2 // HP 7 / GDT 2

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 SHIP WORLDWIDE BUT WHEN SENDING ITEMS TO ITALY, RUSSIA/UKRAINE AND SOUTH AMERICA I WILL ONLY SEND THEM VIA TRACKED SHIPPING AND THIS COSTS AN ADDITIONAL £5.00.

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