PINK FLOYD DARK SIDE OF THE MOON A4/B3 Early PRESS (COMPLETE) SUPERB AUDIO
£
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Description
I will declare a lower amount on the customs form for all countries so as to avoid/decrease high import charges. However, in the case of the EU all purchases are subject to VAT which eBay collect at point of sale. No shipping to Russia currently.
Pink Floyd : The Dark Side Of The Moon A-4 / B-3 Very Early Press
This early pressing plays with outstanding quality on both sides. S1 is very impressive but S2 is absolutely STUNNING! S2 does have two brief sections of interference, literally at the start and on 'Great Gig...' but the rest of the side plays with incredible clarity and power. To be honest the interference on 'Great Gig...' is really not that intrusive, mainly light ticks for a few seconds. Overall though the sonic quality on both sides is so strong and like I say S2 is just out of this world! The vinyl is visually very impressive and cannot have been played very often based on the audio and that there is no obvious spindle wear on the pristine labels.
The gatefold is also in fantastic condition with barely any wear, the posters are 'as new' and the stickers are very clean with only one light crease on each.
This is known as a fifth issue but is nonetheless an early pressing with an A4/B3 matrix. The labels have EMI Records Ltd etc... around the top of the rim.
SHVL 804 // A-4 / B-3 // AM 1 / RGG 2 3
The audio on S1 is Mint(-) (T1 intro VG- for first 5 seconds / T6 VG+ for 15 seconds)
The audio on S2 is Mint(-)
The gatefold is Ex++
The labels are Mint-
The inner sleeve is Ex+
The posters are Mint and the stickers are Near Mint
Visual description
The vinyl is in lovely condition and still has an immaculate glossy sheen with very little marking. There is one tiny mark at the start of S1 which causes a little interference as stated below and a longish hairline on 'Great Gig...' but this is only faint and has very little effect on the audio. Aside from that the vinyl is very impressive with only a small number of insignificant hairlines that are very difficult to locate! The labels are pristine and only on very close inspection could I make out a couple of barely visible spindle traces on each.
Play grading
The 'heartbeat' intro on 'Speak To Me' has no background static but does have five dull click sounds right at the start. This is the only negative on this classic intro as aside from that it plays with great clarity. 3/4 barely audible ticks on the spoken section but that does not qualify as interference. I will grade the first 6/7 grooves as VG- and the remainder as Mint- the playback is superb.
The segue into 'Breathe' is 'as new' and the opening instrumental is just as impressive. Gilmour's opening vocal is of the same high end standard and as it progresses what you notice is the depth of the music. These early pressings are renown for their sonic quality and on a clean vinyl such as this it is particularly obvious. From start to finish it plays with wonderful precision and Mint is very much deserved.
'On The Run' also plays with a quality that belies the age of the album. There is one mega light near the start (you could easily miss it!) but the playback is stunning in every way. Such power and definition and even the 'crash' and running man section could not play any better. This end section is of course so quiet and yet there is no 'background' at all, the clarity is out of this world if you'll forgive the pun! Mint-
The segue into 'Time' is again faultless and the metronome / clocks section are equally as good. What a start! The next part of the intro once again shows you how well this vinyl has been preserved and plays with stunning precision i.e. no interference. The first verse and chorus can again be described 'as new' and Gilmour's first solo is just breathtaking! No static or distortion just pure Mint audio throughout. It continues in the same way, Wright's final chorus has no 'background' and whilst I haven't heard many Mint versions of this classic we definitely have one here!
'Breathe Reprise' is of the same standard with literally no intrusion. No need to elaborate it is Mint in every way.
It's not often the quiet piano intro on 'The Great Gig In The Sky' plays with perfectly clarity but I just cannot find any fault here. It plays beautifully and Torry's opening 'vocal' is just as impressive. Again there is no distortion and this high octane section is STUNNING! There are a small number of ticks during the quieter vocal that follows but they are not that intrusive, they are not loud clicks and only lasts for 15 seconds. The rest of the vocal and the final piano section is so clean and precise with no 'background' whatsoever. I will grade that section as VG+ but the vast majority of this classic is Mint without doubt.
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'Money' plays with great quality from the get go. A couple of barely audible ticks right at the start and then the iconic bass intro is flawless as is the opening vocal. The instrumental section then plays with a power and clarity that is second to none. The end vocal is as good as the first and this is easily Mint- at the very least.
The segue into 'Us And Them' plays with sublime clarity. The entire intro then plays beautifully with no interference and Gilmour's opening vocal is equally as good with only a couple of mega light dust ticks that really do not warrant a mention! The first chorus plays with stunning sonic quality and it continues to play as you would want it to. I often find this classic has some static but this is one of the cleanest versions I have heard in many a year. I cannot emphasise enough just how impressive the clarity is here - each note is so clean and precise and there is no 'muddiness' to the sound. To the end it plays with phenomenal quality and once again Mint- is very much deserved. What a version! 'Any Colour You Like' more than keeps up the good work and plays with superb sonic quality from the first note to the last with no intrusion. Mint
The intro on 'Brain Damage' has no 'background' and the first vocal is just as 'clean'. From then on it plays with tremendous power and depth and...no interference. In essence you could not wish to find a more 'complete' version. There is such depth and resonance to the sound and clearly this record has hardly been played, it is stunning! The 'high octane' chorus sections have no distortion on the top end which is a rarity and this has to be graded as Mint as there is not one single negative.
The segue into 'Eclipse' is 'as new' and it continues to play in exactly the same way. There is no distortion of any kind and this is unequivocally one of the strongest versions I have ever listened to. Once again the depth and power of the audio is just exceptional and even the quiet 'heartbeat' ending has no real 'background' - now that is rare! Perhaps just a hint of barely audible static but nothing more. A fantastic side of music and finished off with a Mint- version of this classic.
In summary this early pressing plays to a very high standard apart and the clarity, depth, power and warmth of the audio is stunning. They are all classics in their own right and S2 in particular is AMAZING and may well be the finest S2 I have ever had the pleasure in listening to and I don't say that lightly. The final two tracks 'Brain Damage' and 'Eclipse' so often play with distortion but there is zero distortion here, the sonic quality is so good. That all points to a rarely played played vinyl where the grooves are as 'clean' as they were when first pressed. 'Us And Them' is also up there with the best I have ever heard but then that applies to every track on this side! The vast majority of S1 is of the same high end standard but does have the two brief sections of 'background' as described above. A stunning example of one of the finest albums ever made.
The Gatefold, Inner Sleeve, Posters & Stickers
This lighter black cover is in excellent condition with only very minimal wear. The edges have hardly any rubbing and the spine is super clean with no real wear, just a tiny rub on each corner. The other corners are in superb shape with barely any wear and the opening edge has no handling wear either. The front cover is so clean with only the bare minimum of fading around the edges (hardly noticeable) and one faint line running down near the spine. The back cover is the same with just a minor touch of ringwear also. The inside of the gatefold is immaculate with no obvious wear. A stunning example overall and so much better than the majority that you find today.
The plain white die cut inner has no side splits, no marking and hardly any creasing. It just has 1299 written on one side for some reason.
The two posters are in pristine condition with no splits, tears or marking and both stickers are also in superb shape with only a minor crease running through each of them. They both have Crack Back / FasPrint on the back with the brown diagonal lines.
Play tested on my Rega P2 Turntable / Denon PMA-520AE Amp / B&W 684 Speakers
This record has been professionally cleaned on a Pro-Ject VC-S machine
SHVL 804 // A-4 / B-3 // AM 1 / RGG 2 3
I grade according to "Record Collector" guidelines.
Any questions please feel free to ask
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Postage & Packaging
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