Pink Floyd : Delicate Sound Of Thunder A1/B1/A1/B2 1st Press

This first pressing from 1988 is of a standard so rarely found today.  The clarity is so impressive and as for the power and depth of the audio - I'm not I've heard better!  The vast majority is 'as new' and with only one click there is hardly any interference.

The gatefold is in fantastic condition with very little shelf wear and the picture inners are in pristine condition also.  A stunning double album for certain.

EQ5009 // A - 1 / B - 1 / A - 1 / B - 2

The audio on S1 is Mint- (track 3 intro Near Mint-)

The audio on S2 is Near Mint (Mint- for the majority / track 1 intro Ex / track 3 Ex+ for 20 seconds)

The audio on S3 is Mint- (track 1 Ex+)

The audio on S4 is Mint- (track 1 Near Mint-) 

The cover is Near Mint-

The picture inners are Mint

The labels are Near Mint

Visual grading

The vinyls are in superb condition and they both still have a lovely glossy sheen.  In fact they have not been played that much as there is very little spindle wear.  There are only a small number of faint hairlines and whilst S3 has a couple of small fade marks they have no affect on the stunning audio whatsoever.  They are amongst the 'cleanest' examples I have ever seen and the run out grooves and labels are also in superlative condition.

Play grading  

The opening grooves on 'Shine On...' play with a clarity that you rarely hear on the genuine first pressings.  There is no intrusive static and you can just shut your eyes and immerse yourself in the music and imagine you are there!  The audio is that clean and clinical.  It continues to impress with astounding depth and power and the entire intro is Mint- with only a couple of light ticks, not clicks!  There is no decrease in quality as the vocal begins and to the very end it plays with immaculate precision, an absolutely stunning version!  'Learning To Fly' is equal to this and plays 'as new' from start to finish with only a handful of dust ticks in the 'audience' section after.  'Yet Another Movie' has only a couple of light ticks on the intro and then plays to a sublime standard to the very last note with no 'background' of any kind.  'Round And Around' ends the side with perfect clarity also.  This side is quite simply sensational!

'Sorrow' on S2 has a little static on the 'audience' intro and as the haunting guitar begins the playback is very strong with only a gentle 'whoosh' sound once per revolution of the record.  It is quiet and not that intrusive in my opinion.  There are also a small number of very light ticks on the final section of the intro.  As the track gets underway the audio cannot be faulted and even the quieter mid section has only a couple of dust ticks.  The remainder is stunning and Gilmour's solo is so powerful with no distortion.  'The Dogs Of War' intro is very clean with barely any static and the first vocal section has only some mega light dust ticks that do not classify as interference!  There are 4,5 light ticks at the end but again they are quiet and barely audible when you stand in the centre of the room!  From then on the audio is nigh on perfect with only a couple of light ticks.  The quiet intro on the classic 'On The Turning Away' begins superbly with no obvious static and it is only after a minute where you can hear a little albeit only minor.  The first vocal has no interference and the quiet interlude prior to the next verse is very 'clean' with only a couple of light ticks, nothing intrusive.  The solo plays with breathtaking power and again there is no distortion.  It is Mint there is no other grading for it!  Right to the final groove this plays 'as new'.

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'One Of These Days' has only light static at the start and no clicks or pops.  In fact there hasn't been one click or pop on the album so far!  The remainder of the intro has excellent audio with only light intermittent static in the quieter sections and again this is hardly intrusive.  As the tempo increases the playback is absolutely stunning with no 'background' of any kind and plays with fantastic power and definition to the end.  The segue into 'Time' is faultless and the intro is quite simply Mint- with no intrusion whatsoever.  Thereafter this all 'time' classic is 'as new' and that is no exaggeration, the clarity and depth of the audio could not be any better.  Wow!  I am delighted to say 'Money' is of the same 'high end' standard with not one iota of interference and even the quieter section of the instrumental has no real 'background'.  The clarity is exceptional and it is obvious this side has barely been played.  The entire track grades as Mint- the audio is spectacular!  'Another Brick In The Wall Part II' ends the side with perfect Mint- audio, no more needs to be said :-)

The 'audience' intro on S4 has a couple of light clicks and some light static but when the acoustic guitar signals the start of 'Wish You Were Here' there is no obvious 'background' at all.  This classic intro continues to play with wonderful quality and the vocals are very strong apart from one click.  It is not too intrusive as it is 'deep' within the music but yes it can be heard.  Apart from that the audio cannot be faulted, the definition of the audio is just so beautifully clean.  Not quite a perfect version but not far from it!  'Comfortably Numb' is stunning from the very first groove and continues to plays with astounding fantastic power and clarity and you can turn the volume up to max here without fear of distortion.  It has to be the most powerful version I have heard in many a year and it impresses on every level.  Every note plays with sublime precision and that guitar solo?  Audio does not get any better!  Pure unadulterated Mint audio and that applies to the entire track.  I cannot put into words just how breathtaking this classic is - it is mesmeric and powerful in equal measure.  Wow what an astounding version!  'Run Like Hell' is of the same exacting standard and ends the album with Mint audio.  The power and depth again cannot be improved upon and the crescendo ending is as 'clean' as the day when first released back in '88.  Another mind-blowing track with not even a dust tick!

In summary this double album will impress even the most ardent of Floyd collectors.  It plays with a depth and sonic quality that you only find on beautifully preserved copies and I am confident in saying the majority is 'as new'.  Where there is any 'background' I have mentioned it and aside from one minor click there is no real intrusion on the 'high end' audio.  There is minimal static and certainly no intrusive crackle.  This is in my opinion one of the best produced 'live' albums ever made and on a super clean version like this there is no distortion at all.  It was recorded 'loud' and you can experience that when you blast if through the speakers.  A stunning first press that also comes complete with a lovely gatefold and perfect inners.

The Gatefold

It still has its glossy look and has its original strong appearance suggesting that it has not been handled that much.  The top edges have only a couple of tiny rubs and the bottom edges are in perfect order as is the wide spine.  There is only minimal corner wear and the opening edges have no handling wear at all.  Both the front and back cover are extremely clean with no real marking and the inside is immaculate.  One of the cleanest examples I have ever seen.

The Picture Inners

They are both in perfect condition with no edge or corner wear.  Stunning examples.

The Labels

They are near perfect with only minimal spindle wear and have no marking/writing.  The S2 label has no spindle wear and there are still some vinyl 'flecks' visible around the spindle hole confirming the record has hardly been played.

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

EQ5009 // A - 1 / B - 1 / A - 1 / B - 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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