PINK FLOYD Dark Side Of the Moon 1st Press A2/B2 MINT-

	£		293
	$		388

PINK FLOYD - DARK SIDE OF THE MOON

•  
• HARVEST 1973
• SHVL 804
• MATRIX: SHVL804-A2 / B2
• MOTHERS / STAMPERS: 4 GGT / 3 MP

THE GENUINE ARTICLE IN SUCH SUPERB CONDITION IT ALMOST SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE. YES THE VERY VERY RARE UK 1ST PRESSING DSOM IN MINT MINUS CONDITION. ONE OF THE MOST COLLECTIBLE ALBUMS ON THE PLANET!!!

WELL WHATS ALL THE FUSS ABOUT, WHEN THIS ALBUM SOLD IN THE MILLIONS.

IF YOU ARE A COLLECTOR IN THE KNOW, THEN JUMP DOWN TO THE RECORD DESCRIPTION. IF YOU WANT ALL THE DETAIL READ ON.

ITS VERY STRAIGHT FORWARD, IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THE LABEL YOU WILL SEE THAT IT IS REALLY HARD TO READ THE TRACK LISTING AS THE SILVER TYPEFACE BECOMES ALMOST INVISIBLE AGAINST THE PALE BLUE BACKGROUND. FACED WITH THIS EMI REPRESSED THE ALBUM WITH AN OUTLINE TRIANGLE RATHER AN THE SOLID BLUE ONE, BUT NOT BEFORE A SMALL QUANTITY HAD MADE IT OUT TO THE SHOPS. SO THOSE FEW PEOPLE WHO BOUGHT THEIR COPY FROM THE FIRST BATCH WILL HAVE RECEIVED THE NOW RARE 1ST PRESS DSOM. I WONDER HOW MANY PEOPLE TOOK IT BACK FOR ONE THAT COULD BE READ EASIER?

IN ADDITION THERE ARE ALSORTS OF ANOMALIES REGARDING THE SLEEVE, BUT I WILL COVER THAT BELOW

THE RECORD

I HAVE HAD A FEW OF THESE RECORDS OVER THE 8 OR SO YEARS I HAVE BEEN DOING THIS ON EBAY, BUT NEVER ONE IN SUCH FANTASTIC CONDITION THAT I COULD DESCRIBE IT AS MINT MINUS. THE REPRODUCTION IS JUST MAGNIFICENT, BUT I GET AHEAD OF MYSELF. THE LABELS ARE AS YOU CAN SEE AND AS I HAVE ALREADY DESCRIBED THE 1ST PRESS BLUE TRIANGLE . THEY ARE IN TOP CONDITION. NO PEN PARKS OR STAINS, AND NO SPINDLE HOLE WEAR AT ALL. I HAVE TILTED THE LABEL INTO THE LIGHT FROM ALL ANGLES AND CAN ONLY MAKE OUT 2 SPIDER LINES, AND THIS TELLS ME TWO THINGS. ONE THAT THE RECORD HAS BEEN VERY VERY CAREFULLY HANDLED AND SECONDLY THAT IT HAS ONLY EVER HAD A COUPLE OF PLAYS SINCE 1973. THIS IS WHY IS IS IN SUCH SUPREME CONDITION.

THE VINYL GLEAMS LIKE A NEW DISC, AND IS SIMPLY STUNNING. THERE ARE NO SCRATCHES TO BE SEEN, AND EVEN UNDER INTENSE ILLUMINATION I AM ONLY ABLE TO MAKE OUT ONE REALLY FAINT HAIRLINE.

NOW THE ACID TEST

GENTLY LOWERING THE LP ONTO MY REGA TURNTABLE ENSURING I DO NOT ADD TO THE 2 SPIDER LINES, I AM ABSOLUTELY GOBSMACKED TO FIND THAT THE RUN IN PRODUCED TOTAL SILENCE!!!

THE RUN IN GROOVE HAS NO BACKGROUND NOISE WHATSOEVER !

THE GRADUALLY INCREASING THUMPING SOUND THAT INTRODUCES THE LISTENER TO THE OPENING TRACK"SPEAK TO ME" IS  UNBLEMISHED BY ANY BACKGROUND CRACKLES OR POPS. THERE ARE SO MANY SILENT OR NEAR SILENT PASSAGES ON THIS CLASSIC ALBUM, THAT BACKGROUND NOISE IS IF PRESENT VERY AUDIBLE. I AM DELIGHTED TO BE LISTENING TO AUDIO PERFECTION. AS SIDE ONE PROGRESSES IT BECOMES VERY CLEAR THAT THIS IS A SPECIAL EXAMPLE INDEED. NO POPS, CLICKS OR ANY SOUND GENERATED OTHER THAN THE MAGNIFICENT STEREO PRODUCTION FROM THIS VINYL.

SIDE TWO OPENS WITH THE MAGNIFICENT "MONEY" AND THE STEREO SPLIT ON THIS TRACK IS JUST SUPERB, AND AGAIN ALL THE WAY THROUGH THIS SIDE ALL YOU HEAR IS PERFECT CLARITY, UNDISTORTED SOUND, AND BACKGROUND NOISE FREE MUSIC.

I AM ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN THE QUALITY AND CONDITION OF THIS VINYL COULD NEVER BE UPGRADED. IT IS A HIGH GRADE COLLECTIBLE INDEED, AND FULLY WARRANTS A MINT MINUS GRADE.

THE SLEEVE

THE NON LAMINATED GATEFOLD SLEEVE IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION ALL ROUND. FAMOUS FOR ITS UNIQUE PRISM DESIGN IT IS IMPORTANT TO EXPLAIN WHY THIS IS A FIRST PRESS SLEEVE, AND NOT SOME LATER AND MORE MINT SLEEVE PACKAGED WITH A MINT DISC. THE FIRST PRESS SLEEVES ARE A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT COLOUR TO THE SUBSEQUENT 2ND AND 3RD PRESSES. A TRUE FIRST PRESS HAS A BLUEY BLACK COLOUR, WHEREAS ALL THE LATER PRESSES WERE JET BLACK. AND TO BE FAIR UNLESS YOU PLACE A BLACK SLEEVE NEXT TO THE BLUE/BLACK IT IS STILL HARD TO SPOT. BUT THE REAL GIVEAWAY IS TO BE FOUND ON THE LEFT HAND OPENING EDGE OF THE GATEFOLD. ONLY FIRST PRESS SLEEVES WERE SEALED AT THIS ENTRY POINT, AND NOT JUST STUCK TOGETHER LIKE 2ND PRESSES WERE, BUT A FIRST PRESS HAS A SMALL SECTION OF THE CARD SLEEVE TUCKED INSIDE THE OPENING AND SEALED INSIDE. THIS IS HOW YOU TELL IF YOU ARE HOLDING A FIRST PRESS OR NOT. THEREFORE YOU WILL SOMETIMES SEE A FIRST PRESS LP WITH A LATER PRESSED SLEEVE JUST BECAUSE IT IS IN BETTER CONDITION. I UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE DO IT, BUT IT IS WRONG, AND THE COLLECTOR IS BEING CHEATED. ANYWAY THIS IS THE REAL DEAL. IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. THE FRONT SURFACE IS CLEAN AND FREE OF ANY HEAVY CREASES. THERE IS A FAINT BIT OF COLOUR WEAR NEAR THE SPINE, AND ONE 3 INCH INDENT IN THE SURFACE WHICH RUNS THROUGH THE TRIANGLE. THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES HAVE MINIMAL SHELF WEAR, AND THE OPENING EDGE IS VERY SHARP AND ONLY HAS A FEW FINGERNAIL MARKS TO SHOW WHERE THE VINYL HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE COVER. THE REAR SURFACE IS AS CLEAN AS THE FRONT WITHOUT THE LIGHT INDENT.

THE ORIGINAL POLY LINED BLACK INNER SLEEVE IS IN EXCEPTIONAL CONDITION, AND AGAIN THIS IS THE GENUINE ARTICLE AND PROVEN BY THE WORDING ON THE BOTTOM OF THE SLEEVE WHICH STATES THE PATENT NUMBER, AND THE FACT THAT IT WAS MADE IN GT BRITAIN.

THE FOUR INSERTS ARE IN IMMACULATE CONDITION, WITH THE POSTERS HAVING ONLY ONCE OR TWICE BEEN OPENED UP. THE FOLDS ARE STILL VERY VERY SHARP, AND WHEN OPENED THEY TEND TO WANT TO NOT LAY FLAT BECAUSE OF THE SHARPNESS OF THE FOLD.

FINALLY THE TWO STICKERS ARE THE ORIGINALS NOT LATER REISSUES, AS DEPICTED BY THE BROWN DIAGONAL LINES ON THE BACK. ONE OF THE STICKERS HAS A LIGHT CREASE ALONG THE TOP EDGE.

TO SUM UP THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST EVER EXAMPLES OF THIS ALBUM YOU WILL COME ACROSS, AND WILL ONLY EVER INCREASE IN VALUE AS COPIES GET WORN OUT OR LOCKED AWAY IN VAULTS.

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

REGARDS

GARRY