SOFT MACHINE Third 1st UK Press Ex + V. Rare PRESS CUTTINGS R Wyatt,, M Ratledge

	£		56
	$		74

SOFT MACHINE THIRD 1st UK Press Excellent + Very Rare PRESS CUTTINGS. Robert Wyatt Mike Ratledge etc

SOFT MACHINE THIRD
First  U.K. Pressing
Matrix:   Side 1 S66246-1. Side 2 S66246-2.
              Side 3 S66246-3 Side 4 S66246-4.
Catalogue number CBS Records S66246. Originally released 1970
Overall condition is EXCELLENT
A long time ago on an outer spiral arm of the musical galaxy Soft Machine emerged. After supporting Hendrix on his first tours of the States, with two successful albums under their belts, that took rock to places it had never thought it could go, they added Elton Dean to the classic line-up of Ratledge, Wyatt and Hopper. The result was a daring fusion of experimental psychadelia, rock and avant garde jazz, mixed with the whimsical Englishness of a bunch of public schoolboys from Canterbury.
This amazingly inventive 1970 double LP opus still stimulates and excites today. There are four tracks only, each track takes up a side, and it's absorbing listening.

Sleeve EXCELLENT The unlaminated gatefold sleeve is still in EXCELLENT condition with no tears or splits but there is very slight ringwear where the top edge of the record sits. There is some very light wear to some corners and the top edge but otherwise it is clean with the colours, especially inside, still very bright and there isn’t any writing, taping or stickers.
Spine EXCELLENT there’s only the most minimal edge wear and the spine is firm and totally legible.
Inner sleeves The original CBS advertising inner sleeves are still in EXCELLENT condition and feature promotional photos of 25 other CBS albums. I will also include the original plastic outer that I bought with it, although it is starting to split slightly at the top, it still fits tightly and has successfully kept the dust off for all these years
Records EXCELLENT pressed on heavyweight vinyl The records are clean and glossy and the discs retain their deep, black vinyl sheen.
Labels EXCELLENT  The classic UK 1st Press CBS matt orange labels show minimal signs of use, have no writing and are clean with minimal spindle marking.
Audio Quality EXCELLENT- The records themselves are clean and glossy and play well apart from some of the usual vinyl hiss and crackle between tracks that unfortunately are noticeable in some of the quietest passages but vanish after a few seconds and don’t detract from the overall sound, which is still amazing. although deep cleaning would probably remove them. There is one ‘pop’ on side one, a couple of quiet pops on side three and one loud pop near start and another at end of side four; although deep cleaning would probably improve them. But, to quote the Record Collector grading system for  the category of EXCELLENT, there is very little lessening in sound quality.” It lays flat on the turntable and plays well without the needle sticking or jumping.
(Please remember even new, factory fresh vinyl is likely to have some   clicks and pops, but the richness of sound will always be better than digital. OK eventually the robots and aliens will make digital sound as good, but until then, it’s a compromise, you have to choose; deep rich tones and a beautiful sleeve (often with lyrics or other notes) or clinical sterility with nothing to see and a narrow frequency range.)
Side 1 - 1. Facelift Side 2 - 1. Slightly All The Time
Side 3 - 1. Moon In June Side 4 - 1. Out-Bloody-Rageous
Since 1970 all my records have been played on a Pioneer PL12D with a Shure N75 ED-T2 cartridge and stylus, tracking at 1.5 grams which I continue to use today – although the stylus has been replaced regularly
PRESS CUTTINGS I’m also including quite a few press cuttings from Melody Maker and Sounds from the same period.  I think they are all very rare, as I’ve never seen them referred to in books or on the web. Apart from covering Soft Machine at the time of this album, they also include some about Kevin Ayers and Daevid Allen who were both original members, as well as coverage of solo albums from various existing members.

Summary: this ICONIC, progressive jazz/rock masterwork  album is a lovely piece of genuine memorabilia from a bygone time that changed the world, as well as the way that music is made, and would grace any collection. If you haven’t heard it on vinyl this could be for you. It certainly doesn’t sound fifty one years old.
Admittedly they are not in Mint condition, although the albums overall count as EXCELLENT but that is why I’m starting at a sensible price so a genuine fan or collector can enjoy them without paying rip off prices.
 If you check my feedback you will see many people think my grading is spot on. I’m not a dealer of any sort, but am just downsizing and having to clear things out and trying to survive on a poxy pension. Good luck with your bidding and feel free to ask any question.
A Word About Payment and Postage
Sorry but I accept Paypal only and it will be posted as soon as payment has cleared, which must be paid within 24hours of the end of the auction. This may seem harsh but I’m fed up with time wasters!
I use 12" Vinyl LP Record Cruciform postal mailers and protect them with an additional layer of bubblewrap. In the UK I use Royal Mail Signed For.  
Price for postage reflects the fact that eBay & PayPal take a combined total fee of 13.4% on shipping charges.  If you are outside the UK, I will use Ebay’s Global Shipping Program and you are therefore accepting their shipping terms and charges over which I have no control.

Record Collector grading system used
MINT: 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: 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: 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: 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, discolouration, etc.
FAIR: 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: The record will not play properly due to scratches, bad surface noise, etc. The cover and contents will be badly damaged or partly missing.
As well as the above grades, Near Mint is often used as well; this is really for a record that appears new but is known to have been played because the label has light spindle marks or because it has come from a previous owner and is assumed to have been played by them. For records which appear to fall between the accepted grades, + and - are also often added to the grading.