The Cross : Mad, Bad And Dangerous To Know A1 / B1 1st Press 1990

Now 30 years old this first pressing plays to a wonderful standard with barely any intrusion.  There is just a minor amount of static on the final track intro on S2 but even then it is quiet.  The clarity and depth of the audio is so good and the vast majority is 'as new' no exaggeration.

The cover and lyric inner are both in superb condition with barely any wear and have been extremely well preserved down the years.

PCS 7342 // A - 1 / B - 1

The audio on S1 is Mint(-) (Track 2 Near Mint)

The audio on S2 is Near Mint (Mint- for the vast majority / Track 5 intro Ex)

The cover is Near Mint-

The lyric inner is Mint-

The labels are Near Mint

The vinyl is in lovely condition and has a very impressive glossy sheen with no marks or scratches.  All I can detect under a strong light are a small number of hairlines and there is only a little spindle wear on the labels.  The run out grooves are also super clean with no marking.

Play grading  

'Top Of The World Ma' has barely any static on the intro and then plays with superb power and depth for the remainder.  There is no interference, no distortion and the playback is as near to faultless as is possible.  A Mint- start to the album.

The intro on 'Liar' is super clean and it continues in the same precise way.  Great audio definition and no clicks, pops or crackle.  There is just some very minor static near the end and on the fade out but Near Mint is more than deserved.

'Closer To You' has two seconds of barely audible static on the intro and is then 'as new' with no 'background' at all.  The clarity and depth of the audio is stunning and the fade out is perfect.  There are no negatives here.  Mint-

A brief respite with 'Breakdown' and the intro is as 'clean' as when first released back in '90.  It proceeds to play with no intrusion on the audio and the clarity here is exceptional.  A stunning Mint version for sure.

'Penetration Guru' rocks out in sublime style from start to finish and with...no interference.  There is no distortion on the top end and demands to be played loud!  There is no distortion on the top end and you could not wish to hear a more 'complete' version.  The clarity, power and depth of the audio is of the highest calibre and is Mint in every way.

'Power To Love' ends the side with breathtaking audio from the opening groove to the last.  For a final track the clarity is outstanding and for once there is no distortion, a sign that the vinyl has not been overplayed.  An incredible Mint version I am pleased to say :-)

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'Sister Blue' is stunning from the word go and plays with 'high end' audio throughout.  There are no clicks or pops and no underlying static either.  The playback is so 'clean' and and it qualifies as Mint for sure.

The acoustic intro on 'Better Things' has a minimal amount of barely audible static and then plays with great clarity for the remainder.  There is no intrusion on the audio - stunning clarity for a relatively quiet track.  Just a touch of very light static towards the end.  I can't quite decide between Mint- and Near Mint so will have to go for the latter :-)

As you would expect 'Passion For Trash' plays with real power and depth and again there is no interference.  The audio could not be any stronger.  Mint

The intro on 'Old Men (Lay Down)' plays very clearly with only a very minimal amount of static but it is so quiet and totally non-intrusive.  As the vocal starts the clarity is nigh on perfect and the first two verses are very impressive with no ticks, clicks or pops.  Once the track kicks into gear the playback is so strong and there is nothing to fault.  There are a couple of mega static sounds but they are scarcely worth a mention and overall it plays with wonderful sonic quality.  Again grading is not straightforward so will grade as Near Mint just to be cautious.

'Final Destination' has a light static sound per revolution for the first 30 seconds but again it is quiet, it isn't crackle!  From then on it plays superbly, 'as new' in fact with no intrusion whatsoever.  The audio is stunning and there is no distortion either - the end crescendo section is breathtaking!  I would grade the intro as Ex but the remainder is Mint without doubt.

In summary this first pressing could hardly play any better.  With no clicks or pops the clarity is stunning throughout and as stated there is only a minimal amount of light static at the beginning of the final track.  Superb audio overall.

The Cover

One of the cleanest I have seen in a long time the edges have barely any wear and the spine has only a couple of minor crease lines and remains 100% legible.  The corners of the spine are also in great shape which is rare.  Only the bottom right hand corner has a little rubbing, still minor though, and the opening edge has only very minimal handling wear.  The front is stunning and has no marking or creasing and the back cover is equally as impressive.  A fine example.

The Lyric Inner

This is near perfect although many would say it is!  There are no side splits or marking and has just one very small crease next to the thumb notch, it is barely noticeable!

The Labels

They are very clean with no marking or writing and only a small amount of spindle wear.

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

PCS 7342 // A - 1 / B - 1

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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