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The Smiths : The Queen Is Dead A1 / B1 1st MPO Press 1986

This first pressing was produced by the MPO plant in France and is often regarded as the best sonically.  That sonic 'landscape' is further enhanced when you find a vinyl as 'clean' as this one, the audio is stunning.  The clarity, depth and resonance of the audio is phenomenal and remember this vinyl is very nearly 38 years old!  All tracks grade as either Mint or Mint- and the only background you will will be at the end of three of the fade outs, only very minimal of course.  I think it's fair to say this is a FINAL UPGRADE archive pressing.  The vinyl is visually in great shape and it is clear it has hardly ever been played.

The cover has been preserved so well and has only minimal wear.  It has retained its original shape and structure perfectly and the picture inner is in Mint condition.

ROUGH 96 // A1  FEAR OF MANCHESTER   MPO / B1  THEM WAS ROTTEN DAYS   MPO

The audio on S1 is Mint(-)

The audio on S2 is Mint(-)

The gatefold is Ex+

The picture inner is Mint

The labels are Mint-

Visual description

The vinyl is in lovely condition and still has a very strong glossy sheen with no scratches.  All I can see under a bright light are a handful of very faint hairlines and 3/4 minor specks / blemishes on S1 that hardly deserve a mention as they have zero affect on the audio.  To be fair the small number of hairlines are very difficult to spot also!  The labels are so clean with only a couple of tiny spindle traces on each.

Play grading

The lead in on S1 is very clean so you already expecting this vinyl to play well and it does not disappoint!  The 'Take me back to dear old Blighty' intro on the classic 'The Queen Is Dead' has no background and then Joyce's percussion is equal to that.  Morrisey's opening vocal is faultless and it continues in the same precision way with a clarity of sound that is second to none.  I did not even detect a single dust tick let alone anything more, it really is a stunning version.  Marr's work is of course legendary but Rourke's bass adds so much to the overall sound.  The instrumental end section is also 'as new' and the fade out has no background either.  Without doubt a Mint start to the album.

'Frankly, Mr. Shankly' is of the same high end standard.  Every vocal and instrumental section plays with exceptional quality and again there are no ticks, clicks, pops or static.  As good as the day it was first pressed basically!  Another Mint track.

'I Know It's Over' has only a a hint of mega light static on the opening vocal but it is so so quiet and you barely notice it.  From then on it plays with unbelievable clarity and there is no intrusion on the audio.  Once again you notice how important Rourke was to their overall sound.  The more up tempo second half plays with stunning quality and Mint- is easily deserved.  Even the minus might be a little harsh!

'Never Had No One Ever' provides more evidence of a vinyl so well preserved.  The only background is a couple of minor ticks at the end of the fade out so I will grade as Mint- accordingly.

The intro on 'Cemetry Gates' has no interference and Morrisey's first vocal is just as impressive.  This standard is kept up through every verse and the clarity, depth and warmth of audio is stunning for a final track.  I will however grade as Mint- again because there are a couple of crackles right at the end of the fade out.

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The acoustic intro on 'Bigmouth Strikes Again' has no interference and the opening vocal is just as strong.  The mid instrumental is 'as new' and it continues in the same way.  The sonic quality is up there with the best I have ever heard and the fade out plays perfectly.  Another classic that grades as Mint

'The Boy With The Thorn In His Side' plays with stunning clarity from start to finish.  The 'complete' version you could say with no background.  It really does play beautifully especially the end 'vocal' sequence.  Mint

'Vicar In A Tutu' again plays with a sublime quality with not even a dust tick.  Pure Mint audio throughout.

'There Is A Light That Never Goes Out' is another track impressing on every level.  You can hear each note so succinctly and if I haven't said it before it is obvious this vinyl has hardly been played.  Every vocal and instrumental section plays with outstanding clarity and warmth and the long fade out has only a handful of very quiet statics at the end.  Mint-

The fade out / in section on 'Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others' has no background and the first vocal then plays perfectly.  It continues to play with genuine quality and with zero interference.  As per the rest of the album each note is so clean and precise and the entire track is 'as new' for sure.  A superb Mint end to this classic album!

In summary this first MPO pressing plays to a superb standard with no interference.  Ok there are a couple of light ticks / crackles at the end of two or three fade outs but that is the only background across the entire album.  The clarity and definition of the audio is incredible and as stated it is clear the vinyl has hardly been played.  This classic album is not far off 40 years old now and surely not many can play as well as this one!

The Gatefold & Picture Inner

The glossy cover is in lovely condition with only very minimal shelf wear and there is nothing that stands out.  The top edges have hardly any rubbing and only the bottom edge of the back cover has a little rubbing with a bit more prominent towards the right corner.  The wide spine is near perfect with only a couple of minor 'specks' and all of the corners are very clean with hardly any wear.  The opening edge is again so close to perfect with only a couple of tiny 'crimps'.  The front cover is super clean and has only a couple of small sticker removal marks top right - these are faint and can only be seen when you hold the cover at a certain angle.  The back cover is very clean with only light spotting and a touch of ringwear top and bottom.  The inside of the gatefold is immaculate with no marking, a fine example overall.

The glossy picture card inner is 'as new' with no side splits, marking or creasing.

Play tested on my Rega P2 with AT-VM95EN Cart / Denon PMA-520AE Amp / B&W 684 Speakers

The record has been cleaned on a Pro-Ject VC-S machine

ROUGH 96 // A1  FEAR OF MANCHESTER   MPO / B1  THEM WAS ROTTEN DAYS   MPO

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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Postage & Packaging

I will only send items items worldwide via tracked shipping.  This provides 'peace of mind' in case of loss or damage.  The shipping costs are shown below and combined shipping is always offered.  Any over-payment will always be refunded.

The Royal Mail only insure up to a value of £250 so if an item sells for more it may be wise to use a courier service (e.g. Parcelforce or DPD).  An extra insurance premium will be required but I will not know the exact amount until the final sale price is known.  Because of this I will sometimes have to estimate the cost and this will be shown in the listing.  Please wait for the invoice before making payment and if you have any questions please feel free to ask.  Many thanks.

All vinyls are packaged in strong over-sized custom made mailers with plenty of extra cardboard protection.  They are placed inside separate poly-lined inners outside the cover so as to avoid seam splits in transit and then placed inside a PVC sleeve to provide even more protection.  I pride myself on my high quality packaging as my feed confirms and if any customer has any specific requirements I am more than happy to help.

The mailers I use cost £1.00 each and I will use anything between 3-5 cardboard stiffeners which cost approx £0.18 each.  There is also the cost of the poly-lined inner and PVC sleeve to consider, it all adds up!  Not forgetting that eBay take 10% of the shipping fee also!!

UK Postage Rates (First Class Recorded - Max 2kg)

LPs/12" singles : £5.95 up to 1kg then £1.00 per extra item 

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LPs/12" singles : £15.95 then £2.00 per extra

USA (Tracked - Max 2kg)

LPs/12" singles : £24.95 then £2.50 per extra 

REST OF WORLD (Tracked - Max 2kg)  

LPs/12" singles : £21.95 then £2.50 per extra

If you are not entirely happy with your purchase please contact me before leaving feedback and I will always resolve any issue, 100% guaranteed.  If you would prefer to send the item back I will also pay the return shipping cost if I am at fault, I am only human after all!!