The Who : My Generation 1B / 1B 1st Press 1965 (Brunswick)

This first mono pressing on the iconic 'Brunswick' label plays to a fantastic standard and the clarity and depth of the audio on both sides is stunning.  In fact the majority of the audio is Mint it is that good.  I have listened to the album in full at least twice and may well be the strongest 1B/1B first press I have ever had the pleasure in listening to.

This first press also has the 'holy grail' B1 stamper on both sides.  Based on Decca's BUCKINGHAM system this was one of the first of the 'printing press'.

The cover is in excellent condition and is one of the 'cleanest' examples I have seen.  The original inner is also in great order with no side splits.  A stunning 'package' overall!

Royal Mail shipping costs have massively increased recently and these are shown below.  Please could you wait before making payment so I can calculate the exact cost.

LAT 8616 // MG-10256-1B / MG-10257-1B // B 1 / B 1

The audio on S1 is Near Mint (Mint- for the majority / Track 6 Ex+)

The audio on S2 is Mint- (Track 2 Near Mint)

The cover is Ex+

The labels are Near Mint-

The inner sleeve is Near Mint-

The vinyl is in lovely condition with a very strong glossy sheen and has no scratches.  S1 is very impressive with only a few very faint hairlines to be seen and S2 is similar but with a couple of of hairline marks that are a little more obvious.  However, they have no affect on the stunning quality of the audio.  60s vinyl is strong and robust and built to last you could say and can easily withstand a few faint marks.  Don't get me wrong it is still a very impressive vinyl and you won't find many as 'clean' as this from 1965!  There is not very much spindle wear and the 'Brunswick' labels are also super clean with no marking.  The KT tax stamp can clearly be seen on both run out grooves which remain in great condition also.

Play grading  

The intro on 'Out In The Street' has barely any static and as the percussion comes in the audio is stunning.  It has such a deep rich sound and as it progresses there is no let up in quality.  The clarity is stunning for an opening track and there are only 3/4 very light dust ticks and not one click or pop.  It could hardly play any better and Near Mint is easily deserved.

With complete silence in the dead wax 'I Don't Mind' then plays to a very similar standard.  What stands out is the definition of the audio - it plays so clearly and it is obvious this has not been over-played, every note is so 'clean' and precise.  There are just 3/4 dust ticks again and a minimal amount of light static on the fade out.  Near Mint again.

Townshend's intro on 'The Good's Gone' is superb and Daltrey's first vocal is more than equal to that.  It continues to plays with such strong audio and you have to remember this record is 55 years old!  The playback is incredible with no interference nor any distortion on the top end.  I am playing this through a stereo set up which makes it even more impressive.  I cannot overstate just how fantastic this is!  The harmonies play with perfect precision and the fade out also has no 'background' of any kind.  I am confident in grading this as Mint- a spectacular version!

'La-La-La-Lies' plays with sublime quality from the first groove and again I cannot believe what I am hearing.  This is a 'high octane' track (especially on Moon's classic input!) and yet the audio is not affected in any way.  No interference, no distortion, just pure clarity and power from start to finish.  A stunning Mint- version.

The classic 'Much Too Much' has a superb intro and it continues to play with very strong audio.  There is perhaps a minor touch of inner groove distortion but it is non-intrusive and remember this is mono through stereo so could easily be reduced.  As I often say I am just being 'complete' with my grading, it is still a superb rendition and there are no clicks or pops etc.   The classic melody has lost none of its original quality and this is still worthy of a Near Mint grade.

'My Generation' starts in fine style with no 'background' on the intro.  This is a defining song from that era and remains an all time classic of course and the power and depth on offer here is immense!  There is much to love about this version!  Admittedly there is a little inner groove distortion but this is to be expected and the bass 'inserts' are so 'clean' and precise, stunning.  The powerful end section does not disappoint, the power is tangible and again the distortion is kept to a minimum.  Maybe I should not downgrade because of that but will say Ex+ just to be cautious.

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What a start to S2!  'The Kids Are Alright' from the first note to the last plays with STUNNING quality and I've never heard clarity like it on a first 1B/1B pressing.  I know I can get a little over-enthusiastic at times but honestly when you hear audio like this it is unavoidable!  The sonic quality throughout is outstanding, with great depth and warmth, and this is Mint no need for a minus here!

Another soul number 'Please Please Please' is one of the quieter tracks on the album but again the clarity shines through.  The audio is just so 'clean' with no obvious intrusion, just 3/4 very light ticks.  There are a couple of static ticks at the end of the fade out so will grade as Near Mint and that might be underselling it.

'It's Not True' is exceptional!  The clarity, power and definition is phenomenal and I defy anyone to find a better version.  Honestly the clarity here is like nothing I have heard before, the playback is as 'fresh' as it would've been in '65 although I'm not sure the 'decks' were as good then as they are now!  This demands to be played loud and there is no distortion at all, this just oozes pure audio quality all the way through!  I must mention there is one pop literally at the end of the final note and another one in the dead wax but by then the music has finished anyway!  I was going to grade as Mint but Mint- is still more than deserved.  Wow what a version!

'I'm A Man' is superb from the word go with only a couple of very light ticks on the intro, hardly noticeable really.  The vocal is so strong and the long instrumental section is stunning which is rare for a first pressing as it has a number of quiet sections of course.  The depth and warmth of the audio here is again sublime and there is no interference whatsoever.  As the vocal comes back in there is no loss in quality and Moon's frenetic ending is superb.  Another Mint- track.

'A Legal Matter' rarely has no static distortion on the intro and then plays with exceptional sonic quality which again is rare when you consider it is the penultimate track on the album.  There is no obvious distortion and the clarity is again mind-blowing!  Mint- is richly deserved...again.

The percussive intro on 'The Ox' is faultless and this class instrumental continues to play with such distinct power and definition.  It plays loud and true and again there is just no distortion!  This is an amazing version and needless to say there is no interference at all, even the fade out has no 'background'.  A powerful Mint- finish to this classic album.

In summary this highly collectable first pressing is rarely found in such wonderful condition.  I can safely say you would not get the same level of clarity on one of the recent reissues and the warmth and depth of the audio would be nothing like what we have here.  This is without doubt the finest 'Brunswick' pressing I have ever sold and I am sure any collector would be equally as impressed as I am!  This classic is rarely found with such stunning and it is worth repeating there is no static or crackle and no clicks or pops either - a couple at the end of a final note / dead wax but nothing intrusive.  A sensational album from start to finish!

The Cover

It could be argued that the iconic 'Robert Stace' cover is just as important as the audio! This particular one is in lovely condition with only very minimal shelf wear and has been so well preserved down the years.  The edges have no rubbing at all and the thin pinched spine is near perfect with barely any wear on the corners.  The right hand corners are also very clean with only minimal creasing and the opening edge has barely any handling wear either.  The laminated 'Clarifoil' front cover is in superb order with no marking and only a small number of faint creases around the edges.  It has no laminate splitting or lifting which is rare.  The all important 'white' back cover is one of the finest I have seen and has only a couple of very faint marks, one near the top and another bottom right.  Aside from that it has retained its original white colour so well and has none of the damage/severe staining that you so often see.  This is such an impressive cover and it's hard to believe it is now 55 years of age.

The Inner Sleeve

The original poly-lined 'Patent Applied for' is in superb shape with no splits or marking and only a little  creasing.

The Labels

The 'Brunswick' labels are super clean with no marking or writing and as stated has only minimal spindle wear.

Play tested on my Pro-Ject Essential III Turntable / B&W 684 Speakers

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

LAT 8616 // MG-10256-1B / MG-10257-1B // B 1 / B 1

I grade according to "Record Collector" guidelines.

Any questions please feel free to ask

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Postage & Packaging

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