TRAFFIC Mr Fantasy, UK PINK Island MONO FIRST, Psych LP

	£		69
	$		91

TRAFFIC Mr Fantasy, UK PINK Island MONO FIRST, Psych LP

Traffic, Mr Fantasy.

Original 1967 UK pressed Island Records mono LP, ILP 961. Earliest issue pink "eye" label, with just ILP 961 A and ILP 961 B etched to dead wax/run-off areas.

Visually vinyl in excellent condition. A few spider trace marks visible at centre spindle areas, but not excessively so. Vinyl surfaces still have a rich and bright gloss. A cursory inspection of the surfaces reveals just one area which contains three visible small and superficial non-sounding scuffs, two of which are very tiny. A more in-depth close-up look shows up a very few more light and superficial scuff marks. There are no deep scratches or marks. Generally appears a carefully played and handled LP.

Note that all dark marks to the vinyl surfaces in the photos are merely reflections.

Playback is generally very acceptably clean. The underlying surfaces are on the whole quiet, and the recording is still extremely vibrant and full-blooded. There is no distortion or evidence of groove wear. There are some scattered instances of very low level background crackle, more so to the B side, including at the quiet beginning of "Dealer". This is always at a very low level, and only noticeable during some of the quieter patches. These instances are light enough and infrequent enough never to present any great distraction to listening pleasure. It is noticeable that while some of the bands between tracks contain some very light crackle, many are totally free of any background noise. There are no audible ticks or pops, and the LP still presents a thoroughly enjoyable listening experience. There is no background noise evident at all during the mid to loud volume sections. I have carefully play tested the LP three times, and noticed considerable improvement to the quiter sections with each play, so there can only be room for further improvement.

Mono has always been the way to go with this LP, it really does have an amazing quality and depth, especially with the volume boosted up. Many '60's LPs featured remarkably different cuts in stereo and mono mixes, and this LP is no exception. "Heaven Is In Your Mind" actually features a different guitar solo in this mono version.

Labels have a good appearance still, and neither has any damage, stickers, inscriptions etc.

Inner sleeve is polylined plain white paper.

Outer sleeve is not mint, but has survived in better condition than the majority of extant issues. The gatefold with single layer front fold is notoriously prone to damage and wear. Externally and internally this one is free of sticker marks or pen annotations. There is no sunlight fading or bleaching. There are no heavy creases, and the front panel still lays acceptably flat. The front panel and rear (to a much lesser extent) display a number of half moon and other imperfections in the laminate, although these seem to be from manufacture. There is a small chip to the laminate on the front panel, just beneath the white symbol to the left of "traffic". The spine area is still in pretty good condition. A little nibbled at head and foot and with the odd very small chip to joints, but on the whole still very clean. As with most copies, the spine area is lightly flattened. Edges are in good order, and not feathered or frayed. The right hand edge of the front panel is still very crisp. Internally sleeve is still very clean, with white areas still bright and not heavily thumbed or darkened. The reverse of the front panel has yellow staining to edges from removed sellotape. This has left slight browning residue to the visible internal flaps. Else the flaps are clean and unworn. A little wear, including tiny closed tears, is visible to the head and foot of the spine area.

Steve Winwood - Jim Capaldi - Chris Wood - Dave Mason

Heaven Is In Your Mind

Berkshire Poppies

House For Everyone

No Face, No Name and No Number

Dear Mr Fantasy

Dealer

Utterly Simple

Coloured Rain

Hope I Never Find Me There

Giving To You

Note that audio grading is subjective and based on sensitivity of equipment used for playback. In this instance playback has been tested on a vintage Technics Quartz Direct Drive SL1700 MKII turntable with Shure cartridge, Technics SU-C 03 amp and Technics SB-F2 Linear Phase speakers.

Also note that I generally do not clean vinyl unless so noted. Most vinyl will show improved playback quality with your preferred cleaning method, but I leave this to the prospective buyer, as controversy still surrounds the ideal method of cleaning vinyl.

POSTAGE & PACKAGING RATES

UNITED KINGDOM = £4.00
EUROPE = £7.75
REST OF WORLD = £10.75

I CAN ACCEPT THE FOLLOWING PAYMENT METHODS ONLY

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