Wishbone Ash ARGUS 1972 UK LP 1st Press 1L / 1L MATRIX 1H/1G PLAYS MINT HEAR
£
57
$
76
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Description
FULLY TEST PLAYED AND RECORDED SO YOU CAN HEAR IT BEFORE BIDDING
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WISHBONE ASH - ARGUS
IN MAGNIFICENT MINT PLAYTHROUGH CONDITION
1ST PRESS BLUE AND BLACK LABELS
VERY FIRST PRESS MATRIX NUMBERS
OUTSTANDING NEAR MINT SLEEVE
- CATALOGUE:MCA MDKS 8006
- MATRIX: 7-LNMG-256-1L / 257-1L
- THERE IS NOTHING LOWER THAN A -1L MATRIX
- MOTHERS/STAMPERS:1 H / 1 G
A QUICK WORD ABOUT THE LABELS FOR MCA PRESSINGS. IT SEEMS THEY WERE FOREVER CHANGING THE DESIGN, BUT THERE IS A DEFINITE PROGRESSIVE PATH THAT THEY TOOK WITH THE EARLY 70'S PRESSES.
THE FIRST TWO WISHBONE ASH ALBUMS HAD THE MULTICOLOURED 'DOGBONE' LABEL WHERE THE CENTRE BAND YOU SEE ON THIS PRESS CURVED INWARDS IN THE CENTRE AND GAVE THE APPEARANCE OF A DOGBONE. THIS CAME IN ONE OF FOUR COLOURS.
BY THE TIME ARGUS WAS RELEASED THE LABELS HAD UNDERGONE THE CHANGE YOU SEE HERE. A BLACK LABEL WITH A BLUE BAND ACROSS THE MIDDLE
THE NEXT CHANGE SAW THE BLUE BAND DISAPPEAR AND THE LABEL WAS SOLID BLACK WITH SILVER TYPEFACE. YOU CAN GET ALL THREE OF ASH ALBUMS ON THIS PLAIN LABEL. THEY ARE NOT 1ST PRESSES
WISHBONE FOUR IS A FIRST PRESS ON THE BLACK AND SILVER LABEL HOWEVER
AFTER THIS THE LABELS CHANGED AGAIN TO THE RAINBOW DESIGN ON THE BLACK SURFACE
THE RECORD
THE LABELS
THE JET BLACK, AND BLUE BANDED LABELS ARE IN MINT CONDITION. THE BASE COLOUR IS RICH AND VIBRANT AND HASN'T WORN ANYWHERE, AND IT STRETCHES RIGHT INTO THE UNWORN SPINDLE HOLE. THE SILVER TYPEFACE AND LOGOS ARE ALSO IN TOP CONDITION AND ALL PERFECTLY LEGIBLE.
THERE ARE JUST 3-4 SMALL SPIDER LINES CLOSE TO THE HOLE SHOWING JUST WHY THIS INCREDIBLE VINYL HAS BARELY BEEN PLAYED
THE VINYL
THE HEAVYWEIGHT VINYL HAS LOST NONE OF IT'S ORIGINAL SHEEN AND LUSTRE. IN DAYLIGHT IT LOOKS FLAWLESS. UNDER A MAGNIFYING LED HALO THERE ARE A FEW VERY FINE AND BARELY VISIBLE WISPY HAIRLINES
THE TEST PLAY
THE LP PLAYS THROUGH BRILLIANTLY ON BOTH SIDES, AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO TAKE A GOOD LISTEN TO THE SOUNDBITES WHICH DEMONSTRATE JUST HOW FANTASTIC IT IS, PARTICULARLY THE QUIETER EXCERPTS.
THE SILENT BITS ARE SILENT, AND THE MUSIC COMES THROUGH CRISPLY AND CLEARLY. THE STEREO REPRODUCTION IS JUST SUBLIME, AND THIS IS WITHOUT A DOUBT A CLASSIC WISHBONE ASH ALBUM IN FANTASTIC ORIGINAL CONDITION
THERE IS NO DISTORTION WHATSOEVER AT ANY POINT AND EVERY NOTE IS HEARD AS IT WAS INTENDED.
THERE IS NO BACKGROUND CRACKLE OR CLICKS AT ALL.
NO EMBEDDED VINYL NOISE
SILENT THROUGH THE QUIETEST PASSAGES AND THE LINKING GROOVES ARE ALSO SILENT
NO DUST POPS OR STATIC TICS
THIS ALBUM PLAYS TO A MINT STANDARD
DON'T JUST TAKE MY WORD FOR IT THOUGH, TAKE A LISTEN AND JUDGE IT FOR YOURSELF AGAINST YOUR OWN STANDARDS
THE SLEEVE
NON LAMINATED MATTE , GATEFOLD FIRST ISSUE SLEEVE FROM ROBERT STACE
THIS SLEEVE IS PROBABLY THE HARDEST WISHBONE ASH SLEEVE TO GET IN A HIGH GRADE COLLECTIBLE CONDITION. BEING UNLAMINATED IS ONE THING, BUT THIS SLEEVE HAS A POWDERY FINISH TO ITS SURFACE AND MOST COPIES OF THIS THAT YOU WILL SEE WILL BE VERY BADLY RUBBED. THE COLOUR THAT GETS AFFECTED MOST OF ALL IS THE SOLDIER'S RED CAPE WHICH IS USUALLY MORE GREY THAN RED AS THE TOP COLOUR GETS RUBBED AWAY.
HERE WE HAVE A GREAT NEAR PRISTINE SLEEVE. THE FRONT SURFACE IS FLAT AND CLEAN AND ALL OF THE COLOURS ARE RETAINED. EVEN THAT RED CAPE THAT I MENTIONED IS JUST IMMACULATE. THERE IS NO COLOUR LOSS WHATSOEVER ON THIS SLEEVE, JUST A VERY LIGHT SHADOW OF GREYING JUST ON AND ABOVE THE BOTTOM EDGE.
THERE ARE NO HEAVY CREASES, CREASE LINES OR BENDS. AND ONLY TWO TINY LINES CLOSE BY THE SPINE. NONE ALONG THE TOP EDGE, ONE ALONG THE BOTTOM EDGE, AND ONE THUMB LINE NEAR THE OPENING EDGE AT THE BOTTOM.
THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES OF THIS SLEEVE ARE USUALLY WORN AWAY, BUT THIS SLEEVE HAS VERY WELL CARED FOR AND THE TOP EDGE IS STILL IN PERFECT CONDITION, AND THE BOTTOM EDGE JUST A LITTLE LIGHT SHELF WEAR AND RUB TO THE REAR RIGHT CORNER TIP
THE SPINE LIKE MOST SOFT CARDED SLEEVES IS USUALLY FOUND VERY SQUASHED. THIS ONE IS NOT.A SMALL BROWN MARK IN THE TOP HALF, BUT NO FINGER TO THUMB SQUASHING AND THE BOTTOM LEADING EDGE HAS A SLIVER OF RUB AT THE BOTTOM AND THE TOP LEADING EDGE AT THE TOP
ALL OF THE DELICATE BLACK TEXT IS PERFECTLY LEGIBLE, AND THE ONLY SPECK OF RUB VISIBLE IS AT THE VERY BOTTOM TIP END.
THE OPENING EDGE IS STILL VERY SHARP WITH JUST A COUPLE OF TINY THUMB NICKS
THE REAR SURFACE IS ALMOST AS CLEAN AS THEW FRONT SHOWING A CLEAN RUB FREE SURFACE. NO RING WEAR AND ONLY TWO TINY LINES NEAR THE SPINE, AND ONE ON THE TOP EDGE, UNUSUALLY THERE IS NO RECORD SHAPE OR IMPRESSION
OPENING THE GATEFOLD REVEALS A NEAR PRISTINE INNER SURFACE AGAIN NO COLOUR LOSS WHATSOEVER. THE BROWN BASE COLOUR IS RICH AND VIBRANT.LIGHT GREYING AT THE BOTTOM AND ONE THUMB LINE ON THE RIGHT PANEL
THE BLUE AND WHITE POLY LINED INNER SLEEVE IS IN SUPERB CONDITION. VERY WHITE .THE DIE CUT HOLE IS UNDAMAGED, AND THE SEAMS ARE UNSPLIT.
I HAVE NO HESITATION IN GRADING THIS MAGNIFICENT SLEEVE NEAR MINT
GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR BID IF YOU CHOSE TO GO FOR IT
GARRY
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