YES Fragile RARE A/B 1st Press Kinney + ADHERED BOOK COVER.

	£		47
	$		62

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Postage: UK £4.25. Europe (including Russia) £12. Rest of World £16. ALL signed for in quality, safe packaging – I NEVER use mailing envelopes.

NOTE: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment. I try to keep my P&P prices as low as possible after the very significant Royal Mail price increases and will never compromise on solid, safe packing.

Artist or Band: YES

Album Title: Fragile.

Producer(s): Yes and Eddy Offord.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Roundabout; Cans and Brahms (Extracts from Brahms’ 4th Symphony in E Minor, Third Movement); We Have Heaven; South Side of the Sky.

Side 2: Five Per Cent for Nothing; Long Distance Runaround; The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus); Mood for a Day; Heart of the Sunrise.

Label/Format: Atlantic – second issue format, but the earliest you will ever find and still from 1971. The labels have a very wide and deep inner ring ridge. (Please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: Both ultra clean, fresh and highly attractive with only a mere couple or three very light and faint spindle marks. This is the way the discerning collector wants their classic albums, once played when purchased and offering supreme sound.

Cat Number: K 50009.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Warps: Assume all records I offer have no warping of any significance and all tracking is easy and effortless and should play on all turntables and even ‘budget’ decks.

Weight of this Record: 150 grams. One of the heaviest Fragiles I have ever held, beating any Plum issue I have ever owned

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Scarce as a first issue on the ‘Plum’ Atlantic format. This very first issue on the new Kinney green and orange format is arguably rarer still. An album issued right on the very fringe of the transition to the new format and this heavyweight copy includes both matrixes with the Kinney ones having no number, only A and B. Also this is my first ever copy of this album where the cover has only the K 50009 number with the booklet stuck inside the centrefold. Most-all you will ever seen on this label will have the book as a separate insert and totally detached. So a rare and unusual variant for the specialist collector. But importantly, this is one of the very best pressings of this prog classic I have ever heard. Heavily and cleanly made with superb sound throughout. Even that very difficult short instrumental keyboard track ‘Cans and Brahms’ plays perfectly and without that inherent crackle so many seem to have. This one also has a little-worn cover too and with a hardly played record, this is exceptional all-round. Very rarely will nice covers be seen with the fragile set. I did not even know a K- MacNeill printed cover with the fixed book even existed and for sure, this will not be seen often or much better.

Original Year of Release: 1971. This first repressing would have been within the same year as the ‘Plum’ issue.

Matrix Nos: K 50009 A [2401019 A // 1 1 3] and K 50009 A [2401019 B // 1]

Musicians: Jon Anderson - vocals; Steve Howe - electric guitar, steel-string acoustic guitar, backing vocals; Chris Squire - bass, backing vocals; Rick Wakeman - Hammond organ, piano, RMI 368 Electric-Piano and Harpsichord, Mellotron, Moog synthesiser; Bill Bruford - drums, percussion.

Brief Info: One of the band’s most cherished albums, their fourth, and first to include the incredible talents of new keyboard player Rick Wakeman who replaced Tony Kaye. Noteworthy also, it was their first album to employ the skills of graphic artist Roger Dean. This was a highly popular album within the progressive rock genre and sold well. Hence finding Plum copies is far from impossible even though it was a very late one prior to the Kinney change. Finding any early issue in top conditions is considerably more difficult. I have never seen a Kinney copy of this album as early as this, it includes very early Polydor matrixes and stampers as well as the rare A and B new ones and in fantastic, hardly played condition. Highly gifted musicians and complex music does not tolerate old worn stylus abuse and this includes some very quiet passages and the difficult-to-track ‘Cans and Brahms’, a short instrumental that in most cases crackles and distorts. But it shouldn’t of course and here DOESN’T. The cover is always difficult to find attractive but this rare variant with Kinney number and fixed book has little to fault. A heavyweight record offering superb sound and looks and one of the rarest pressings ever made.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(++): an unlaminated gatefold format with matt smooth surfaces. This has the new K 5009 number inside and on the spine but has the stapled booklet adhered to the centre exactly the same as the first ones with the Polydor number. As stated above, this book was usually a loose insert on Kinney copies and I have never seen one of these before. It was printed and made in England by MacNeill Press and includes the original unlined white inner sleeve.

Cover Front: A lovely looking cover and way above average. One that so often has major rubbing and sticker issues. Any traces of rubbing on this front are very few and light and with no sticker marks. Clean, fresh and cover protected for most of it’s time, the lack of creasing, fading and marks are all huge bonuses on a cover that seldom wears well. A front that does maximum just to the classic Roger Dean artwork.

Cover Back: Only a tiny whisker behind – a little gentle rubbing is seen on the spine fold but only fine and quite light. One of the very few I have ever seen devoid of ring wear which is often heavy and penetrating. Made all the more remarkable here with a heavy, thick record inside for over 40 years.

Cover Inner Gatefold & Booklet: All areas are practically Mint as made. The 8-booklet is still attached and as solid as when first applied, it is pristine Mint and totally unworn, damaged or creased. This is guaranteed as per when purchased and the only one I have ever seen attached as per the Polydor numbered covers. The two staples untarnished and rock solid with no stressing or loosening at all. Both the inside faces are immaculate and this inside more than complements the impressive outsides.

Top Edges: Any rub traces are tiny, few and very faint indeed and both remain very straight.

Bottom Edges: A little gentle rubbing near the front right corner area but little else. So unusual to see these storage edges so devoid of often major rubbing.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, mostly sharp with little wear and guaranteed untrimmed. The closed front is crisp and neat and the back has just a small burr near the bottom as seen viewed end-on, but little else.

Spine and Text: Solid and quite thick, straight with barely any compression. Folded square, so the edges meet up closely and near parallel. All text is perfect and unworn and the folds and surface shows little wear – minor rubbing near the top and bottom corners that few will ever avoid at best and a gentle rub near the centre of the lower fold – again few will show less. There appears to be no tip-ins on this cover.

Corners: Any corner tip rubbing is modest ranging from light to near moderate. In context of this unforgiving dark cover, this are again less than average. Fine to very fine shape is retained.

Cover Summary: A rare variant with a guaranteed factory adhered booklet on a Kinney numbered cover in super condition. Not one you will find often either way and this unusual and attractive example should please many, if not most collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT(++): super-clean inners are always good indicators of a well looked-after record and this is little short of as made with any record impression or ageing as light as it gets. Barely any creasing with two immaculate window circles – this was not lined, which possibly in this case not a bad thing, as many Polydor records from the late 60s and early 70s suffered badly from bag rash (dulling from the lining polymer which reacted with the record’s surface). All edges unsplit with no repairs.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: Mint(-), but where is minus?, well two tiny surface spots in the pressing that have NO sound whatsoever. This is a super-clean heavyweight ultimate first Kinney pressing with the rare A and B only matrixes as well as early versions of the first Polydor ones. Shiny and barely marked playing surfaces, and in vinyl terms, hardly even run-in. No doubts whatsoever, this has hardly been played and offering audiophile sound quality that I truly believe exceeds the ‘Plum’ pressing. A superb heavyweight that will please most-all fans and even the specialist pressing collectors.

Album Played For Grading: Yes – and what a pleasure it was to do so. [I play ALL records I offer before submitting to Ebay, also the record is played in its entirety unless clearly stated otherwise. I do NOT play snippets or joining grooves to check for sound quality and quietness – I play from the beginning to end via clinically revealing B&W speakers that include the legendary tweeter from their awesome Nautilus range that reveals every blemish or minuscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This outstanding piece, in evey way, plays up to it’s high visual grading with nothing to fault. Strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is of audiophile standard with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. A high fidelity masterwork with complex music from virtuoso musicians. The incredible detail and clarity has to be heard. So cleanly pressed and devoid of surface sounds, pops or clicks, this can be enjoyed on the mega systems I know some of my regular buyers own. Few copies will even match let alone outperform this very early and still 1971 pressing I feel sure – check out all those 1’s on the matrixes seen above, and how many single A and B pressings on a Kinney issue ever show up? All the intricate sounds, vocals and instruments fully focused and sharp and crackle-free, this is a dream-piece of a copy that will never need upgrading. Truly a journey into the recording studio with mastertape audio quality. The tiny details stand out, can your system detect that small high-pitched cymbal from the left channel near the beginning of ‘The Fish’? That ultra difficult Wakeman solo ‘Cans and Brahms’ is a sheer delight to NO distortion or reverb, clipping or loss of focus and certainly NO crackle – few will even get close to this. Those stunning rich bass-lines from Squire’s guitar twang from the speakers and are beautifully prevalent in the mix. Also the gorgeous acoustic ‘Mood For a Day’, the guitar was simply in the room with me and plays blemish-free. The final test: that door reopening with preceeding silence – no crackle or clicks – so often seen marked by premature lifting of the arm when owner’s thought the album had ended. A nigh-on reference standard early-cut record, few could ask for more, so good, I had to stop typing my next piece until it had finished playing. Incredibly well looked after and hardly even touched and no dulled surfaces from lined inners. The rare tingle factor was achieved several times on this one, only the cleanest, best recordings ever achieve this. This record will prove very difficult to find better for quality sound and I am sure these deep and widely spaced grooves carry the ultimate information possible. YES – I rather enjoyed this one – do not lose it. Please see also my ‘Close to the Edge’ that came from the same collection, it is equally fine.

Now one of the most established sellers on Ebay and still offering the finest and most accurately described and graded records I can find. I pride myself on offering a variety of genres to keep my site as interesting as possible. I will rarely offer any record that falls below a true Excellent grading, unless its of a certain rarity which will justify offering a lesser grade. I try, to the best of my ability to describe as accurately and as honesty as I can all items I offer for sale with all the relevant information I can think of to help any potential bidder and collector. You may notice I only submit records sparingly on Ebay - on average ONEADAY, a couple more at weekends if time permits, hence the name - time rarely allows for more as I Play-Grade virtually every record I offer in their entirety, not just bits to guess a grade - visuals alone do not always tell a true or full story. I will mention any defects or flaws no matter how small that I notice to be fair as possible to any interested collector – I am very fussy and my buyers have the right to be too. Every record I offer, whether it be a common or rare item deserves the same respect as far as I am concerned and will be treated the same - just because an item is rare does not always mean its good. I get just as much pleasure offering a relatively common record in stunning near mint condition as the real rare items. All the pictures I use for your guidance are taken with a digital camera or scanned - they are NOT improved, cleaned-up or made better looking than they are with camera trickery or enhancing with digital programmes. What you see is what you get and scanned labels will give a more accurate representation of the genuine colour than flash photography where light is variable. I cannot guarantee total accuracy for colours however but most will be very close. If any picture I take looks more flattering than the actual item for any reason, I will clearly state the fact in the advert and vice-versa. I hope the item below is to your liking - any questions can be emailed and I will do my very best to answer you. I am enthusiastic, and have a fair degree of knowledge about many genres and I promise quality items - bid with confidence - excellence comes as standard and so does Near Mint regularly. Please assume all records I offer have NO jumps, sticks, warps or writing on covers or labels unless clearly stated to the contrary. Thanks for your interest and Good luck – MIKE.

Deck: Linn LP12/Hercules/Cirkus with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Rondo Red moving coil cartridge (tracks at 2 grams). Amps: Naim Nait 5i with Project USB phono stage and Chord interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired with Terrarium Black terminated cable). All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional VPI-17 vacuum machine before play-grading for the cleanest and best possible sound and will include a brand new lined inner and protective cover too. Pictures taken with a Nikon D5000 SLR Digital Camera.

PACKING - THIS IS WHAT YOU GET.

What You Get: To confirm to the strict Ebay rules on shipping, I must now send ALL my packets ‘Signed-For’ with NO exceptions. Both buyers and sellers want their packets to have a safer journey and this is not a bad thing.

I now offer the fastest possible posting, often the very next day after payment is received or within two to three days maximum (unless on holiday). I only use FIRST-CLASS Mail. The record’s cover will be placed within a BRAND NEW soft protective sleeve and the actual record will be professionally cleaned on my new VPI-17 Pro vacuum system to give ultimate clean grooves and playing surfaces and the best possible looks and ultimate sound quality. You will NOT get tired, dull looking, dust infested records inside worn and foggy covers with tatty inners from this seller and that’s a promise and guarantee. All records are posted in professional boxes (NOT Mailers, these do not offer any real protection). The record(s) are REMOVED from their main cover to avoid edge splits and placed within a brand new polylined inner. The record’s original inner will be included if available. The boxes are then reinforced with at least TWO, ULTRA THICK stiffeners for maximum extra protection – these are FOUR TIMES thicker than commercial stiffeners and are custom-made for oneadayrecords. Really rare and expensive albums will even be Double Boxed if deemed necessary and possible. When larger boxes are used, the thick record and stiffener ‘sandwich’ is then thickly embedded into bubble-wrap to bulk out the record inside the box to centre the item inside to reduce the risk of damage still further. Printed address labels are used for clarity as well as a sender label. Customers requests or special needs for P&P will be respected if at all possible but ‘Signed-For’ posting is NOT an option anymore. I do not profit on posting and the cost of this lavish packing is NOT even charged for, I offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible for ultimate confidence. The boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffeners and bubble wrap make a near impregnable fortress for safe shipping and this is used inland and overseas for ALL my records, not just the rare and expensive. I will invoice any winning bidder as soon as possible after the auction ends. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is less than one in two thousand+ based on over 8,000+ items sold in over 10 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional. The only damage rate acceptable for this seller is ZERO and I think my packets will offer just that. It would take a vicious postman or postal service to damage these for sure. Even one of these stiffeners cannot be bent by hand, so what chance 2 inside a box? Oneadayrecords is a MAILER-FREE ZONE. I discount of course for multiple purchases with a maximum of FIVE records per box (one double can sometimes be included subject to total weight). All postage costs are below and at the top of the listing.

NOTE: First Time Bidders: Please ask me first.

PLEASE NOTE: I now exercise my right to open a dispute after the Ebay rule of FOUR days if no payment is received. I will then cancel the dispute to end the, again after the mandatory FOUR days and then offer the item to the runner-up or relist. The non-payer will also be blocked from my Ebay site and they take the Ebay consequences (a strike or removal from the system). Small businesses need prompt payment to trade and these strict rules WILL be applied.

SHIPPING COSTS & CONDITIONS – THESE comply with EBAY’S RULES - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY:

Posting & Packing: UK & CHANNEL ISLANDS all now sent via Recorded Delivery:

1 LP (FIRST-CLASS Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £4.25

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £8. (this includes insurance of £500). Add £2 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA. (Airmail Only):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£50 maximum]) = £12 (enhanced Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3). Add £3 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (ANY PART OF); South America; New Zealand; Australia; Canada; Japan and other Far East; (Airmail Only: I NEVER use Surface Mail):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£50 maximum]) = £16 (£17 for double sets). Add £3 per extra LP. (enhanced Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3)

Payment Conditions:

I prefer PayPal or cheque from UK winning bidders. I can accept PayPal from overseas bidders or direct payment into my bank account.

Potential Bidders: I will cancel any bids I feel are time-wasters. A maximum 3 days for communication and 7 days for payment to arrive - if not I will relist the item or offer to the runner-up. Fast deals get great feedback from me. Any questions - please ask and thanks for looking.

My Guarantee: If any winning bidder is not satisfied with their purchase I will offer a complete refund. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer, so read the item description carefully. If any overseas collector does not understand anything in my listing, please email and ask me to help. Thank You.

SOME GENERAL GUIDES TO WEAR AND CONDITIONS TO HELP YOU DECIDE

My Use of Description Terminology: Surface Marks = Superficial, usually light marks, hairlines or light scuffs that rarely sound. Scratch = a needle mark that goes below the record’s surface, some will sound, some will not, my play-grade will inform. Original = a record that has been pressed with the first label design which does NOT necessarily mean a very first pressed record. First Pressing = A record that I believe or know to be a genuine very first pressed record. I do not claim to always know for sure, and that’s why I state the stamper and matrix numbers if at all possible, for those who claim to know what they all mean, the information is there for the collector to decide. I prefer to use terms like ‘Early Copy’ rather than ‘First Pressing’ if I am not totally sure. Surface Sound = Mild, light sound, usually light crackle or similar. Distortion = Break up of the actual sound caused by groove wear or damage from a chipped stylus – the most undesirable form of unwanted sound, vintage mono records were the most prone to this happening but not exclusively so. The symptoms of distortion are high frequency clipping, moderate constant crackle or an echo type sound quality. Violin, piano and vocals are most prone to groove-wear distortion. Feathering = Fraying or softening of the entry edge of a cover. Covers with feathered entrance edges are more likely to have had the actual record inserted and removed more than a non-feathered, sharp-edged cover which are always far more attractive. Set Off, actually a printer’s term for dark ink leaving mild residue on pale or white ink when rested upon. e.g. when a gatefold cover has black ink closed against white, this can leave some black residue on the pale area – this is mostly unavoidable or course.

The Argument for Vinyl Original sound and mix (mono mixes are rarely available on CD), high quality sound on clean copies (played on a hi-end dedicated analogue system – breathtaking sound!), beautiful, large format covers, artwork, inserts and even full size posters etc; huge investment potential, and the pleasure of owning ‘the real thing’.