Yes CLOSE TO THE EDGE 1972 UK LP Very 1st Press A1/B1 FINAL UPGRADE MINT AUDIO

	£		170
	$		225

YES - CLOSE TO THE EDGE

MAGNIFICENT MINT AUDIO

CLOSE TO A NEAR MINT SLEEVE

• CATALOGUE:ATLANTIX K50012
• MATRIX: K50012 A1 / B1

CLOSE TO THE EDGE IS AN ABSOLUTELY SUPERB ALBUM AND FINDING A TRUE VERY FIRST PRESS IS REALLY HARD

HERE IS EXACTLY WHAT MAKES UP A FIRST PRESS

1. THE MATRIX NUMBERS ON THE LP MUST END A1/B1 (REALLY FEW COPIES HAVE THIS)

2. THE LABELS MUST NOT HAVE A 'W' LOGO AT 3 O'CLOCK

3. THE SLEEVE MUST BE TEXTURED ON THE OUTSIDE NOT SHINY AND SMOOTH

4. THE SLEEVE MUST ALSO BE TEXTURED ON THE INSIDE!! (AGAIN VERY FEW COPIES LIKE THIS)

5. THE INNER SLEEVE MUST BE GREEN NOT WHITE

6. I HAVE ALSO COME ACROSS JUST ONCE AN INNER SLEEVE THAT HAS "PRINTED IN ENGLAND BY GOTHIC PRINT FINISHERS" IN SMALL TEXT UNDERNEATH THE LYRICS TO SIBERIAN KHATRU.I CANNOT 100% STATE THIS IS EXCLUSIVE TO AN ISSUE THAT CAME OUT FIRST, BUT IT IS CERATINLY A RARITY

7.THE LABELS ARE OFTEN MUCH DARKER THAN THE LATER PRESSES (DEEPER GREEN AND ORANGY BROWN)

SO HAVING SAID ALL OF THAT WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS A VERY FIRST PRESS . IT HAS THE TEXTURED OUTER SLEEVE (AND ON THE INSIDE), AND THE GREEN INNER, AND THE LABEL IS FREE OF THE LETTER 'W', AND IT HAS THE A1/B1 MATRIX NUMBERS

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

THE TWO ORANGE AND GREEN LABELS ARE IN PRISTINE CONDITION. BOTH BASE COLOURS ARE IMMACULATE AND UNWORN. SO IT THE BLACK TYPEFACE. THE SPINDLE HOLE IS ALSO UNWORN, AND THERE IS JUST ONE VISIBLE SPIDER LINE ON ONE SIDE OF THE LABEL ONLY

ALSO THE LABEL IS THE FIRST ISSUE ATLANTIC LABEL WITHOUT THE WARNER 'W' AT THREE O'CLOCK

THE VINYL

THIS VINYL GLEAMS LIKE NEW, AND HAS LOST NONE OF ITS ORIGINAL LUSTRE. IN DAYLIGHT THE VINYL LOOKS FLAWLESS, EVEN UNDER A MAGNIFYING LED HALO THE RECORD STILL LOOKS PERFECT

THE TEST PLAY

CLOSE TO THE EDGE HAS SO MANY SILENT PASSAGES THAT FINDING A COPY WITHOUT NOISE AND CRACKLE IS REALLY DIFFICULT

HERE HOWEVER WE HAVE AN ABSOLUTELY SUPERB EXAMPLE

THE FIRST THING TO POINT OUT IS THAT THERE IS NO DISTORTION TO THE SOUND WHATSOEVER, SHOWING THAT ANY PLAY THE LP HAS RECEIVED WERE COMPLETED ON A SYSTEM THAT HAD A CORRECTLY WEIGHTED AND UNWORN STYLUS

THE INTRO PLAYS SUPERBLY WITHOUT ANY NOISE WHATSOEVER

THE STEREO REPRODUCTION IS JUST MAGNIFICENT WITH EVERY NOTE HEARD TO PERFECTION

THERE IS NO BACKGROUND CRACKLE AT ALL ON ANY PART OF EITHER SIDE, AND NO LOUD CLICKS EITHER

NO TICS OR POPS AND SILENT IN THE LINKING GROOVES

MY SUGGESTION IS TO TAKE A FULL LISTEN TO THIS OUTSTANDING AND RARE FIRST ISSUE, AND YOU BE THE JUDGE OF IT'S QUALITY

FOR ME THE PLAYTHOUGH GRADES  MINT

THE SLEEVE

NON LAMINATED AND TEXTURED GATEFOLD SLEEVE WITH THE ROGER DEAN ARTWORK.

THE FRONT SURFACE IS FLAT AND TOTALLY CLEAN. THERE IS NOT ONE MARK ON IT ANYWHERE, APART FROM A LITTLE DARK LINE JUST AVOVE THE BOTTOM EDGE IN THE RIGHT CORNER AREA

OTHER THAN THIS THERE IS THE SLIGHTEST GREYING AROUND SMALL AREAS OF THE EDGES

THERE IS NO RING WEAR OR RECORD SHAPE

THE FOUR CORNERS ARE STILL SQUARE WITH A DOT OF RUB TO A COUPLE OF THE TIP ENDS

THERE ARE NO PRESSURE LINES AGAINST THE SPINE. NONE ALONG THE TOP EDGE, NONE ALONG THE BOTTOM EDGE AND NO THUMB LINES NEAR THE OPENING EDGE

THE TOP EDGES ARE ALMOST FULLY COLOURED. THERE IS A SPECK OF RUB ON THE CORNER TIPS AND A COUPLE OF PIN PRICK SIZED CHIPS TO THE FRONT SURFACE

THE BOTTOM EDGES HAVE A LITTLE RUB ON THE REAR SURFACE

THE SPINE ITSELF IS FLAT AND FREE FROM SQUASHING. THE TYPEFACE IS PERFECT AND THE COLOUR IS ONLY INTERRUPTED BY A DOT OF RUB ON THE ENDS

THE OPENING EDGE IS JUST AS NEW!! RAZOR SHARP AND LOOKING AS GOOD AS THE DAY IT WAS PRINTED AND PUT TOGETHER. FURTHER PROOF THAT THE RECORD HAS REMAINED INSIDE THE SLEEVE.

THE REAR SURFACE IS ALSO SUPERB CONDITION. NO EDGE PRESSURE LINES AND ONLY A VERY SALL ARC OF RING WEAR UNDER THE TOP EDGE

OPENING THE GATEFOLD REVEALS A  FULLY TEXTURED  INTERIOR PAIR OF SURFACES.

FINALLY THE FRAGILE GREEN INNER SLEEVE WHICH HISTORICALLY IS FOUND TO BE SPLIT INOT IN THIS CASE. LIGHT EDGE RUB AND  S PECK OF WHITE IN THE TOP RIGHT CORNER

THIS SLEEVE GRADES VERY CLOSE TO NEAR MINT

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR BID IF YOU CHOSE TO GO FOR IT

GARRY