Yes CLOSE TO THE EDGE UK LP VERY 1ST 1972 A1 / B1 MINT-

	£		166
	$		219

YES - CLOSE TO THE EDGE

IN MAGNIFICENT CONDITION

SUPERB MINT MINUS FIRST EVER PRESS A1 / B1

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

THIS RECORD HAS THE VERY RARE A1/B1 MATRIX NUMBERS WHICH IS SOUGHT AFTER AMONGST COLLECTORS AND REALLY HARD TO FIND. PROBABLY THE MOST DIFFICULT YES ALBUM AND CERTAINLY THE RAREST

THE SLEEVE ON A GENUINE FIRST PRESS MUST BE TEXTURED BOTH ON THE OUTSIDE AND THE INSIDE OF THE GATEFOLD, IF ONLY ON THE OUTSIDE THEN THE SLEEVE AND VINYL HAVE BEEN SWAPPED

THE RECORD LABEL MUST NOT HAVE THE WARNER LOGO IN A BOX AT 3 O'CLOCK

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

THE TWO ORANGE AND GREEN LABELS ARE IN MINT CONDITION. BOTH BASE COLOURS ARE IMMACULATE AND UNWORN. THE FIRST PRESS HAS A DARKER ORANGE COLOUR THAN LATER PRESSES, IN FACT IT'S ALMOST BRICK RED.

THE BLACK TYPEFACE IS PRISTINE UNRUBBED AND PERFECTLY LEGIBLE.

THE WHITE BAND RUNNING THROUGH THE CENTRE OF THE LABEL IS ALSO PURE WHITE AND FULLY STRETCHES INTO THE UNWORN SPINDLE HOLE

THERE ARE 8-10 SMALL SPIDER LINES AROUND THE SPINDLE HOLE SPOTTED WHEN ANGLING THE DISC INTO THE LIGHT, SHOWING THE LIMITED AMOUNT OF PLAY THIS HAS RECEIVED SINCE 1972

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

THE VINYL

THE HEAVYWEIGHT FIRST PRESS IS UNIQUE TO THESE EARLIEST ISSUES OF THE CLOSE TO THE EDGE VINYL. THE DISC HAS RETAINED ALL OF ITS ORIGINAL LUSTRE AND SHEEN, AND IN DAYLIGHT LOOKS FLAWLESS. ONLY WHEN PLACED UNDER INTENSE ILLUMINATION ARE THERE A FEW WISPY HAIRLINES AND A COUPLE OF FAINT HANDLING LINES TO BE SEEN

PLAYING THE RECORD

I BELIEVE THAT IF YOU ARE GOING TO SPEND YOUR MONEY ON A FANTASTIC COLLECTIBLE VINYL, THAT YOU SHOULD BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR WHAT YOU ARE BUYING. I HAVE THEREFORE INVESTED IN THE SOFTWARE THAT ALLOWS YOU TO DO JUST THAT.

I HAVE RECORDED THE ENTIRE ALBUM FROM START TO FINISH, SOMETHING I NOW DO WITH ALL MY LISTINGS, AS I AM CONVINCED THAT BIDDERS WOULD LOVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO HEAR THE RECORD BEFORE LAYING A BID. THIS IS A SERVICE I AM DELIGHTED TO BE ABLE TO OFFER MY CUSTOMERS.

THE FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANT THING TO STATE IS THAT IT PLAYS WITHOUT ANY DISTORTION WHATSOEVER, MEANING THAT THE RECORD WAS PLAYED WITH A CORRECTLY WEIGHTED AND UNWORN STYLUS. IN ADDITION THE STEREO REPRODUCTION IS JUST MAGNIFICENT, THERE IS DEFINITELY A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FIRST PRESSES AND ALL THE REST. THIS IS BY FAR A CLEARER, LOUDER CUT. EVERY NOTE BEING HEARD TO PERFECTION

THIS VINYL PLAYS TO NEAR PERFECTION ALL THE WAY THROUGH BOTH SIDES, WITH A SUPERB WARM SOUND. ALL I HEARD THAT COULD BE CONSIDERED UNWANTED NOISE WAS SOME LIGHT STATIC LIKE VINYL NOISE RIGHT AT THE START OF EACH SIDE FOR A FEW ROTATIONS AND ALSO AT THE END OF THE FIRST TRACK FOR A FEW SECONDS AND A COUPLE OF RANDOM LITTLE DUST POPS THROUGH THE ENTIRE PLAY

THERE IS NO BACKGROUND CRACKLE, AND NO CLICKS, AND THERE ARE SO MANY NEAR SILENT PASSAGES ON CLOSE TO THE EDGE THAT ANY PROBLEM WITH THE VINYL WOULD BE INSTANTLY SHOWN UP AUDIBLY. THE RUN OUTS ARE EVEN SOLENT AND I HAVE RECORDED THEM IN FULL

I AM VERY HAPPY TO GRADE THIS PLAYTHROUGH MINT MINUS!!!

ANYWAY PLEASE DONT TAKE MY WORD FOR IT, LISTEN TO IT FOR YOURSELF AND BE THE JUDGE

THE SLEEVE

NON LAMINATED AND TEXTURED GATEFOLD SLEEVE WITH THE ROGER DEAN ARTWORK. THIS IS SUCH A HARD SLEEVE TO FIND IN ACCEPTABLE CONDITION. THE FACT THAT IT IS UNLAMINATED AND TEXTURED USUALLY ASURES  SEVERE COLOUR LOSS TO THE DELICATE GREEN SURFACE.

THE FRONT SURFACE IS FLAT AND TOTALLY UNCREASED. THE DELICATE GREEN SURFACE HAS NO RUBBING TO IT WHATSOEVER, AND THE ORIGINAL RICH COLOURS ARE ALL THERE APART FROM A SLIVER JUST NEAR THE TOP CORNER, AND HERE THERE IS ALSO A SMALL WHITE CHIP TO THE GREEN SURFACE

INCREDIBLY THERE ARE NO LINES WHATSOEVER BY THE SPINE AND NONE ELSEWHERE ON THE PERIMETER EDGES EITHER. THE CORNER TIPS HAVE BEEN RUBBED

THERE IS NO RING WEAR WHATSOEVER ON ANY PART OF THE FRONT SURFACE AND NOT EVEN ANY RECORD SHAPE EITHER

THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES ARE VERY VERY LIGHTLY SHELF WORD WITH JUST A FEW LITTLE WHITE SPECKS SHOWING THROUGH THE GREEN IN PATCHES. CERTAINLY NOT WHAT YOU WOULD DESCRIBE AS WELL WORN, JUST MILDLY RUBBED

THE SPINE HAS THE TOP AND BOTTOM TIPS RUBBED, AND THERE IS A WHITE LINE OF WEAR RUNNING THE LENGTH OF THE SPINE WHICH MAKES IT LOOK FAR WORSE ON THE PICTURES I HAVE TAKEN BECAUSE OF THE MACRO SETTING I HAVE USED. THE REALITY IS THAT TO THE NAKED EYE THIS THIN LINE IS BARELY NOTICEABLE

THE OPENING EDGE STILL VERY SHARP WITH JUST A FEW TINY THUMB NAIL NICKS ALONG IT

THE REAR SURFACE IS AGAIN FULLY TEXTURED AND STILL VERY RICH AND VIBRANT IN COLOUR. THERE IT A TINY PATCH OF RUBBING DUE TO RECORD SHAPE ALONG THE VERY TOP EDGE. AND A BARELY SPOTTED LINE RUNNING CLOSE TO THE BOTTOM LEFT CORNER

OPENING THE GATEFOLD REVEALS A TEXTURED INNER SURFACE WHICH IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. THERE ARE A FEW WHITE CHIPS OF COLOUR LOSS AT THE TOP AND THE ORIGINAL OWNER HAS NEATLY PENNED THEIR NAME IN THE TOP LEFT CORNER

FINALLY THE FRAGILE GREEN INNER SLEEVE WHICH HISTORICALLY GET SPLIT, IS IN UNSPLIT CONDITION. THERE ARE NO SPLITS TO ANY OF THE THREE SEAMS. THE OPENING EDGE REMAINS UNFRAYED .THERE IS A SMALL WRINKLE AT THE TOP LEFT CORNER

A REALLY TOP COLLECTIBLE COPY OF THIS RARITY

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

GARRY