Yes CLOSE TO THE EDGE UK LP VERY FIRST PRESS A1/B1 MATRIX PLAYS EXCELLENT+ / NM-

	£		239
	$		317

YES - CLOSE TO THE EDGE

IN SUPERB EXCELLENT PLUS TO NEAR MINT MINUS PLAYTHROUGH CONDITION

CORRECT FULLY TEXTURED FIRST ISSUE SLEEVE

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

THE ULTRA RARE CLOSE TO THE EDGE VERY FIRST PRESS. THIS IS VERY HARD ALBUM, PRESS TO OBTAIN

A WORD OR TWO ABOUT A GENUINE FIRST PRESS OF THIS ALBUM

FIRSTLY THE MATRIX NUMBERS MUST BE MACHINE STAMPED INTO THE DEAD WAX. SECONDLY THE LABEL DOES NOT HAVE THE WARNER 'W' AT 3 O'CLOCK (THEY ARE ALSO VERY HARD TO READ)

THIRD THE SLEEVE MUST BE TEXTURED HEAVILY BOTH ON THE OUTSIDE AND THE INSIDE (SOME ARE ONLY TEXTURED ON THE OUTSIDE)

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

THE TWO ORANGE AND GREEN LABELS ARE IN SUPERB 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 4-5 SPIDER LINES ON SIDE TWO AND JUST A COUPLE ON SIDE ONE

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

THE VINYL

THIS VINYL GLEAMS LIKE A POLISHED MIRROR AND IN DAYLIGHT LOOKS TOTALLY FLAWLESS. ONLY UNDER INTENSE ILLUMINATION ARE THERE WISPY HAIRLINES, SOME LIGHT SUPERFICIAL HANDLING LINES, AND SOME SLEEVE WITHDRAWAL LINES VISIBLE

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

THERE IS NO HEAVY BACKGROUND CRACKLE AT ANY POINT AND NO LOUD CLICKS EITHER

THERE IS SOME VERY LIGHT AND BARELY AUDIBLE STATIC LIKE BACKGROUND HEARD DURING THE MORE SILENT PASSAGES

IN ADDITION THERE ARE A FEW RANDOM TINY LITTLE DUST POPS/ TICS

THIS PLAYTHROUGH GRADES BETWEEN EXCELLENT PLUS AND NEAR MINT MINUS

ANYWAY PLEASE DON'T 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 ASSURES  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, ALTHOUGH THERE ARE THREE SMALL LIGHTER FLECKS RIGHT IN THE BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER AND A LITTLE ALONG THE EDGE.

INCREDIBLY THERE ARE NO LINES NEAR THE SPINE WHICH IS MOST UNCOMMON, NONE ALONG THE TOP EDGE, ONE NEAR INVISIBLE ONE ALONG THE BOTTOM EDGE, AND NO THUMB LINES NEAR THE OPENING EDGE.

THERE IS NO RING WEAR WHATSOEVER ON ANY PART OF THE SLEEVE

THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES DO BOTH HAVE LIGHT SHELF WEAR WITH THE BASE CARD SHOWING THROUGH IN PATCHES

THE SPINE ITSELF IS FLAT AND UNSQUASHED, BUT THERE IS SOME LOSS OF COLOUR AT THE TOP END , AND A COUPLE OF SMALLER SPECKS AT THE BOTTOM TIP. IN ADDITION A FEW RANDOM LITTLE PIN PRICKS ALONG THE LEADING EDGES . THE TYPEFACE IS STILL VERY LEGIBLE HOWEVER

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

THE REAR SURFACE IS IN EXACTLY THE SAME FABULOUS CONDITION THAT THE FRONT IS IN. NO LOSS OF COLOUR AND NO RING WEAR OR EVEN RECORD SHAPE. JUST ONE MINUSCULE LINE CLOSE TO THE SPINE

OPENING THE GATEFOLD REVEALS A PRISTINE MINT CONDITION INTERIOR PAIR OF TEXTURED SURFACES.

FINALLY THE FRAGILE GREEN INNER SLEEVE WHICH HISTORICALLY SPLITS ALONG THE SEAMS, IS IN UNSPLIT CONDITION!!! THERE ARE NO SPLITS TO ANY OF THE THREE SEAMS. THE OPENING EDGE REMAINS UNFRAYED . A VERY LIGHT OUTLINE OF RECORD SHAPE AND A TRACE OF WRINKLING, AND LOSS OF COLOUR TO PARTS OF THE SEAM EDGES

THE SLEEVE GRADES EXCELLENT PLUS TO NEAR MINT MINUS

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

GARRY