AC/DC – Back In Black

Original 1980 Australian 1st Issue 12" LP Vinyl Record. Albert Productions red label, with a yellow strobe (1980)
First Press version 1.
Red label with yellow strobe marks.
Embossed logo and album title on cover.
Comes with fold-out inside sheet, printed with pictures and credits.
(later versions will be the same print, but as a standard inner sleeve)

The vinyl record is in VG Condition, with Excellent audio. Nice shine, with faint lines under direct light. The audio is clean and bright, with mostly quiet dead-wax, and with only a couple of very briefest moments of very light interference. Visual - VG Audio - Excellent Graded as - VG+

The labels are in superb condition.  Near Mint The gatefold cover is VG
The fold-over inner sleeve / poster insert is Excellent.
Maxicut explained by Don Bartley - EMI Australia, mastering engineer. Why Australian mastering rocks so hard.
This issue (1980) will be Maxicut 2 with some further refinements to the cutting system, from the original 1978 Powerage Maxicut pressing.

"As most mastering engineers at the time knew the Neumann cutting system was designed around stereo classical music and it's natural phase / level relationship, in other words as the stereo orchestra played louder, there was an equal increase in the ambient out of phase information.

The Neumann lathe would see this increase in level and phase (particularly the bottom end) and adjust the depth and pitch of the groove to accommodate the modulation of the signal, avoiding "light" grooves and "groove jumping" on playback. However the Neumann system was not user friendly to loud rock / pop music etc. whose bottom end signal was practically mono, resulting in the lathe maintaining a constant depth groove no matter the level of the signal. This resulted in what was classified by the pressing plants as a "dangerous" cut that would "groove jump" on cheaper playback systems. So most engineers did something to overcome this problem.

Prior to my days at EMI I was mastering records for RCA Sydney and developed a system where by a phase shift was introduced to the bottom end of the lathe control signal resulting in a level to depth relationship resulting in a "safer cut".
The clever people at EMI decided to re-design the control circuitry of the Neumann lathe and replace one the PC boards with their own "Maxicut" board. This created a sensation and engineers around the world were peering into their microscopes to see what was going on.

By the time I joined EMI in 1980, "Maxicut 2" had been introduced, a more refined version and the one we used throughout the eighties and into the nineties. "Maxicut" was definitely the best and most transparent solution to what was an annoying problem with the Neumann cutting system and I believe there was a patent on the design however I'm not sure if "Maxicut" was adopted by any other users."
Label: Albert Productions – APLP.046,  Albert Productions – APLP-046 Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo Country: Australia Released: Aug 11, 1980 Genre: Rock Style: Hard Rock
A1

Hell's Bells
5:10 A2
Shoot To Thrill 5:17 A3
What Do You Do For Money Honey 3:36 A4
Given The Dog A Bone 3:31 A5
Let Me Put My Love Into You 4:12 B1
Back In Black 4:17 B2
You Shook Me All Night Long 3:29 B3
Have A Drink On Me 4:01 B4
Shake A Leg 4:04 B5
Rock And Roll Ain't Noise Pollution 4:12

• Recorded At – Compass Point Studios
• Copyright © – J. Albert & Son Pty. Ltd.
• Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Albert Productions
• Made By – EMI (Australia) Limited
• Lacquer Cut At – EMI Studios 301

• Art Direction – Bob Defrin
• Bass – Cliff Williams
• Drums – Phil Rudd
• Engineer – Tony Platt
• Engineer [Assistant] – Benji Armbrister, Jack Newber
• Engineer [Mixing] – Brad Samuelsohn
• Lead Guitar – Angus Young
• Management – Peter Mensch
• Mastered By [Vinyl] – Paul Bryant (2)
• Photography By – Robert Ellis (4)
• Producer – Robert John "Mutt" Lange
• Rhythm Guitar – Malcolm Young
• Vocals – Brian Johnson
• Written-By – Young, Johnson, Young

First Press version 1.
Red label with yellow strobe marks. Embossed logo and album title on cover.
Comes with fold-out inside sheet, printed with pictures and credits.

Recorded at Compass Point Studios April-May 1980.
Made by E.M.I. (Australia) Limited, Sydney, N.S.W.
© 1980 J. Albert & Son Pty. Ltd.
℗ 1980 Albert Productions
Cat. number on cover: APLP.046
Cat. number on label: APLP-046

• Matrix / Runout (Label side A, printed): APLP046-A
• Matrix / Runout (Label side B, printed): APLP046-B
• Matrix / Runout (Runout side A, stamped): APLP 046 A MAXICUT
• Matrix / Runout (Runout side B, stamped): APLP 046 B MAXICUT

A few words about condition.

Grade & 
score out of 100
                                           GRADING
Mint is a Rigid Band - The next Four Grades are all Narrow Bands, that slightly widen as the condition gradually deteriorates - Good is still Good, but there is a rapid widening of the Grade Bands, as the condition deteriorates over the last Four grades.

MINT
100
The record itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality.
The cover and any extra items such as the lyric sheet, booklet or poster are in perfect condition.
Only graded on records that are sealed or clearly unplayed.
 
NEAR MINT
97 to 99        

EXCELLENT
90 to 96
The record shows virtually no signs of having been played,  there is no lessening in sound quality.
The cover and  packaging might have the slightest of tiny defects.
 
The record shows some slight signs of having been played, but there is very little, (if any) lessening in sound quality.
The cover and  packaging might have very slight wear. 
 
VERY GOOD PLUS
80 to 89

VERY GOOD
69 to 79
The record shows signs of having been played, but there is very little lessening in sound quality.
The cover and  packaging might have slight wear, light creasing.

The record has obviously been played many times, but displays no major deterioration in sound quality, despite noticeable surface marks and the occasional light scratch.
Normal wear and tear on the cover or extra items, without any major defects.
This is an above average used record, that has been well looked after.




GOOD
56 to 68
The record has been played so much that the sound quality has deteriorated, but the record will still play through, and it will not be a completely unpleasant listening experience, even at the bottom of this grade (56).
The cover and contents may suffer from folding, scuffing of edges, spine splits, discolouration, etc. 




FAIR
41 to 55
The record is still playable but has not been cared for properly and displays considerable surface noise; it may even stick, skip or jump.. This is starting to be an unpleasant listening experience at the top of the grade (55) and will not be a pleasant listening experience at all by the end of it (41).
The cover and contents will be torn, stained and/or defaced. 
 
POOR
25 to 40
The record will not play properly due to scratches, bad surface noise, etc.
The cover and contents will be badly damaged or partly missing. 
 
BAD
0 - 24
The record is unplayable or might even be broken, and is only of use as a collection-filler.
The Sleeve is non existent (0) or what is left, is only just recognisable.

A few words about postage.

Within Australia, the best value for multiple purchases is a 5KG satchel, where as many as 15 to 20 LPs can be posted for $22.00 registered post. (well packed in a box, inside the satchel)

My Policies on postage are simple.

I post at cost.
The user pays.
I package well.