BOB DYLAN - DESIRE UK 1st press EX + Rare Album & Concert Review

Matrix SIDE 1 CBS-S-86003 A1           SIDE 2 CBS-S-86003 B1

RUN OFF HAS ALLEN ON SIDE 1

Catalogue number: CBS S 86003 Originally released: 1975

Overall condition is EXCELLENT

Sleeve EXCELLENT

The unlaminated sleeve is still bright and glossy with no tears or splits and there isn’t any writing, taping or stickers; apart that is from the factory applied sticker on the front advertising that the album featured “The hit single Hurricane”. There is only the faintest hint of ringwear and the slightest areas of scuffing to the edges and corners.

The actual record is in the the original die-cut picture inner sleeve with notes by Alan Ginesberg. It too is in EXCELLENT condition with no tears or splits; there isn’t any writing, taping or stickers and only the faintest hint of ringwear

Spine EXCELLENT, it is firm and totally legible with some very slight scuffing and creasing. I will also include the original plastic outer that I bought with it, which still fits tightly and has successfully kept the dust off for all these years.

Record EXCELLENT The record itself is clean and glossy and the disc retains its deep, black vinyl sheen.

Labels EXCELLENT The original 1st press CBS SUNBURST labels from 1975 show minimal signs of use, have no writing and are clean with no perceptable spindle marking.

Audio Quality EXCELLENT It plays really well apart from some minimal vinyl hiss and crackle between tracks that unfortunately are noticeable in some of the quietest passages but vanish after a few seconds and don’t detract from the overall sound, which is still amazing. There are also two minor ‘pops’ on side two, although deep cleaning would probably remove them. But, to quote the Record Collector grading system for the category of EXCELLENT, “there is very little lessening in sound quality.”

It lays flat on the turntable and plays well without the needle sticking or jumping.

Please remember even new, factory fresh vinyl is likely to have some clicks and pops, but the richness of sound will always be better than digital. OK eventually the robots and aliens will make digital sound as good, but until then, it’s a compromise, you have to choose; deep rich tones and a beautiful sleeve (often with lyrics or other notes) or clinical sterility with nothing to see and a narrow frequency range.

Since 1970 all my records have been played on a Pioneer PL12D with a Shure N75 ED-T2 cartridge and stylus, tracking at 1.5 grams which I continue to use today – although the stylus has been replaced regularly

SIDE 1: HURRICANE ISIS MOZAMBIQUE ONE MORE CUP OF COFFEE

OH SISTER

SIDE 2: JOEY ROMANCE IN DURANGO BLACK DIAMOND BAY SARA

PRESS CUTTINGS I’m also including an in depth review of his concert in Chicago the previous January review of the album from Melody Maker. There’s also a heavy review of the other Dylan release that year, “Before the Flood” by Robert Shelton in the London Times – Shelton of course was the New York Times critic who first championed Dylan in 1961.

I think these press cuttings are very rare, as I’ve never seen them referred to in books or on the web.

Summary:this ICONIC, masterwork album is a lovely piece of genuine memorabilia from a bygone time. There are very few people who have had such influence on music that they have totally changed it, even fewer who have single handedly changed the world. The album features several compositions which have become accepted classics, especially "Hurricane," “Isis” and " Sara” in which Dylan bares more of his soul than he ever has before or since If you haven’t heard it on vinyl this could be for you. It certainly doesn’t sound 46 years old!

Admittedly it is not in Mint condition, although the album definitely counts as EXCELLENT but that is why I’m starting at a sensible price so a genuine fan or collector can enjoy it without paying rip off prices.

If you check my feedback you will see many people think my grading is spot on.

I’m not a dealer of any sort, but am just downsizing and having to clear things out and trying to survive on a poxy pension. Good luck with your bidding and feel free to ask any question.

A Word About Payment and Postage

Sorry but I accept Paypal only and it will be posted as soon as payment has cleared, which must be paid within 24hours of the end of the auction. This may seem harsh but I’m fed up with time wasters!

I use 12" Vinyl LP Record Cruciform postal mailers and protect them with an additional layer of bubblewrap. In the UK I use Royal Mail Signed For.

Price for postage is for 2nd class and reflects the fact that eBay & PayPal take a combined total fee of 13.4% on shipping charges. If you are outside the UK, I will use Ebay’s Global Shipping Program and you are therefore accepting their shipping terms and charges over which I have no control.

Record Collector grading system used

MINT: 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. Records advertised as Sealed or Unplayed should be Mint.

EXCELLENT: The record shows some signs of having been played, but there is very little lessening in sound quality. The cover and packaging might have slight wear and / or creasing.

VERY GOOD: 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, is acceptable.

GOOD: The record has been played so much that the sound quality has noticeably deteriorated, perhaps with some distortion and mild scratches. The cover and contents suffer from folding, scuffing of edges, spine splits, discolouration, etc.

FAIR: The record is still just playable but has not been cared for properly and displays considerable surface noise; it may even jump. The cover and contents will be torn, stained and / or defaced.

POOR: The record will not play properly due to scratches, bad surface noise, etc. The cover and contents will be badly damaged or partly missing.

As well as the above grades, Near Mint is often used as well; this is really for a record that appears new but is known to have been played because the label has light spindle marks or because it has come from a previous owner and is assumed to have been played by them. For records which appear to fall between the accepted grades, + and - are also often added to the grading.