Colosseum VALENTYNE SUITE UK LP 'PHILIPS' ON LABEL EX++

	£		141
	$		187

COLOSSEUM - VALENTYNE SUITE

IN MAGNIFICENT CONDITION

HAS ' A PHILLIPS RECORD PRODUCT' ON THE LABEL

• CATALOGUE:VERTIGO V01 (THE FIRST ALBUM RELEASED ON THIS LABEL)
• MATRIX:8867751 1Y//1 420 / 2Y//1 420 
• PHILIPS RECORD PRODUCT DENOTES A VERY FIRST PRESS
• PLAYED 4-5 TIMES

ABSOLUTELY MAGNIFICENT ORIGINAL  FIRST PRESS OF THIS COLOSSEUM ALBUM, WITH THE BEST CONDITION SLEEVE I HAVE EVER COME ACCROSS

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

THE BLACK AND WHITE LARGE SWIRL LABEL IS IN PRISTINE CONDITION. THIS IS THE VERY VERY FIRST PRESS AND CAN BE IDENTIFIED EASILY BY THE FACT THAT AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LABEL ARE THE WORDS ' A PHILLIPS RECORD PRODUCT'

THE LARGE SWIRL WAS ONLY ON THE FIRST PRESSES OF THIS ALBUM, AND COUPLED WITH THE Y1 MATRIX NUMBERS THIS GUARANTEES A FIRST ISSUE . THE WHITE SIDE JUST COULD NOT BE WHITER. IT IS TOTALLY CLEAN AND IN MINT CONDITION. THE WHITE STRETCHES FULLY INTO THE UNWORN SPINDLE HOLE. THE BLACK TYPEFACE IS AGAIN 100% PRISTINE AND PERFECTLY LEGIBLE.

THERE ARE 8-10 SMALL SPIDER LINES CLOSE TO THE SPINDLE HOLE

THE VINYL

THE VINYL HAS RETAINED ALL OF ITS ORIGINAL SHEEN AND LOOKS GREAT. ONLY UNDER INTENSE ILLUMINATION ARE THERE TELLTALE SIGNS OF WISPY HAIRLINES AND SOME LIGHT HANDLING MARKS

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 AS I NOW DO WITH ALL MY LISTINGS AS I AM CONVINCED THAT BIDDERS WOULD LOVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR THE RECORD BEFORE LAYING A BID. THIS IS A SERVICE I AM DELIGHTED TO BE ABLE TO OFFER MY CUSTOMERS

THE VINYL PLAYS SUPERBLY ALL THE WAY THROUGH BOTH SIDES. WITH AN INCREDIBLE LOUD CUT.THIS IS A GREAT PROGRESSIVE SOUND GENERATED BY THIS VINYL

THE STEREO REPRODUCTION IS SUPERB AND EVERY NOTE IS HEARD CLEARLY AND CRISPLY ALL THE WAY THROUGH BOTH SIDES

I CANNOT FAULT THE CLARITY OF THE PERFORMANCE IN ANY WAY WHATSOEVER. THERE IS CERTAINLY NO DISTORTION TO THE SOUND AHTSOEVER, AND AS IMPORTANTLY THERE IS NO BACKGROUND CRACKLING, AND A REALLY GREAT EXAMPLE OF HOW CLEAN THIS VINYL IS WOULD BE TO LISTEN TO THE THIRD SOUNDBITE, WHICH AS THE TRACK APPEARS TO END GOES DEATHLY SILENT THEN GRADUALLY THE MUSIC RETURNS BEFORE THE FINAL FADE OUT.

THE ONLY NOISES I HEARD WERE SOME LIGHT BACKGROUND AT THE START OF SIDE 2, AND A LITTLE MORE DURING THE TRACK .THERE ARE ALSO A FEW NON DISTURBING TICS AND POPS RANDOMLY

BUT MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE TO TAKE A GOOD LISTEN FOR YOURSELF AND JUDGE IT THAT WAY

MY GRADE WOULD BE EXCELLENT PLUS

THE SLEEVE

THE HARDEST THING TO FIND IS AN UNRUBBED NON LAMINATED SLEEVE. PARTICULARLY THIS TYPE WHERE THE COLOURS ARE CONTRUCTED TO GIVE A POWDERY FEEL TO THE SURFACE. LIKE THE BLACK SABBATH DEBUT ALBUM, THIS SLEEVE WAS PRONE TO RUBBING AND WHEN IT DID A GREEN HUE APPEARED WHICH WAS THE BASE COLOUR USED ON THE DESIGN. THIS ONE HAS NO SUCH PROBLEM AND ALL OF THE COLOURS HAVE BEEN RETAINED. THERE IS A VERY LIGHT RIPPLE TO THE SURFACE IN THE MIDDLE MORE FEELABLE THAN NOTICABLE. IT'S NOT WATER DAMAGE LIKE MOST YOU WILL SEE BUT I BELIEVE AT SOMETIME SOMETHING HEAVY WAS LEFT ON IT AS THE REAR SURFAC HAS A LIGHT BULGE IN THE SAME PLACE.

THERE ARE NO HEAVY CREASES OR CREASE LINES ANYWHERE ON THE FRONT SURFACE AND EVEN THE SAMALL LINES FOUND BY THE SPINE ARE RESTRICTED TO JUST 3 OR 4 BARELY VISIBLE ONES. THE FOUR CORNER HAVE VERY MILD WEAR

THE  TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES HAVE THE MOST MINIMAL OF SHELF WEAR

THE SPINE HAS THE SAME LIGHT RUBBING AND 95% OF THE TYPEFACE IS LEGIBLE

THE OPENING EDGE IS  RAZOR SHARP WITH JUST A FEW LITTLE THUMB NAIL NICKS WHERE THE LP HAS BEEN REMOVED A FEW TOMES IN THE LAST 39 YEARS.

THE REAR SURFACE IS JUST AS UNWORN AS THE FRONT

OPENING THE GATEFOLD REVEALS A NEAR MINT CONDITION INNER SURFACE. THERE IS JUST THE LIGHTEST BIT OF COLOUR RUBBING IN THE FORM OF A FEW FLECKS OF WHITE SHOWING AROUND THE PERIMETER EDGES OF THE RIGHT PANEL.

THE ORIGINAL SWIRLY INNER SLEEVE IS IN UNSPLIT ORIGINAL CONDITION. FEW TINY CREASE LINES AND A RESIDUE MARK WHERE A STRIP OF TAPE WAS USED TO STICK A FLIP BACK DOWN. I REMOVED THIS TAPE AND USED SOME PRITT STICK TO SEAL IT IN PLACE.

I HAVE TO GRADE THIS SLEEVE EXCELLENT

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

GARRY