I will declare a lower amount on the customs form for all countries so as to avoid/decrease high import charges.  However, in the case of the EU all purchases are subject to VAT which eBay collect at point of sale. No shipping to Russia currently.

The Greatest Show On Earth : Horizons A-1 / B-2 1st Press No EMI 1970

This first pressing plays with superb audio and no interference.  There is a little spindle wear so it has been played but only very carefully!  The sonic quality is stunning - the clarity and depth of sound cannot be faulted in any way.  There are no ticks, clicks or pops and no background static either.

The laminated gatefold is in great condition with only minimal wear and the inner sleeve just has one small side split.

As this is a first pressing it has the A1/B2 matrix and there is no EMI logo on the labels.  Inside the cover 'Again And Again' is listed as 'Again & Again'.  This underrated classic is one of the earliest off the 'production line' and has just a single O stamper on each side.

SHVL 769 // A-1 / B-2 // O 1 / O 1

The audio on S1 is Mint(-)

The audio on S2 is Mint(-)

The gatefold is Ex+

The labels are Near Mint-

The inner sleeve is Ex-

Visual description

The vinyl is in excellent condition and still has a very strong glossy sheen.  There are no marks or scratches but there are some faint hairlines which as you can see from my audio grading have no affect on the audio at all.  The yellow / green Harvest labels are unmarked and have only a little spindle wear.

Play grading  

The intro on 'Sunflower Morning' plays perfectly with no 'background' and the opening vocal is just as impressive.  The second verse has just a couple of light ticks at the end and then the first chorus is 'as new' with no intrusion.  The entire guitar solo section then plays with amazing clarity with not so much as a dust tick.  The final vocal / instrumental plays with sublime precision also.  With no clicks, pops or static this is a superb Mint- start to this underrated album.

'Angelina' plays with stunning quality from the get go and this standard is very much maintained throughout.  From the first note to the last there is zero interference and despite being a more powerful track there is no distortion on the top end.  A fantastic Mint version - the clarity and power of the audio is incredible!

The entire intro on 'Skylight Man' again shows just how well this vinyl has been preserved and plays with exceptional Mint quality.  The opening vocal section keeps up this fine form with no intrusion and thereafter plays in the same precise way.  I cannot fault the audio - the clarity and depth is high end indeed and with only a couple of barely audible dust ticks the sonic quality is out of this world!  The long instrumental including the metronome part is a case in point and the bass heavy end section is so deep and powerful - never heard better!  This is Mint from start to finish.

The intro on 'Day Of The Lady' plays very clearly with only a couple of light static ticks and the first vocal is flawless.  In fact that applies to every vocal and instrumental section - the playback could not be any stronger and Mint is easily deserved.  The clarity here is superb and especially during the acoustic and harpsichord sections.

'Real Cool World' ends the side with very powerful audio and...no interference.  You can see why this was a hit in Europe it is a great track!  Perhaps a touch (a very minor touch!) of inner groove distortion but in a sense you expect that on a final track and should not be downgraded as such.  In fact I'm doubting myself!  Is there any?  It plays so clearly and the guitar solo is a prime example of that.  The playback is stunning and with no ticks, clicks or pops etc I am 100% confident in grading this as Mint- such is the quality.

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The intro on 'I Fought For Love' is again so clean and powerful and 'as new' sums it up perfectly.  The first vocal does not disappoint either and it continues to play with stunning precision for the remainder.  No need for a minus here this is Mint from start to finish with only a handful of very light dust tick right at the end.

The intro on 'Horizons' plays beautifully with only one dust tick and following bass section is equally as good.  From then on it plays with sensational clarity with a power and depth to match.  The long drum solo shows that and then some!  The sonic quality here is outstanding.  A couple of quieter sections after that and still no intrusion on the audio and I am up to 6 minutes now!  The flute section is stunning but then every section is!  The rest of this epic instrumental is of the same high end standard - the powerful guitar section has no distortion and the solo bass section has only a couple of mega light dust ticks - no room to hide here as it is so quiet.  The final section is faultless and I have no hesitation in grading this as Mint as there is not one single negative and basically it could not play any better.  Not bad when you consider it runs at just under 14 minutes!

'Again And Again' ends this fine album with great clarity on the acoustic intro and this carries on into the first vocal.  It proceeds to play with great quality and with only the bare minimum of distortion during the choruses.  Distortion seems like too harsh a word for it if I'm honest!  So minor and totally non-intrusive.  The instrumental sections plays with STUNNING clarity and I will grade this as Mint- just to be a little cautious.  A superb finish.

In summary this relatively rare first pressing plays with sublime quality on both sides with no interference to be heard.  How rare is that?!  The clarity and power of the audio is exceptional and this is another FINAL UPGRADE album up for auction here.  It was a shame they only released two albums because I definitely think this is one of most underrated LPs from that classic prog era.  In conjunction with a great cover this will add to any collection.

The Gatefold & Inner Sleeve

 The laminated cover is in excellent condition with only minimal shelf wear.  The edges are in superb order with no rubbing and the wide spine has only a minor wear on the corners.  The other corners are very clean with hardly any wear and the opening 'sleeve' has very sharp edges and looks untouched.  Only the edge of front cover has some light handling wear.  The front cover is in beautiful condition and the back cover is just as impressive with only a couple of minor laminate creases near the bottom edge.  The inside of the gatefold is immaculate and has no marking.  A fine example overall.

The die-cut plain white inner has just one small side splits, a little age related fading around the edges and only very minimal creasing.

Play tested on my Rega P2 Turntable / Denon PMA-520AE Amp / B&W 684 Speakers

This record has been cleaned on a Pro-Ject VC-S machine

SHVL 769 // A-1 / B-2 // O 1 / O 1

I grade according to "Record Collector" guidelines.

Any questions please feel free to ask

Please pay within 4 days of auction end

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Postage & Packaging

I NOW ONLY SEND ITEMS WORLDWIDE VIA TRACKED SHIPPING. THIS PROVIDES 'PEACE OF MIND' IN CASE OF LOSS OR DAMAGE. ALL COSTS ARE SHOWN BELOW AND COMBINED POSTAGE IS ALWAYS OFFERED. ANY OVER-PAYMENT WILL ALWAYS BE REFUNDED BACK TO THE BUYER.

THE ROYAL MAIL ONLY INSURE ITEMS UP TO THE VALUE OF £250 SO IF AN ITEM SELLS FOR MORE A COURIER SERVICE MAY BE USED (e.g. Parcelforce, DPD).  AN EXTRA INSURANCE PREMIUM WILL BE REQUIRED BUT I WILL NOT KNOW THE EXACT AMOUNT UNTIL THE FINAL SALE PRICE IS KNOWN.  HOWEVER, SOMETIMES I WILL ESTIMATE A COST AND THIS WILL BE STATED IN THE LISTING.  PLEASE WAIT FOR THE INVOICE BEFORE MAKING ANY PAYMENT BUT IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE FEEL FREE TO GET IN TOUCH.  MANY THANKS.

ALL VINYLS ARE PACKAGED IN STRONG CUSTOM MADE OVER-SIZED MAILERS WITH EXTRA CARDBOARD PROTECTION. THEY ARE PUT IN SEPARATE POLY-LINED INNERS OUTSIDE OF THE COVER SO AS TO AVOID SEAM SPLITS. THEY ARE ALSO PLACED INSIDE A PVC SLEEVE TO PROVIDE EXTRA PROTECTION. I PRIDE MYSELF ON MY HIGH QUALITY PACKAGING AS MY FEEDBACK TESTIFIES AND IF ANY CUSTOMER HAS ANY SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS I WILL ALWAYS ENDEAVOUR TO HELP.

I ONLY USE HIGH QUALITY MAILERS AND THESE COST ME £1.00 EACH. I WILL OFTEN USE 3 OR 4 CARDBOARD STIFFENERS AND THESE COST AT LEAST £0.15 EACH AND THEN THERE IS THE COST OF THE POLY-LINED INNER AND PVC SLEEVE TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT. IT ALL ADDS UP! NOT FORGETTING EBAY TAKING 10% OF THE SHIPPING FEE ALSO!!

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I AM MORE THAN HAPPY TO LEAVE FEEDBACK AFTER PAYMENT HAS BEEN MADE, NONE OF THIS WAITING BEFORE I RECEIVE FEEDBACK FROM YOU - I HAVE CONFIDENCE IN MY LISTINGS!  IF YOU ARE NOT ENTIRELY HAPPY WITH YOUR PURCHASE PLEASE CONTACT ME BEFORE LEAVING FEEDBACK AND I WILL ALWAYS RESOLVE ANY PROBLEM, 100% GUARANTEED.  IF YOU WOULD PREFER TO SEND THE ITEM BACK I WILL OF COURSE OF COURSE PAY THE RETURN SHIPPING COST IF I AM AT FAULT.  I AM ONLY HUMAN AFTER ALL!