JOY DIVISION Closer UK 1980 FACTORY EX++ CLASSIC ALBUM.

	£		63
	$		84

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Postage: UK £4.75. Europe (including Russia) £12.50. Rest of World £16.50. All boxes signed for in quality, safe packaging – I NEVER use mailing envelopes that offer virtually no protection at all. More details on this nearer the end of the listing.

Posting to Russia: Yes, I do post to Russia. But delivery can take up to 4 to 6 weeks from the UK. So please be patient. I will submit a tracking number to the winning bidder, and when the packet arrives there it can be followed online using the Russian post website.

ALSO: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment. I try to keep my P&P prices as low as possible even yet another Royal Mail price hike, I will never compromise on solid, safe packing that is invariably a little heavier.

Artist or Band: JOY DIVISION

Album Title: Closer

Producer & Engineer: Martin Hannett.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Atrocity Exhibition; Isolation; Passover; Colony; A Means to an End.

Side 2: Heart and Soul; Twenty Four Hours; The Eternal; Decades.

Cat Number: FACT 25.

Label/Format: Factory (Please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: Both clean and attractive with only light and quite faint spindle marks. Minor handling traces on black labels are rarely not seen.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Record: 108 grams. This a fairly typical weight for this album.

Rarity: Moderate: but cleaner and hardly played copies are far harder. This one also plays with superb clean sound.

Original Year of Release: July 1980

Matrix Nos: FACT 25 A1 / FACT 25 B-1

Run-Out Groove Etchings: ‘OLD BLUE?’ on side one.

Musicians: Ian Curtis – vocals, guitar; Bernard Sumner – guitar, synthesizers, bass; Peter Hook – bass guitar, guitar; Stephen Morris – drums.

Album/Band Information: Now recognised as a bona fide classic, this was Joy Division’s second album and a stunning follow up to the brilliant ‘Unknown Pleasures’. Both the band’s only two proper studio releases are definitive gems that should be included in any serious collection. Fronted by the tragic Ian Curtis, a man whose vocal intensity made Joy Division so unique. Rarely has a singer sounded more troubled, moody and at times, desperate, he suffered badly from epilepsy. All his emotion on this album was real which makes both their albums all the more chilling. But amongst the darkness their is a real beauty to the the band’s music and the listening experience is never bleak. Joy Division had an original sound, drums and bass high in the mix and they often lead, being more dominant than the guitar and keyboards. The lyrics are deeply complex and Curtis would not discuss their meaning. This timeless record proudly stands up there with the all-time greats and always features in any list compiled by critics and buyers alike. A masterwork of rarely-rivalled intensity, power and darkness, it sold quite well and peaked at No 6 in the UK album charts. The final song, ‘Decades’ goes beyond beautiful and I have rarely heard the mellotron sounding so wonderful or put to better use. If any listener is not moved by this haunting song, they simply don’t like music or have no soul, this is simply hypnotic and beautiful, few could fail to be moved. This album has not aged one iota and with several modern bands sounding quite similar e.g. The Editors, I recommend the younger vinyl fan to listen to Joy Division. A vinyl gem and as powerful as the likes of The Doors, Velvet Underground and Patti Smith’s first albums. Ian Curtis, one of the last truly great vocalists, a desperate man demanding to be heard, tragically taking his own life after the conclusion of this album. I still remember the day: I was listening to John Peel’s 10 o’clock radio show when he announced his death. John was almost too choked to talk and just played the music for a while. He was really that great, Closer demands to be heard and enjoyed forever. Joy Division’s legend and popularity fails to diminish, their records are much sort-after and even a full length feature film – ‘Control’ – was released covering their formation and works up to Curtis’s death. Like their music, this too was a very moving experience. This a very fine clean non-translucent copy that includes an unsplit inner sleeve. The next paragraph was written by Colin Larkin about this groundbreaking release, it features in the Virgin top 1000 albums book, it was voted No. 68 best album of all time:

“The news of singer Ian Curtis’s suicide still hung in the air when this album was released. Given the deep introspective nature of Joy Division’s music, his death invested ‘Closer’ with an even greater pessimism. Yet there is a fragile beauty in its content and if Curtis’s voice seems more distant, it complements the sparse textures created by mesmerizing synthesiser lines and occasional, highly effective, piano. Slow, hypnotic tempos increase the sense of brooding mystery and if the few faster songs provide musical relief, their lyrics prove equally tortured. Eerie, yet compulsive, ‘Closer’ confirmed Joy Division’s pre-eminent place in rock’s pantheon.”

Cover Condition and Type: NEAR EXCELLENT: a single unlaminated format with matt, smooth surfaces. Includes the card inner sleeve that was printed and made in England by Garrod & Lofthouse. It is likely the main cover was the same.

Cover Front & Back: Little real wear, but some gentle discolouration or light toning. Barely any creasing and still quite attractive. This is always a difficult cover to find without grubbiness and ageing.

Top & Bottom Edges:Both straight and generally clean with minimal rubbing.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, sharp with little wear at all. Record enters on this edge that is guaranteed untrimmed.

Spine and Text: A fragile spine but this very solid, straight and clean, the text well centred and showing minimal wear at all with most-all present and easy to read.

Corners: Very little cornerwear at all, the odd tiny surface crack on the top left, little else and all retain excellent or better shape.

Cover Summary: A very respectable all-round example of this very fragile early 80’s cover, one that will prove very difficult to find much better. A little aged but it will still please many collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT(+): an unlined thin card inner with smooth matt finish. Very faint discolouration and gentle hint of rim impression with hardly any creasing and all edges unsplit (with no repairs).

Vinyl Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(++): and a mere whisker of my top Mint(-) grading. Most records issued in card unlined inners have a few ultra fine surface trace marks, but this has barely any. This is very clean with superb shine and freshness, without doubt, hardly played and sounding terrific. It should please most-all collectors.

Album Played For Grading: Yes. [I play ALL records I offer before submitting to Ebay, also the record is played in its entirety unless clearly stated otherwise. I do NOT play snippets or joining grooves to check for sound quality and quietness – I play from the beginning to end via clinically revealing B&W speakers that include the legendary tweeter from their awesome Nautilus range that reveals every blemish or miniscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality: This classic 1980s record plays up to it’s high visual grading with practically nothing to fault. The audio reproduction is wonderful, Joy Division always sound better on vinyl - the bass and drum power more defined and intense than CD versions. Ian Curtis’s forward vocals will send a shiver down the spine, that’s how he wanted to be heard. Ultra clear, distortion-free audio with powerful dynamics, detail and sonic delivery of those intense songs. Overall a strong sounding copy of this masterpiece and it’s amongst the best I have heard. Finding a copy that plays dead silent throughout is a tough ask, not an era of outstanding vinyl quality being honest, but this is impressive. The lack of surface noise, pops and clicks are always welcome bonuses on the smaller independent labels of this period. This gave me than rare tingle factor and I am sure it will to you too. High recommendation is mandatory, this remains one of my personal favourite albums of all-time, Curtis may be gone, but his music is eternal and lives on forever.

Now one of the most established sellers on Ebay and still offering the finest and most accurately described and graded records I can find. I pride myself on offering a variety of genres to keep my site as interesting as possible. I will rarely offer any record that falls below a true Excellent grading, unless its of a certain rarity which will justify offering a lesser grade. I try, to the best of my ability to describe as accurately and as honesty as I can all items I offer for sale with all the relevant information I can think of to help any potential bidder and collector. You may notice I only submit records sparingly on Ebay - on average ONEADAY, a couple more at weekends if time permits, hence the name - time rarely allows for more as I Play-Grade virtually every record I offer in their entirety, not just bits to guess a grade - visuals alone do not always tell a true or full story. I will mention any defects or flaws no matter how small that I notice to be fair as possible to any interested collector – I am very fussy and my buyers have the right to be too. Every record I offer, whether it be a common or rare item deserves the same respect as far as I am concerned and will be treated the same - just because an item is rare does not always mean its good. I get just as much pleasure offering a relatively common record in stunning near mint condition as the real rare items. All the pictures I use for your guidance are taken with a digital camera or scanned - they are NOT improved, cleaned-up or made better looking than they are with camera trickery or enhancing with digital programmes. What you see is what you get and scanned labels will give a more accurate representation of the genuine colour than flash photography where light is variable. I cannot guarantee total accuracy for colours however but most will be very close. If any picture I take looks more flattering than the actual item for any reason, I will clearly state the fact in the advert and vice-versa. I hope the item below is to your liking - any questions can be emailed and I will do my very best to answer you. I am enthusiastic, and have a fair degree of knowledge about many genres and I promise quality items - bid with confidence - excellence comes as standard and so does Near Mint regularly. Please assume all records I offer have NO jumps, sticks, warps or writing on covers or labels unless clearly stated to the contrary. Thanks for your interest and Good luck – MIKE.

Deck: Linn LP12/Hercules/Cirkus with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Rondo Red moving coil cartridge (tracks at 2 grams). Amps: Naim Nait 5i with Project USB phono stage and Chord interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired with Terrarium Black terminated cable). All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional VPI-17 vacuum machine before play-grading for the cleanest and best possible sound and will include a brand new lined inner and protective cover too. Pictures taken with a Nikon D5000 SLR Digital Camera.

PACKING - THIS IS WHAT YOU GET.

What You Get: To confirm to the strict Ebay rules on shipping, I must now send ALL my packets ‘Signed-For’ with NO exceptions. Both buyers and sellers want their packets to have a safer journey and this is not a bad thing.

I now offer the fastest possible posting, often the very next day after payment is received or within two to three days maximum (unless on holiday). I only use FIRST-CLASS Mail. The record’s cover will be placed within a BRAND NEW soft protective sleeve and the actual record will be professionally cleaned on my new VPI-17 Pro vacuum system to give ultimate clean grooves and playing surfaces and the best possible looks and ultimate sound quality. You will NOT get tired, dull looking, dust infested records inside worn and foggy covers with tatty inners from this seller and that’s a promise and guarantee. All records are posted in professional boxes (NOT Mailers, these do not offer any real protection). The record(s) are REMOVED from their main cover to avoid edge splits and placed within a brand new polylined inner. The record’s original inner will be included if available. The boxes are then reinforced with at least TWO, ULTRA THICK stiffeners for maximum extra protection – these are FOUR TIMES thicker than commercial stiffeners and are custom-made for oneadayrecords. Really rare and expensive albums will even be Double Boxed if deemed necessary and possible. When larger boxes are used, the thick record and stiffener ‘sandwich’ is then thickly embedded into bubble-wrap to bulk out the record inside the box to centre the item inside to reduce the risk of damage still further. Printed address labels are used for clarity as well as a sender label. Customers requests or special needs for P&P will be respected if at all possible but ‘Signed-For’ posting is NOT an option anymore. I do not profit on posting and the cost of this lavish packing is NOT even charged for, I offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible for ultimate confidence. The boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffeners and bubble wrap make a near impregnable fortress for safe shipping and this is used inland and overseas for ALL my records, not just the rare and expensive. I will invoice any winning bidder as soon as possible after the auction ends. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is less than one in two thousand+ based on over 10,000+ items sold in over 12 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional. The only damage rate acceptable for this seller is ZERO and I think my packets will offer just that. It would take a vicious postman or postal service to damage these for sure. Even one of these stiffeners cannot be bent by hand, so what chance 2 inside a box? Oneadayrecords is a MAILER-FREE ZONE. I discount of course for multiple purchases with a maximum of FIVE records per box (one double can sometimes be included subject to total weight). All postage costs are below and at the top of the listing.

NOTE: First Time Bidders: Please ask me first.

PLEASE NOTE: I now exercise my right to open a dispute after the Ebay rule of FOUR days if no payment is received. I will then cancel the dispute to end the, again after the mandatory FOUR days and then offer the item to the runner-up or relist. The non-payer will also be blocked from my Ebay site and they take the Ebay consequences (a strike or removal from the system). Small businesses need prompt payment to trade and these strict rules WILL be applied.

SHIPPING COSTS & CONDITIONS – THESE comply with EBAY’S RULES - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY:

Posting & Packing: UK & CHANNEL ISLANDS all now sent via Recorded Delivery:

1 LP (FIRST-CLASS Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £4.75

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £8. (this includes insurance of £500). Add £2 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA. (Airmail Only):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£50 maximum]) = £12.50 (enhanced Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3). Add £3 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (ANY PART OF); South America; New Zealand; Australia; Canada; Japan and other Far East; (Airmail Only: I NEVER use Surface Mail):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£50 maximum]) = £16.50 (£17.50 for double sets). Add £3 per extra LP. (enhanced Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3)

Payment Conditions:

I prefer PayPal or cheque from UK winning bidders. I can accept PayPal from overseas bidders or direct payment into my bank account.

Potential Bidders: I will cancel any bids I feel are time-wasters. A maximum 3 days for communication and 7 days for payment to arrive - if not I will relist the item or offer to the runner-up. Fast deals get great feedback from me. Any questions - please ask and thanks for looking.

My Guarantee: If any winning bidder is not satisfied with their purchase I will offer a complete refund. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer, so read the item description carefully. If any overseas collector does not understand anything in my listing, please email and ask me to help. Thank You.

SOME GENERAL GUIDES TO WEAR AND CONDITIONS TO HELP YOU DECIDE

My Use of Description Terminology: Surface Marks = Superficial, usually light marks, hairlines or light scuffs that rarely sound. Scratch = a needle mark that goes below the record’s surface, some will sound, some will not, my play-grade will inform. Original = a record that has been pressed with the first label design which does NOT necessarily mean a very first pressed record. First Pressing = A record that I believe or know to be a genuine very first pressed record. I do not claim to always know for sure, and that’s why I state the stamper and matrix numbers if at all possible, for those who claim to know what they all mean, the information is there for the collector to decide. I prefer to use terms like ‘Early Copy’ rather than ‘First Pressing’ if I am not totally sure. Surface Sound = Mild, light sound, usually light crackle or similar. Distortion = Break up of the actual sound caused by groove wear or damage from a chipped stylus – the most undesirable form of unwanted sound, vintage mono records were the most prone to this happening but not exclusively so. The symptoms of distortion are high frequency clipping, moderate constant crackle or an echo type sound quality. Violin, piano and vocals are most prone to groove-wear distortion. Feathering = Fraying or softening of the entry edge of a cover. Covers with feathered entrance edges are more likely to have had the actual record inserted and removed more than a non-feathered, sharp-edged cover which are always far more attractive. Set Off, actually a printer’s term for dark ink leaving mild residue on pale or white ink when rested upon. e.g. when a gatefold cover has black ink closed against white, this can leave some black residue on the pale area – this is mostly unavoidable or course.

The Argument for Vinyl Original sound and mix (mono mixes are rarely available on CD), high quality sound on clean copies (played on a hi-end dedicated analogue system – breathtaking sound!), beautiful, large format covers, artwork, inserts and even full size posters etc; huge investment potential, and the pleasure of owning ‘the real thing’.