Jethro Tull AQUALUNG UK LP 1ST PRESS WHITE i JUST 2-3 PLAYS AND NEAR MINT AUDIO

	£		134
	$		178

JETHRO TULL - AQUALUNG

IN MAGNIFICENT 1-2 PLAY NEAR MINT CONDITION

THE RARE WHITE i FIRST ISSUE

WITH AN INCREDIBLE MINT MINUS SLEEVE TO MATCH

• CATALOGUE:ISLAND ILPS 9145
• MATRIX: ILPS 9145 A//1U   /  ILPS 9145 B//3U
• FIRST PRESS MATRIX NUMBERS
• MOTHERS/STAMPERS: 2 T / 1 GH
• ONLY THE FIRST PRESS LABELS HAVE THE WHITE i AT THE VERY TOP OF THE LABEL
• ONLY FIRST ISSUE SLEEVE HAVE THE ISLAND CATALOGUE NUMBER ON THEM AND THE E.J DAY TEXT

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

THE GREEN LABELS TEXTURED LABELS ARE IN MAGNIFICENT CONDITION, THE PASTEL  GREEN COLOUR IS UNBLEMISHED AND FULLY STRETCHES INTO THE UNWORN SPINDLE HOLE. THE BLACK TYPEFACE IS ALSO CLEAR AND PERFECTLY LEGIBLE. A CLOSE EXAMINATION OF THE SPINDLE HOLE REVEALS JUST 2-3 TINY SPIDERS LINE CLOSE TO THE HOLE, SHOWING JUST HOW LITTLE THIS LP HAS BEEN PLAYED.

THE VINYL

IT IS A WELL DOCUMENTED FACT THAT EARLY ISLAND VINYL WAS POOR QUALITY, AND THUS IT IS REALLY HARD TO FIND A COPY OF ANYTHING FROM THIS AGE THAT DOESN'T HAVE INHERENT VINYL NOISE. THE VINYL HERE LOOKS MAGNIFICENT ON BOTH SIDES AND ONLY UNDER INTENSE ILLUMINATION CAN I SPOT A COUPLE OF WISPY HAIRLINES. AND A NON SOUNDING HANDLING LINE ON SIDE TWO

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

THE FIRST THING TO POINT OUT IS THAT THE CLARITY OF REPRODUCTION IS SUPERB. THE CRYSTAL CLEAR INSTRUMENTATION AND VOCALS ARE PURE FIRST PRESS. THERE IS CERTAINLY NO GROOVE WEAR TO THIS RARE RECORDING WHICH WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN SOME DISTORTION TO THE SOUND. THERE IS NONE.

ISLAND RECORDINGS HAVE LONG BEEN LAMBASTED FOR THE POOR QUALITY OF VINYL USED IN THEIR EARLY LP'S WHICH HAVE OFTEN RESULTED IN UNWANTED VINYL NOISE EVEN WHERE THERE ARE NO MARKS.

THERE IS JUST THE OCCASIONAL LIGHT TRACE OF EMBEDDED VINYL NOISE ON THIS DISC, JUST THE OCCASIONAL SPECK OF BARELY AUDIBLE STATIC LIKE BACKGROUND WHICH IS IN A COUPLE OF THE LINKING GROOVES, AND MOST SILENT PASSAGES.

THERE IS NO HEAVY BACKGROUND CRACKLE AND NO LOUD CLICKS ANYWHERE

OTHER THAN THIS THE ALBUM PLAYS FAULTLESSLY WITH EVERY NOTE BEING HEARD AS INTENDED. THE STEREO MIX IS SPOT ON, . I HEARD JUST 2-3 TINY STATIC TICS THROUGH THE WHOLE PLAYTHROUGH

I WOULD GRADE THIS ALBUM NEAR MINT WITH EASE, BUT DON'T TAKE MY WORD FOR IT, TAKE A GOOD LISTEN AND BE THE JUDGE AGAINST YOUR OWN STANDARDS

THE SLEEVE

NON LAMINATED FULLY TEXTURED GATEFOLD SLEEVE BY THE E.J.DAY GROUP

A FIRST ISSUE SLEEVE MUST HAVE THE FOLLOWING TEXT AT THE BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER OF THE REAR SURFACE. 'PRINTED AND MADE BY THE E'J'DAY GROUP, LONDON AND BEDFORD', AND HAVE THE ISLAND CATALOGUE NUMBER TOP RIGHT ON THE REAR SURFACE

ALL THE REISUUES HAVE THE CHRYSALIS CATALOGUE NUMBER ON THE REAR SURFACE

THIS SLEEVE IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND IN THE HIGHEST GRADE COLLECTIBLE CONDITION DUE TO THE UNLAMINATED TEXTURED SURFACE WHICH RUBS TERRIBLY. FORTUNATELY THIS INCREDIBLE SLEEVE WAS PROTECTED FROM DAY ONE INSIDE A PLASTIC OUTER AND HAS THEREFORE REMAINED IN THE BEST CONDITION IMAGINABLE

THE FRONT SURFACE IS TOTALLY FLAT AND VERY CLEAN. THERE IS NOT ONE MARK ON IT ANYWHERE. THE HEAVILY TEXTURED SURFACE IS IMMACULATE AND THERE IS NOT ONE JOT OF COLOUR LOSS AT ANY POINT.

WHAT IS ALSO REMARKABLE IS THE FACT THAT THERE ARE NO CREASES, CREASE LINES, AND AMAZINGLY NOT ONE LINE NEAR THE SPINE. IT IS TOTALLY PRISTINE. NONE EITHER ALONG THE TOP EDGE, NONE ALONG THE BOTTOM EDGE, AND NO THUMB LINES NEAR THE OPENING EDGE.

THE TOP EDGE HAS ALL OF THE COLOUR FULLY RUNNING FROM CORNER TO CORNER WITH JUST A TINY SPECK OF RUB TO THE RIGHT TIP END. THE BOTTOM EDGE IS SIMILAR WITH A FRACTION MORE VERY LIGHT RUB, BUT LIKE THE TOP ALL OF THE COLOUR IS THERE ACROSS'S THE SURFACE

LIKE THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES THE SPINE IS USUALLY FOUND BATTERED, AND AGAIN HERE WE HAVE A MINT EXAMPLE. TOTALLY FLAT AND UNSQUASHED WITH EVERY LETTER OF THE BLACK TYPEFACE PERFECTLY LEGIBLE. A TESTAMENT TO THE ORIGINAL OWNERS CARE TAKEN. THE WHITE SURFACE IS STILL PURE WHITE

THE OPENING EDGE IS RAZOR SHARP AND UNBLEMISHED, NOT EVEN ONE THUMB NAIL NICK, AND SHOWS WHY THIS LP HAS BARELY BEEN PLAYED

THE REAR SURFACE IS  AS SUPERB AS THE FRONT. IMMACULATE RICH COLOURS AND CREASE FREE. A TINY INITIAL IN THE TOP RIGHT CORNER

OPENING THE GATEFOLD REVEALS TWO PRISTINE INNER PANELS

THE ORIGINAL FLIPBACKED INNER SLEEVE IS ALSO IN THE SAME MAGNIFICENT CONDITION AS THE REST OF THIS SLEEVE. TOTALLY FLAT AND CREASE FREE. THE SEAMS ARE UNSPLIT, AND THE TOP OPENING EDGE IS RAZOR SHARP. THE ORIGINAL OWNER PLACED A POLY INNER INSIDE THE SLEEVE TO PROTECT RECORD AND INNER WHICH IS WHY THERE ARE NO SPLITS TO THIS DELICATE INNER

THIS IS THE BEST COPY OF THE AQUALUNG SLEEVE YOU ARE EVER LIKELY TO FIND AND I HAVE NO HESITATION IN GRADING IT MINT MINUS

I DON'T BELIEVE THIS WILL EVER NEED UPGRADING

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

GARRY