Jethro Tull AQUALUNG UK LP 1ST WHITE i 1-2 PLAY MINT-

	£		227
	$		301

JETHRO TULL - AQUALUNG

IN MAGNIFICENT 1-2 PLAY CONDITION

THE RARE WHITE i FIRST ISSUE

WITH AN INCREDIBLE SLEEVE TO MATCH

• CATALOGUE:ISLAND ILPS 9145
• MATRIX: ILPS 9145 A//1U   /  ILPS 9145 B//3U
• FIRST PRESS MATRIX NUMBERS
• 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 ONE TINY SPIDER 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 INHERRANT VINYL NOISE. THE VINYL HERE LOOKS MAGNIFICENT ON BOTH SIDES AND ONLY UNDER INTENSE ILLUMINATION CAN I SPOT A COUPLE OF WISPY HAIRLINES. THIS IS THE BEST COPY OF THIS ALBUM I HAVE EVER COME ACCROSS

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.IT'MARKS LIKE ON THIS ALBUM

THERE IS A VERY LIGHT TRACE OF THIS VINYL NOISE WHICH IS HEARD ONLY WHERE THE ALBUM IS AT IT'S QUIETEST, WHICH IS MAINLY DURING THE INTRO TO EACH SIDE AND THE LINKING GROOVES. CERTAINLY NOTHING MAN MADE AS THE VINYL IS SPOTLESS. THIS NOISE CAN ONLY BE HEARD WHEN YOU ARE AS CLOSE TO THE SPEAKERS AS I SIT WHILST TYPING THIS OUT, MOVING TO NORMAL LISTENING DISTANCE AND IT'S GONE. TRY IT

OTHER THAN THIS THE ALBUM PLAYS FAULTLESSLY WITH EVERY NOTE BEING HEARD AS INTENDED. THE STEREO MIX IS SPOT ON, AND THERE IS NO BACKGROUND CRACKLES OR CLICKS. I HEARD ONE TINY DUST POP THROUGH THE ENTIRE PLAY

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

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 SURFACEIS 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. THE ONLY MINISCULE BLEMISH IS THE VERY TIP OF THE TOP LEFT CORNER HAS A PIN PRICK OF WHITE SHOWING THERE. MY GUESS IS WHERE IT KNOCKED THE PLASTIC OUTER SLEEVE WHEN BEING PLACED INSIDE. HONESTLY THIS IS SO SMALL THAT IT'S HARDLY WORTH THE MENTION.

I THINK THAT EVERY COPY OF THIS I HAVE EVER PICKED UP HAS HAD THE BOTTOM EDGE SHELF BADLY WORN, BUT HERE ALONG WITH THE TOP EDGE, THERE IS ONLY THE MOST MINUTE SPECKS OF RUBBING.

LIKE THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES THE SPINE IS USUALLY FOUND BATTERED, AND AGIN HERE WE HAVE AMINT EXAMPLE. TOTALLY FLAT AND UNSQUASHED WITH EVERY LETTER OF THE BLACK TYPEFACE PERFECTLY LEGIBLE. A TESTAMENT TO THE ORIGINAL OWNERS CARE FOR HIS OR HERS' RECORDS

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

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

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 DONT BELIEVE THIS WILL EVER NEED UPGRADING

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

GARRY