King Crimson : Lizard A2/B2 1st Press

This first pressing on the Island Records label plays to a superb standard with very little interference.  The album plays with stunning clarity, depth and warmth and the only real interference is at the start of S2 but even then does not last long and is not overly intrusive either.  No loud clicks or pops for example!  S1 plays with outstanding clarity and the vast majority of S2 plays to a 'high end' standard also.  What is particularly obvious is the overall clarity of sound - there is no underlying static and the audio definition could hardly be any stronger.  A stunning album for sure.

The laminated gatefold has no wear as such, just some laminate creases on either side.  The original poly-lined blue inner is also in great condition with barely any wear.

As this is a genuine first press the lettering on the spine is inverted and it has the A2/B2 matrix of course.  This inner is only seen with the first pressings also.

The audio on S2 is Mint(-) for the vast majority (intro VG+ and two brief Ex sections later on)

The gatefold is Ex

The labels are Near Mint

The original inner is Near Mint-

Visual grading

The vinyl is in lovely condition and still has an immaculate jet-black glossy sheen.  There are no marks or scratches and S1 has only a couple of faint hairlines.  S2 only has one 'obvious' hairline and has no affect on the audio of course.  For over 50 years old it really is in superb order.  There is no groove wear and the run out grooves are pristine as are the pink rim Island labels which have only a little spindle wear.

Play grading  

The quiet intro on 'Cirkus' plays so clearly with just one static sound right at the beginning.  The first vocal is perfect and as the volume increases the playback could not be any stronger.  It continues to play with wonderful precision and there is just no denying the quality here.  Each note is so 'clean' - there is no 'muddiness' to the sound and it is obvious this record has not been over-played, the sonic quality confirms that.  The powerful sections play with such incredible definition and the very quiet 30 second passage near (ish) the end is...unbelievable!  'As new' is no exaggeration and the closing instrumental is of the same standard with no sign of any 'background' - the fade out also plays perfectly.  This truly is a fantastic start to this classic album and if the intro grades as Near Mint- the remainder is Mint for sure.

'Indoor Games' plays with stunning quality from the very first groove and proceeds in exactly the same way.  There is no interference throughout the entire 5+ minutes.  The clarity of sound is just so impressive and you would not be disappointed if you had just bought this yesterday!  I listen to every track in full so as to provide a 'complete' grading and I am confident in grading this as Mint- and the minus is only there because there are a couple of very light ticks on the end 'laugh' but by then of course the music has finished.

The intro on 'Happy Family' is faultless as is the first verse.  It continues to play with stunning accuracy and for fear of being repetitive there is no interference.  The long instrumental has no 'background' and the more powerful end section has no distortion at all.  The final verse also plays to perfection.  This is Mint from start to finish.

The super quiet intro on 'Lady Of the Dancing Water' again provides further evidence of a vinyl so well preserved down the years.  It plays beautifully and the first verse is just as impressive.  There is just a minor amount of very light static in the middle section but it does not detract from the listening experience, it is very brief.  The final verse plays with stunning clarity and overall this deserves a Near Mint although the vast majority is better than that :-)

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The intro on 'Lizard' plays very clearly but does have a little static and small number of light ticks.  This only lasts for about 15 seconds and the music and Anderson's vocal are still very much to the fore.  From then onwards the 'Prince Rupert Awakes' section plays with stunning clarity and nowhere is that more obvious than on the next quieter passage, just a couple of minor dust ticks.  It is only the start that has a little 'background' as the remainder is absolutely superb!  In particular I have never heard the closing section play any better - the power and definition of the audio here is sublime.

The intro on the 'Bolero...' section has no interference and once again the clarity is just outstanding.  In fact this entire instrumental piece plays beautifully - that is the correct adjective to use as the clarity and definition is of a standard you so rarely find today.  This album is over 50 years old now and the sonic quality is just STUNNING!  There are no ticks, clicks or pops and no underlying static either.  A couple of dust ticks that is all but this section is Mint- without a doubt.

'The Battle of Glass Tears' section starts so quietly and yet all I detected were a couple of dust ticks, the clarity is stunning.  The first vocal plays with great clarity, there is no underlying static, but towards the end there are a small number of static ticks that are not really intrusive.  This is vinyl!  As I say you cannot really fault the actual clarity.  As the volume increases the audio is 'as new' and it continues to play with a power and clarity that is second to none.  I cannot overstate how impressive the sonic quality is - there is no distortion and the sound definition is as good as it would have been back in 1970.  This 'high octane' section has no interference and the following quieter passage has not even a single dust tick!  There are a handful of very light ticks during the next quiet passage but the section with Fripp's guitar both in the background and forefront is phenomenal and it lasts for a good few minutes!  The final section then ends the album in fine style with no interference.  As a track with so many ebbs and flows this is a difficult one to grade.  The majority is Mint- but the intro in my opinion is VG+ and there are also a couple of brief Ex sections a little further in.  A stunning version overall.

In summary this first pressing plays to a sublime standard with barely any interference.  S1 plays with amazing clarity and depth throughout and even the 'background' at the start of S2 is kept to a minimum and as stated does not last long.  The vast majority of 'Lizard' plays beautifully and is easily the finest example I have heard in many a year.  There are no loud clicks or pops on either side and it really is the clarity that stands out here.  For once there is no underlying static and one look at the visual quality of the vinyl goes some way to explaining that.  What an album!

The Gatefold & Inner Sleeve

The E.J. Day cover is in excellent condition overall and has retained its original shape extremely well.  The edges and wide spine are in perfect order and all corners are also in fantastic condition.  The opening edge looks hardly touched.  The laminated front and back cover have no marking but there are some laminate 'ripple/crease' lines that you often find.  The inside of the gatefold is close to perfect with only a couple of tiny 'spots'.

The original Island inner is in superb shape with no side splits and just the one tiny 'nick' on the top edge.  There is hardly any creasing and no marking either.  A fine example.

Play tested on my Pro-Ject Essential III Turntable / B&W 684 Speakers

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

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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