King Crimson LIZARD UK LP 1ST A2 / B2 NEAR MINT

	£		53
	$		70

KING CRIMSON - LIZARD

IN MAGNIFICENT 2-3 PLAY NEAR MINT CONDITION

FIRST  PRESS A2/B2

• CATALOGUE:ISLAND ILPS 9141
• MATRIX: ILPS9141 A-2U / B-2U (NOTHING LOWER)
• MOTHERS/STAMPERS: 4 MH / 3 ML

LIKE MOST KING CRIMSON ALBUMS THIS IS SO HARD TO FIND IN COLLECTIBLE CONDITION.THE NEAR OR TOTAL SILENCE IN MANY PASSAGES DURING THE PLAY CAN BE OFTEN SPOILED BY THE SLIGHTEST BIT OF BACKGROUND NOISE, AND AS ISLAND PRESSES ARE INFAMOUS FOR THEIR INHERRANT VINYL NOISE, THIS MAKES COLLECTING CRIMSON SOMEWHAT OF A LOTTERY

ON THIS PARTICULAR ALBUM COLLECTORS HAVE THE ADDED FRUSTRATION OF THE FLAW WITH THE VAST MAJOROTY OF THE SLEEVES WHERE THE LAMINATE OFTEN IS FOUND WITH SEVERE LINES ACROSS IT MAKING THE SURFACE RIDGED.

WELL YOU WILL BE PLEASED TO KNOW THAT NOT ONLY IS THIS VINYL IN THE BEST POSSIBLE CONDITION IT COULD BE , BUT SO IS THE SLEEVE

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

THE PINK PALM TREE LABELS ARE IN MAGNIFICENT CONDITION. THE BASE COLOUR IS RICH AND VIBRANT AND THE PASTEL PINK COLOUR ALSO HAS A SLIGHTLY TEXTURED FEEL TO IT THAT ONLY THE VERY EARLY PINK ISLAND LABELS HAD.WHITE AREAS ARE STILL PURE WHITE. NO MARKS OR STAINS AT ALL ON A ANY PART OF THE LABEL.

THE BLACK TYPEFACE IS ALL PERFECTLY CLEAR AND LEGIBLE AND UNRUBBED.

THE SPINDLE HOLE IS UNWORN AND HAS ONLY 2 SMALL SPIDER LINES CLOSE TO IT, SHOWING JUST WHY THIS LP HAS ONLY BEEN PLAYED A COUPLE OF TIMES AND IS IN THE INCREDIBLE CONDITION THAT IT IS

THE VINYL

THE VINYL IS JUST SUPERB. HAVING RETAINED ITS ORIGINAL SHEEN THARE ARE NO MARKS TO BE SEEN ON THE DISC, AND EVEN UNDER INTENSE ILLUMINATION THERE IS NOTHING TO SEE APART FROM A FEW WISPS

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. IT'S ALL THERE. THE RUN IN'S, RUN OUT'S AND LINKING GROOOVES. I AM OF THE OPINION THAT POTENTIAL BIDDERS OF QUALITY VINYL WOULD WELCOME THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO HEAR ALL OF ANY ALBUM THEY ARE CONSIDERING BIDDING ON, AND WHILST THIS PROCESS TAKES ME FAR LONGER. IT'S AN EFFORT THAT I BELIEVE IS THE WAY FORWARD FOR EBAY VINYL SALES, AND A SERVICE I AM DELIGHTED TO BE ABLE TO OFFER MY CUSTOMERS

THE ALBUM STARTS WITH JUST THE BAREST TRACE OF VINYL NOISE, BUT IS COMPLETELY VANQUISED BY THE MUSIC AND THE FIRST THING TO NOTE IS THE CLARITY AND LOUDNESS OF THIS STEREO PRESSING. EVERY NOTE HEARD AS IT WAS INTENDED

YOU JUST HAVE TO LISTEN TO HOW MAGNIFICENT THIS ALBUM SOUNDS. AS YOU KNOW CRIMSON ALBUMS ARE LITTERED WITH PASSAGES OF NEAR SILENCE, AND I CAN HARDLY BELIEVE THAT THERE IS NO BACKGROUND WHATSOEVER TO SPOIL THE SOUND. A GREAT EXAMPLE OF THIS IS THE SECOND SOUNDBITE WHERE THERE IS ABSOLUTE SILENCE AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE LAST TRACK TO SIDE ONE. IT REALLY IS SO HARD TO FIND ANY KING CRIMSON ALBUM THAT CAN BE GRADED AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL, BUT HERE IS ONE!!!

MY SUGGESTION IS TO SIT BACK AND LISTEN TO THE ENTIRE ALBUM BEFORE DECIDING TO PLACE A BID, AND YOU WILL HEAR JUST HOW MAGNIFICENT THIS ALBUM IS ALL THE WAY THROUGH. IN FACT THE ONLY THINGS I HEARD APART FROM THE DISTORTION FRR SOUND WAS A COUPLE OF TINY DUST POPS, AND A FEW SECONDS OF THE ISLAND VINYL NOISE DURING THE LINKING GROOVE ON A COUPLE OF OCCASIONS, AND SOME LIGHT BACKGROUND ON THE VERY LAST TRACK IN THE FORM OF SPORADIC TINY POPS

BUT DON'T TAKE MY WORD FOR IT, TAKE A LISTN AND JUDGE IT FOR YOURSELF

I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO HESITATION IN GRADING THIS NEAR MINT!!!!!

THE SLEEVE

A GENUINE FIRST PRESS SLEEVE TO MATCH THE LP. THIS SLEEVE HAS A HISTORIC DEFECT THAT I HAVE SEEN ON MANY MANY COPIES, AND THAT IS THAT THE LAMINATE HAS SEVERE HORIZONTAL LAMINATE LINES ACROSS THE FRONT AND BACK SURFACES. IT MUST HAVE BEEN A FLAW IN THE MANUFACTURE, BUT IT IS VERY COMMON INDEED. THIS COPY HOWEVER HAS NONE WHATSOEVER. QUITE INCREDIBLE REALLY

THE FRONT SURFACE IS  PRISTINE THERE ARE NO CREASES OR CREASE LINES , NO BENDS OR FOLD, AND AMAZINGLY NONE OF THE  SMALL LAMINATE LINES THAT GATHER CLOSE TO THE SPINE. NO RINGWEAR OR RECORD SHAPE, JUST A GLEAMING PRISTINE FRONT COVER

THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES ARE STILL FULLY LAMINATED AND HAVE NO SHELF WEAR WHATSOEVER

THE VERY WIDE SPINE ITSELF IS IMMACULATE. TOTALLY FLAT AND HAS ALL OF THE LAMINATE INTACT. NO FINGER TO THUMB SQUASHING AND ALL OF THE WHITE TYPEFACE IS PERFECTLY LEGIBLE. THERE IS ONE MINISCULE THUMB NAIL NICK JUST ABOVE THE 'O; OF CRIMSON, WHICH HASN'T TAKEN ANY OF THE COLOUR AFF THE SURFACE

THE OPENING EDGE IS STILL RAZOR  SHARP WITH JUST 2-3 SMALL NICKS ALONG THE EDGE

THE REAR SURFACE IS EVERY BIT AS IMMACULATE AS THE FRONT. AGAIN NO CREASES OR CREASE LINES, NO EVIDENCE OF THE LAMINATE FLAW THAT I HAVE PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED. AGAIN NONE OF THE LAMINATE LINES THAT FORM NEAR THE SPINE EITHER

OPENING THE GATEFOLD REVEALS TWO PRISTINE INNER PANELS. NO COLOUR LOSS AT ALL, AND THE E.J.DAY TYPEFACE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LEFT PANEL. ALL LATER PRESSES WERE MADE BY ROBOR

THE SLEEVE GRADES MINT MINUS

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

GARRY