I will declare a lower amount on the customs form for all countries so as to avoid/decrease high import charges.  However, in the case of the EU all purchases are subject to VAT which eBay collect at point of sale.  No shipping to Russia currently.

May Blitz : May Blitz 1Y1 / 2Y1 1st Press 1970

This first pressing is stunning!  I have sold 3/4 of these down the years but never one as immaculate as this.  It is practically 'as new' apart from one light tick and a couple of seconds of light static on S2.  This is of course a very collectable Vertigo pressing and for it play with such phenomenal sonic quality is a genuine rarity.  I cannot emphasise enough how strong and clear the audio is - the clarity, depth and power is just on another level.  Not only that but the vinyl itself is in beautiful condition and has only been light played based on the audio and the minimal spindle wear.  This is a FINAL UPGRADE archive classic in every sense.

One reason why it is so collectable is because the music is so damn good!  How only three of them could create such power is very impressive!

The gatefold is in great condition with only minimal wear and the original swirl inner is much the same with only one small tear on the die-cut centre.  As per the first pressing it has 'Squeet' incorrectly spelt as 'Sqeet' on the label.

6360007  1Y//1  1 1 1  //  6360007  2Y//1  1 2 8

The audio on S1 is Mint(-)

The audio S2 is Mint(-) (T2 first vocal Near Mint)

The gatefold is Ex+

The original swirl inner is Ex-

The labels are Mint-

Visual description

The vinyl is in beautiful condition and still has an immaculate jet-black glossy sheen with no marks or scratches.  Under a bright light I can only some some very faint wispy hairlines and even they are not easy to find.  In 'normal' lighting it looks pristine and not far off that whilst under a bright light!  There is no groove or surface wear and is visually stunning.  The run out grooves are super clean and the Vertigo labels are so clean with only very minimal spindle wear.

Play grading  

The intro on 'Smoking The Day Away' plays perfectly with no background and Black's opening vocal section has a clarity and depth of sound that could not be any stronger.  The first chorus is flawless and so far it is playing 'as new' and that is no exaggeration.  It continues to play with breath-taking sonic quality, there are no negatives.  The instrumental section is a case in point, the depth and power of the audio is STUNNING to say the least.  Each note is so clean and precise - honestly I just cannot put into words how incredible this audio is, there is not even a single dust tick let alone anything more.  As the volume increases the power and definition is on another level and there is no distortion on the top end.  As it concludes to near silence there is still no background and the final verse / chorus / instrumental is just as impressive.  Just listening to this first classic track it's obvious why this album is so collectable and without doubt it provides a Mint start to the album.

'I Don't Know?' has no background on the intro and the opening vocal is 'as new' also.  From then on as per the first track with a clarity, depth and resonance that could not be improved upon.  Black's guitar work during the instrumental section is outstanding and is aided with tremendous work from the rhythm section of Hudson and Newman.  The remainder plays to the same high end standard and Mint is deserved.

The very quiet intro on 'Dreaming' plays beautifully with no intrusion - seriously has this record ever been played?!  It's just as quiet during the first vocal and there is still no interference.  The perfect beginning.  As the volume increases what hits you is the sheer depth of the music, it really is so deep and strong and it is also prevalent during the powerful mid vocal section.  It continues at a furious pace and the sonic quality is just STUNNING!  You can turn it up to max without fear of distortion, the playback is quite simply incredible!  The next super quiet section has only a couple of barely audible dust ticks and again you have to admire the clarity of sound on offer here.  The following vocal section plays with real precision - Newman's percussion especially is so powerful and the final acoustic passage / 'bomb' could not play any better.  This truly is audio of the highest calibre and it can only be graded as Mint

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This may already be getting a little repetitive but the the intro on 'Squeet' has no intrusion and the opening vocal section is just as strong and powerful.  The bass 'section' is near perfect with just one light tick and as Black enters the scene the playback is phenomenal.  Once again the sonic quality is first class and there is no intrusion whatsoever.  Driving prog rock at its very best!  The next vocal is flawless and the rest of the track is on the same level.  It's hard to 'paint the picture' but the audio is so strong and precise and I guess 'as new' is the best way to describe it.  I think it's better than Near Mint as the tick is so quiet and I think Mint- is a fair assessment of the audio.

The quiet intro / opening vocal on 'Tomorrow May Come' plays so clearly with zero intrusion and then after 30 seconds or so there is two seconds of light static, it isn't loud and is hardly intrusive.  As the volume increases the audio is faultless and it continues to play with impeccable quality - the vocals are so clean and fresh and the instrumental / vocal end section plays with stunning precision.  There is quite a long fade out here and yet there is no background.  I will grade the opening section as Near Mint but the rest is Mint for sure.

The percussive intro from Newman is 'Fire Queen' perfect as is the remainder of this section.  The first verse and chorus are equal to that and from then on it plays with great clarity and power and... no interference.  A 'busy' track this one and yet you can hear each note so succinctly, there is no 'muddiness' to the sound.  It plays as it was intended back in '70!  The instrumental section featuring fantastic work from Black is superb and the final vocal is perfect.  Such a raucous powerful ending and there is no distortion whatsoever, it demands to played loud!  Another Mint track.

The gentle intro on 'Virgin Waters' plays with exceptional clarity and the following acoustic / percussive section has no background either.  The first vocal is perfect and the almost psychedelic vocal that follows is just as impressive.  It continues to play with such depth and warmth and the clarity is 10/10 also.  The quiet mid section is a case in point - stunning clarity here and the next section is mind-blowing!  I turned the volume up even more here and the original sonic quality is still there.  Unbelievable power and depth, just pure Mint audio all the way through.  Honestly the percussion and Black's guitar here is just STUNNING and it closes out with no background on the 'quieter' finale.  Running at over 7 minutes this is Mint from start to finish.  Progressive audio at its very best...  

In summary this very collectable first pressing plays to an incredible standard with barely any intrusion and to say 99% is 'as new' is no exaggeration!  This is without question the finest example of this classic album that I ever sold - the clarity, depth, resonance and power of the audio is actually one of most stunning Vertigos I have ever listened to and it is easily a FINAL UPGRADE archive pressing.  With just one light tick and a couple of seconds of static the playback is phenomenal and this was clearly owned by a collector who preserved his records so well.  With a very impressive cover also I am 100% convinced the winning bidder will be just as impressed as I am!

The Gatefold & Swirl Inner

The cover is in excellent condition with only minimal shelf wear and has retained its original shape and structure perfectly.  The edges have hardly any rubbing and the wide spine is still 100% legible with only a few light specks and some light wear on the corners.  The 'top' corners have only light wear also and the opening edge has only very minimal handling wear.  The front cover is very clean with no obvious marks, just a couple of very small faint ones, and there are no creases either.  The back cover is just as impressive and you can see only light wear on the corners.  The inside of the gatefold is again so clean with only minimal fading around the edges and minor creasing at the top of the inner spine.  A fine example for a cover that is now 54 years old and is of course unlaminated.

The original swirl inner (dated 0470) is in excellent shape with only a little wear.  There are no side splits and has just one small tear on the central aperture.  There is hardly any marking, just a small number of faint spots, and has just a little creasing.

Play tested on my Rega P2 with AT-VM95EN Cart / Denon PMA-520AE Amp / B&W 684 Speakers

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

6360007  1Y//1  1 1 1  //  6360007  2Y//1  1 2 8

I grade according to "Record Collector" guidelines

Any questions please feel free to ask

Please pay within 4 days of auction end

Recent Feedback

Postage & Packaging

I will only send items items worldwide via tracked shipping.  This provides 'peace of mind' in case of loss or damage.  The shipping costs are shown below and combined shipping is always offered.  Any over-payment will always be refunded.

The Royal Mail only insure up to a value of £250 so if an item sells for more it may be wise to use a courier service (e.g. Parcelforce or DPD).  An extra insurance premium will be required but I will not know the exact amount until the final sale price is known.  Because of this I will sometimes have to estimate the cost and this will be shown in the listing.  Please wait for the invoice before making payment and if you have any questions please feel free to ask.  Many thanks.

All vinyls are packaged in strong over-sized custom made mailers with plenty of extra cardboard protection.  They are placed inside separate poly-lined inners outside the cover so as to avoid seam splits in transit and then placed inside a PVC sleeve to provide even more protection.  I pride myself on my high quality packaging as my feed confirms and if any customer has any specific requirements I am more than happy to help.

The mailers I use cost £1.00 each and I will use anything between 3-5 cardboard stiffeners which cost approx £0.18 each.  There is also the cost of the poly-lined inner and PVC sleeve to consider, it all adds up!  Not forgetting that eBay take 10% of the shipping fee also!!

UK Postage Rates (First Class Recorded - Max 2kg)

LPs/12" singles : £5.95 up to 1kg then £1.00 per extra item 

EUROPE (Tracked - Max 2kg)

LPs/12" singles : £15.95 then £2.00 per extra

USA (Tracked - Max 2kg)

LPs/12" singles : £24.95 then £2.50 per extra 

REST OF WORLD (Tracked - Max 2kg)  

LPs/12" singles : £21.95 then £2.50 per extra

If you are not entirely happy with your purchase please contact me before leaving feedback and I will always resolve any issue, 100% guaranteed.  If you would prefer to send the item back I will also pay the return shipping cost if I am at fault, I am only human after all!!