Mike Absalom : Mike Absalom 1Y1 / 2Y1 1st Press with Large Swirl on Label

This is one of the rarest Vertigo first pressings that exists today for a variety of reasons.  This album is most commonly seen with a small swirl and VERTIGO above the spindle hole but this particular one has has a large swirl and VERTIGO below the spindle hole. 

Why this is the case is a bit of a mystery!  The last known large swirl label was Magna Carta's 'Songs From Wastie's Orchard' on cat number 6360 040 so why this one (6360 053) was ever issued with a large swirl is anyone's guess!  A couple of 'explanations' are given on the rarerecordcollector site but this is without doubt a very rare first pressing and was only produced in miniscule amounts.  Indeed the dealer I purchased this from said it was only the second one he had seen in over thirty years of selling!  The word 'rare' is used too often but it certainly applies here!  The first press matrix info shows just how early a pressing it is.

What also makes this album even more rare and collectable is the sheer stunning quality of the vinyl.  It has hardly ever been played and this is reflected in the incredible sonic quality on offer here.  'As new' is no exaggeration and there is not one single click or pop, no underlying static and no crackle either.  The clarity, depth and warmth of the audio is outstanding and being a largely acoustic album there cannot be many around today that play with such wonderful quality!  The vinyl is pristine and has no marks or scratches and is unquestionably one of the finest Vertigo records I have ever seen.

The 6-panel poster cover is in lovely condition with only a minimal amount of wear on the top edge.  The original swirl inner is also in superb order with no obvious wear at all.

6360 053  //  1Y // 1 ? 420  1 1 2

6360 053  //  2Y // 1 ? 420  1 1 2

The audio on S1 is Mint(-)

The audio on S2 is Mint(-)

The 6-panel cover is a very strong Ex

The labels are Mint-

The original swirl inner is Near Mint

Visual grading

In all honesty the vinyl looks 'as new' and still has an immaculate jet-black glossy sheen, pristine is the right word!  There are no marks or scratches and under a strong light all I can detect are a small number of tiny 'specks' on Side A that have no affect on the stunning audio quality of course.  They are very difficult to find!  I cannot even detect any hairlines that's how 'clean' this vinyl is!  As stated this is one of the finest Vertigo vinyls you are ever likely to see and yes one of the rarest!  The run out grooves are also super clean.

S1 plays with wonderful clarity and that is particularly in evidence during the first track 'Saga Of John The Bog'.  There is no static or crackle and not one single click or pop.  The sonic quality is stunning and it is patently obvious this record has hardly been played.  Every note plays with sublime precision and to think this record is very nearly 50 years of age!  With only a couple of dust ticks on the intro this could not play any better and Mint is infinitely deserved.  What a start!

With complete silence in the dead wax 'Don't Tell It On The Telephone' then plays to the same 'high end' standard with no interference whatsoever.  The clarity is exceptional and there is literally no intrusion on the audio, not even a dust tick!  Mint

'Let Me Give You Roses, Rose' again plays beautifully with a clarity and definition that is is equal to that of an album purchased from the record shop only yesterday!  There is just one very light tick right at the end but blink and you miss it, it is that quiet!  I will grade as Mint- to be cautious :-)

The acoustic intro on 'Old Woman In The Moon' plays perfectly with just one dust ticks and again there is no underlying static or worse.  As per the previous tracks you cannot help but be amazed by the quality on offer here.  I am already finding it difficult not to repeat myself but to find this level of clarity on such a rare Vertigo pressing is so rare.  There is just a minimal touch of distortion on a couple of 'words' but yes it is so minimal and totally non-intrusive.  From start to finish this plays with such distinction and Mint- is again a fair appraisal of the audio.

'Saga Off Ernie Plugg's Bust' ends the side with, you guessed it, wonderful audio from start to finish.  There is no 'muddiness' to the sound i.e. each note plays with incredible precision and it goes without saying that there are no clicks or pops etc.  Even the stop/start ending has no 'background'.  This is Mint I am confident in saying.

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The gentle piano intro on 'Saga Of Suzie Grapevine And Pusher Joe' has no 'background' and the same applies to the first vocal section.  It continues to play with unrivalled clarity and...no interference.  A handful of barely audible dust ticks but to all intents and purposes this is Mint I am happy to say.

The acoustic intro on 'Frightened Of The Dark' is 'as new' and the same can be said for the first verse.  It progresses in the same way and again every note can be heard so succinctly.  The vocals are very high in the mix on this album and yet have not 'suffered' in the intervening years - another sign of a rarely played vinyl.  The clarity and warmth of the audio is sensational and yes this is another Mint track.

There is no need to overelaborate with the upbeat 'Gaza Striptease' as the audio just could not be any stronger and grades as Mint from start to finish.

'It Must Be Spring' also plays to an exceptional standard with no clicks or pops, no intrusion at all basically.  There are perhaps a couple of momentary and very quiet static 'moments' but they are scarcely worth a mention.  I would still describe the audio 'as new' as I honestly do not believe the clarity and definition of the audio could be enhanced.  Mint-

The quiet intro on 'Saga Of Peaches Melba And The Hash Officer' is flawless and it continues to play with stunning clarity...as per the rest of the album!  Again I have played every second so as to provide a 'complete' grading and again there is no interference to be heard.  A couple of insignificant static sounds but there are no clicks or pops and the overall clarity for a final track is absolutely STUNNING and again leaves you shaking your head in disbelief at the quality on offer here!  A 'louder' track and yet there is no distortion and will grade as Mint- just to be safe.  A stunning end to a stunning album.

In summary the rarity of this album cannot be underestimated and especially with audio such as this.  All the details are given above but in essence this is a time warp classic that has been so well preserved down the years and to think it is 50 years old next year!  As I stated previously this is one of the most pristine Vertigo records I have ever seen and any Vertigo collector will no doubt be aware of just how collectable this album is.  Another intriguing aspect of this album is the real dichotomy between the quiet folk nature of the music and the lyrics which cover so many subjects including drugs, sex, religion, politics and police corruption!  It is a 'quirky' album for sure!  This is a FINAL UPGRADE album i.e. you could not find a stronger version with better clarity and depth and any avid collector would be impressed as I am by not only the immaculate visual quality of the vinyl but the audio quality also.

The Cover

The fold out poster cover designed and illustrated by Roger Dean is in excellent condition and has again been very well looked after down the years.  The only obvious wear is a small amount of creasing and a tiny tear on the top edge but even then it is only minor and really not that noticeable.  There is a little creasing on the reverse side but to an even lesser extent.  Aside from that the other edges have minimal rubbing and there are only a couple of minor corner creases.  The spine is in superb shape and remains 100% legible.  All 6 panels are in lovely condition with no marking or staining and when you consider this cover is not laminated it has remained in excellent condition.

The 'Swirl' Inner Sleeve

The original poly-lined swirl inner dated 0671 is in superb condition with no side splits or tears and only the bare minimum of age related fading around the edges.  It really is one of the cleanest I have seen and again shows it has hardly been removed from the cover!  There is also only very minimal creasing.

The Labels

The Vertigo labels are near perfect with barely any spindle wear and no marking or writing.  Stunning examples!

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

6360 053  //  1Y // 1 ? 420  1 1 2

6360 053  //  2Y // 1 ? 420  1 1 2

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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Postage & Packaging

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