Moody Blues A QUESTION OF BALANCE LP 1ST 1W/1W NMINT-

	£		49
	$		65

THE MOODY BLUES - A QUESTION OF BALANCE

IN MAGNIFICENT  CONDITION

• CATALOGUE:THRESHOLD THS3 
• MATRIX:XZAL-10009P-1W / 10010P-1W 
• PLAYED 2-3 TIMES SINCE 1970
• VERY FIRST PRESS WITH THE 1W/1W MATRIX NUMBERS
• FIRST ISSUE COVER WITH THE FLAP SLEEVE

THE MAGNIFICENT QUESTION OF BALANCE!

A WORD ABOUT THE SLEEVE. THE VERY FIRST ISSUES OF THIS ALBUM APPEARED WITH A GARROD AND LOFTHOUSE SLEEVE THAT HAD A TUCK IN FLAP WHICH CLOSED OVER THE OPENING EDGE AND KEPT THE RECORD SECURE INSIDE THE SLEEVE. FANTASTIC AND CLEVER IDEA BUT MOST OF THESE FLAPS HAVE BEEN DAMAGED DUE TO THE CONSTANT REMOVAL AND INSERTION OF THE ALBUM. THE HINGED CARD AREA GETS VERY WEAK, AND THE ACTUAL FLAP IS OFTEN FOUND EITHER BENT OR TORN. SO THIS LOVELY IDEA WAS SCRAPPED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AND THE COVER WAS REISSUED WITHOUT THE FLAP. THIS THEN IS THE GENUINE FIRST ISSUE IN SUPERB CONDITION

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

THE WHITE AND MAUVE LABELS ARE IN MAGNIFICENT CONDITION. THE WHITENESS OF THE BASE COLOUR IS JUST PERFECT. NO MARKS OR STAINS, OR SIGNS OF HANDLING, JUST WHAT YOU WOULD EXPECT ON A RECORD THAT HASN'T HAD MORE THAN A FEW PLAYS. THE MAUVE LOGO'S AND TYPEFACE ARE ALL PRISTINE AND UNRUBBED. THE SPINDLE HOLE IS TOTALLY UNWORN. JUST 3-4 TINY SPIDER LINES CLOSE TO THE SPINDLE HOLE

THE VINYL

ABSOLOUTELY GLEAMING PRISTINE HEAVYWEIGHT VINYL. HAS A MIRROR LIKE FINISH TO IT, AND LOOKS AS GOOD AS THE DAY IT WAS PRESSED. THERE ARE NO MARKS AT ALL ON THE DISC IN DAYLIGHT AND ONLY WHEN PRESENTED TO INTENSE ILLUMINATION, ARE THERE SOME LIGHT HANDLING MARKS AND SOME WISPY HAIRLINES

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 AM DOING WITH ALL MY LISTINGS, AS I AM CONVINCED THAT BIDDERS WOULD LOVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR THE RECORD BEFORE LAYING A BID. THIS IS A SERVICE I AM DELIGHTED TO BE ABLE TO OFFER MY CUSTOMERS.

THE ALBUM PLAYS SUPERBLY ALL THE WAY THROUGH BOTH SIDES, AND AS I MENTIONED AT THE VERY TOP OF THE LISTING, THE RECORDING IS VERY LOUDLY PRESSED, AND THE QUALITY OF THE STEREO REPRODUCTION IS REALLY MAGNIFICENT,

THE VINYL PLAYS WITHOUT ANY DISTORTION TO THE SOUND WHATSOEVER, AND NO BACKGROUND CRACKLES, AND THERE ARE MANY SILENT PASSAGES THAT TEST THE VINYL'S PERFORMANCE 

THERE ARE A HANDFUL OF  TINY AND BARELY AUDIBLE RANDOM DUST POPS THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE PLAY, AND THE ODD BIT OF VERY VERY LIGHT STATIC LIKE BACKGROUND IN A FEW  SPOTS, BUT TAKE A GOOD LISTEN TO THE LP AND BE THE JUDGE

I AM MORE THAN HAPPY TO GRADE THIS VINYL NEAR MINT MINUS

THE SLEEVE

A QUESTION OF BALANCE SOLD IN HUGE QUANTITIES AND SO CANNOT BE CONSIDERED A PARTICULARLY RARE ALBUM, HOWEVER FINDING A GENUINE FIRST PRESS IN A HIGH GRADE COLLECTIBLE CONDITION IS!

AND MORESO FINDING A FIRST ISSUE SLEEVE THATS HASN'T GOT SEVERE WEAR TO THE FLAP IS EVEN HARDER. HERE WE HAVE AN ABSOLOUTELY MAGNIFICENT SLEEVE

THE FRONT SURFACE IS NEAR PERFECT. NO LOSS OF THE COLOUR ON THIS UNLAMINATED SURFACE, JUST TWO SMALL LINES CLOSE TO THE SPINE, AND NO HEAVY CREASES OR CREASE LINES.A COUPLE OF TINY DENTS ALONG THE EDGE JUST OVER THE MOODY BLUES BANNER

ON THIS SLEEVE THE SPINES ARE AT THE TOP AND BOTTOM WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE PICTURE ON THE COVER THE RIGHT WAY UP, SO I WILL DESCRIBE IT FROM THAT POINT OF VIEW.

THE TWO SIDE EDGES (TOP AND BOTTOM ON MOST SLEEVES) HAVE JUST THE BAREST AND I DO MEAN BAREST TOUCH OF RUBBING IN A COUPLE OF LITTLE SPOTS.

THE BOTTOM EDGE WHICH WOULD BE THE SPINE ON A NORMALLY SITED SLEEVE HAS MINIMAL RUBBING TO THE COLOUR AT BOTH TIPS AND A FEW SPRINKLED PATCHES OF WHITE SLIVERS

THE TOP EDGE ABOVE THE MOODY BLUES LOGO IS ALSO A SPINE AND IS THE ONE THAT GETS THE MOST WEAR AS IT IS IN ACTUAL FACT A FLAP THAT TUCKS INTO A SLIT ON THE REAR SURFACE (SEE THE PICTURES FOR THE FULL IMAGES). IT IS THIS FLAP THAT ALWAYS GETS SERIOUSLY WORN THROUGH THE CONTINUOUS OPENING AND CLOSING OF THE FLAP TO GET THE LP IN AND OUT OF THE SLEEVE. THE FLAP ITSELF ON THIS ONE IS JUST MINT!!! NOT ONE JOT OF WEAR OR CREASING, AND THE SPINE THAT IT FORMS AT THE TOP OF THE SLEEVE IS ALSO IN TOP CONDITION WITH JUST A LITTLE COLOUR LOSS ON THE LEFT HAND END , FLAT AND UNRUBBED, AND EVERY LETTER OF THE TYPEFACE IS PERFECTLY LEGIBLE.

THE REAR SURFACE IS AGAIN IN TOP CONDITION, AND UNRUBBED, THERE ARE TWO NICKS TO EITHER END OF THE FLAP SLIT

OPENING THE GATEFOLD REVEALS A TRULY PRISTINE PAIR OF PANELS

THE BLUE AND WHITE POLY LINED INNER SLEEVE IS IN IMMACULATE UNSPLIT, UNCREASED, AND PERFECTLY FLAT.

THE POSTER INSERT IS IN MINT CONDITION AND WAS HOUSED INSIDE THE FRONT SIDE OF THE GATEFOLD. IT MAY HAVE NEVER BEEN NOTICED AND REMOVED BY THE ORIGINAL OWNER

I AM HAPPY TO GRADE THIS SLEEVE NEAR MINT MINUS

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

GARRY