PINK FLOYD - DARK SIDE OF THE MOON LP 1st PRESS A2 B2 SOLID BLUE LABEL COMPLETE

	£		295
	$		391

This is the original Solid Blue triangle pressing of Dark Side.  As far as I can tell this is the Dark Blue cover rather than the solid Black version that came later.  It has the stickered cover with a single opening on the right hand side, identifying it as a very early pressing. The front and back cover does have corner wear and some scuffing/ring wear as can be seen in the photos, as with the spine, but overall looking not too bad for it's age.  The inner Black sleeve is as in the pictures, with patent number on btm left and 'made in Great Britain' on btm right.  It has the 2 posters printed on Matt paper and 2 'FasPrint' permanent Crack Back stickers, all of which are in Ex + to Mint minus condition.   The labels are slightly off centre, as they are in most instances (see pics), but there are no excessive spindle marks.  Stampers SHVL A-2 and B-2.  The thick vinyl is visually excellent although looking closely on side one there is a line mark and two shorter line marks on side two.  I did try and photo them but its not very easy.  I can only assume that they occurred at sometime whilst removing the record from its sleeve, and catching it on the paper surround.  This does not effect the play and no repetitive clicks have resulted.  The vinyl has been cleaned professionally on a Moth II vacuum record cleaning machine, which has not only made it look great but has enhanced the sound considerably. To the sound itself - There is no warping and no major repetitive clicks, and no jumps, and 'Money' is free from the notorious defect that was on some pressings.  However, to be fair there is a continuous surface "sparkle" (my 9 year old grandson's definition of crackle) throughout, particularly noticeable in run-ins/outs and quieter parts,  As to whether or not it might lessen your enjoyment of the record will depend on what equipment you are playing the record on and your viewpoint on the matter. From my point of I would pick "sparkly" vinyl over a CD any day of the week.  It's not been a problem, and it still has that joyful full 3 way audio sound that draws you in and forgives any suggested issues.  Particularly it does not detract from one of my favourite sequences of the album at the beginning of Breathe,  The breathtaking (excuse the pun) crescendo, as the music punches into the intro of the song itself, the sound just leaps out as it should! The whole album has the original dynamic stereo sound in tact, which is uniquely associated with this solid blue version, and still delivers that 'hair on the back of the neck' experience.  When I bought this record it was graded as Mint minus.  However with more experience and having listened to other copies, I would grade this item overall as Very Good to Ex -+ . I own, and have listened to, many versions and mixes of this album in all formats and on many devices, but for me the pure sound this copy delivers is still the best currently available.   If you are expecting perfection please do not bid. For such you need to pay upward of £800, and even then be prepared for disappointment, there's not many out there . However, although this particular copy may not be perfect, it is a perfectly respectable and decent copy, and is a good stepping stone on your journey to the 'Holy Grail' of DSOTM.  I have tried to give an honest and fair description of this item, and have set what I believe to be a good starting price for what it is. If you have any questions I will do my best to answer them? Happy bidding!

This item will be sent free to the winning bidder in the UK by second class signed post, or may be collected. Postage £19.50 for rest of Europe and Worldwide.  Please note that worldwide excludes Africa, Central America and the Car