PINK FLOYD OBSCURED BY CLOUDS A1/B1 1st PRESS Great COVER & SUPERB MINT- AUDIO
£
410
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543
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Description
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.
Pink Floyd : Obscured By Clouds A1/B1 1st Press
This first pressing is right up there with the best I have ever heard! As detailed below both sides play with a clarity and depth that is quite simply out of this world! And remember there are a number of very quiet passages on this record. The sonic quality is stunning and there is no interference at all. This is without question a FINAL UPGRADE time-warp classic. It is now well known that the A1/B1 first pressings were soon re-cut due to excessive sibilance but there is no denying the quality of the audio here.
The vinyl is visually stunning and the textured cover is also in excellent condition with very little wear. The original EMI inner is also in excellent shape with only minimal wear. A STUNNING album!
SHSP 4020 // A-1 / B-1 // AM 2 / RM
The audio on S1 is Mint(-)
The audio on S2 is Mint(-)
The cover is a very strong Ex
The labels are Near Mint-
The original EMI inner is Ex
Visual grading
This vinyl is in superb condition and still has an immaculate glossy sheen with no marks or scratches. There is no groove wear or mottling and whilst there is a little spindle wear it has can only have been played on high end equipment judging by the pristine audio. I can only find a handful of very faint sleeve removal hairlines. The yellow/green Harvest labels have no marking or writing and remain in superb order.
Play grading
The quiet intro on 'Obscured By Clouds' plays with incredible clarity, there is no 'background' at all. From then onwards it plays to the same standard - the audio has such depth and warmth and 'as new' is a valid description. The fade out has not even a single dust tick! This instrumental is Mint an easy grade to give.
'When You're In' plays with stunning precision from start to finish and the long fade out is another measure of the phenomenal clarity on offer here. No ticks, clicks etc just pure Mint audio throughout.
The clarity and depth on 'Burning Bridges' is on another level and already I am thinking has this vinyl ever been played! It has a sonic quality that you so rarely find on these genuine first pressings and I just cannot fault it. An immaculate Mint version.
'The Gold It's In The...' is just as impressive and plays with stunning power and depth and...no interference. The well documented sibilance is perhaps a little more obvious here but it does not take away from what is without doubt another Mint track.
The acoustic intro on 'Wot's...Uh The Deal' plays to perfection and proceeds in the same precise way. I did hear one very light tick about two minutes in but it is so quiet you could easily miss it! Th remainder plays with sublime clarity and a Mint- is deserved although the minus is perhaps not necessary!
The piano intro on 'Mudmen' plays beautifully with no intrusion and the entire opening sections is 'as new' for sure. It continues in the same way and Gilmour's solos play with great power and no distortion. The rest of this instrumental is equally as impressive and in essence this side could not play any better. A Mint finish to a perfect side.
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The opening grooves on 'Childhood's End' are so quiet and yet they play with barely any static and as it continues the better it gets! The acoustic guitar section is 'as new' and the same can be said for the opening vocal. The sibilance is a little more obvious here but again it does not impact on the audio quality. It continues to play with no interference and Mint- is very much deserved.
'Free Four' plays with sublime quality from start to finish with no intrusion of any kind. The clarity here is exceptional with no 'background' to be heard, not even one dust tick let alone anything more. The fade out again plays to perfection. Mint
The super quiet intro on 'Stay' is as close to perfect as is possible with only a handful of mega quiet dust ticks and Wright's first vocal has no interference at all. From then on it plays with a clarity and warmth that cannot be faulted. No ticks, clicks, pops or static this is audio of the calibre although I will grade as Mint- just to be a little cautious!
'Absolutely Curtains' plays with amazing clarity from the get go. The intro is of course so quiet and yet the sonic quality is breathtaking! I honestly cannot believe what I am listening to here! It continues to play with incredible quality and I cannot find one single negative. The tribal chanting is stunning, there is no background static and only a couple of very light dust ticks that you could easily miss. The clarity is astounding - have you ever heard what sounds like two 'coughs' in the background near the end? I haven't! This has to grade as Mint it truly is a fantastic version.
In summary you will not be surprised to hear that this easily qualifies as a FINAL UPGRADE first pressing such is the sonic quality we have on offer here. This record has clearly been so well cared for over the last 50 years. There is NO INTERFERENCE of any kind and the clarity of sound is just on another level. It basically plays 'as new' and whilst the A1/B1 pressings may have a mastering error it does not affect the audio quality in my opinion. Arguably it does not matter anyway as genuine first pressings are always collectable and especially in this condition! A STUNNING vinyl is every respect.
The Cover & Inner Sleeve
The G&L textured cover is in excellent condition with only minimal wear. The top edge does have some rubbing, but no damage, and the bottom edge has less rubbing for sure. The thin pinched spine is in great condition and is 100% legible with only a small number of minor 'specks'. The rounded corners are very clean and the opening edge has barely any handling wear. The front cover is near perfect with only a minor touch of ringwear near the top and the back cover is even better! This is a fine example of this 'first press' textured cover.
The original poly-lined EMI Harvest inner is in excellent condition with only one very small side split and a couple of small 'nicks' on one of the flipbacks. There is also some age related fading around the edges and only minimal creasing.
Play tested on my Pro-Ject Essential III Turntable // B & W 684 Speakers
This record has been professionally cleaned on a Pro-Ject VC-S machine
SHSP 4020 // A-1 / B-1 // AM 2 / RM
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
I NOW ONLY SEND ITEMS WORLDWIDE VIA TRACKED SHIPPING. THIS PROVIDES 'PEACE OF MIND' IN CASE OF LOSS OR DAMAGE. ALL COSTS ARE SHOWN BELOW AND COMBINED POSTAGE IS ALWAYS OFFERED. ANY OVER-PAYMENT WILL ALWAYS BE REFUNDED BACK TO THE BUYER.
THE ROYAL MAIL ONLY INSURE ITEMS UP TO THE VALUE OF £250 SO IF AN ITEM SELLS FOR MORE A COURIER SERVICE MAY BE USED (e.g. Parcelforce, DPD). AN EXTRA INSURANCE PREMIUM WILL BE REQUIRED BUT I WILL NOT KNOW THE EXACT AMOUNT UNTIL THE FINAL SALE PRICE IS KNOWN. HOWEVER, SOMETIMES I WILL ESTIMATE A COST AND THIS WILL BE STATED IN THE LISTING. PLEASE WAIT FOR THE INVOICE BEFORE MAKING ANY PAYMENT BUT IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE FEEL FREE TO GET IN TOUCH. MANY THANKS.
ALL VINYLS ARE PACKAGED IN STRONG CUSTOM MADE OVER-SIZED MAILERS WITH EXTRA CARDBOARD PROTECTION. THEY ARE PUT IN SEPARATE POLY-LINED INNERS OUTSIDE OF THE COVER SO AS TO AVOID SEAM SPLITS. THEY ARE ALSO PLACED INSIDE A PVC SLEEVE TO PROVIDE EXTRA PROTECTION. I PRIDE MYSELF ON MY HIGH QUALITY PACKAGING AS MY FEEDBACK TESTIFIES AND IF ANY CUSTOMER HAS ANY SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS I WILL ALWAYS ENDEAVOUR TO HELP.
I ONLY USE HIGH QUALITY MAILERS AND THESE COST ME £1.00 EACH. I WILL OFTEN USE 3 OR 4 CARDBOARD STIFFENERS AND THESE COST AT LEAST £0.15 EACH AND THEN THERE IS THE COST OF THE POLY-LINED INNER AND PVC SLEEVE TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT. IT ALL ADDS UP! NOT FORGETTING EBAY TAKING 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 : £17.45 then £2.00 per extra
REST OF WORLD (Tracked - Max 2kg)
LPs/12" singles : £25.95 then £2.50 per extra
I AM MORE THAN HAPPY TO LEAVE FEEDBACK AFTER PAYMENT HAS BEEN MADE, NONE OF THIS WAITING BEFORE I RECEIVE FEEDBACK FROM YOU - I HAVE CONFIDENCE IN MY LISTINGS! IF YOU ARE NOT ENTIRELY HAPPY WITH YOUR PURCHASE PLEASE CONTACT ME BEFORE LEAVING FEEDBACK AND I WILL ALWAYS RESOLVE ANY PROBLEM, 100% GUARANTEED. IF YOU WOULD PREFER TO SEND THE ITEM BACK I WILL OF COURSE OF COURSE PAY THE RETURN SHIPPING COST IF I AM AT FAULT. I AM ONLY HUMAN AFTER ALL!
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