PRETTY THINGS Parachute A2/B2 1st PRESS 1970 EX+ COVER & Incredible MINT- AUDIO
£
79
$
105
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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.
The Pretty Things : Parachute A2 / B2 1st Press Harvest 1970
This first pressing plays to the highest standard possible and I cannot overstate just how stunning the audio is! The clarity, depth, warmth and power of the audio is second to none and it is easily the finest example of this album that I have ever listened to, a FINAL UPGRADE pressing as it were. Put simply there is no background worthy of note and the clarity of sound is on another level. At various times it has a Beatles type vibe but with a psych 'feel' and it just could not play any better. It didn't sell well back in the day and perhaps 'suffered' as a follow up to S.F. Sorrow but it is a genuine classic in its own right, especially S1! It was and perhaps still is criminally underrated and underappreciated.
The laminated cover is in excellent condition with only a little shelf wear and the plain white inner sleeve has some wear but not an extensive amount.
This first pressing has no EMI logos on either label and it is a very early one with single stampers on each side.
SHVL 774 A-2 H 1 // SHVL 774 (crossed then replaced) B-2 L-1
The audio on S1 is Mint(-)
The audio on S2 is Mint(-)
The gatefold is a strong Ex+ The poly-lined inner sleeve is VG+
The Harvest labels are Near Mint-
Visual description
The vinyl is in excellent condition and still has a strong glossy sheen and no scratches. Under a bright light I can see a small number of faint hairlines and a couple of hairline scuffs on S1 which have absolutely no affect on the audio, they are still faint. There is no groove or surface wear and the yellow / green Harvest labels are very clean with no marking and only a little spindle wear.
Play Grading
The build up intro on 'Scene One' is near perfect with only a couple of minor statics and the acoustic / percussive section is indeed faultless. The vocal section has no intrusion either and the depth and power of the audio is just stunning. This is easily a Mint- start to this classic album.
The intro on 'The Good Mr. Square' is 'as new' and the same can be said for the vocal section. It is Mint from start to finish and blends perfectly into 'She Was Tall She Was High' which then plays to the same high end standard. Both play with exceptional warmth and depth and are very Beatles'esque it could be said. Another Mint track.
Another delicate intro on 'In The Square' and again the clarity is incredible. The vocal is so clean and precise and the following instrumental is just as impressive. Mint
'The Letter' keeps up this fine standard and plays with sublime clarity and definition through every section. Mint
The segue into 'Rain' is perfect and the intro is on another level! Seriously the sonic quality is incredible and it honestly sounds like it was pressed only yesterday! May's vocal section is the same and there is no distortion on the top end despite it being a relatively powerful track and a 'busy' one. The closing rain has no background either. Another fantastic Mint version.
'Miss Fay Regrets' is even more dynamic and powerful and yet plays with STUNNING precision throughout. The audio definition is first class and May's vocal is again so strong. Wow! Mint
The intro on 'Cries From The Midnight Circus' plays with impeccable clarity and the opening vocal section has no background either. Waller's deep bass adds so much and sonically this could not be improved in any way. The first instrumental is a prime example of that. It continues to play with genuine quality - May's raw vocal lends itself perfectly to this track and even though this is the final track on the side there is zero distortion, no 'muddiness' to the sound etc. The next vocal is flawless and the long concluding instrumental is so sharply defined - Unitt's guitar work is phenomenal! I can get a little carried away but as stated this album is such an underrated classic so when it plays as well as this I can be forgiven! The sound is so clean and succinct and the fade out is also nigh on perfect with only one very quiet tick which you could easily miss anyway. I will however say Mint- but it has to be said this is the most 'complete' version I have ever heard... an that applies to the entire side!
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The intro on 'Grass' has no background and May's opening vocal is equal to that. The following instrumental has just one barely audible static and the quieter passage has no intrusion. The next vocal is perfect as is the next instrumental and to the end it plays with imperious quality. Once again the warmth and depth of the audio is stunning and this first track of S2 grades as Mint- at the very least.
I don't want to sound repetitive but 'Sickle Clowns' again has audio of the highest calibre. Running at nearly 7 minutes every vocal and instrumental plays with stunning clarity and definition. Every second listened to of course. Alan's percussive section a case in point - perfect audio. Mint from the first note to the last.
'She's A Lover' plays like it has never been played before, much like the rest of the album! Every note so clean and preicse, you miss nothing. This is sonic quality of the highest standard - Beatles'esque again but with more going on musically if you ask me. A couple of light statics on the fade out that is all. Mint- The piano intro on 'What's The Use' plays beautifully and the melodic vocal section is stunning as is the final What's the use... vocal. This is a great track and definitely should have been longer. Mint- The title track 'Parachute' plays with superb clarity from the word go. It's quiet and yet on the opening vocal there is no intrusion whatsoever. So melodic and it just could not play any better. As Alan joins in there is no let up in quality - this instrumental really does play with outstanding audio. The psych effect at the end is unbelievable! It easily lasts for over 30 seconds and the clarity is superb! No intrusive basically, just a hint of barely audible static in a couple of places and I really mean barely audible! It's a high quality track but arguably you could say it's a bit of a gentle ending to what is essentially a classic album, perhaps need something with more punch. Nonetheless it's a Mint- finish for sure.
The Gatefold & Inner Sleeve
The laminated cover is in excellent condition with minimal shelf wear. The top edges are perfect and the bottom edges have only minimal rubbing. The spine is very clean, albeit slightly compressed, and all the corners are in great shape with barely any wear. The opening edge looks more or less untouched. The front cover is also very clean with one small laminate crease near the right edge, a handful of small edge creases next to the spine as is common and some very minor 'rubs' by the bottom edge. The back cover is even better with only faint ringwear which you can only see when you hold it at a certain angle and a little creasing in the lower left corner. The inside of the gatefold is in superb condition with no marking, a fine example overall.
Supposedly it was issued with an EMI inner but this is a poly-lined plain white inner. It has a couple of minor 'nicks' on the edges and a little light marking and some creasing also, no major issues.
SHVL 774 A-2 H 1 // SHVL 774 (crossed then replaced) B-2 L-1Play tested on my Rega P2 with AT VM-95EN Cart / Denon PMA-520AE Amp / B&W 684 Speakers
This record has been professionally cleaned on my Pro-Ject VC-S machine
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 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 : £6.50 up to 1kg then £1.00 per extra item
EUROPE (Tracked - Max 2kg)
LPs/12" singles : £13.95 then £2.00 per extra
USA (Tracked - Max 2kg)
LPs/12" singles : £22.95 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!!
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