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The Way We Live : A Candle For Judith A1 / B1 1st Press 1971 Dandelion Records

This relatively rare and very collectable first pressing plays with stunning quality on both sides and very little interference i.e. hardly any!  With just one light click and a pop on S1 the clarity, depth and power of the audio can hardly be faulted.  A small number of light ticks also on a couple of tracks but they really do not intrude on the overall 'listen'.  The playback is so 'clean' and that is further enhanced by the fact that there is no background static.  The vinyl is also visually very impressive and has clearly been so carefully looked after over the last 50+ years.  It has not been over-played based on the audio and the minimal spindle wear.

This is of course their debut LP and their second was released under the name Tractor also on the Dandelion Records label which was set up by the famous DJ John Peel.  And just like that one I was very impressed by the quality of the tracks - to think that only two of them were able to create all that sound!  Another underrated LP from that era which was only pressed in very limited numbers.

The G & L Patents Pending gatefold cover is in VG++ condition with only one real area of wear - a sticker removal mark on the front cover top right which has resulted in a little damage.  The inner sleeve remains in excellent condition.

DAN-8004-A1 / B1

The audio on S1 is Mint(-) (T1 Near Mint / T3 intro Ex+ / T4 intro G / T5 intro Ex then Near Mint) 

The audio on S2 is Near Mint (T3 Mint-)

The gatefold is VG++

The labels are Near Mint

The 'Plastic Bags...' inner sleeve is Ex+

Visual description

The vinyl is in superb condition and still has a lovely glossy sheen with no marks or scratches, just that one tiny needle drop 'mark' if you can find it!  There is no dulling of the surface and no groove wear and all I can find under a strong light are some faint hairlines but nothing stands out, they are purely superficial.  The Dandelion labels are in superb shape with no marking and only minimal spindle wear.

Play grading  

The run in on S1 is so clean you are already expecting 'King Dick II' to play with exceptional clarity and it does!  The intro plays perfectly and Milne's opening vocal is just as impressive.  There is one light click at the start of the mid instrumental but that is the only intrusion across the entire track.  Aside from that this section plays with incredible power and definition and the final vocal has no intrusion either.  The end instrumental is flawless so overall a Near Mint grade is fair - it would be Mint but for that one millisecond of interference!

With complete silence in the dead wax the acoustic intro on 'Squares' plays so clearly with just one barely audible tick and the first vocal could not play any better.  So far the clarity of sound on this rare vinyl is quite simply stunning!  It continues to play with sublime quality and the vocals especially as so clean and 'fresh' sounding.  Saying that the backing is just as strong where each note is so crisp and clear.  I cannot fault the audio here it is 'as new' from the first note to the last and Mint is well and truly deserved.  The most 'complete' version you could wish for.

The largely acoustic 'Siderial' has just four light ticks on the intro and they really are very light and totally non-intrusive.  From then on it plays with sensational clarity and as the bass comes in the depth of the audio is fantastic!  I can't praise it highly enough.  This standard is kept up and only during the slightly quieter passage are there 3/4 insignificant dust ticks.  The sonic quality throughout is STUNNING and the power is just on another level.  The intro is Ex+ but the remainder has to grade as Mint- at the very least.

'Angle' plays so clearly with just one issue.  The intro has one loud pop which I think is due to a tiny barely and visible needle drop mark.  Apart from that this brief track plays beautifully with no other intrusion, just one dust tick.  This time I will grade the intro as G but it is Mint from then onwards.

Storm' has a handful of very light ticks on the intro (not clicks!) and the opening vocal then plays to perfection.  The first solo from Milne is flawless and the next acoustic section plays very clearly with one very light tick and a minor static click.  From then on it plays with exceptional quality and the closing instrumental is a prime example of the power and clarity on offer here.  If you win this just listen closely the sonic quality is phenomenal!  The final brief vocal has no 'background'.  So...the intro is Ex but the rest has to be Near Mint although as I often say the majority is much better than that!

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The intro on 'Willow' is close to perfect with just one light tick and the opening vocal is 'as new' with no intrusion.  It continues in much the same way with barely any intrusion on the audio, a couple of light ticks no more.  The first extended guitar solo is breath-taking - the clarity and power here is so impressive and the next vocal has no 'background' either.  The closing solo is as good as the first - honestly the audio is amazing - and overall this has to grade as Near Mint with only a couple of minor ticks keeping it from being Mint.

The acoustic 'Madrigal' plays with stunning clarity and there is no background static getting in the way of the listening experience.  There are a couple of ticks in the middle section but for a 52 year old record you really cannot fault the quality of the audio.  Near Mint

The intro on 'The Way Ahead' once again shows just how well this vinyl has been preserved - it is nigh on perfect with only a couple of minor ticks.  The first vocal does indeed play perfectly and the quieter section that follows is just as 'clean'.  It continues to play with a sonic quality that is second to none - the mid solo is 'as new' and again I cannot emphasise enough just how powerful and precise the audio is as there is just no distortion on the top end.  Sounds like it has never been played before!  The next 'vocal' section begins quietly of and yet plays beautifully with not even a single dust tick and as it builds there is no decrease in quality.  The end solo concludes this classic with no interference and we have here another definitive version.  The clarity, warmth and depth of the audio is hugely impressive and Mint- is an honest assessment of the audio.

In summary this rare first pressing plays to a wonderful standard with very little intrusion.  In fact the only obvious intrusion is the one light click and the pop on S1 but aside from that the clarity and depth of the audio is of the highest calibre.  It is no exaggeration to say that the vast majority is 'as new' - I do not over-grade my listings as my regulars know, it is not in my interests or yours!  I mention any 'background' even if minor as I feel it is important to get a genuine idea of the audio on offer.  Both sides here have literally no background static and that is just one of the reasons why the overall sonic quality is so impressive.  The power of the audio is also very strong and there is no distortion on the top end.  There surely cannot be many first pressings around today as good as this one?!

The Gatefold & Inner Sleeve

 The cover is in excellent condition with only one obvious area of wear.  The front cover has a sticker removal type mark in the top right corner but other than that it has retained its original look extremely well.  The top edges have only minimal rubbing and whilst there is a little more on the bottom edges there is no damage.  The wide spine is in pretty good shape with only a small number of 'rubs' and a little wear on the corners.  The right hand corners have only minimal wear and the opening edge is very clean with hardly any handling wear.  The front cover is unmarked apart from the wear in the corner as stated and the back cover is even better with no real wear, just light corner wear can be seen.  The inside of the gatefold is close to perfect with just minor creasing at the foot of the inner spine.  A very respectable cover overall.

The 'Plastic Bags...' inner dated 0871 is in excellent condition with no side splits or tears and barely any age related fading around the edges.  It has only very light creasing and what I presume is a catalogue number written in one top corner.  Not this one though!

Play tested on my Rega P2 Turntable / Denon PMA-520AE Amp / B&W 684 Speakers

This record has been cleaned on a Pro-Ject VC-S machine

DAN-8004-A1 / B1

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.

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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!!

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