THE WHO, Quadrophenia (1973 TRACK DOUBLE NEAR MINT)

	£		122
	$		162

This is a 1973 first issue of The Who’s classic ‘Quadrophenia’ double album in a condition fit for vinyl connoisseurs! The records are so immaculate and look almost ‘as new’ having clearly only been played once and best of all the whole package is complete including the 44 pages of booklet still totally intact and attached to the cover and absolutely pristine, you simply never find it like this so don’t miss out...

Year of original release: 1973

Year of this pressings release: 1973

Label: Track

Catalogue No: 2657 013

Matrix No’s: 2406110 A1 / 2406110 B1 / 2406111 A1 / 2406111 B2

Country of Manufacture: England (Both records), the soft-grey gatefold with still in situ stapled booklet is printed by ‘Euro Albums B.V.’ which is another feature of genuine first issues

Mode: Stereo

RECORD CONDITION

Labels: NEAR MINT

Completely clean and unmarked set, they display no damage or wear at all and have the spindle wear that clearly indicated albums that were only ever played by their one careful previous owner just once

Visual: NEAR MINT

These are immaculately preserved surfaces with a wonderful clean deep glossy sheen. There are absolutely no surface marks or wear under a very strong light. Even after a very long study in this circumstance I failed to find anything more than the odd light paper scuff; it is fair to say that better 1973 pressings of these albums will be very hard to locate.

Play: NEAR MINT

This is, as you would expect, a copy of this double album that plays with supreme audio clarity. My one very careful play did not reveal any problems with the sound at all. All the way it was crisp clean and a real pleasure to experience. There is no background noise or distortion and no pops, clicks or skips. Between the tracks everything is quiet other than the sound of the needle running through these beautiful clean grooves. Here is an example of a record that deserves to be graded Mint, being graded Near Mint on the technicality that it has been played (although as I mentioned above, probably only a couple of times and one of those was me!)

COVER CONDITION

Gatefold sleeve & 44 page booklet: NEAR MINT

An exceptionally well preserved original cover, both the front and back covers are unmarked and free from any effects of ageing whatsoever. There are no folds, creases and there is no writing or marks. Neither is there even the slightest trace of ring-wear on the front or back, a common fault on this heavy duty package. Another common fault is the booklet becoming dislodged from the sleeve because of its weight; either that or it becomes unstapled. Neither of those faults occur here, the whole package has been very carefully maintained to the point that it literally remains like new! I have seriously never seen an original in this great a shape. The top and bottom edges are totally un-scuffed and there are no splits or knocks. The corners have only the lightest of rub marks and both opening edges are free from any tears or feathering. The spine is totally firm and rigid with just the tiniest rub mark near the top and clearly legible text. A collectable album cover in incredible, fully intact, order basically!

ABOUT THE WHO - ‘QUADROPHENIA’

‘Quadrophenia’ saw The Who revisit the rock opera concept with another double-album opus, this time built around the story of a young mod's struggle to come of age in the mid-'60s. If anything, this was a more ambitious project than ‘Tommy’, given added weight by the fact that The Who weren't devising some fantasy but were re-examining the roots of their own birth in mod culture. In the end, there may have been too much weight, as Townshend tried to combine the story of a mixed-up mod named Jimmy with the examination of a four-way split personality (hence the title ‘Quadrophenia’), in turn meant to reflect the four conflicting personas at work within The Who itself. The concept might have ultimately been too obscure and confusing for a mass audience. But there's plenty of great music anyway, especially on ‘The Real Me,’ ‘The Punk Meets the Godfather,’ ‘I'm One,’ ‘Bell Boy,’ and ‘Love, Reign o'er Me.’ Some of Townshend’s most direct, heartfelt writing is contained here, and production-wise it's a tour-de-force, with some of the most imaginative use of synthesizers on a rock record. Various members of the band griped endlessly about flaws in the mix, but really these will bug very few listeners, who in general will find this to be one of The Who's most powerful statements. (Allmusic guide)

POSTAGE & PACKING

UK:

Basic option – FREE / Recorded Delivery (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!) £3.50

EUROPE:

Basic airmail - £4.00 / Insured delivery £8.00

REST OF WORLD:

Basic airmail - £7.00 / Insured delivery £12.00

We will always ensure that our records will be well packed in a secure manner. We do everything we can to provide a safe delivery and ensure that your records arrive in the same condition that they left us in. We use professionally packed heavy-duty mailers. We are also happy to accommodate pick up in person.

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

If you are unhappy with your purchase, for any reason, we are not going to get into a long dispute with you about the items merits. We offer a no nonsense money back promise including postage upon return of the item. Obviously we do ask that you raise any issues within 7 days of delivery. Just get in touch, we can work it out.

GRADING

‘Record Collector Magazine’ have for years promoted a grading system that has been accepted as the all round standard amongst dealers and collectors. We too use that system but just in case anyone’s not sure here’s my basic interpretation:

MINT: Only ever used if a record is totally un-played and therefore can be classed as brand new. Even if a record has only had one play it can no longer be Mint.

NEAR MINT: This grading applies to a record that has no visible faults and no lessening in sound quality. Other than perhaps a little dust and in some cases the lightest of totally non-sounding paper scuffs visible under strong light, vinyl graded Nr.Mint will be extremely well cared for. Sleeves graded Nr.Mint will have no damage and only the vaguest suggestion of any handling or use.

EXCELLENT: Records graded thus will essentially be in a very well cared for condition and play without any problems. Excellent records have been used but they will have been well looked after and the worst you can expect with the audio will be the odd light pop or click and perhaps a little bit of light background noise in a couple of places, but certainly nothing that will spoil your enjoyment of the music. Covers graded Excellent have no damage or defacement to the artwork , their evidence of handling will only be in minor details like a few faint creases, tiny edge scuffs or a small amount of writing or sticker residue but certainly no serious damage.

VERY GOOD: Records graded VG will be totally satisfactory to all but those looking for total perfection. They will be used but still fully playable and only show the kind of wear you would expect to find on a second hand record that has had a few plays. The odd light scratch may be evident as well as general spindle wear and paper scuffs but nothing to cause any overall problems with your enjoyment of the record. Basically, be realistic in what you’d expect a used record to look and sound like and you won’t have any disappointments with a record that is graded Very Good. Covers graded VG may show a bit of general wear or scuffing around the edges, there could be some light ring-wear, a few creases and perhaps a little bit of writing (1960’s record owners seemed to always write their name somewhere on the sleeve) but they will still be fully intact and certainly not abused in any way.

GOOD: Vinyl graded as Good should be approached with a little more caution, as most dealers will tell you in record collecting terms ‘good’ means ‘bad’! We try and keep our items above this standard, however Good does have some saving graces and is not the lowest grading vinyl can be given. A record graded thus will still be just about playable although it will clearly have been played a lot by previous owners. You can also expect light scratches and definitely some surface noise. Covers graded as Good will be just about holding it together although you will inevitable find plenty of creases, maybe a few rips and seam splits as well as possibly chunks missing, writing or stains and indeed any other kind of defacement that it’s possible to find on record sleeves without them being totally destroyed.

FAIR: Don’t bother bidding!