Wishbone Ash ARGUS UK LP 1ST 1L / 1L BLUE/BLACK NMINT

	£		160
	$		212

WISHBONE ASH - ARGUS

IN MAGNIFICENT BARELY PLAYED CONDITION

1ST PRESS BLUE AND BLACK LABELS

VERY FIRST PRESS MATRIX NUMBERS

STUNNING NEAR MINT SLEEVE

• CATALOGUE:MCA MDKS 8006
• MATRIX: 7-LNMG-256-1L / 257-1L
• THERE IS NOTHING LOWER THAN A -1L MATRIX 
• MOTHERS/STAMPERS:1 BG / 1 GH

 A QUICK WORD ABOUT THE LABELS FOR MCA PRESSINGS. IT SEEMS THEY WERE FOREVER CHANGING THE DESIGN, BUT THERE IS A DEFINITE PROGRESSIVE PATH THAT THEY TOOK WITH THE EARLY 70'S PRESSES.

THE FIRST TWO WISHBONE ASH ALBUMS HAD THE MULTICOLOURED 'DOGBONE' LABEL WHERE THE CENTRE BAND YOU SEE ON THIS PRESS CURVED INWARDS IN THE CENTRE AND GAVE THE APPEARANCE OF A DOGBONE. THIS CAME IN ONE OF THREE COLOURS AS I REMEMBER.

RED AND BROWN

YELLOW AND RED

RED AND PINK

ALL THREE WERE ISSUED AT THE SAME TIME AND ONE IS NOT EARLIER THAN THE OTHERS, AND IT IS POSSIBLE TO GET THE FIRST TWO ASH ALBUMS ON ANY OF THE FIRST TWO COLOURS. I HAVEN'T SEEN A RED AND PINK ONE, BUT YOU NEVER KNOW

BY THE TIME ARGUS WAS RELEASED THE LABELS HAD UNDERGONE THE CHANGE YOU SEE HERE. A BLACK LABEL WITH A BLUE BAND ACROSS THE MIDDLE

THE NEXT CHANGE SAW THE BLUE BAND DISAPPEAR AND THE LABEL WAS SOLID BLACK WITH SILVER TYPEFACE. YOU CAN GET ALL THREE OF ASH ALBUMS ON THIS PLAIN LABEL. THEY ARE NOT 1ST PRESSES

WISHBONE FOUR IS A FIRST PRESS ON THE BLACK AND SILVER LABEL HOWEVER

AFTER THIS THE LABELS CHANGED AGAIN TO THE RAINBOW DESIGN ON THE BLACK SURFACE

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

THE JET BLACK, AND BLUE BANDED  LABELS ARE IN MINT CONDITION. THE BASE COLOUR IS RICH AND VIBRANT AND HASN'T WORN ANYWHERE, AND IT STRETCHES RIGHT INTO THE UNWORN SPINDLE HOLE. THE SILVER TYPEFACE AND LOGOS ARE ALSO IN TOP CONDITION AND ALL PERFECTLY LEGIBLE.

THERE ARE JUST 2-3 SMALL SPIDER LINES CLOSE TO THE HOLE SHOWING JUST WHY THIS INCREDIBLE VINYL HAS BARELY BEEN PLAYED

THE VINYL

THE HEAVYWEIGHT VINYL HAS LOST NONE OF IT'S ORIGINAL SHEEN AND LUSTRE. IN DAYLIGHT IT LOOKS ALMOST FLAWLESS. THERE ARE A FEW VERY FINE WISPY LINES THAT CAN BE SEEN, AND LIKE THE COPY OF PILGRIMAGE WHICH I ALSO HAVE FOR AUCTION THIS WEEK, IT WAS CLEANED WITH SOMETHING THAT LEFT THESE VERY FINE AND SUPERFICIAL WISPY NON SOUNDING LINES. UNDER INTENSE ILLUMINATION THERE ARE SOME NORMAL WISPY HAIRLINES

PLAYING THE RECORD

I BELIEVE THAT IF YOU ARE GOING TO SPEND YOUR MONEY ON A FANTASTIC COLLECTIBLE VINYL, THAT YOU SHOULD BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR WHAT YOU ARE BUYING. I HAVE THEREFORE INVESTED IN THE SOFTWARE THAT ALLOWS YOU TO DO JUST THAT.

I HAVE RECORDED THE ENTIRE ALBUM FROM START TO FINISH AS I AM CONVINCED THAT BIDDERS WOULD WELCOME THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO HEAR EXACTLY WHAT THEY ARE CONSIDERING BIDDING ON, AND WHILST IT TAKES FAR LONGER TO DO, I AM DELIGHTED TO BE ABLE TO OFF THIS AS A SERVICE TO MY CUSTOMERS

THE LP PLAYS THROUGH BRILLIANTLY ON BOTH SIDES, AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO TAKE A GOOD LISTEN TO THE SOUNDBITES WHICH DEMONSTRATE JUST HOW FANTASTIC IT IS, PARTICULARLY THE QUIETER EXCERPTS.

THE SILENT BITS ARE SILENT, AND THE MUSIC COMES THROUGH CRISPLY AND CLEARLY. THE STEREO REPRODUCTION IS JUST SUBLIME, AND THIS IS WITHOUT A DOUBT A CLASSIC WISHBONE ASH ALBUM IN FANTASTIC ORIGINAL CONDITION

THERE IS NO DISTORTION WHATSOEVER AT ANY POINT AND EVERY NOTE IS HEARD AS IT WAS INTENDED.

THERE IS NO BACKGROUND CRACKLE OR CLICKS AT ALL!!

THERE IS SOME VERY FAINT VINYL NOISE AT THE VERY START OF EACH SIDE, AND THE ODD SECOND OR THWO THROUGH THE PLAY. I HEARD NO MORE THAN 2-3 MINUSCULE DUST POPS THROUGH THE ENTIRE PLAYTHROUGH.

I HAVE EVEN RECORDED THE DEAD WAX RUN OFF TO BOTH SIDES TO SHOWCASE JUST HOW SILENT THIS VINYL IS, DESPITE THE FEW HAIRLINES ON THE SURFACE

THIS ALBUM PLAYS TO A NEAR MINT STANDARD

DONT JUST TAKE MY WORD FOR IT THOUGH, TAKE A LISTEN AND JUDGE IT FOR YOURSELF

THE SLEEVE

NON LAMINATED , GATEFOLD FIRST ISSUE SLEEVE FROM ROBERT STACE

THIS SLEEVE IS PROBABLY THE HARDEST WISHBONE ASH SLEEVE TO GET IN A HIGH GRADE COLLECTIBLE CONDITION. BEING UNLAMINATED IS ONE THING, BUT THIS SLEEVE HAS A POWDERY FINISH TO ITS SURFACE AND MOST COPIES OF THIS THAT YOU WILL SEE WILL BE VERY BADLY RUBBED. THE COLOUR THAT GETS AFFECTED MOST OF ALL IS THE SOLDIER'S RED CAPE WHICH IS USUALLY MORE GREY THAN RED AS THE TOP COLOUR GETS RUBBED AWAY.

HERE WE HAVE A GREAT ALMOST PRISTINE SLEEVE. THE FRONT SURFACE IS FLAT AND CLEAN AND ALL OF THE COLOURS ARE RETAINED.

THERE ARE NO HEAVY CREASES, CREASE LINES OR BENDS. INCREDIBLY THERE ARE JUST THREE BARELY VISIBLE LITTLE LINES CLOSE BY THE SPINE, AND A THE VERY LIGHTEST THUMB LINE TOWARDS THE BOTTOM OF THE SOLIDERS CAPE.

THE EDGES OF THIS SLEEVE ARE USUALLY WORN AWAY, BUT THIS SLEEVE HAS BEEN HOUSED INSIDE PLASTIC FROM NEW AND BOTH THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES ARE 99% FREE FROM ANY SHELF WEAR, WITH JUST THE BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER TIP LIGHTLY RUBBED, AND A COUPLE OF PIN PRICKS OF WHITE SHOWING ON THE BOTTOM EDGE

THE SPINE  LIKE MOST SOFT CARDED SLEEVES IS USUALLY FOUND VERY SQUASHED. THIS ONE IS NOT. IT HAS HAS SOME LITTLE DINTS ALONG THE LENGHT, BUT NO FINGER TO THUMB SQUASHING AHND THE EDGES OF THE SPINE ARE ROCK SOLID.

ALL OF THE DELICATE BLACK TEXT IS PERFECTLY LEGIBLE

THE OPENING EDGE IS STILL RAZOR SHARP AND THERE AREN'T EVEN ANY THUMB NAIL NICKS

THE REAR SURFACE IS ALMOST AS IMMACULATE SHOWING A PRISTINE FINISH. NO RING WEAR AND ONLY FOUR TINY LINES NEAR THE SPINE. THERE IS JUST THE BAREST SHADOW OF RECORD SHAPE ALONG THE TOP EDGE

OPENING THE GATEFOLD REVEALS A PRISTINE INNER SURFACE AGAIN NO COLOUR LOSS WHATSOEVER. THE BROWN BASE COLOUR IS RICH AND VIBRANT, ONE WHITE PIN PRICK SPOT OF COLOR LOSS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LEFT PANEL

THE BLUE AND WHITE POLY LINED INNER SLEEVE IS IN SUPERB CONDITION. VERY WHITE AND ONLY A COUPLE OF LIGHT WRINKLES. THE DIE CUT HOLE IS UNDAMAGED, AND THE SEAMS ARE UNSPLIT

I HAVE NO HESITATION IN GRADING THIS MAGNIFICENT SLEEVE NEAR MINT !!!!

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR BID IF YOU CHOSE TO GO FOR IT

GARRY