Wishbone Ash PILGRIMAGE 1971 UK LP 1st Press Dogbone Label STRONG EX++ AUDIO

	£		24
	$		32

WISHBONE ASH - PILGRIMAGE

VERY STRONG EX+++ AUDIO

CORRECT 1ST ISSUE LABELS

• CATALOGUE:MDKS8004
• MATRIX: 7-LNMG-244 2L / 7-245 1L
• MOTHERS/STAMPERS: 1 UC / 1 BH

JUST A QUICK WORD ABOUT FIRST ISSUE MCA RECORDINGS OF THIS ERA

THE FIRST TWO ASH ALBUMS MUST HAVE THE DOGBONE LABEL TO BE A FIRST PRESS. THIS LABEL CAME IN NUMEROUS 2 TONE PATTERNS.

RED AND BROWN, RED AND YELLOW, RED AND PINK ARE THE THREE MOST COMMON BUT THERE ARE OTHERS.

BY THE TIME ARGUS WAS RELEASED THIS HAD CHANGED TO THE BLUE AND BLACK LABELS.

VOLUME FOUR HAD YET ANOTHER CHANGE TO THE LABEL. THIS TIME IT WAS COMPLETELY BLACK WITH SILVER TYPEFACE

AFTER THIS CAME THE RAINBOW LABEL AND SO ON......

TO LISTEN TO THE RECORD, PLEASE PRESS PLAY ON THE PLAYER, AND WAIT FOR IT TO LOAD. IT CAN TAKE UP TO A MINUTE. THE NEW SOFTWARE IS SLOWER THAN THE OLDER ONE. BY THE TIME YOU HAVE READ THROUGH THE DESCRIPTION IT SHOULD START TO PLAY

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

FIRST PRESS LABELS ON EARLY MCA LP'S CAME IN THREE TWO TONE COLOURS, AND EACH ONE IS A VALID FIRST PRESS AS THEY WERE PRODUCING ALL THREE AT THE SAME TIME. THERE IS PINK AND RED, YELLOW AND RED, AND BROWN AND RED.

THIS IS THE BROWN AND RED 'DOGBONE' FIRST ISSUE LABEL IN SUPERB CONDITION. BOTH COLOURS ARE RICH AND VIBRANT AND THE RED BAND FULLY STRETCHES INTO THE UNWORN SPINDLE HOLE. THE SILVER TYPEFACE REMAINS UNRUBBED AND PERFECTLY LEGIBLE.

THERE ARE A SMALL AMOUNT OF SPIDER LINES CLOSE TO THE SPINDLE HOLE INDICATING JUST HOW LITTLE THIS ALBUM HAS BEEN PLAYED SINCE  1971

THE VINYL

THIS HEAVYWEIGHT VINYL GLEAMS LIKE NEW AND HAS LOST NONE OF IT'S ORIGINAL LUSTRE.IN DAYLIGHT IT LOOKS FLAWLESS. UNDER INTENSE ILLUMINATION THERE ARE LIGHT WISPY SURFACE HAIRLINES VISIBLE AND A FEW LIGHT SURFACE HANDLING LINES

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 DO NOW WITH ALL MY LISTINGS BECAUSE I AM CONVINCED THAT BIDDERS WOULD LOVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO HEAR THE RECORD BEFORE LAYING A BID. THIS IS A SERVICE I AM DELIGHTED TO BE ABLE TO GIVE 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 THIS LP SOUNDS.

THERE IS NO DISTORTION TO THE SOUND AT ANY POINT MEANING WHAT  PLAY THE RECORD HAS RECEIVED WAS COMPLETED ON A SYSTEM WITH A CORRECTLY TRACKED, WEIGHTED AND UNWORN STYLUS

THE SOLO GUITAR WORK IS JUST MAGNIFICENTLY REPRODUCED

THIS VINYL PLAYS WITHOUT ANY HEAVY BACKGROUND CRACKLE WHATSOEVER, AND NO LOUD CLICKS EITHER

DURING SOME OF THE LINKING GROOVES A VERY LIGHT AND BARELY AUDIBLE STATIC LIKE VINYL NOISE CAN SOMETIMES BE HEARD. THERE ARE ALSO A FEW SPECKS IN SOME OF THE MOST SILENT PASSAGES, VERY LOW LEVEL AND BARELY AUDIBLE

THERE ARE ALSO A FEW RANDOM LITTLE TINY TICS. CERTAINLY NOT ANYWHERE NEAR ENOUGH TO SPOIL THE AUDIO PERFORMAMCE

A QUALITY LISTEN AS I AM SURE YOU WILL AGREE , SO PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO LISTEN TO THE RECORDING

I AM DELIGHTED TO BE ABLE TO GRADE THIS AUDIO AS A VERY STRONG EX++

THE SLEEVE

THIS NON LAMINATED GATEFOLD SLEEVE IS RARELY FOUND IN ANYTHING OTHER THAN 'WORN OUT' CONDITION. THIS ONE HOWEVER IS IN SUPERB CONDITION.

 THIS IS THE CORRECT FIRST ISSUE 'ROBERT STACE PRINTED IN ENGLAND' SLEEVE

 THE FRONT SURFACE IS FLAT AND CLEAN AND HAS RETAINED ALL OF THE ORIGINAL COLOURS WHICH ARE OFTEN FOUND RUBBED AWAY ON MOST COPIES. THERE IS  NO EVIDENCE OF ANY RING WEAR, WHICH IS ANOTHER PROBLEM THIS SLEEVE SUFFERS WITH.

THIS FRONT SURFACE IS NEAR PERFECT SHOWING NO HEAVY CREASES, NO FOLD, BENDS OR ANY OBVIOUS BLEMISH. THERE ARE FIVE BARELY VISIBLE PRESSURE LINES CLOSE TO THE SPINE, BUT THAT'S IT. NO COLOUR LOSS AND NO PAPER SNAGS  OR STICKER MARKS

NO PRESSURE LINES ON THE TOP OR BOTTOM EDGES, AND NO THUMB LINES NEAR THE OPENING EDGE

THE TOP EDGES ARE NICELY COLOURED WITH JUST A VERY LIGHT SPORADIC FLECKS OF UNDER CARD VISIBLE DUE TO LIGHT RUB

THE BOTTOM EDGES ARE SIMILAR WITH A LITTLE MORE AROUND THE RIGHT CORNER AREA

 THE OPENING EDGE IS STILL RAZOR  SHARP WITH JUST A COUPLE OF TINY THUMB NAIL NICKS.CLOSE TO THE TOP.

THE SPINE IS IN NICE FLAT CONDITION. NO SQUASHING AND PERFECTLY LEGIBLE TEXT. JUST A LITTLE MILD RUB, AND AT THE TIPS

 THE REAR SURFACE IS IN THE SAME SUPERB CONDITION AS THE FRONT, AGAIN NO COLOUR LOSS AND NO HEAVY CREASES, JUST A FEW TINY LITTLE LINES NEAR THE SPINE. AGAIN NO RING WEAR OR RECORD SHAPE

OPENING THE GATEFOLD REVEALS A TOTALLY PRISTINE  INNER SURFACE .

 THIS IS THE FIRST PRESS UK SLEEVE AS NOTED BY THE HIPGNOSIS CREDITATION ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE TYPEFACE. ALSO THE ROBERT STACE INFO ON THE REAR SURFACE

 THE BLUE AND WHITE POLY LINED INNER SLEEVE IS IN SUPERB CONDITION NO SPLITS AND NO CREASES, JUST THE BAREST BIT OF GLUE AGEING TO THE PERIMETER EDGES

 I AM MORE THAN HAPPY TO GRADE THIS SLEEVE NEAR MINT!!

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

GARRY