YES Fragile RARE LATE UK 72 Atlantic Plum Orig. N/M LP

	£		92
	$		122

Artist or Band: YES

Album Title: Fragile

Producer(s): Yes & Eddy Offord.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Roundabout; Cans and Brahms; We Have Heaven; South Side of the Sky.

Side 2: Five Per Cent for Nothing; Long Distance Runaround; The Fish; Mood for a Day; Heart of the Sunrise.

Label/Format: Atlantic – Original red and maroon (Plum) format.

Label Conditions: Both immaculate: highly attractive and clean examples that show only a couple of whispy faint spindle marks and no wear around the hole at all. Quite possibly the best pair of plum labels I have yet seen on any Yes album.

Cat Number: 2401019.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Record: 120 grams. [These days, many modern Audiophile reissues are pressed on super-heavyweight 180 gram vinyl. Only a small percentage of ‘vintage vinyl’ was ever pressed this heavy. Records pressed in the 1960s averaged around 140 to 150 grams. Records pressed in the 1970s were usually lighter and averaged more around 115 – 125 grams]. (This was based on ‘average’ weights for 20 records from these eras. Later pressings were usually lighter still).

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity Factor and Detail: This original plum copy is scarce, one of the very last rock LPs to be pressed with this label format (along with Led Zep IV, Loaded by The Velvet Underground and the very scarce Allman Brothers Live at Fillmore East - this I believe was issued later than all these). The original sleeve is sometimes found with the Kinney sticker on the back with the new cat number. So late was this album made with the original number, it was even found after the transition, this copy has no sticker and would be one of the few that made the shops as a true original. Not only that, this is one of the best original covers I have ever seen, it’s a massive challenging to find this in top conditions. Unless scrutinised right up very close, all the main surfaces show little real wear but the front has faint pressing marks where at sometime it has been used as a ‘cushion’ for writing. Bar this, a truly superb example and with normal viewing, these blemishes do not even show. The record plays beautifully and its a very difficult title on vinyl with so many quiet passages and particularly noteworthy; the track ‘Cans and Brahms’ plays as close to ‘perfectly’ as any copy ever will. Almost every copy of this album I have ever heard has clipping and mild distortion on this very difficult short instrumental and many actually think its an inherent part of the pressing, but believe me it isn’t. The whole complex album is intolerant of old stylus abuse or heavy tracking and this track especially suffers accordingly with crackle, clipping and distortion. Here, it plays 99 percent focused and sharp throughout and this is a really rare to find and hear like this. The audio quality of this immaculate copy is simply breathtaking and so quiet I actually forgot I was listening to a record. Both run in grooves are silent and even the closing door part with the footsteps was silent – and I do mean SILENT. I have never heard a better vinyl or plum copy of this prog classic, it was a true delight to listen to for its entirety and I consider this a rare copy like this.

Original Year of Release: January 1972

Matrix Nos: 2401019 A1 1 2 1 5 / 2401019 B1 1 3 8.

Album Information: The very scarce original Fragile on ‘Plum’. This original has the book attached to the centrefold (later copies had the book as a loose insert). Being issued in early 1972 (the labels state 1971) this was one of the final run of plum originals. Some early pressings were also pressed on the green label, so even if you rushed to the shops to get ‘Fragile’ on first day of issue you were not guaranteed to get a plum. Possibly issued regionally - I remember for a fact I bought Led Zeppelin IV almost immediately it was issued but it was a green copy, a friend had the same experience too. Obviously I do not know how many plum Fragiles there are around but it has always been one of the hardest to find - scarcer than LZ 4, which does show up far more often. The original cover is always one of the most challenging to find in top condition, dark inks and no laminate this is certainly one of the best ones I have seen or had. The pressmark impressions on the front are invisible with normal viewing so please do not be put off by these blemishes. The front and back will rarely be found with less wear, that I guarantee. The book is lovely too with few blemishes - this original still being very securely stapled to the gatefold inner. Fragile along with The Yes Album and Close to the Edge are arguably the band’s finest albums and the musicianship is of the highest class. Complex and highly technical but mostly very easy on the ear. This one charted at 7 and 4 in the UK and US respectively - a fine achievement for a progressive album - technically light years ahead of many bands around at the time. Beware of later covers being offered with a plum copy, they are far easier to find, especially in better conditions. The album number changes for the reissue and has the K (Kinney) prefix, but this cover clearly has the 2401 019 number printed on the spine which proves beyond any doubt this cover is the original. Later covers were usually slightly lighter in colour too, put the two side by side and the difference is very apparent. This copy is one of the best all rounders I have ever had to offer and most Yes and prog fans will treasure it. The record will prove near unbeatable and simply sounds fantastic.

Cover’s Potential for Wear: Very High(+), a near impossible task to find a near perfect original one and this is certainly one of the very best I have seen if with a few blemishes. Few will ever be seen with no ringwear, rubbing or damage, this one is worthy of a second look, few will compare and its way, way above average.

Cover Condition and Details: Being one of the most demanding prog covers from this period and ruthlessly intolerant of wear and abuse, this is well worthy of a strong EX+ grading and quite honestly I think it’s possibly undergraded at even that because I have rarely seen one look much more attractive overall. Although it does have some mild wear, mostly to the spine ends and the mild impression marks on the front, I think this is a very fair grading as only one in many will show up like this. A gatefold format, made with double thickness, heavy card, the booklet stapled very securely to centrefold, printed and made in England by MacNeill Press Ltd. With the main four faces in great condition with high percentages with huge sticker pulls, heavy disfiguring rubbing and horrendous ringwear, this one is exceptional.

Cover Front: Another superb Roger Dean artwork cover and this front does it near full justice. The impression marks are very light indeed and only really show with close up angled viewing. The front retains deep rich colour with no fading and miniscule traces of any rubbing, which is very unusual. Barely any creasing and no sticker marks and retaining a high degree of freshness. Small corner rubs on the spine corners just encroach into view but that apart, all ink is solid and present, a very attractive front indeed.

Cover Back: The back is even more prone to wear, especially ringwear of course but this one has avoided it pretty much totally. Any rubbing is very light and any marks are fine hairline surface types that again don’t show with normal viewing. No creasing and clean, this back complements the front perfectly.

Cover Gatefold Inner: Both sides of the inside are as new. The booklet is secured by two staples that do not penetrate the spine hence the last page is glued into position in manufacture. This remains secure and absolutely solid exactly as made, it looks hardly ever handled and in near pristine condition. The only tiny blemish is a tiny pull mark on the bottom of the ‘Howe’ page. All pages have razor sharp edges with no creasing or grubbiness. Some great vintage band pictures and more stunning Roger Dean artwork. This gatefold and book are in near unbeatable conditions and given their age and potential for handling, exceptional.

Top Edges: Very small rub traces only, never seen less on these.

Bottom Edges: Very light and faint surface rubbing, again you will be hard pressed to find less on these resting edges.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Both sharp and very neat with minimal traces of wear and no feathering. Record entered on right outside back edge.

Spine and Text: For once, the spine is in great condition with ALL text totally unworn which makes a refreshing change. Rock solid, dead straight, uncompressed and folded square, both right edges meeting up dead flush and parallel. I reitterate the correct numbers and text on this spine: Atlantic Deluxe 2401 019. A few tiny chips only but the very top and bottom have rubbed. A major bonus is the lack of rubbing on the foldline hinges, all ink on these critical parts is unrubbed.

Corners: Moderate end rubs on the spine, few will ever avoid it. The right pairs are very neat indeed and have nothing more than tiny tip rubs and these retain superb shape and definition.

Cover Summary: Of all the ‘classic’ prog covers I find, this is one of the most worn that comes along. This one has survived still looking highly attractive and pleasing to the eye with minimal wear and no real damage. This is so highly intolerant of old price stickers, it’s an achievement for find one with no hint of any pull marks or tears. A strong and attractive all round example of this very delicate early 70’s cover, one that will prove very difficult to find much better given all the facts. Blemishes, yes, and a little light edge and corner wear but this strong item should please many collectors if not quite the perfectionists who will have to search for the near impossible a little longer.

The Inner: Around EX. The Polydor style lined inner is also in fine and clean condition with minimal traces of ageing and a lovely neat window. Barely any creasing and all edges unsplit. The odd small tone spot but gum darkening has largely been avoided. It has the year code 0571.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: With barely a noteworthy mark or blemish on side one and just one fine surface mark on side two, I have no hesitation in grading this stunning copy Mint(-). With two immaculate playing surfaces that are close on looking as new, this will prove near unbeatable. The fine surface mark on side has NO sound whatsoever and in terms of pressing quality, this is second to none. In fact, this is one of the quietest and best pressed examples I have ever heard, this plays close to perfection and do not underestimate how difficult this is. A stunning looking copy and close on being the best for me ever. It is super clean and shiny, jet black and solidly pressed, the ultra clean grooves have superb sound and focus. A copy that more than matches the lovely clean plum labels. A copy hardly played and barely run-in in vinyl terms, this difficult Plum album will be prove near impossible to find looking better.

Album Played For Grading: Yes. [I play ALL records I offer before submitting to Ebay, also the record is played in its entirety unless clearly stated otherwise. I do NOT play snippetts or joining grooves to check for sound quality and quietness – I play from the beginning to end via clinically revealing B&W speakers that include the legendary tweeter from their awesome Nautilus range that reveals every blemish or miniscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: My play-grade was a sheer joy, this plays beautifully, what a pleasure to find such a clean, lightly played copy of this stunning album as an original. How many times does a scarce record turn up just to be badly marked or played into submission? Well this copy is one of the best I have heard for some time and quite possibly THE very best, all songs play with breathtaking sound and clarity. Clean, crisp sound and detail and devoid of any sound degrading or distortion. The track ‘Cans and Brahms’, a keyboard solo by Wakeman is a massively difficult short track. I have rarely, if ever heard a copy that will play this absolutely perfect, it often has really bad distortion and breakup with reverb and clipping, quite why this is the case I am not too sure, but I have noted it most times even on later pressed copies. This one plays this near impossible track superbly and possibly the best yet with only tiny traces of any crackle on the odd single rev – I could hardly believe this myself. No pops or clicks or surface sounds were noted. Fragile by name, fragile by nature, this album has several very quiet passages like the silence before the door reopening to let the sound back in at the very end of the album and the delicate Anderson unaccompanied vocals sections – this will test any vinyl record but here, all is immaculate with nothing unwanted, dead silence is almost unrealistic but this one comes as close as vinyl ever will and it will take an extraordinary copy to match or better this beauty. The sounds encaptured on this plum copy will blow away any CD version for pure sound quality and detail and later pressings do not sound quite as rich and detailed - Plum pressings of this album are scarce and extra special – settle for nothing else, unreservedly recommended.

End Piece: Classic progressive rock with the band’s finest ever line-up, taking nothing away from the rest of the band who are magnificent, Chris Squire’s bass playing is awesome throughout. They were: Anderson; Bruford; Howe; Wakeman and Squire. Fragile of course features terrific artwork from Roger Dean making this set that extra bit special. To find a UK Atlantic plum is getting difficult, especially where the record is so clean housed in a cover so lightly worn. Experienced collectors will know this already - I strongly recommend this scarce copy, it was a pure joy to hear this prog classic sounding like this – a rare privilege for sure.

Now one of the most established sellers on Ebay and still offering the finest and most accurately described and graded records I can find. I pride myself on offering a variety of genres to keep my site as interesting as possible. I will rarely offer any record that falls below a true Excellent grading, unless its of a certain rarity which will justify offering a lesser grade. I try, to the best of my ability to describe as accurately and as honesty as I can all items I offer for sale with all the relevant information I can think of to help any potential bidder and collector. You may notice I only submit records sparingly on Ebay - on average ONEADAY, a couple more at weekends if time permits, hence the name - time rarely allows for more as I Play-Grade virtually every record I offer in their entirety, not just bits to guess a grade - visuals alone do not always tell a true or full story. I will mention any defects or flaws no matter how small that I notice to be fair as possible to any interested collector – I am very fussy and my buyers have the right to be too. Every record I offer, whether it be a common or rare item deserves the same respect as far as I am concerned and will be treated the same - just because an item is rare does not always mean its good. I get just as much pleasure offering a relatively common record in stunning near mint condition as the real rare items. All the pictures I use for your guidance are taken with a digital camera or scanned - they are NOT improved, cleaned-up or made better looking than they are with camera trickery or enhancing with digital programmes. What you see is what you get and scanned labels will give a more accurate representation of the genuine colour than flash photography where light is variable. I cannot guarantee total accuracy for colours however but most will be very close. If any picture I take looks more flattering than the actual item for any reason, I will clearly state the fact in the advert and vice-versa. I hope the item below is to your liking - any questions can be emailed and I will do my very best to answer you. I am enthusiastic, and have a fair degree of knowledge about many genres and I promise quality items - bid with confidence - excellence comes as standard and so does Near Mint regularly. Please assume all records I offer have NO jumps, sticks, warps or writing on covers or labels unless clearly stated to the contrary. Thanks for your interest and Good luck – MIKE.

Deck: Linn LP12 with Ittok Mk IV arm and Ortofon Samba Moving Coil cartridge (tracks at 1.8 grams). Amps: Naim Nait 5i with Project USB phono stage and Chord interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired). All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional Moth vacuum machine before play-grading for the cleanest and best possible sound and will include a brand new lined inner and protective cover too.

First-time, zero-rated bidders, who do not ask permission to bid, will be cancelled immediately and blocked – NO exceptions. For winning bidders who I consider excessively slow to make contact or submit payment, I will use my right to block future bids. If any bidder who wins in the final seconds is present to do so, surely they can at least email me to inform of intention and payment method? If swift or promp payment is a problem, please do not bid.

POSTING & PACKING: What You Get: I now offer the fastest possible posting, mostly the very next day after payment is received or within 48 hours maximum. All records are posted in professional boxes (NOT mailers) with the record(s) REMOVED from their main cover to avoid edge splits and placed within a brand new polylined inner. The record’s original inner will be included if available. The boxes are then reinforced with TWO thick stiffners for even extra protection. The cover will be placed within a BRAND NEW heavy duty soft protective sleeve and the actual record will be professionally cleaned on my Moth Pro vacuum system to give ultimate clean grooves and playing surfaces and the best possible looks and ultimate sound quality. Printed address labels are used for clarity and well as sender label. You will NOT get tired, dull looking, dust infested records inside worn and foggy covers with tatty inners from this seller and that’s a promise and guarantee. Customers requests or special needs for P&P will be respected if at all possible but NOT surface mail abroad. I never make profit on posting and offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible. I will invoice any winning bidder as soon as possible after the auction ends, with the total costs including ‘standard’ or ‘optional extra insurance’ P&P – ALL UK and Russian packets go out non-negotiable Recorded Delivery. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is less than 0.1 per percent based on over 4,000+ items sold in over 7 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional.

PLEASE NOTE: I will now only send packets to Russia with Recorded Delivery at a cost of £7 per single LP. If this is unacceptable to Russian collectors, please do not bid. I only want my records to arrive safely and this gives packets a better chance to do so. Also ALL UK packets will be sent with either Recorded or Special Delivery as standard (both have to be signed for). All shipping costs and rules can be found after my description. If they are not acceptable, please do not bid.

NOTE: First Time Bidders: I will cancel ALL first-time bidders with no feedbacks or excessive negatives who do not ask me if its OK to bid first – NO EXCEPTIONS.

Please Note: I will now offer any item to the runner-up after the mandatory Ebay 3 days if no contact is made by the winning bidder unless prior notice of any delay is given beforehand. The same applies if no payment is received within the mandatory 7 days so any bidder who has just lost out can still email me to reserve the item as priority second chance – it’s always worth asking.

SHIPPING COSTS & OPTIONS:

Posting & Packing: UK & CHANNEL ISLANDS all now sent Recorded Delivery:

1 LP (First Class Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £4 (OPTIONAL).

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7 (OPTIONAL).

Posting & Packing: ALL EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA (NOT RUSSIA, see below) (Airmail Only):

1 LP (Small Packet Standard with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) = £5.

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with included Insurance to Item’s ‘Sold’ Value, £500* Maximum) = £9 (OPTIONAL).

Posting & Packing: RUSSIA (Recorded Only, if this is unacceptable, please do not bid):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ only £7) = £9 (OPTIONAL extra insurance as above).

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (any part); Australia; Canada; Japan and other Far East; (Airmail Only: I NEVER use Surface Mail):

1 LP (Small Packet Standard with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) = £8.

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with included Insurance to Item’s ‘Sold’ Value, £500* Maximum) = £13 (OPTIONAL).

* If Rules allow for that country.

PLEASE NOTE: I always get a Royal Mail ‘Proof-of-Posting’ receipt for ALL packets that are sent out and I am happy to prove this to any customer who wishes to see it via email.

Payment Conditions:

I prefer PayPal or cheque from UK winning bidders. I can accept PayPal from overseas bidders.

The customer can choose their method of shipping with the exception of second class or surface mail overseas – these I will NOT use. The winner bidder chooses his/her posting method and if uninsured is chosen, its their decision and they have to stick with it, I can accept no responsibility if an item is lost in the post. I can only try to claim at standard levels if no enhancement is chosen (£35).

Potential Bidders: Please do not bid if you have negative feedback unless checking first, I will cancel any bids I feel are timewasters. A maximum 3 days for communication and 7 days for payment to arrive - if not I will relist the item or offer to the runner-up. Fast deals get great feedback from me. Any questions - please ask and thanks for looking.

My Guarantee: If any winning bidder is not satisfied with their purchase I will offer a complete refund minus the Posting and All Ebay costs as long as the item detail has been read and understood. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer. If any overseas collector does not understand anything in my listing, please email and ask me to help.

SOME GENERAL GUIDES TO WEAR AND CONDITIONS TO HELP YOU DECIDE

My Use of Description Terminology: Surface Marks = Superficial, usually light marks, hairlines or light scuffs that rarely sound. Scratch = a needle mark that goes below the record’s surface, some will sound, some will not, my play-grade will inform. Original = a record that has been pressed with the first label design which does NOT neccessarily mean a very first pressed record. First Pressing = A record that I believe or know to be a genuine very first pressed record. I do not claim to always know for sure, and that’s why I state the stamper and matrix numbers if at all possible, for those who claim to know what they all mean, the information is there for the collector to decide. I prefer to use terms like ‘Early Copy’ rather than ‘First Pressing’ if I am not totally sure. Surface Sound = Mild, light sound, usually light crackle or similar. Distortion = Break up of the actual sound caused by groove wear or damage from a chipped stylus – the most undesirable form of unwanted sound, vintage mono records were the most prone to this happening but not exclusively so. The symptoms of distortion are high frequency clipping, moderate constant crackle or an echo type sound quality. Violin, piano and vocals are most prone to groove-wear distortion. Feathering = Fraying or softening of the entry edge of a cover. Covers with feathered entrance edges are more likely to have had the actual record inserted and removed more than a non-feathered, sharp-edged cover which are always far more attractive. Set Off, actually a printer’s term for dark ink leaving mild residue on pale or white ink when rested upon. e.g. when a gatefold cover has black ink closed against white, this can leave some black residue on the pale area – this is mostly unavoidable or course.

The Argument for Vinyl Original sound and mix (mono mixes are rarely available on CD), high quality sound on clean copies (played on a hi-end dedicated analogue system – breathtaking sound!), beautiful, large format covers, artwork, inserts and even full size posters etc; huge investment potential, and the pleasure of owning ‘the real thing’.