Atomic Rooster : In Hearing Of A1 / B1 1st Press

This first pressing on the Pegasus label is outstanding!  I have never played a version as stunning as this in all my years of collecting/selling and there is no interference of any kind.  One light static tick on S2 but that is it!  There is no underlying static and there are certainly no clicks or pops.  The clarity, depth and warmth of the audio is incredible and you would think this was pressed only yesterday it is as good as that!

This was the first album released on the Pegasus label and as can be seen it has very early single stampers on each side.  Being an offshoot of B&C Records they followed the GRAMOPHLTD system and this particular pressing has the holy grail of stampers - G1 on S1!

The cover is in superb condition with barely any wear and the original plain white inner is also in great shape with no side splits or marking.

PEG 1 // A - 1U / B - 1U // G1 / T2

The audio on S1 is Mint(-)

The audio on S2 is Mint(-)

The gatefold is Ex++

The labels are Mint-

The original inner is Near Mint-

Visual grading

The vinyl is in beautiful condition and retains an immaculate jet-black glossy sheen.  It is as close to perfect that you could find apart from a couple of small hairline marks on S2 that have no affect on the stunning audio.  Aside from that I can only detect 3/4 very faint sleeve removal hairlines - very difficult to find!  Judging by the audio, how clean the vinyl is and that I can only see one tiny spindle trace on S2 it is obvious this record has been hardly played.  There are no scratches and the run out grooves and labels are also in fantastic condition.

The instrumental opening on 'Breakthrough' plays with incredible clarity, so much so that you would think this record had never been played before or only pressed yesterday...or both!  The first vocal is equally as good and carries on in the same way.  It's not only the clarity but the definition of the audio that really stands out, each note is so 'clean' and precise and there is no 'background' at all not even a dust tick.  This is Mint from start to finish, no need for a minus here!

The long and quiet build up intro on 'Break The Ice' is the finest I have ever heard, it is STUNNING!  All you hear is the music as there is just no interference at all.  Pure 'as new' audio.  As the guitar comes in, soon followed by the vocal, the audio quality does not diminish and once again I am just amazed at the clarity on offer here.  It has that CD like aesthetic quality about it i.e. so clean with no 'background' but without the added warmth and depth that you only get with vinyl.  Every second plays to perfection and that includes the fade out.  Another Mint track.

The gentle piano intro on 'Decision / Indecision' is immaculate and it continues to play with imperious quality.  There is no intrusion during the quieter sections and indeed every section plays faultlessly with no interference.  I heard only a couple of barely audible dust ticks throughout and again there is no denying the sonic quality here.  Another perfect fade out and another Mint grade.

'A Spoonful Of Bromide Helps The Pulse Rate Go Down' is absolutely STUNNING!  Honestly audio does not get any better!  This instrumental plays with a power and depth and has no inner groove distortion whatsoever.  This is again Mint and I do not 'over-sell' my listings as it just not in my interests to do so.  Yes I know various systems can play differently but I do not see how they could detect any interference on this 'percussive' track nor on any of the others on this side.  This is such a powerful track and it goes without saying that I have never heard better.  The brief silent section right at the end is exactly that, totally silent, and like I say this is Mint every step of the way.

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The intro on 'Black Snake' plays with stunning precision and this continues into the first vocal.  From then on it plays with sublime clarity and with no 'background' aside from one light static tick in the long instrumental section.  I will grade as Mint- because of that but you could not wish to find a more impressive version.  There are so many quiet sections and yet they all play beautifully with incredible clarity and precision.

The 'high octane' intro on 'Head In The Sky' is 'as new' with no sign of any interference and it continues to play with wonderful power and depth.  The playback is as strong as it would have been back in '71 (like the other tracks!) and from the opening groove to the last it is Mint without question.

'The Rock' is of the same 'high end' standard and again the depth of the audio is just breathtaking.  Mint

The intro on 'The Price' plays perfectly and the first verse is equally as good.  You won't be surprised to hear that it continues in the same manner with no interference and no inner groove distortion either.  This is also the case on the powerful vocal finish, never heard stronger.  The fade out has no 'background' and this is a Mint end to the album.  An wow what an album!

In summary this first pressing plays to a standard that you hardly ever find today.  There is clarity and then there is clarity like we have here!  The sonic quality on both sides is just exceptional and this is 50 years old this year!  It just shows you can still find Mint audio every now and then and if this has been played I would say only once, maybe twice at most.  Not just Near Mint but Mint that is how good it is!  This is a record that has been so well preserved over the decades.

The Gatefold

The E.J. Day gatefold is in lovely condition with only very minimal shelf wear and remains very strong and robust like it has been hardly handled over the last 50 years.  The edges have only very minimal rubbing and the wide spine is also in excellent shape with just one scuff below 'Atomic' but is still 100% legible.  Only the bottom corner of the spine has minimal wear and all of the other corners are in superb condition with no obvious wear at all.  The opening edge has no handling wear which is perhaps not surprising.  The front cover is in fantastic condition with no marking, just a couple of specks top left, and the back cover is almost as good with just one small scuff in the top left corner.  The inside of the gatefold is immaculate and all colours throughout remain very strong and vibrant.  A fine example overall with only a couple of minor blemishes.

The Inner Sleeve

The die-cut plain white inner sleeve (with Patent No 1,125,555 and Made In England printed on one side) is in great condition with no side splits or tears, no marking and only very minimal creasing.  Not bad for a bit of paper at 50 years of age!

The Labels

The Pegasus labels are stunning!  With only one barely visible spindle trace on S2 they are as near to perfect as is possible!

Play tested on my Pro-Ject Essential III Turntable / B&W 684 Speakers

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

PEG 1 // A - 1U / B - 1U // G1 / T2

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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