BEATLES, Abbey Road [in shrink] USA 1st press EXC- LP [uncropped drain sleeve]

$

199

The Beatles ?– Abbey Road Label: Apple Records ?– SO-383 Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo, Scranton Pressing  Country: US Released: 1969 Genre: Rock Style: Pop Rock Tracklist Hide Credits A1 Come Together 4:16 A2 Something Written-By – George Harrison 2:59 A3 Maxwell's Silver Hammer 3:24 A4 Oh! Darling 3:28 A5 Octopus's Garden Written-By – Richard Starkey 2:49 A6 I Want You (She's So Heavy) 7:49 B1 Here Comes The Sun Written-By – George Harrison 3:04 B2 Because 2:45 B3 You Never Give Me Your Money 3:57 B4 Sun King 2:31 B5 Mean Mr. Mustard 1:06 B6 Polythene Pam 1:13 B7 She Came In Through The Bathroom Window 1:58 B8 Golden Slumbers 1:31 B9 Carry That Weight 1:37 B10 The End 2:04 B11 Her Majesty 0:23 Companies, etc. Manufactured By – Apple Records, Inc. Pressed By – Capitol Records Pressing Plant, Scranton Credits Other [Thanks To] – George Martin, Geoff Emerick And Phillip McDonald  Photography By – Iain Macmillan Producer – George Martin Written-By – Lennon-McCartney (tracks: A1, A3, A4, A6, B2 to B11)  Notes Recorded in England. This version was pressed by Capitol Records Pressing Plant, Scranton PA which can be identified by their triangular stamp in runouts that has the letters I above AM inside it. Has "Mfd. by Apple Records, Inc." at bottom of B-side label. Un-cropped front cover showing sewer drain. Has "Her Majesty" listed on both the side B label and the sleeve. Cat no. listed as 'SO-383' on the label and 'APPLE SO-383' on the spine and the back of the sleeve. An E.M.I. Recording.  

USA FIRST PRESSING VINYL ALBUM WITH ORIGINAL WHITE INNER SLEEVE. Specific to this pressing is: Uncropped drain sleeve (under Ringo's foot), 'Her Majesty' on label and rear of sleeve, "Mfd. by Apple Records, Inc." at bottom of B-side label. There are variants of this sleeve and the 'Her Majesty' credit, which seem to be related to which Capitol pressing plant was used, the Winchester, Los Angeles and Jacksonville plants have sleeve variants of one kind or another.

MATRIX:  SIDE A: SO1-383-F7#2 [IAM]  /  SIDE B:  SO2-383-F7 11#12 [IAM].

SLEEVE: EXCELLENT MINUS, STILL IN OPENED SHRINK WRAP WITH MINOR CORNER BUMPS.  THIS IS A LOVELY ORIGINAL ERA SLEEVE FOR ONCE.  INNER SLEEVE VERY GOOD+ WITH NO SEAM SPLITS.

DISC: EXCELLENT MINUS. NO SCRATCHES, JUST A COUPLE OF VERY LIGHT HAIRLINES AND FINGERPRINTS.  SOME PRESSING SHADING IN VINYL WHICH IS COMMON TO THESE MASS PRODUCED LPS OF THIS ERA. CLEAN LABELS.

Why buy a first or early pressing and not a re-issue or a ‘re-mastered’ vinyl album?

First and early pressings are pressed from the first generation lacquers and stampers. They usually sound vastly superior to later issues/re-issues (which, in recent times, are often pressed from whatever 'best' tapes or digital sources are currently available) - many so-called 'audiophile' new 180g pressings are cut from hi-res digital sources…essentially an expensive CD pressed on vinyl.  Why  experience the worse elements of both formats?  These are just High Maintenance CDs, with mid-ranges so cloaked with a veil as to sound smeared.  They are nearly always compressed with murky transients and a general lifelessness in the overall sound.  There are exceptions where re-masters/re-presses outshine the original issues, but they are exceptions and not the norm.

First or early pressings nearly always have more immediacy, presence and dynamics. The sound staging is wider.  Subtle instrument nuances are better placed with more spacious textures. Balances are firmer in the bottom end with a far-tighter bass. Upper-mid ranges shine without harshness, and the overall depth is more immersive.  Inner details are  clearer.

On first and early pressings, the music tends to sound more ‘alive’ and vibrant.  The physics of sound energy is hard to clarify and write about from a listening perspective, but the best we can describe it is to say that you can 'hear' what the mixing and mastering engineers wanted you to hear when they first recorded the music.   

• 1. USA BY MEDIA MAIL IS $5.99 FOR ANY AMOUNT OF LPs PURCHASED AND PAID FOR AT THE SAME TIME

          


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