Curved Air PHANTASMAGORIA UK LP 1ST PRESS MINT-

	£		43
	$		57

CURVED AIR - PHANTASMAGORIA

SUPERB ORIGINAL PROG ROCK

• CATALOGUE:\K 46158
• MATRIX:46158-A2 / B2
•  

THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE EXAMPLE OF THIS ALBUM, PARTICULARLY THE SLEEVE WHICH IS JUST A BRILLIANT WHITE

THE RECORD LABELS

THE DARK GREEN FIRST PRESS WARNER BROTHERS LABELS ARE IN SUPERB CONDITION. THE DEEP GREEN COLOUR IS RECIH AND VIBRANT, AND HAS NO STAINS OR MATKS ON THEM ANYWHERE. THE COLOUR FULLY EXTENDS INTO THE UNWORN SPINDLE HOLE. THE TYPEFACE (BLACK) IS ALSO UNWORN AND PERFECTLY LEGIBLE. FINALLY THERE ARE JUST TWO VERY SMALL SPIDER LINES VERY CLOSE TO THE SPINDLE HOLE, SHOWING THAT THE LP HAS HAD AT MOST A COUPLE OF VERY CAREFUL PLAYS, AND IN ADDITION HAS BEEN HANDLED WITH METICULOUS CARE AND ATTENTION. THESE LABELS COULD NOT LOOK ANY BETTER

THE VINYL

ABSOLUTELY PRISTINE GLOSSY BLACK HEAVYWEIGHT VINYL. REMOVING IT FROM THE SLEEVE AND GENTLY AND CAREFULLY EXAMINING THE DISC REVEALS A SPOTLESS SURFACE. THIS VINYL APPEARS EXACTLY HOW A NEW VINYL WOULD HAVE LOOKED BACK IN 1972 WHEN THIS DISC WAS ORIGINALLY PRESSED. . THE HIGH GLOSS AND MARK FREE DISC IS WITHOUT A DOUBT ONE OF THE CLEANEST I HAVE EVER SEEN. EVEN WHEN OFFERED UP TO A SPOTLIGHT (WHICH ARGUABLY ISN'T REALLY A TRUE REFLECTION OF HOW GOOD A VINYL IS, AS THERE WILL ALWAYS BE SOMETHING TO SEE THIS WAY) THE VINYL DISPLAYS NO MORE THAN A FEW RIDICULOUSLY WISPY HAIRLINES

PLAYING THE RECORD

I HAVE RECORDED 4 SOUNDBITES FROM THIS ALBUM, WHICH INCLUDE THE RUN IN'S AND FIRST 90 SECONDS OR SO OF THE FIRST TRACK ON EACH SIDE, THIS SHOULD SHOW JUST HOW SUPERB THE CLARITY OF SOUND IS AS WELL AS DEMONSTRATING THAT THERE IS NO BACKGROUND NOISE IN THE SILENT SECTIONS. IN ADDITION ONE FURTHER EXAMPLE FROM EACH SIDE OF THE ALBUM INCLUDING THE PRECEEDING LINKING GROOVE

THE RUN IN IS  SILENT, AND AS THE RECORD STARTS TO PLAY "MARIE ANTOINETTE" IT IS VERY OBVIOUS THAT YOU ARE LISTENING TO SOMETHING SPECIAL. THE FIRST THING THAT IS CLEAR IS THAT THE SOUND IS DISTORTION FREE. ALMOST POINTLESS STATING THIS IN LIGHT OF HOW LITTLE THE ALBUM HAS BEEN PLAYED, BUT IT DOES MEAN THAT THE PLAY THAT THE RECORD HAS HAD WAS DONE WITH A GOOD QUALITY STYLUS AND NOT ONE THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE GROOVE SUCH AS A WORN, CHIPPED STYLUS, OR INDEED ONE THAT WAS TRACKING TOO HEAVILY.

EACH TRACK PLAYS THROUGH WITH UTMOST CLARITY. THE PERFORMANCE ALL THE WAY THROUGH BOTH SIDES IS JUST OUTSTANDING. THERE IS NO BACKGROUND NOISE ANYWHERE ON EITHER SIDE. THE ONLY THING I HEARD WAS A COUPLE OF BARELY AUDIBLE LITTLE DUST POPS, BUT THAT IS IT, AND IT NEEDS TO BE ON THIS FOLKY ALBUM WHICH HAS DELICATE INSTRUMENTATION AND NEAR SILENT PASSAGES OF MUSIC, WHERE ANY BACKGROUND NOISE WOULD SOUND FAR WORSE THAN SAY ON A LOUD CUT TRACK.

I HAVE NO HESITATION IN GRADING THIS DISC MINT MINUS

THE SLEEVE

THE OVERALL GRADING OF THE SLEEVE IS MINT MINUS

THIS IS THE BEST EXAMPLE OF THIS SLEEVE THAT I HAVE EVER SEEN. I HAVE HANDLED MANY COPIES OF THIS ALBUM, AND THE ONE THING THAT BLIGHTS VIRTUALLY EVERY COPY IS THE SLEEVE. IT IS USUALLY VERY VERY GRUBBY, DUE TO THE UNLAMINATED AND POUROUS SLEEVE. THE BRILLIANT WHITE SURFACE THEREFORE GETS HEAVILY SOILED AND JUST LOOKS DIRTY!

THIS ONE HAS BEEN KEPT INSIDE A PLASTIC SLEEVE FROM NEW, AND IS JUST BRILLIANT. NOT A HANDLING MARK ON IT ANYWHERE. THERE ARE A COUPLE OF RIDICULOUSLY TINY LINES CLOSE TO THE SPINE, BUT NOTHING AT ALL THAT IS DETREMENTAL TO THE MAGNIFICENCE OF THE SLEEVE. THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES ARE UNWORN, THE SPINE IMMAUCATE, AND FLAT, AND THE OPENING EDGE IS AS SHARP AS IT COULD BE, BUT THEN IT SHOULD BE WITH AN ALBUM THAT HAS BARELY BEEN OUTSIDE OF IT. THE REAR SURFACE IS AS GREAT AS THE FRONT

THE ORIGINAL CARD INNER SHEET WHICH CONTAINS THE LYRICS IS COMPLETLY MINT, AND AGAIN WHITER THAN WHITE

THE ORIGINAL  INNER SLEEVE IS PRESENT AND PLACED CAREFULLY INSIDE THE SLEEVE

THE RECORD HAS BEEN PRESERVED IN A NEW POLY LINED INNER SLEEVE, THE ORIGINAL IS INCLUDED AND LEFT INSIDE THE SLEEVE. THE LP WILL BE SENT VERY CAREFULLY PACKAGED AND I WILL PLACE THE LP OUTSIDE OF THE SLEEVE FOR MAXIMUM PROTECTION. YOUR NEW PURCHASE WILL ALSO COME HOUSED IN A NEW STIFF PLASTIC OUTER SLEEVE.

SO ONCE AGAIN THIS IS A VERY VERY HIGH GRADE COLLECTIBLE ALBUM IN THE MOST SUPERB CONDITION IMAGINABLE, SO BID WITH CONFIDENCE, AND GOOD LUCK IF YOU DECIDE TO GO FOR IT

GARRY