GENESIS THE BEST OF 1975 RARE Norwegian PROG LP 9299 707 impressive vinyl+audio

	£		68
	$		90

GENESIS - THE BEST OF

An impressive & highly presentable copy of this seldom seen and sought after 1975 Norwegian first pressing prog rock gem, on the coveted CHARISMA large mad hatter label, STEREO 9299 707

The dead wax matrix numbers are :

Side 1   9299 707 A  9 P75  F RS  710 

Side 2   9299 707 B  9 P75  F RS  710

In normal daylight the appearance of the vinyl is excellent (EX). Gleaming, completely flat vinyl with jet black lacquering and a truly impressive sheen, with no obvious marks at all. Closer scrutiny under a bright light does reveal a number of small, light wispy hairlines and light paper scuffs on each side of the vinyl, but there is nothing that is either "feelable" or obviously below the surface. With this in mind I would grade the overall condition of the vinyl as very good plus (VG+).

The labels are pristine. Beautiful labels with all writing, all colouring, all art work, and the iconic "CHARISMA large Mad Hatter" logo perfectly intact. I could not even detect the usual one or two faint spindle trails adjacent to the centre hole. Brilliant!

The laminated (back and front) Phonart designed outer sleeve is very good plus (VG+). Each edge remains firm with barely any scuffing except for a 3cm scuff at the centre of the bottom edge and some minimal rubbing on the two corners of the opening edge (actually the very tip of the top of the front side right hand corner has been snipped off). There are x5 0.5-1 cm laminate surface creases adjacent and perpendicular to the spine on the front side, one of which does impinge slightly upon the spine which itself is in excellent condition, with all text fully intact, though there are two are small "nicks" further down the spine. There is no laminate lifting, no obvious creasing, the opening edges remain firm with no fraying, and all corners remain nicely defined right angles (notwithstanding the small snip on the front side top right corner). All colouring, photos and art work remain vibrant, clear and nicely intact.

Finally, the quality of the audio is very good plus (VG+). No nasty clicks, no skips, no repeats, no jumps, and just some minor occasional/intermittent background crackle during some of the quieter moments on side 2 and at the very end of side 1, and x2 mild clicks in the middle of side 2 (close inspection under a bright light revealed no obvious cause - possibly some dust in the grooves through decades of storage). Every track on this album makes for a great listen - turn up the volume and enjoy fabulous, original and first rate prog rock from a band that in the early 70's was a true prog rock innovator.

The tracks are :

Side 1 :

1. I KNOW WHAT I LIKE IN YOUR WARDROBE

2. HAROLD THE BARREL

3. HARLEQUIN

4. WATCHER OF THE SKIES

5. THE FOUNTAIN OF SAMACIS

Side 2 :

1. SUPPER'S READY

Comes with original plain white and very good condition inner sleeve which does have a 3-4cm split in the middle of each of the three edges but no tears, creases or unwanted writing and remaining fully functional.  Note that I always post the vinyl in a new plain white inner sleeve in order to protect the original.

In summary a very good plus condition copy of this rare and sought after 1975 Norwegian 1st press prog gem - highly presentable, a worthy addition to any vinyl collection and only continuing to gain in value.

 If you require any further information, including photos, then let me know and I'll do my best to oblige. 

If this record interests you then take a look at my other 60's & 70's classic vinyl listings.

A bit about myself : I have been collecting vinyl for more than 48 years and have amassed a huge collection covering a varied genre, but mostly of 1960's and 70's origin. Most of my records were originally bought by myself for my own collection, but during the past 30 years I have embellished my collection by buying records from a variety of sources : friends/acquaintances, car boot sales, auctions, and even through putting up a "vinyl wanted" notice in my wife's shop! I am now retired and take great delight in being able to spend more time scouring the country and attending boot sales and auctions in the hope of unearthing more vinyl gems...I am 64 years of age now and am still discovering bands and music of the 60's and 70's that I have never come across before. Wonderful! Richard

My ebay feedback speaks for itself so rest assured that you are buying from a trusted seller and in the very unlikely event that you are unhappy with your purchase just e-mail me and I'll sort out the problem. I offer a "no quibble" refund policy. 

On the subject of postage, I take great care in the packaging of all items, using a proper vinyl thick cardboard "crucifix" style mailer along with at least two thick cardboard stiffeners. I take great care in separating the record from the outer sleeve in order to help prevent sleeve damage in transit and I always insert the vinyl, outer sleeve and inner into a clear plastic sleeve, thus adding further protection. 

For this item postage & packaging will be UK £4.00, Royal Mail 1st class signed for; 

Continental Europe £11 and Rest of the World £15, Royal Mail 1st class tracked and signed for. 

 I DO discount post & packaging costs for multiple purchases. I do NOT profit from postage.

Good luck with your bidding!

NOTE : My vinyl descriptions comply with the official Record Collector vinyl grading guidelines :

Mint

The records itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. The cover and any extra items, such as the lyric sheet, booklet or poster are in perfect condition. Records advertised as Sealed or Unplayed should be Mint.

Excellent

The record shows some signs of having been played, but there is very little lessening in sound quality. The cover and packaging might have slight wear and /or creasing.

Very Good

The record has obviously been played many times, but displays no major deterioration in sound quality, despite noticeable surface marks and the occasional light scratch. Normal wear and tear on the cover or extra items, without any major defects, is acceptable.

Good

The record has been played so much that the sound quality has noticeably deteriorated, perhaps with some distortion and mild scratches. The cover and contents suffer from folding, scuffing of edges, spine splits, discolouration, etc.

Fair

The record is still just playable but has not been cared for properly and displays considerable surface noise; it may even jump. The cover and contents are torn, stained and/or defaced

Poor

The record will not play properly due to scratches, bad surface noise, etc. The cover and contents are badly damaged or partly missing.

Bad

The record is unplayable or might even be broken, and is only of use as a collection-filler