GENTLE GIANT Acquiring The Taste 1971 UK VERTIGO 1st press brilliant vinyl+audio

	£		122
	$		162

GENTLE GIANT - ACQUIRING THE TASTE

A truly impressive copy of this increasingly rare and highly sought after 1971 UK very first pressing of this prog rock gem, on the Vertigo  label, 6360 041

The dead wax matrix numbers are :

Side 1  6360041 1Y//2 11 with stampers "1 1 7" at 5 o'clock 

Side 2  6360041 2Y//2 11 with stampers "1 1 7" at 3 o'clock

The appearance of the flat, thick vinyl is truly excellent plus (EX+). Gleaming vinyl with jet black lacquering and in normal daylight no detectable marks at all. Even with close scrutiny and under an intense light I could only identify just a few small, very faint paper scuffs...insignificant. The single exception to this a very, very small mark towards the end of track 2 on side 1 which results in five mild clicks. Apart from this one blemish the vinyl is in truly brilliant condition and, clearly, has been played sparingly. 

The labels are excellent+. Beautiful smooth textured labels with no unwanted writing or marks, and the ubiquitous Vertigo logos, on both the side 1 and side 2 labels, perfectly intact, as is all of the text. Close scrutiny under a bright light reveals just a couple of small and very faint spindle trails adjacent to the centre hole on each label.

The unlaminated gatefold outer sleeve is a solid excellent-. Such an iconic sleeve, and becoming increasingly difficult to locate a true UK first pressing in condition as impressive as this. Amazingly there is barely any scuffing or rubbing on any of the edges (just the hint of a 1.5cm very, very light scuff towards the right corner on both the top and bottom front edge), the opening sides are firm with no feathering, and each corner remains a well defined right angle with just minimal rubbing on each corner. There is no cardboard creasing and the colouring remains rich and vibrant. The spine remains firm and is free from scuffs and "nicks" apart from a single 1.5 cm obvious scuff towards the bottom of the spine...if it were not for this blemish I would have no hesitation in grading the overall condition of the gatefold as excellent (as opposed to excellent minus), especially when taking into account the art work and colouring all of which remains beautifully intact. There is the odd tiny "nick" and hint of a little ring wear (only visible when held at the right angle) but these are each very minor aberrations. The inside of the gatefold is in truly excellent condition - all photography and writing remains intact and there are no obvious blemishes at all.

Finally, the quality of the audio is simply brilliant. No clicks (apart from the aforementioned x5 mild clicks towards the end of track 2, side 1), no skips, no background interference or crackle, just great audio reproduction with brilliant tone and clarity throughout even on the higher frequencies and at higher volume, and silence between the tracks exactly as it should be. Classic prog rock - enjoy!

The tracks are :

Side 1 :

1. PENTAGRUEL'S NATIVITY

2. EDGE OF TWILIGHT

3. THE HOUSE, THE STREET, THE ROOM

4. ACQUIRING THE TASTE

Side 2 :

1. WRECK

2. THE MOON IS DOWN

3. BLACK CAT

4. PLAIN TRUTH

Comes with original poly lined Vertigo swirl inner sleeve with the original "PLASTIC BAGS CAN BE DANGEROUS...", "MADE IN ENGLAND" and "British Patent No...."  text which is in overall excellent and fully functional condition apart from a single 5cm edge split on the left edge. 

Note that I always post the record in a new plain white inner sleeve in order to protect the original.

In summary an excellent copy of this rare and sought after 1971 UK very 1st pressing prog rock classic - there can't be many true 1st pressings of this UK Vertigo swirl gem in condition as good as this - and worthy of gracing any vinyl collection.

 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 63 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 £5.00, Royal Mail 1st class signed for; continental Europe £9 and Rest of the World £13, 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