Hawkwind SPACE RITUAL 1973 UK LP 1st Press W/Inners PLAYS NEAR MINT LISTEN

	£		56
	$		74

FULLY TEST PLAYED AND RECORDED PRIOR TO LISTING SO YOU CAN HEAR IT BEFORE BIDDING  

HAWKWIND - INSEARCH OF SPACE

IN MAGNIFICENT CONDITION  - NEAR MINT AUDIO

ORIGINAL UK FIRST PRESS 

ALMOST THE FIRST OFF THE PRESS 1G/1G/1G/1L

• CATALOGUE:UNITED ARTISTS UAD 60037/38
• MATRIX:UAD 60037 A-2U / B-2U  UAD 60038 A-2U / B-2U
• MOTHERS/STAMPERS: 1 G / 1 G / 1 G / 1 L
• SIDE 1 HAS 'RAYS' ETCHED INTO THE DEAD WAX
• 
  

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

THE TAN COLOURED UA LABELS ARE IN MINT CONDITION. THE BASE COLOUR STRETCHES FULLY INTO UNWORN SPINDLE HOLES, WHILST THE BLACK TYPEFACE IS UNRUBBED AND ALL PERFECTLY LEGIBLE. 

THERE ARE 1-2 REALLY TINY SPIDER LINES CLOSE TO EACH HOLE 

THE VINYL

THE HEAVYWEIGHT VINYL HAS RETAINED  ALL OF ITS ORIGINAL SHEEN ON ALL 4 SIDES. 

ALL 4 SIDES LOOK SUPERB AND FREE FROM ANY MARKS OR SIGNS OF HANDLING. 

IN DAYLIGHT THE RECORDS ARE FLAWLESS

EVEN UNDER SPOTLIGHTSN THERE IS NOTHING TO SEE APART FROM A FEW WISPY HAIRLINES AND ONE NON SOUNDING EMBEDDED DULL STREAK ON SIDE A

THE TEST PLAY

A MAGNIFICENT EXAMPLE OF THIS OFTEN ABUSED ALBUM

THE AUDIO IS JUST PERFECT FROM START TO FINISH

THERE IS NO DISTORTION TO THE SOUND, AT ALL ANYWHERE, MEANING THE LP WHEN IT WAS PLAYED WAS PLAYED ON A GOOD DECK WITH AN UNWORN STYLUS. 

THE CLARITY OF THE SOUND IS CLEAR AS A BELL, EVERY NOTE HEARD EXACTLY HOW IT WAS SUPOSED TO BE HEARD.

NO EMBEDDED VINYL NOISE

NO BACKGROUND CRACKLE AND NO CLICKS OR TICS

ALL I HEARD DURING THE FOUR SIDES WERE 2-3 TINY SPECKS OF BARELY AUDIBLE STATIC LIKE BACKGROUND AND A COUPLE OF MINUSCULE STATIC TICS

I AM VERY HAPPY TO GRADE THIS AUDIO AS NEAR MINT

BUT PLEASE TAKE A LISTEN AND GRADE IT FOR YOURSELF 

THE SLEEVE

THIS SLEEVE IS NEAR IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND IN ANYTHING OTHER THAN EXCELLENT AT BEST. BECAUSE IT IS A NON LAMINATED FOLD OUT SLEEVE IT IS VERY VERY WEAK AT THE SEAMS, AND JUST ABOUT EVERY COPY YOU WILL SEE WILL HAVE VERY WORN SPINES, WHERE THE TYPEFACE CANNOT BE READ. ON MOST YOU WILL ALSO FIND HORRIBLE RING WEAR AND SHELF WORN EDGES. 

THIS ONE HOWEVER IS IN SUPERB CONDITION 

 SO STARTING WITH THE FRONT. THIS IS THE PANEL WITH THE NAKED WOMAN ON IT AND THE TITLE OF THE DOUBLE LP. 

WORTH POINTING OUT THAT THE WAY THE SLEEVE FOLD UP MAKES IT SIMILAR TO THE WAY TOP LOADER SLEEVES WORK AND THE RECORDS IN THE MAIN ARE REMOVED FROM THE TOP EDGE. 

UNBELIEVEABLY THERE IS NO LOSS OF THE COLOUR TO THIS FRONT SURFACE, AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED IT USUALLY RUBS BADLY AND HAS RING WEAR BUT HERE YOU WILL FIND NEITHER COLOUR LOSS NOR RING WEAR.

IT ALSO HAS THE ORIGINAL HYPE STICKER IN THE TOP RIGHT CORNER WHICH IS PRETTY RARE AS MOST WERE DISPOSED OF

 THERE ARE NO HEAVY CREASES, OR CREASE LINES AND ONLY TWO MINISCULE PRESSURE LINES CLOSE TO THE LEFTHAND SPINE, AND ONE ON THE RIGHT SPINE. 

THE LEFT SPINE HAS SHELF RUB AND THE TEXT HAS BEEN RUBBED AS WELL. THE RIGHT SPINE ON THE OTHER HAND HAS ALL OF THE COLOUR WITH JUST A DOT OF RUB AT THE TIP ENDS

THE TOP OPENING END HAS VERY SHARP SURFACES , WITHOUT ANY FEATHERING

THE REAR SURFACE HAS THE PICTURE OF THE BAND LIVE ON STAGE AND AGAIN USUALLY SUFFERS BADLY FROM RUBBING AND RING WEAR. ONCE AGAIN THOUGH THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NONE. JUST THE FAINTEST SHADOW OF RECORD SHAPE

THERE IS A TINY BIT OF SHELF RUB TO THE BOTTOM EDGE AT THE ENDS

THE REMAINING PANELS ARE ALL IN SUPERB CONDITION. AGAIN THEY HAVE DEEP RICH COLOURS

OPENING THE SLEEVE OUT FULLY REVEALS ALL OF THE DETAIL ABOUT THE TRACKS AND FURTHER SPACE IMAGES. 

THERE IS A LITTLE FOXING BY THE SEAMS ON SOME OF THE INNER PANEKS

THE INNER SLEEVES ARE THE TWO FIRST PRESS INNERS DEPICTED BY THE CATALOGUE NUMBERS ON THE BOTTOM  CORNERS. 

BOTH OF THESE ARE FREE FROM SEAM SPLITS WHICH AGAIN IS UNUISUAL FOR THIS SET. ONE OF THEM HAS A SMALL TEAR ON THE OP OPENING EDGE

A VERY NICE EXAMPLE OF THIS EASILY DAMAGED SLEEVE

IT GRADES EX++ WITH EASE