Iron Maiden : Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son A-3U / B-3U 1st Press

This fifth variant of the first pressing is stunning!  It plays as you would want it to, with a clarity, depth and power that is second to none.  I am not sure I have heard a better version - the sonic quality is just exceptional and there is barely any static - just a minimal amount on the S1 intro - and there are certainly no clicks or pops.  Superb!

The cover is in fantastic condition with no obvious shelf wear and the lyric inner is perfect.

EMD 1006 // A - 3U / B - 3U // VERY DIRECT METAL & IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT BOLLOCKS + STERLING etched on the run out grooves

The audio on S1 is Mint- (T1 intro Ex)

The audio on S2 is Mint- (T2 Near Mint)

The cover is a very strong Near Mint

The labels are Near Mint

The lyric inner is Mint

Visual grading

The vinyl is in lovely condition and still has a very strong glossy sheen with no marking or scratching.  There are some faint sleeve removal hairlines but as is often the case they have no affect on the immaculate audio.  The run out grooves and labels are also extremely clean.

Play grading

The acoustic intro on 'Moonchild' has only very minimal light static and no ticks, clicks or pops.  As the keyboard comes in there is barely any 'background' and as that familiar Maiden sound 'kicks in' the audio is outstanding.  It proceeds in the same way with remarkable depth and power and there is no interference of any kind.  'As new' is no exaggeration and right to the end it plays with unrivalled quality.  The intro is Ex and the remainder is Mint I am confident in saying.

The quiet intro on 'Infinite Dreams' has barely any static and from that point on there is so much to admire!  As per the previous track there is just no interference and the sonic quality is equal to that of a high quality vinyl only pressed yesterday.  It has such a strong, deep and rich sound and nowhere is that more obvious than during the long instrumental section.  With a more progressive feel this track is stunning and I cannot overstate how well it plays!  Obviously it has to be played very loud!  Dickinson's vocal is on such a high register here and yet there is no distortion and every verse plays with sublime precision.  A Mint- grade is more than deserved.  What a version!

'Can I Play With Madness' is of the same standard and is Mint from start to finish.  As always I have listened to every second (why wouldn't I want to!) so as to provide a 'complete' grading and there is quite simply no 'background' of any kind.

The quieter intro on 'The Evil That Men Do' has no interference, not even a dust tick, and continues to play with STUNNING quality for the remainder.  There is no inner groove distortion and I have no hesitation in grading this as Mint also.  A stunning end to the side.

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'Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son' begins in impressive fashion with no interference on the intro and the opening two verses are equally as good.  It continues to play with incredible depth and power and the instrumental section is easily one of the 'cleanest' I have heard.  There are no clicks or pops and only minimal light static at the start which is totally non-intrusive.  From then on the clarity is amazing and the 'spoken' section is 'as new' which can be said for 99% of it anyway!  A true 'progressive' instrumental that impresses on every level.  The following solo section is 'as new' and truth be told I am running out of suitable adjectives in which to describe this audio!  The remainder is faultless and I can safely say this is Mint- from start to finish with no interference whatsoever.  Wow what a version!

The quiet intro on 'The Prophecy' plays so well with barely any static and just the one minor static tick.  As the music begins soon followed by the vocal the audio is spectacular!  Every verse, chorus and instrumental section plays to the highest standard possible and the acoustic end section again has only minimal static (very minimal!).  I think overall this deserves a Near Mint grading although the vast majority is certainly better than that.

The bass intro on 'The Clairvoyant' has only a handful of barely audible dust ticks and then plays with genuine 'high end' quality with no sign of any interference.  Another stunning track that qualifies as Mint- for sure.

'Only The Good Die Young' ends this classic album in fine style with...no interference.  Just pure power and 'as new' definition from the first note to the last.  There is no inner groove distortion and again I'm listening hard but I just cannot find any faults!  The 'high octane' solo finish more than exemplifies the quality on offer here and the final super quiet verse also plays with immaculate precision.  I am in no doubt that this can be graded as Mint it is the strongest version I have heard in many a year.

In summary this first pressing is a classic example of a vinyl that has been so well looked after down the  years.  The audio is of a standard that you so rarely find and I don't say that lightly.  The playback truly is STUNNING in every way and has no obvious interference at all.  Yes I graded the intro on 'Moonchild' as Ex but it still plays extremely well and every note can be heard very clearly.  There is barely any static across the entire album and any avid collector would be very impressed by the sonic quality on offer here.  A particular favourite of mine I'm not sure I want to sell it!

The Cover

The cover is in superb condition, near perfect in fact.  The edges and spine have no shelf wear and there is barely any corner wear either.  The opening edge is practically 'as new' and looks hardly touched.  The front cover is so clean and has no marking aside from one tiny 'white' mark to the left of the 'I' next to the spine.  The back cover is even better with no marking/creasing at all.  A stunning example of this iconic cover.

The Lyric Inner

The glossy lyric inner is pristine with no side splits, marking or creasing - never seen better!

The Labels

They are in superb condition with no marking or writing and there is barely any spindle wear on the S2 label and only a little more on S1.

Play tested on my Pro-Ject Essential III Turntable / B&W 684 Speakers

This record has been cleaned on a Pro-Ject VC-S machine

EMD 1006 // A - 3U / B - 3U // VERY DIRECT METAL & IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT BOLLOCKS + STERLING etched on the run out grooves

I grade according to "Record Collector" guidelines.

Any questions please feel free to ask

Please pay within 4 days of auction end

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Postage & Packaging

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