Jethro Tull RARE UK 1ST PRESS - BENEFIT- 1 PLAY MINT-

	£		82
	$		109

JETHRO TULL - BENEFIT

IN MAGNIFICENT CONDITION

THE RARE WHITE i FIRST ISSUE

• CATALOGUE:ISLAND ILPS 9123
• MATRIX: ILPS 9123 A//2   /  ILPS 9123 B//1
• FIRST PRESS MATRIX NUMBERS
• ONLY THE FIRST PRESS LABELS HAVE THE WHITE i AT THE VERY TOP OF THE LABEL

INCRDIBLY I HAVE UNEARTHED A SECOND COPY OF THIS RARE ALBUM IN AS MANY WEEKS

YOU MAY HAVE SEEN OTHER GREEN LABEL PRESSES OF THIS ALBUM, BUT ONLY A VERY FIRST PRESS WILL HAVE THE SMALL WHITE i AT THE VERY TOP OF THE LABEL, AS THIS ONE DOES.

IN ADDITIONTHE FIRST ISSUE VINYL IS FAR HEAVIER THAN ANY OTHER PRESSING AS ITWAS PRESSED ON THE SAME VINYL THAT THE HEAVY PINK ISLAND DISCS WERE MADE FROM, WHICH ALSO UNFORTUNATELY MEANS THAT IT IS ALSO PRONE TO THE VINYL NOISE THAT EARLY ISLAND ISSUES HAD, BUT THIS ONE HAS ESCAPED THIS FATE...READ ON

SO TO SHOW JUST HOW FANTASTIC THIS FIRST PRESS REALLY IS, I HAVE RECORDED THE ENTIRE ALBUM FROM START TO FINISH OVER SIX SOUNDBITES, SO SIT BACK AND TAKE A LISTEN TO PIECE OF TULL HISTORY

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

THE GREEN LABELS TEXTURED LABELS ARE IN MAGNIFICENT CONDITION, THE PASTEL  GREEN COLOUR IS UNBLEMISHED AND FULLY STRETCHES INTO THE UNWORN SPINDLE HOLE. THE BLACK TYPEFACE IS ALSO CLEAR AND PERFECTLY LEGIBLE. A CLOSE EXAMINATION OF THE SPINDLE HOLE REVEALS JUST ONE TINY SPIDER LINE CLOSE TO THE HOLE, SHOWING JUST HOW LITTLE THIS LP HAS BEEN PLAYED.

THE SPINDLE HOLE WAS VERY TIGHT OVER THE SPINDLE OF MY DECK

THE VINYL

IT IS A WELL DOCUMENTED FACT THAT EARLY ISLAND VINYL WAS POOR QUALITY, AND THUS IT IS REALLY HARD TO FIND A COPY OF ANYTHING FROM THIS AGE THAT DOESN'T HAVE INHERRANT VINYL NOISE. THE VINYL HERE LOOKS MAGNIFICENT ON BOTH SIDES AND ONLY UNDER INTENSE ILLUMINATION CAN I SPOT A COUPLE OF WISPY HAIRLINES. THIS IS THE BEST COPY OF THIS ALBUM I HAVE EVER COME ACCROSS

PLAYING THE RECORD

I BELIEVE THAT IF YOU ARE GOING TO SPEND YOUR MONEY ON A FANTASTIC COLLECTIBLE VINYL, THAT YOU SHOULD BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR WHAT YOU ARE BUYING. I HAVE THEREFORE INVESTED IN THE SOFTWARE THAT ALLOWS YOU TO DO JUST THAT.

I HAVE RECORDED THE ENTIRE ALBUM FROM START TO FINISH AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED. I HAVE TAKEN THIS EXTRA TIME AND EFFORT AS I BELIEVE IT'S WHAT EBAYERS WANT FROM SELLERS. IT IS OFTEN SAID AND FAIRLY SO THAT BUYING FROM EBAY CAN BE A TOTAL LOTTERY, AND THAT SELLERS OF LIMITED KNOWLEDGE DESCRIBE LP'S AS MINT AND ARE ACTUALLY ANYTHING BUT. WELL HERE YOU GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR THE ACTUAL ALBUM YOU ARE THINKING OF BIDDING ON. I HOPE YOU AGREE THAT THIS IS THE WAY FORWARD

THE FIRST THING TO POINT OUT IS THAT THE CLARITY OF REPRODUCTION IS SUPERB. THE CRYSTAL CLEAR INSTRUMENTATION AND VOCALS ARE PURE FIRST PRESS. THERE IS CERTAINLY NO GROOVE WEAR TO THIS RARE RECORDING WHICH WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN SOME DISTORTION TO THE SOUND. THERE IS NONE. ISLAND RECORDINGS HAVE LONG BEEN LAMBASTED FOR THE POOR QUALITY OF VINYL USED IN THEIR EARLY LP'S WHICH HAVE OFTEN RESULTED IN UNWANTED VINYL NOISE EVEN WHERE THERE ARE NO MARKS. HERE HOWEVER THE VINYL PLAYS MAGNIFICENTLY ALL THE WAY THROUGH AND APART FROM TWO OR THREE MINUTE AND BARELY AUDIBLE DUST POPS, AND A COUPLE OF SECONDS OR TWO OF LIGHT STATIC IN THE ALBUM PLAYS TO TOTAL PERFECTION

I WOULD GRADE THIS ALBUM MINT MINUS WITH EASE

THE SLEEVE

NON LAMINATED SLIGHTLY TEXTURED SLEEVE

THE FRONT SURFACE IS CLEAN AND HAS NO MARKS OR STAINS ON IT WHATSOEVER. THERE ARE NO HEAVY CREASES NOR ARE THERE ANY CREASE LINES EITHER, AND EVEN THE TINY LINES THAT USUALLY FORM NEAR THE SPINE ARE RESTRICTED TO JUST THREE NEAR INVISIBLE ONES.THE COLOURS REMAIN PERFECT AND UNRUBBED.

THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES HAVE VERY LIGHT SHELF WEAR

THE SPINE IS UNWORN AND ALL OF THE BLACK TYPEFACE IS PERFECTLY LEGIBLE. HAS THE FIRST PRESS TAPERED ENDS

THE OPENING EDGE IS RAZOR SHARP AND UNBLEMISHED AND SHOWS WHY THIS LP HAS BARELY BEEN PLAYED

THE REAR SURFACE IS  AS SUPERB AS THE FRONT, AND JUST HAS A COUPLE OF MINISCULE SHADES OF LIGHT RECORD SHAPE AT THE VERY BOTTOM AND VERY TOP

THE ORIGINAL POLY LINED INNER SLEEVE IS IN IMMACULATE NEAR MINT UNSPLIT AND UNCREASED CONDITION

THE SLEEVE LIKE THE LP GRADES MINT MINUS

I DONT BELIEVE THIS WILL EVER NEED UPGRADING

I WILL BE ON HOLIDAY WHEN THIS ENDS, SO I AM HAPPY TO WAIT FOR PAYMENT UNTIL I AM ABLE TO POST IT AROUND OCTIBER 10TH

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR BID IF YOU CHOSE TO GO FOR IT

GARRY