Jethro Tull STAND UP UK LP 1ST BLACK BLOCK PINK i MINT-

	£		70
	$		93

JETHRO TULL - STAND UP

• CAT:ILPS 9103
• MATRIX: ILPS 9103+A / +B-
• BLACK BLOCK PINK ISLAND LABEL

EVERY NOW AND THEN THERE COMES ALONG AN OPPORTUNITY TO TIME TRAVEL. AND SUCH AN OPPORTUNITY PRESENTS ITSELF TODAY. I HAVE MANAGED TO AQUIRE A COLLECTION OF VINTAGE PROG ROCK ALBUMS THAT ARE IN JUST THE MOST OUTSTANDING CONDITION I HAVE EVER SEEN IN A COLLECTION. EACH ALBUM HAS BEEN PLAYED NO MORE THAN TWICE EVER. AND EACH ALBUM IS THE GENUINE 1ST PRESSING. THE ALBUMS WERE OWNED BY A PERSON WHO TAPED HIS MUSIC AND LEFT THE RECORD ALONE THEREAFTER. THE TELLTALE SIGN APART FROM THE INCREDIBLE CONDITION OF THE VINYLS IS THAT EACH LABEL HAS NO MORE THAN ONE OR TWO FAINT SPIDER LINES NEAR THE HOLE, AND EACH LABEL IS AS PRISTINE AS THEY COULD POSSIBLY BE. I WILL NATURALLY DESCRIBE EACH DISC IN AS MUCH DETAIL AS NEEDED, BUT SERIOUSLY THESE ARE IN MINT OR MINT MINUS CONDITION, AND IN MY OPINION WILL NEVER EVER NEED TO BE UPGRADED. I AM SO CONVINCED BY THIS THAT IF THE LP IS NOT AS I DESCRIBE THEN A FULL UNCONDITIONAL REFUND WILL BE OFFERED. I WILL BE LISTING THESE MAGNIFICENT ALBUMS A FEW A NIGHT OVER THE COMING WEEK SO EARMARK MY AUCTIONS. THOSE WHO HAVE BOUGHT FROM ME WILL KNOW I DO NOT  SELL ANYTHING OTHER THAN QUALITY STUFF, AND THIS LOT ABSOLUTELY FITS THE BILL

JETHRO TULL'S SECOND ALBUM IN THE MOST AMAZING CONDITION YOU WILL EVER SEE

THE RECORD LABELS

THE HIGHLY COLLECTIBLE PINK ISLAND LABEL. THIS IS THE EARLY BLACK BLOCK LABEL WHICH CANE OUT BEFORE THE WHITE i APPEARED, WHICH IS THE MORE COMMON OF THE PINK ISLAND LABELS. THIS ONE IS FAR HARDER TO GET. SO FIRSTLY THE BEAUTIFUL PASTEL PINK TEXTURED SURFACE OF THE LABEL IS MARK AND STAIN FREE, AND IT EXTENDS RIGHT INTO THE SPINDLE HOLE. THE BLACK BLOCK IS A VERY DEEP BLACK AND STANDS OUT SUPERBLY AGAINST THE PINK BACKGROUND. THE BLACK TYPEFACE IS CLEAR AND SHARP AND PERFECTLY LEGIBLE ON BOTH SIDES. A CLOSE EXAMINATION ROUND THE SPINDLE HOLE REVEALS TWO REALLY TINY SPIDER LINES TO PROVE JUST HOW LITTLE THIS INCREDIBLE ALBUM HAS BEEN PLAYED

THE VINYL

ABSOLUTELY PRISTINE GLOSSY BLACK HEAVYWEIGHT VINYL. REMOVING IT FROM THE SLEEVE AND GENTLY AND CAREFULLY EXAMINING THE DISC REVEALS A SPOTLESS SURFACE. THIS VINYL APPEARS EXACTLY HOW A NEW VINYL WOULD HAVE LOOKED BACK IN 1970 WHEN THIS DISC WAS ORIGINALLY PRESSED. ETCHED INTO THE RUN OFF WAX ARE THE DIGITS THAT IDENTIFY THIS ALBUM AS A VERY FIRST PRESS. NAMELY THE CATALOGUE NUMBER ILPS 9103+ A / +B. THE HIGH GLOSS AND MARK FREE DISC IS WITHOUT A DOUBT ONE OF THE CLEANEST I HAVE EVER SEEN. EVEN WHEN OFFERED UP TO A SPOTLIGHT (WHICH ARGUABLY ISN'T REALLY A TRUE REFLECTION OF HOW GOOD A VINYL IS, AS THERE WILL ALWAYS BE SOMETHING TO SEE THIS WAY) THE VINYL DISPLAYS NO MORE THAN A FEW RIDICULOUSLY WISPY HAIRLINES

PLAYING THE RECORD

I HAVE INCLUDED A SHORT EXAMPLE OF JUST HOW GREAT THIS RECORD SOUNDS. PLEASE CLICK ON THE MEDIA PLAYER BELOW TO HEAR IT. I ALWAYS BELIEVE THAT THE INTRODUCTION (RUN IN GROOVE) IS A REALLY GOOD REFLECTION OF THE OVERALL QUALITY OF THE DISC. SO I HAVE STARTED THE RECORDING FROM THE RUN IN GROOVE, HENCE A FEW SECONDS BEFORE THE MUSIC STARTS. HOWEVER YOU WILL BE ABLE TO CLEARLY HEAR WHAT THAT RUN IN SOUNDS LIKE, WHETHER IT HAS ANY NOISE ETC.

THE RUN IN IS  SILENT, AND AS THE RECORD STARTS TO PLAY "A NEW DAY YESTERDAY" IT IS VERY OBVIOUS THAT YOU ARE LISTENING TO SOMETHING SPECIAL. .THE FIRST THING THAT IS CLEAR IS THAT THE SOUND IS DISTORTION FREE. ALMOST POINTLESS STATING THIS IN LIGHT OF HOW LITTLE THE ALBUM HAS BEEN PLAYED, BUT IT DOES MEAN THAT THE PLAY THAT THE RECORD HAS HAD WAS DONE WITH A GOOD QUALITY STYLUS AND NOT ONE THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE GROOVE SUCH AS A WORN, CHIPPED STYLUS, OR INDEED ONE THAT WAS TRACKING TOO HEAVILY.

EACH TRACK PLAYS THROUGH WITH UTMOST CLARITY. THE PERFORMANCE ALL THE WAY THROUGH BOTH SIDES IS JUST OUTSTANDING. THERE IS NO BACKGROUND NOISE ANYWHERE ON EITHER SIDE, AND EACH LINKING GROOVE IS STONE SILENT . EVEN THE RUN OUT WHICH HISTORICALLY HAS NOISE ON MOST ALBUMS IS AS CLEAR AS A BELL.IF THERE IS ANYTHING AT ALL THEN THE VERY VERY ODD LIGHT POP, AND PERHAPS A SECOND OR TWO OF BARELY AUDIBLE STATIC

THIS IS JUST ABOUT THE BEST JETHRO TULL RECORDING I HAVE EVER HEARD. THE CLARITY AND PRODUCTION ARE JUST AMAZING

I HAVE NO HESITATION IN GRADING THIS DISC MINT MINUS

THE SLEEVE

THE OVERALL GRADING OF THE SLEEVE IS NEAR MINT

THIS IS THE ORIGINAL FIRST PRESS  SLEEVE. NON LAMINATED WITH THE POP UP INNER GATEFOLD

THE FRONT SURFACE HAS A BEAUTIFUL FEEL TO IT, AND CLOSELY EXAMINING THE COLOUR GRADIENTS IT IS VERY CLEAR THAT THE SURFACE HAS NOT LOST ANY COLOUR AT ALL THERE ARE NO CREASE LINES WHATSOEVER, NOT EVEN ONES NEAR THE SPINE. IT IS A PERFECT SURFACE IN EVERY WAY. THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES HAVE THE MOST MARGINAL WEAR, REALLY VERY VERY LIGHT. THE SPINE IS AGAIN ONLY VERY MARGINALLY WORN, . PERFECTLY LEGIBLE AS WELL. THE REAR SURFACE IS VERY VERY CLEAN, THE WHITE SURFACE HAS ONLY VERY LIGHT HANDLING  AND AGING, AND A VERY VERY LIGHT SHADOW OF RECORD SHAPE. OPENING THE GATEFOLD THE POP UP STANDS FULLY ERECT, AND IS TOTALLY WITHOUT ANY CREASES OR BENDS TO IT. THE ACTUAL GATEFOLD INNER SURFACE IS AS PRISTINE AS THE FRONT OF THE COVER, AND FINALLY THE OPENING EDGE IS AS SHARP AS YOU COULD EXPECT FOR AN ALBUM THAT HAS ONLY BEEN OUT OF THE SLEEVE A COUPLE OF TIMES

THE RECORD HAS BEEN PRESERVED IN A NEW POLY LINED INNER SLEEVE, THE ORIGINAL IS INCLUDED AND LEFT INSIDE THE SLEEVE. THE LP WILL BE SENT VERY CAREFULLY PACKAGED AND I WILL PLACE THE LP OUTSIDE OF THE SLEEVE FOR MAXIMUM PROTECTION. YOUR NEW PURCHASE WILL ALSO COME HOUSED IN A NEW STIFF PLASTIC OUTER SLEEVE.

SO ONCE AGAIN THIS IS A VERY VERY HIGH GRADE COLLECTIBLE ALBUM IN THE MOST SUPERB CONDITION IMAGINABLE, SO BID WITH CONFIDENCE, AND GOOD LUCK IF YOU DECIDE TO GO FOR IT

GARRY