Jethro Tull THIS WAS 1968 UK LP Pink Island Eye 1st Stereo NEAR MINT - LISTEN

	£		157
	$		208

JETHRO TULL - THIS WAS

UK PINK LABEL (EYE) 1ST PRESS STEREO PRESS

OUTSTANDING NEAR MINT REPRODUCTION

COMPLETE WITH A NEAR MINT SLEEVE

• CATALOGUE:ISLAND ILP 985
• MATRIX: ILP 985 + A / +B
• THIS IS HOW THE FIRST PRESS MATRIX NUMBERS LOOKED. NO -1 ETC

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

THE ISLAND ROUGH TEXTURED LABELS ARE IN MAGNIFICENT CONDITION, THE PASTEL  PINK COLOUR IS UNBLEMISHED AND FULLY STRETCHES INTO THE UNWORN SPINDLE HOLE. THE BLACK TYPEFACE IS ALSO CLEAR AND PERFECTLY LEGIBLE. I DON'T SEE ANY SPIDER LINES WHATSOEVER ROUND THE SPINDLE HOLE

THE VINYL

IN DAYLIGHT THE LP LOOKS TOTALLY FLAWLESS . IT'S A THICK HEAVY OLD SCHOOL ISLAND VINYL. WHEN PLACED UNDER INTENSE ILLUMINATION I CAN SEE SOME EMBEDDED DULL STREAKS, BUT IMPORTANTLY NO MARKS ON THE SURFACE, NO SCRATCHES, NOTHING THAT WOULD CAUSE ANY PROBLEM, AND REALLY NO MORE THAN A COUPLE OF WISPY HAIRLINES. CLEARLY A BARELY PLAYED DISC

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 LP FROM START TO FINISH AS I DO NOW WITH ALL MY LISTINGS, AS I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT BIDDERS WOULD LOVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO HEAR THE LP BEFORE LAYING A BID.

THIS IS A SERVICE I AM DELIGHTED TO BE ABLE TO OFFER MY CUSTOMERS.

THOSE THAT BUY ISLAND RECORDS WILL BE AWARE THAT A HUGE PERCENTAGE OF THESE EARLY PRESSES WERE RECORDED ONTO POOR QUALITY VINYL AND AS SUCH THERE IS USUALLY VARYING DEGREES OF ISLAND VINYL NOISE EMBEDDED IN THE VINYL.

I AM DELIGHTED TO SAY THAT THERE IS NO AUDIBLE EMBEDDED VINYL NOISE OTHER THAN THE ODD SPECK OF BARELY AUDIBLE STATIC LIKE STUFF IN A FEW SILENT PASSAGES

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. 

AS MENTIONED ABOVE, 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. 

THERE IS CERTAINLY NO SERIOUS BACKGROUND CRACKLES AND NO LOUD CLICKS, OR POPS

IN SOME OF THE MORE SILENT PASSAGES AND LINKING GROOVES THERE ARE A FEW RANDOM TINY LITTLE STATIC LIKE TICS ON SIDE ONE BUT OVERALL THIS IS A QUALITY AUDIO REPRODUCTION AND WOULD GRACE ANY COLLECTION

FOR ME THIS GRADES VERY VERY CLOSE TO NEAR MINT

PLEASE TAKE A GOOD LISTEN AND JUDGE IT FOR YOURSELF AGAINST YOUR OWN STANDARDS THOUGH

THE SLEEVE

LAMINATED GATEFOLD SLEEVE WITH THE WIDE SPINE.

THE FRONT SURFACE HAS A STUNNING GLOSSY LAMINATE FREE FROM ANY PEEL. FLAKE OR LIFT. THE LAMINATE ON THE OPENING EDGE WAS NEVER PROPERLY FINISHED IN THE FACTORY, PROBABLY DUE TO THE WIDE SPINE, RESULTING IN THE SURFACE ON THE VERY EDGE BEING LEFT WARM AND STICKY, THUS WHEN IT WAS PACKED IT ADHERED TO THE NEXT ALBUM IN THE BOX AND WHEN REMOVED FROM THE BOX TOOK A LITTLE OF THE SURFACE OFF WITH IT. THIS SO COMMON ON THIS TYPE OF SLEEVE AND AS MUCH AS IT IS AN IRRITANT IT IS A SIGN OF THE TIMES BACK IN THE LATE 60'S

OTHER THAN THIS THE FRONT SURFACE HAS JUST THREE TINY LAMINATE LINES BY THE SPINE. NONE ALONG THE TOP EDGE, NONE ALONG THE BOTTOM EDGE, AND NO THUMB LINES ANYWHERE ON THE OPENING EDGE, OR ELSEWHERE FOR THAT MATTER

THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES HAVE ALL OF THE LAMINATE RUNNING ACROSS BOTH SURFACES. NO CHIPS OR BLEMISHES AND ONLY A TINY SPECK OF RUB TO THE RIGHT TIP ENDS

I AM CERTAIN THAT THE MASSIVE SPINE WAS NEVER INTENDED TO BE THIS WAY, BECAUSE IT IS CLEAR WHERE THE PICTURES ON THE FRONT AND BACK SHOULD STOP, BUT THEY DONT, THEY FORM PART OF THE SPINE ALONG WITH THE WHITE BAND WITH ALL OF THE TYPEFACE DETAILS, MAKING THE SPINE WIDER THAN IT SHOULD BE. THIS WAS CORRECTED WITH LATER RELEASES, BUT FOR SOME REASON THIS IMPERFECT SPINE IS THE ONE THAT COLLECTORS WANT IN THEIR COLLECTIONS. 

IT IS VERY FLAT AND FREE FROM ANY SQUASHING. THE BOTTOM TIP HAS A SMALL NICK IN THE EDGE. THE TYPEFACE IS ALL PERFECTLY LEGIBLE

THE OPENING EDGE IS RAZOR SHARP 

THE REAR SURFACE HAS A SMALL LAMINATE LINE RUNNING PARALLEL WITH THE SPINE FOR THREE INCHES. VERY HARD TO SPOT. NO ACTUAL LAMINATE LINES ON THE SPINE, JUST TWO ON THE TOP EDGE, AND A SMALL LINE ACROSS THE BOTTOM LEFT CORNER TIP

OPENING THE GATEFOLD REVEALS TWO PRISTINE INNER PANELS. PERFECT UNBLEMISHED COLOURS AND CORRECTLY ADHERED FLIPBACKS

THE POLY LINED INNER SLEEVE IS FLAT AND UNCREASED

DESPITE THE SMALL OPENING EDGE LAMINATE BLEMISH I WOULD STILL GRADE THIS SLEEVE VERY CLOSE TO NEAR MINT!!

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

GARRY