KING CRIMSON IN THE WAKE OF POSEIDON 1970 UK A1B1 1st PRESS sparingly played EX+

	£		74
	$		98

KING CRIMSON - IN THE WAKE OF POSEIDON

A truly excellent (at least) condition copy of this increasingly rare and sought after 1970 very UK press King Crimson prog rock classic, with earliest A//1, B//1 vinyl matrix numbers on the coveted pink i label, STEREO, ILPS 9127

The dead wax matrix numbers are :

Side 1    ILPS 9127 A//1 with stampers "1 3   4" at 9 o'clock

Side 2    ILPS 9127 A//1 with stampers "1 1   3" at 2.30 o'clock

The appearance and overall condition of the flat and nicely weighted vinyl is excellent plus (EX+). Clearly this record has been sparingly played - in normal daylight each side of the vinyl comes across as in gleaming, jet black, perfect "as new" condition : and even with very close scrutiny under a bright light it is only just possible to detect a few very, very wispy hairlines on each side - quite remarkable for a 50 year old prog classic such as this. A real "gleamer".

The labels are similarly excellent plus (EX+). Gorgeous condition labels with all black writing upon the semi-smooth pink background, with the iconic white "i", all in pristine condition. Apart from just a few (3 or 4 - difficult to ascertain because they are so faint) small and very, very faint spindle trails on each label the condition is perfect.

The condition of the heavily textured E.J. Day outer gatefold sleeve is excellent (EX). I should say from the outset that this gatefold is renowned for it's fragility and is very, very prone to wear and tear so finding an original UK 1st press copy in such impressive condition as this is quite a rarity. The thick cardboard remains fully intact with no creasing or horizontal abrasions either. All edges, including the spine, remain firm but there is some light scuffing on each of the top and bottom edges : I stress that this is light scuffing and is very intermittent and barely noticeable on the top edges, but on the bottom edges it is more noticeable and fairly consistent along the entirety of the bottom edges; each corner remains a nicely defined right angle with just a little rubbing/scuffing on each, and the opening edges are similarly rigid with barely any fraying or feathering at all. The only other blemish is a light, non-obvious, small mark on the inside of the gatefold adjacent to the top edge and about 4cm in from the top left corner. All colours, text, and gorgeous art work, on both the outside and inside of the gatefold, remain in beautiful condition - rich, vibrant and great clarity and definition, and retaining these features is the main reason for me grading the overall condition of the gatefold as excellent. No better than that (due to the aforementioned light scuffing) but no worse either. Take a look at the photos - I am sure that you will be equally impressed.

The quality of the audio is excellent plus (EX+).  Fantastic tone and clarity throughout, even at higher volume and on higher frequencies. No skips, jumps, repeats, sticks, obvious clicks (I thought I noticed two very minor, background clicks during the "Peace - a beginning" intro, and background crackle is virtually non-existent - just the hint of some very light background interference at the very beginning and end of each side - negligible. Wonderful STEREO audio reproduction with the whole album making for a great listen even after all these years - timeless! Vintage 1970's prog rock at it's very best.

The tracks are :

Side 1 :

1.  PEACE - A BEGINNING

2. PICTURES OF A CITY (including 42nd at Treadmill)

3. CADENCE & CASCADE

4. IN THE WAKE OF POSEIDON (including Libra's Theme)

Side 2 :

1. CAT FOOD

2. THE DEVIL'S TRIANGLE

3. MERDAY MORN

4. HAND OF SCEIRON

5. GARDEN OF WORK

6. PEACE - AN END

Comes with original excellent (EX) condition "PLASTIC BAGS CAN BE DANGEROUS" plain white, poly-lined inner sleeve with no rips, tears, or seam splits, and just a little mild creasing at the corners, with the "British Patent No..." and "MADE IN ENGLAND" horizontal text, the correct "B /1/0470" date text and, of course, remaining fully functional. Note that I always use a new, plain white replacement inner sleeve for shipping purposes in order to protect the original.

In summary a truly excellent condition and highly presentable copy of this increasingly rare and sought after 1970 UK very 1st press KIng Crimson prog rock classic - the whole LP remains a great listen. A "must" for any serious prog rock vinyl collection and will only continue to gain in value.

 If you require any further information, including photos, then let me know and I'll do my best to oblige. 

If this record interests you then take a look at my other 60's & 70's classic vinyl listings.

A bit about myself : I have been collecting vinyl for more than 50 years and have amassed a huge collection covering a varied genre, but mostly of 1960's and 70's origin. Most of my records were originally bought by myself for my own collection, but during the past 30 years I have embellished my collection by buying records from a variety of sources : friends/acquaintances, car boot sales, auctions, and even through putting up a "vinyl wanted" notice in my wife's shop! I am now retired and take great delight in being able to spend more time scouring the country and attending boot sales and auctions in the hope of unearthing more vinyl gems...I am 65 years of age now and am still discovering bands and music of the 60's and 70's that I have never come across before. Wonderful! Richard

My ebay feedback speaks for itself so rest assured that you are buying from a trusted seller and in the very unlikely event that you are unhappy with your purchase just e-mail me and I'll sort out the problem. I offer a "no quibble" refund policy. 

On the subject of postage, I take great care in the packaging of all items, using a proper vinyl thick cardboard "crucifix" style mailer along with at least two thick cardboard stiffeners. I take great care in separating the record from the outer sleeve in order to help prevent sleeve damage in transit and I always insert the vinyl, outer sleeve and inner into a clear plastic sleeve, thus adding further protection. 

For this item postage & packaging will be UK £3.00, Royal Mail 1st class signed for; 

Continental Europe £10, and Rest of the World £14 respectively, Royal Mail 1st class international Airmail tracked and signed for

 I DO discount post & packaging costs for multiple purchases. I do NOT profit from postage.

Good luck with your bidding!

NOTE : My vinyl descriptions comply with the official Record Collector vinyl grading guidelines :

Mint

The records itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. The cover and any extra items, such as the lyric sheet, booklet or poster are in perfect condition. Records advertised as Sealed or Unplayed should be Mint.

Excellent

The record shows some signs of having been played, but there is very little lessening in sound quality. The cover and packaging might have slight wear and /or creasing.

Very Good

The record has obviously been played many times, but displays no major deterioration in sound quality, despite noticeable surface marks and the occasional light scratch. Normal wear and tear on the cover or extra items, without any major defects, is acceptable.

Good

The record has been played so much that the sound quality has noticeably deteriorated, perhaps with some distortion and mild scratches. The cover and contents suffer from folding, scuffing of edges, spine splits, discolouration, etc.

Fair

The record is still just playable but has not been cared for properly and displays considerable surface noise; it may even jump. The cover and contents are torn, stained and/or defaced

Poor

The record will not play properly due to scratches, bad surface noise, etc. The cover and contents are badly damaged or partly missing.

Bad

The record is unplayable or might even be broken, and is only of use as a collection-filler