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King Crimson : In The Wake Of Poseidon A1/B1 1970 Pink 'i' Island Label

This very collectable first pressing plays with outstanding sonic quality and S1 especially is stunning.  From the first groove to the last there is no interference and that of course includes the very quiet 'Peace - A Beginning' and 'Cadence And Cascade'.  The vast majority of S2 is just as good with only very minimal 'background'.  In fact where I have graded the Part 3 intro on 'The Devil's Triangle' as Ex this is only because there are four static ticks in the brief silent section!  The clarity, depth and power of the audio overall across both sides is superb and this is a vinyl that has been so well preserved down the years.  That is confirmed by its superb visual quality also.

The textured cover is in fantastic condition and has kept its original shape and structure so well which can only mean it has hardly been handled.  The original Island inner is also in great shape with no side splits etc.

This first pressing has the A1/B1 matrix and has various inconsistencies on the labels, mainly S2.  'Peace - A Theme' is not listed (nor on the cover) and the separate parts of 'The Devil's Triangle' are shown as individual tracks.  This pressing also has the withdrawn version of 'In The Wake Of Poseidon' - later pressings have a version that is approx 30 seconds shorter.

ILPS 9127  A//1  L   3 5

ILPS 9127  B//1  L   2 6

The audio on S1 is Mint(-)

The audio S2 is Mint(-) (T1 Near Mint / T3 Pt 1 intro Ex+ & Pt 3 intro Ex / T4 Near Mint)

The gatefold is Near Mint-

The pink 'i' labels are Near Mint

The original Island inner is Ex+

Visual description

The vinyl is in great condition and still has a lovely glossy sheen with no scratches and only a small number of the usual faint sleeve removal hairlines.  S1 has two very small faint 'spots' and a small area of very faint lines - you can only see them when you hold the vinyl at a certain angle.  None of this has any affect on the amazing audio!  The pink 'i' labels are unmarked and have only a little spindle wear.

Play grading

'Peace - A Beginning' is so often affected by static/crackle but this easily one of the 'cleanest' versions I have ever heard.  With only a small number of very quiet dust ticks this has to grade as Mint- the clarity is stunning.

'Pictures Of A City' then plays with great power and depth from the get go.  The entire intro is 'as new' with no intrusion and the first vocal is equally as strong.  There is no distortion and it continues to play with impeccable quality.  The very quiet instrumental stands out in a way because there is just no 'background' of any kind, the clarity of sound could not be any better.  As it builds out of this section the playback is faultless and the crescendo ending is so powerful and again there is literally no distortion.  This is a Mint version and I haven't heard many of them!

The very quiet 'Cadence And Cascade' plays beautifully from start to finish with no interference.  You can hear each note so clearly which is a testament to the clarity offer here.  You might expect some background static on a 52 year old vinyl especially on such a quiet number and yet there is none, the clarity is again just on another level.  I cannot emphasise enough just how unbelievably good this version is!  I detected just one light static tick but that does not qualify as interference!  I will grade as Mint- but you would be hard pressed to find a better version and wow what a version!

The intro on the classic 'In The Wake Of Poseidon' is flawless and then Lake's opening vocal is crystal clear with no 'background'.  It continues in the same way through every vocal section and the next extended instrumental plays with sublime quality also.  The closing section plays with tremendous power and depth and if there is any inner groove distortion it is so minimal and hardly warrants a mention.  You can turn it up to max and it loses none of its original sonic quality, the playback is high end indeed.  The long fade out at the end has no 'background' either and once again this fully deserves a Mint- grade and to be honest I'm not even sure the minus is necessary!

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The acoustic 'Peace - A Theme' plays so clearly with just one static tick and a small number of insignificant dust ticks.  I will grade as Near Mint it deserves that easily.

'Cat Food' plays with sublime quality and no interference.  Each note is so clean and precise and there is no 'muddiness' to the sound.  Superb power and depth throughout and even the relatively quiet piano end section has no 'background'.  This is Mint from beginning to end.

'Merday Morn' the first section of 'The Devil's Triangle' plays very clearly with only a small number of light static ticks and there is nothing that you would deem intrusive.  This is before it reaches its full volume so when you consider how quiet it is the clarity is very impressive.  As it progresses the playback is so strong and there is barely any 'background' only a smattering of mega quiet dust ticks.  I will grade this opening section as Ex+ although many sections are stronger than that.  The second piece 'Hand Of Sceiron' plays with incredible power and depth with no sign of any intrusion, no distortion either and Mint is deserved.  The 'percussive' intro on the final section 'Garden Of Worm' is more or less perfect but there are four static ticks in the brief silent section that follows.  From then onwards it plays with great power and clarity and the chaotic/busy mid to end section is superb.  It plays with genuine precision and...no interference.  So the intro is Ex but the rest has to grade as Mint- as the playback is so impressive.

'Peace - An End' has one light static tick on the acoustic intro and then plays very clearly with barely any static and there no clicks or pops.  There is a distinct lack of 'background' here which is a rarity for this very quiet closing track and has to grade as Near Mint at the very least.  A superb 'clean' finish.

In summary this genuine first press plays with superb audio on both sides and S1 in particular is STUNNING!  'As new' sums it perfectly in my opinion and and every single quiet section plays with great precision and clarity, a genuine rarity for this album.  S2 is also very impressive and the vast majority does indeed grade as Mint- and any 'background' is only very minimal and does not last long.  This is one of the finest examples of this classic album that I have found in many a year and another thing I have just remembered and worth pointing out is that there is no distortion at all.  A sign you could say that this vinyl has not been played very much.  A stunning example overall and one that would impress any avid collector.

The Gatefold & Inner Sleeve

The textured E.J. Day cover is in lovely condition with only very minimal shelf wear.  The top edges are close to perfect with only a couple tiny rubs and the bottom edges just have a little more wear but in no way excessive.  The wide spine is so clean with barely any corner wear and the other corners are also in great shape with just a bit more rubbing on the bottom edge of the back cover leading to the corner.  The opening edge has only the lightest of handling wear and the front cover is near pristine with just one minor scuff near the bottom edge.  The back cover is in beautiful condition and the inside of the gatefold is immaculate with no marking.  A superb example of this iconic cover.

The original poly-lined Island inner is in great order with no side splits or tears, minimal creasing and very little spotting / fading around the edges.

Play tested on my Rega P2 Turntable / Denon PMA-520AE Amp / B&W 684 Speakers

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

ILPS 9127  A//1  L   3 5

ILPS 9127  B//1  L   2 6

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

I NOW ONLY SEND ITEMS WORLDWIDE VIA TRACKED SHIPPING. THIS PROVIDES 'PEACE OF MIND' IN CASE OF LOSS OR DAMAGE. ALL COSTS ARE SHOWN BELOW AND COMBINED POSTAGE IS ALWAYS OFFERED. ANY OVER-PAYMENT WILL ALWAYS BE REFUNDED BACK TO THE BUYER.

THE ROYAL MAIL ONLY INSURE ITEMS UP TO THE VALUE OF £250 SO IF AN ITEM SELLS FOR MORE A COURIER SERVICE MAY BE USED (e.g. Parcelforce, DPD).  AN EXTRA INSURANCE PREMIUM WILL BE REQUIRED BUT I WILL NOT KNOW THE EXACT AMOUNT UNTIL THE FINAL SALE PRICE IS KNOWN.  HOWEVER, SOMETIMES I WILL ESTIMATE A COST AND THIS WILL BE STATED IN THE LISTING.  PLEASE WAIT FOR THE INVOICE BEFORE MAKING ANY PAYMENT BUT IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE FEEL FREE TO GET IN TOUCH.  MANY THANKS.

ALL VINYLS ARE PACKAGED IN STRONG CUSTOM MADE OVER-SIZED MAILERS WITH EXTRA CARDBOARD PROTECTION. THEY ARE PUT IN SEPARATE POLY-LINED INNERS OUTSIDE OF THE COVER SO AS TO AVOID SEAM SPLITS. THEY ARE ALSO PLACED INSIDE A PVC SLEEVE TO PROVIDE EXTRA PROTECTION. I PRIDE MYSELF ON MY HIGH QUALITY PACKAGING AS MY FEEDBACK TESTIFIES AND IF ANY CUSTOMER HAS ANY SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS I WILL ALWAYS ENDEAVOUR TO HELP.

I ONLY USE HIGH QUALITY MAILERS AND THESE COST ME £1.00 EACH. I WILL OFTEN USE 3 OR 4 CARDBOARD STIFFENERS AND THESE COST AT LEAST £0.15 EACH AND THEN THERE IS THE COST OF THE POLY-LINED INNER AND PVC SLEEVE TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT. IT ALL ADDS UP! NOT FORGETTING EBAY TAKING 10% OF THE SHIPPING FEE ALSO!!

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