KING CRIMSON In the Wake of Poseidon SUPER EX+ UK ISLAND PINK RIM, HARDLY PLAYED

	£		52
	$		69

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World in Quality, Safe Packing.

Postage: UK £4.75 (£1 per extra record). Europe (including Russia) £12.50 (£2 per extra record). Rest of World (including ALL parts of the USA) £16.50 (£3 per extra record). All boxes signed for in quality, safe packaging – I NEVER use mailing envelopes that offer virtually no protection at all – in fact I think these things should be banned as records WILL arrive damaged in them at some time. Here, you get what you pay for – SAFE PACKING in BOXES using 7mm DOUBLE-WALL STIFFENERS. Full details nearer the end of the listing.

Posting to Russia: Yes, I do post to Russia. But delivery can take up to 4 to 6 weeks from the UK. So please be patient. I will submit a tracking number to the winning bidder, and when the packet arrives there it can be followed online using the Russian post website.

ALSO: I now apply the Ebay ‘2-day’ rule for non-payment to keep things moving – cash-flow is important for any small business. I will always keep my P&P prices as low as possible, and even after yet another Royal Mail price hike from April this year, I have NOT raised my prices and will never compromise on solid, safe packing that is invariably heavier than most you will get. My P&P offers probably the best value-for-money for vinyl records available, and I even will pay for full insurance on any record that sells for over £100 at NO extra cost – that is UK and abroad. Also I aim to post the very same day after payment is received. You WILL see the difference when my packet arrives.

FINALLY: Late payers, non-payers and ‘0’ bidders will now be blocked or cancelled at my discretion. As will any bidder who cancels a bid. I do not like this practice as it is most often used to phish out the price to beat. Ebay does not approve and neither do I – so only bid on my items if you want them.

Artist or Band: KING CRIMSON

Album Title: In The Wake of Poseidon

Producer(s): Robert Fripp & Peter Sinfield

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Peace—A Beginning; Pictures of a City; Cadence & Cascade; In the Wake of Poseidon.

Side 2: Cat Food; The Devil’s Triangle; Merday Morn; Hand of Sceiron; Garden of Worm; Peace—An End.

Label/Format: Island – early pink rim repress with matt, smooth surfaces.

Label Conditions: Both very clean, fresh and attractive – any spindle traces hardly even register, I have few doubts this lovely record has hardly been played.

Cat Number: ILPS 9127

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Warps: Assume all records I offer have no warping of any significance and all tracking is easy and effortless and should play on all turntables and even ‘budget’ decks.

Weight of this Record: 116 grams. Fairly light, but this copy is very well pressed by EMI on pure vinyl. Apart from the odd minor blemish at the very beginning of each side (detail further down), this is a fantastic copy and sound quality is mostly very clean with immense sound.

Country of Manufacture: England

Rarity: Strangely, I have found this one of the harder ones to find on the pink rim label compared to all other of their albums. Finding any early copy at all that plays with very clean sound and few pressing issues is immensely difficult. Like all King Crimson albums, this has extremes in volume ranging from silence to thunderous room-shaking sound. That including an immensely quiet beginning and end to the album, just where stylus placement and lifting becomes ultimately perilous. Hence many examples are badly scratched on these crucial areas. This copy has very little to fault, but like most-all, is not absolutely pristine.

Original Year of Release: 1970 [this one a little into the 1970s, and now pressed by EMI]

Matrix Nos: ILPS 9127 A-4U / ILPS 9127 B-3U-4

Mothers / Stampers: 3 / 1

Musicians: Robert Fripp - Guitar, mellotron, devices; Greg Lake - Vocals; Michael Giles - Drums; Peter Giles - Bass; Keith Tippet - Piano; Mel Collins - Saxes and flute; Gordon Haskell - vocal; Peter Sinfield is credited with ‘words’.

Brief Artist & Album Info: After the astonishing groundbreaking magnificence of their debut album, how could this ever be followed up? – well the answer was to issue another similar album. This one was not given the same adulation as the first by the critics of the day, that labelled it as another ‘In the Court of’. Sure, the formula has similarities, especially on side one – a loud first track, a quieter second and epic third, but all the songs are treasures in their own right. Side two does vary more: after the somewhat bizarre jazzy single ‘Cat Food’, that features brilliant piano work by Keith Tippet, it becomes immensely powerful and compelling, as ‘The Devil’s Triangle’ instrumental builds with ferocious intensity with heavy use of the magnificent Mellotron. This incredible keyboard instrument is blasted to it’s limits by Fripp with an intensity that was probably never matched. Unfairly underrated in my opinion, ‘Poseidon’ is simply another Crimson classic. Beautifully packaged also (apart from maybe the use of silver ink inside that is always hard to see properly). Cover surfaces vary – the very first issues were very heavily textured,the surface looking like a real oil painting. Subsequent versions were less deeply textured, and this one, is arguably the most unusual of all. It isn’t really textured at all, inasmuch, the surface feels smooth, but with closer observation, it looks fantastic with a complex ‘dot’ patterning. It has almost a soft leather-like feel and I have seen very few of these before compared to the more obvious raised textured versions. Also this hugely wear-prone cover is in beautiful condition. Also this copy included the Island black polylined inner sleeve that only came with a few titles for a brief time. The record itself appears hardly even played with two very impressive clean playing surfaces. Pressing quality is very high by EMI and the sound sent my system into overdrive. Yes a microscopic pressing pit near the start of side one has a few gentle ‘tap’ sounds (not clicks), like lightly tapping your finger on a table – these are very few and equally very light indeed. Side two has a little very brief sporadic surface sound which disappears very quickly to leave almost the rest of the record playing superbly with little else unwanted at all. Finding this example better from whatever pressing or era will prove immensely difficult. So a copy that can be viewed, played and enjoyed to the near maximum for what is, and always has been one of rock’s most challenging bands and albums.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(+): and this hardly does this beautiful cover full justice. An unlaminated gatefold format with the more unusual smooth, dotted ‘textured’ surfaces on the outside. The inside is matt with a gentle hint of rough texturing – this is subtle. Printed and made by Robor, includes the black Island ‘st peter’s square’ inner sleeve.

Cover Front & Back: A genuine work-of-art that looks fantastic, this with the more unusual and scarce textured variation finish. Not seen many of these before, also very few in any form with less wear. Both sides are fantastic and on their own could easily grade Mint(–). Any of the few creases are ultra fine edge that hardly even show, barely any trace or rubbing (the odd corner tip apart) and as fresh and clean as when made. It has very deep colour and totally unaged, this simply looks amazing as I hope my pictures show.

Cover Inner Gatefold: A couple of tiny surface scuff rub traces apart, this is of the same standard as the outside faces. Again clean, fresh and attractive.

Top Edges: Both flat, straight and flush, any rub traces are tiny, very few and light. So few of these will show less.

Bottom Edges: Largely the same, for storage edges of this type, exceptional.

Right Edge(s), and Type: The front has a real tucked edge that has is near perfect. The back opening is clean, very sharp with minimal, to barely any thickenin, even viewed end-on. No trimming or enhancements guaranteed, indeed these are not quite flush in manufacture.

Spine and Text: An exceptional spine: solid, straight, barely compressed and folded square, so the edges meet up very closely and parallel. All text is present and unworn with any rubbing to the fragile surface so faint and light it barely even registers. Both folds also retain practically all ink which is an immense ask on this one.

Corners: Small tip rubs only with no knocks or dinks. Excellent or better shape retained.

Cover Summary: I cannot emphasise enough how intolerant this cover is to poor or inadequate storage, lack of protection or heavy-handling. Many are found in a poor or shabby states making one like this almost exceptional. Cover-protected from new, it should please many, if not most collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT(++): with little more than natural crinkle and no user creasing. It retains its polylining and still deep black colour with no ringwear, edge splits or repairs. As stated further up, it has the ‘st peter’s square’ address detail text.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(++) / (+): this being somewhat critical, side one has barely any visual blemishes at all, side two has a couple or three gentle surface marks that have NO sound. A very impressive visual copy that’s very clean, with excellent shine and quite solidly pressed. Some of the groove widths are incredibly fine, they appear almost smooth, clear indication of very low volume in those areas. An album of immense contrasts in volume, thus difficult for any vinyl record. This impressive example appears little played and offers top-quality sound ofr most of its duration. Well pressed and the lack of usage crucial, this should again please many, if not most collectors.

Album Played For Grading: Yes. [I play ALL records I offer before submitting to Ebay, also the record is played in its entirety unless clearly stated otherwise. I do NOT play snippets or joining grooves to check for sound quality and quietness – I play from the beginning to end via clinically revealing B&W speakers that include the legendary tweeter from their awesome Nautilus range that reveals every blemish or minuscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: All King Crimson albums are a vinyl collector’s nightmare – with the ultimate in extremes and I am always a little nervous when playing a newly purchased example, and that no matter how clean it looks. One minute virtual silence, like the very beginning of this album and last minute of side two. Also some segments of side two’s instrumental passages where there is barely any sound at all. Then ferocious crescendos of mass volume and swirling Mellotron that are capable of shaking the building’s foundations. This is the ultimate test for any vinyl record (and equipment) and I believe that hardly any copies will exist that will play absolutely ‘silent’ in their entirety, the format hardly allows it. Most sound enthusiasts are now used to CD silence, but records with ‘contact’ reproduction are a different matter altogether. The tiniest fragment embedded into any groove can sound as a light pop or crackle and can anyone honestly say a record over 40 years old will have none at all? – this is being totally honest and realistic – I play all my records from beginning to end on VERY revealing equipment and simply tell it the way it is.

So how does this one play? I almost hold my breath on every King Crimson record I play-grade to offer because even if they look like new they don’t always play like that. These ultra fine delicate opening grooves are so fragile and vulnerable, and so many will be marked or worse – this has little to fault anywhere. Yes a tiny few gentle ‘taps’ from a microscopic pressing ‘pit’ near the start of side one last for a tiny few seconds only. Also a little sporadic crackle near the start of side two – all this mentioned already above. But again this disappears fast to leave little else throughout. Few will look and sound much better for their entirety. A record that delivers in every department with incredibly powerful, totally distortion-free sound with no tracking issues*. All frequencies are sharp, clear and fully focused and offer truly awesome sound quality with a massive dynamic range with super analogue detail. This is an immensely challenging record that for those familiar will already know. Most of the ultra quiet sections play very well indeed without that irritating constant crackle so many seem to have, any traces are minor and faint. This is near master tape quality that takes you into the studio itself with a pressing standard of high (EMI) quality. As stated, some passages on side two have no instrumentation or vocal, pure silence and the reproduction here does it proud. On the other end of the scale, the sheer sonic power and difficult-to-track intense Mellotron sound on side two is perfect without any hint of high frequency breakup or stressing, all focused and precise, it’s just a question if your system can handle ‘The Devil’s Triangle’. Very complex groove patterns with wide and varying widths can clearly be seen with the naked eye and with close observation while playing, both the headshell and stylus can be seen ‘flicking’ from side to side just to try and stay in the groove and track perfectly, as this one does. Both channels remain clean and sharp, yes even on the thunderous Mellotron climaxes, I am certain this record has been only lightly played, and then only on quality equipment, and has been mostly carefully stored. Like the cover, this record suffers any abuse badly and is very intolerant of ancient unforgiving equipment or overplaying on such – that is why so many pink label originals are found trashed and unlistenable. Nothing of any real note spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this progressive giant – ignore those critics from the past, this is a ‘Crimson Classic’. The very brief sporadic crackle at the very beginning of side two aside (a few brief seconds), this is a delight throughout and it will prove very difficult to find better from whatever pressing you choose. This merits strong recommendation, for those who are primarily interested in the music, not the label, this delivers.

End Piece: I adore King Crimson, they could little wrong for me right up to Red which I regard as their final masterpiece – although the later albums are interesting, the early-era Island albums are all essential and King Crimson remain in the premier league for real progressive rock. Along with van der Graaf Generator and early Genesis, their albums on vinyl are very hard to find in a fit state to really enjoy, so many being ruined by intolerable amounts of surface sound (or worse). How many copies of the debut will really play near silent? – few, if any to be honest, and this album is similar as we all know. So I am delighted to offer this very strong all-round pink rim copy. Still one of the most difficult and demanding conditionwise. Most progressive or Island collectors will enjoy this one, the sound and mix on the earlier pressings are vastly superior to the latter, thinner Polydor or other repressings that followed. This is what real high fidelity is all about and why many collectors invest vast amounts in audio equipment to enjoy the finer details. One to enjoy without the (potential) vast cost of a similar copy on the pink label.

* As played-graded on a high-end Linn LP12 Sondek turntable with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Quintet Black moving coil cartridge tracking at 2.2 grams.

Now one of the most established sellers on Ebay and still offering the finest and most accurately described and graded records I can find. I pride myself on offering a variety of genres to keep my site as interesting as possible. I will rarely offer any record that falls below a true Excellent grading, unless its of a certain rarity which will justify offering a lesser grade. I try, to the best of my ability to describe as accurately and as honesty as I can all items I offer for sale with all the relevant information I can think of to help any potential bidder and collector. You may notice I only submit records sparingly on Ebay as I Play-Grade every record I offer in their entirety – also on higher-end equipment – not just bits to guess a grade - visuals alone do not always tell a true or full story. I will mention any defects or flaws no matter how small that I notice to be fair as possible to any interested collector – I am very fussy and my buyers have the right to be too. Every record I offer, whether it be a common or rare item deserves the same respect as far as I am concerned and will be treated the same - just because an item is rare does not always mean it’s good. I get just as much pleasure offering a relatively common record in stunning near mint condition as the real rare items. All the pictures I use for your guidance are taken with a digital camera or scanned - they are NOT improved, cleaned-up or made better looking than they are with camera trickery or enhancing with digital programmes. Room light factors can make things vary sometimes, that is hard to control, especially in winter. If any picture I take looks more flattering than the actual item for any reason, I will clearly state the fact in the advert and vice-versa. I hope the item below is to your liking - any questions can be emailed and I will do my very best to answer you. I am enthusiastic, and have a fair degree of knowledge about many genres and I promise quality items - bid with confidence - excellence comes as standard and so does Near Mint regularly. Please assume all records I offer have NO jumps, sticks, warps or writing on covers or labels unless clearly stated to the contrary. Thanks for your interest and Good luck – MIKE.

Deck: Linn LP12/Hercules/Cirkus with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Quintet Black moving coil cartridge (tracks at 2.2 grams). Amps: Naim Supernait 2 with Project USB phono stage and Tellerium Black interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired with Tellurium Black terminated cable). All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional VPI-17 vacuum machine before play-grading for the cleanest and best possible sound and will include a brand new lined inner and protective cover too. Pictures taken with a Nikon D5000 SLR Digital Camera.

PACKING - THIS IS WHAT YOU GET.

What You Get: To confirm to the strict Ebay rules on shipping, I must now send ALL my packets ‘Signed-For’ with NO exceptions. Both buyers and sellers want their packets to have a safer journey and this is not a bad thing.

I now offer the fastest possible posting, often the very next day after payment is received or within two to three days maximum (unless on holiday). I only use FIRST-CLASS Mail. The record’s cover will be placed within a BRAND NEW soft protective sleeve and the actual record will be professionally cleaned on my new VPI-17 Pro vacuum system to give ultimate clean grooves and playing surfaces and the best possible looks and ultimate sound quality. You will NOT get tired, dull looking, dust infested records inside worn and foggy covers with tatty inners from this seller and that’s a promise and guarantee. All records are posted in professional boxes (NOT Mailers, these do not offer any real protection). The record(s) are REMOVED from their main cover to avoid edge splits and placed within a brand new polylined inner. The record’s original inner will be included if available. The boxes are then reinforced with at least TWO, ULTRA THICK stiffeners for maximum extra protection – these are FOUR TIMES thicker than commercial stiffeners and are custom-made for oneadayrecords. Really rare and expensive albums will even be Double Boxed if deemed necessary and possible. When larger boxes are used, the thick record and stiffener ‘sandwich’ is then thickly embedded into bubble-wrap to bulk out the record inside the box to centre the item inside to reduce the risk of damage still further. Printed address labels are used for clarity as well as a sender label. Customers requests or special needs for P&P will be respected if at all possible but ‘Signed-For’ posting is NOT an option anymore. I do not profit on posting, better quality packaging costs, I offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible for ultimate confidence. The boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffeners make a near impregnable fortress for safe shipping and this is used inland and overseas for ALL my records, not just the rare and expensive. I will invoice any winning bidder as soon as possible after the auction ends. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is minuscule in over 14 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional. The only damage rate acceptable for this seller is ZERO and I think my packets will offer just that. It would take a vicious postman or postal service to damage these for sure. Oneadayrecords is a MAILER-FREE ZONE – they offer next-to-no-protection, and should be banned, no ‘professional’ should consider using them in my opinion. I discount of course for multiple purchases with a maximum of FIVE records per box (one double can sometimes be included subject to total weight). All postage costs are below and at the top of the listing.

NOTE: First Time Bidders: Please ask me first.

PLEASE NOTE: I now exercise my right to open a dispute after the Ebay rule of TWO days if no payment is received. I will then cancel the dispute to end the bid, again after the mandatory FOUR days and then offer the item to the runner-up or relist. The non-payer will also be blocked from my Ebay site as will any suspicious bids or bid withdrawals. Small businesses need prompt payment to trade and these strict rules WILL be applied.

SHIPPING COSTS & CONDITIONS – THESE comply with EBAY’S RULES - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY:

Posting & Packing: UK & CHANNEL ISLANDS all now sent via Recorded Delivery:

1 LP (FIRST-CLASS Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £4.75

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7.50. (this includes insurance of £500). Add £1 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA. (Airmail Only):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£50 maximum]) = £12.50 (enhanced Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3). Add £2 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (ANY PART OF); South America; New Zealand; Australia; Canada; Japan and other Far East; (Airmail Only: I NEVER use Surface Mail):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£50 maximum]) = £16.50 (£17.50 for double sets). Add £3 per extra LP. (enhanced Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3)

Payment Conditions:

I prefer PayPal or cheque from UK winning bidders. I can accept PayPal from overseas bidders or direct payment into my bank account.

Potential Bidders: I will cancel any bids I feel are time-wasters. A maximum 3 days for communication and 7 days for payment to arrive - if not I will relist the item or offer to the runner-up. Fast deals get great feedback from me. Any questions - please ask and thanks for looking.

My Guarantee: If any winning bidder is not satisfied with their purchase I will offer a complete refund. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer, so read the item description carefully. If any overseas collector does not understand anything in my listing, please email and ask me to help. Thank You.

SOME GENERAL GUIDES TO WEAR AND CONDITIONS TO HELP YOU DECIDE

My Use of Description Terminology: Surface Marks = Superficial, usually light marks, hairlines or light scuffs that rarely sound. Scratch = a needle mark that goes below the record’s surface, some will sound, some will not, my play-grade will inform. Original = a record that has been pressed with the first label design which does NOT necessarily mean a very first pressed record. First Pressing = A record that I believe or know to be a genuine very first pressed record. I do not claim to always know for sure, and that’s why I state the stamper and matrix numbers if at all possible, for those who claim to know what they all mean, the information is there for the collector to decide. I prefer to use terms like ‘Early Copy’ rather than ‘First Pressing’ if I am not totally sure. Surface Sound = Mild, light sound, usually light crackle or similar. Distortion = Break up of the actual sound caused by groove wear or damage from a chipped stylus – the most undesirable form of unwanted sound, vintage mono records were the most prone to this happening but not exclusively so. The symptoms of distortion are high frequency clipping, moderate constant crackle or an echo type sound quality. Violin, piano and vocals are most prone to groove-wear distortion. Feathering = Fraying or softening of the entry edge of a cover. Covers with feathered entrance edges are more likely to have had the actual record inserted and removed more than a non-feathered, sharp-edged cover which are always far more attractive. Set Off, actually a printer’s term for dark ink leaving mild residue on pale or white ink when rested upon. e.g. when a gatefold cover has black ink closed against white, this can leave some black residue on the pale area – this is mostly unavoidable or course.

The Argument for Vinyl Original sound and mix (mono mixes are rarely available on CD), high quality sound on clean copies (played on a hi-end dedicated analogue system – breathtaking sound!), beautiful, large format covers, artwork, inserts and even full size posters etc; huge investment potential, and the pleasure of owning ‘the real thing’.