KINKS, Arthur Or The Decline And Fall Of The British Empire USA 1st press Exc LP

$

98

The Kinks – Arthur Or The Decline And Fall Of The British Empire Label: Reprise Records – RS 6366, Reprise Records – 6366 Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo, Pitman Press, Gatefold Country: US Released: Oct 10, 1969 Genre: Rock Style: Pop Rock, Classic Rock Tracklist Hide Credits A1 Victoria 3:37 A2 Yes Sir, No Sir 3:42 A3 Some Mother's Son 3:22 A4 Drivin' Engineer – Brian Humphries Engineer – Brian Humphries 3:15 A5 Brainwashed 2:30 A6 Australia 6:40 B1 Shangri-La 5:17 B2 Mr. Churchill Says 4:40 B3 She's Bought A Hat Like Princess Marina 3:05 B4 Young And Innocent Days 3:20 B5 Nothing To Say 3:07 B6 Arthur 5:20 Companies, etc. Record Company – Warner Bros. - Seven Arts Records, Inc. Manufactured By – Bethevin Productions, Ltd. Published By – Hill & Range Songs Recorded At – Pye Studios Mastered At – Customatrix Pressed By – Columbia Records Pressing Plant, Pitman Credits Arranged By – The Kinks Conductor [Brass, Strings] – Lew Warburton Engineer – Andrew Hendriksen* (tracks: A1 to A3, A4 to B6) Liner Notes – John Mendelsohn, Julian Mitchell Performer – Dave Davies, John Dalton, Mick Avory, Ray Davies Producer, Written-By – Ray Davies Notes This is the original US release (1st Pressing). Has orange/gold labels with Warner Seven-Arts logo next to Reprise logo. This is the Columbia Records Pressing Plant, Pitman pressing variant  denoted by a small inverted "P" stamped in the runouts First cat. # on spine and labels. Second cat. # on front sleeve. Issued in a gatefold sleeve. Includes a die-cut lyric insert with a graphic on it. (a cartoon of Queen Victoria). Original story of Arthur written by Julian Mitchell and Ray Davies.  Back sleeve liner notes by Julian Mitchell and John Mendelsohn.  

USA FIRST PRESSING VINYL ALBUM IN GATEFOLD SLEEVE WITH LYRIC INSERT AND ORIGINAL COMPANY INNER SLEEVE.

MATRIX:  SIDE A: P o 30953 RS 6366 A -1H. Λ 2 /  SIDE B: P o  30954 RS-6366 B 1K Λ 2.

SLEEVE: VERY GOOD+, JUST LIGHT SHELF, CORNER, EDGE AND RING WEAR.  INSERT AND INNER SLEEVE VERY GOOD+ WITH NO SEAM SPLITS.

DISC: EXCELLENT MINUS. NO SCRATCHES, JUST A FEW VERY LIGHT HAIRLINES. CLEAN LABELS.

Why buy a first or early pressing and not a re-issue or a ‘re-mastered’ vinyl album?

First and early pressings are pressed from the first generation lacquers and stampers. They usually sound vastly superior to later issues/re-issues (which, in recent times, are often pressed from whatever 'best' tapes or digital sources are currently available) - many so-called 'audiophile' new 180g pressings are cut from hi-res digital sources…essentially an expensive CD pressed on vinyl.  Why  experience the worse elements of both formats?  These are just High Maintenance CDs, with mid-ranges so cloaked with a veil as to sound smeared.  They are nearly always compressed with murky transients and a general lifelessness in the overall sound.  There are exceptions where re-masters/re-presses outshine the original issues, but they are exceptions and not the norm.

First or early pressings nearly always have more immediacy, presence and dynamics. The sound staging is wider.  Subtle instrument nuances are better placed with more spacious textures. Balances are firmer in the bottom end with a far-tighter bass. Upper-mid ranges shine without harshness, and the overall depth is more immersive.  Inner details are clearer, the music tends to sound more ‘alive’ and vibrant and you 'hear' what the mixing and mastering engineers wanted you to hear when they first recorded the music.  

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