King Crimson IN THE COURT OF THE CRIMSON KING UK 1ST PINK i A2/B3 100% MINT-

	£		466
	$		617

KING CRIMSON - IN THE COURT OF THE CRIMSON KING

IN MAGNIFICENT ONE PLAY CONDITION

FIRST PINK i PRESS A2 / B3

INCREDIBLE MINT MINUS SLEEVE AND MINT MINUS VINYL

ONE OF THE BEST COPIES AROUND!!!

• CATALOGUE:ISLAND ILPS 9111
• MATRIX: ILPS9111 A//2  1 2 8 / B//3  1 1 6

AN ABSOLUTE INVESTMENT GRADE COPY OF THIS RARE AND CLASSIC DEBUT ALBUM FROM KING CRIMSON

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

THE PINK i LABELS ARE IN MAGNIFICENT CONDITION. THE BASE COLOUR IS RICH AND VIBRANT AND THE PASTEL PINK COLOUR ALSO HAS A VERY SLIGHTLY TEXTURED FEEL TO IT THAT ONLY THE VERY EARLY PINK ISLAND LABELS HAD.WHITE AREAS ARE STILL PURE WHITE. NO MARKS OR STAINS AT ALL ON A ANY PART OF THE LABEL.

THE BLACK TYPEFACE IS ALL PERFECTLY CLEAR AND LEGIBLE AND UNRUBBED.

THE SPINDLE HOLE IS UNWORN AND THERE ARE ABSOLUTELY NO SPIDER LINES AROUND THE SPINDLE HOLE WHATSOEVER

THE VINYL

THE VINYL IS JUST SUPERB. HAVING RETAINED ITS ORIGINAL SHEEN THERE ARE NO MARKS TO BE SEEN ON THE DISC,AND IN DAYLIGHT IT IS TOTALLY FLAWLESS, AND EVEN UNDER INTENSE ILLUMINATION THERE IS NOTHING TO SEE APART FROM A FEW WISPS

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 ALBUM FROM START TO FINISH AS I DO WITH ALL MY LISTINGS AS I KNOW THAT BIDDERS WOULD LOVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE HEAR THE RECORD BEFORE LAYING A BID.

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

I HAVE LISTENED TO MANY COPIES OF THIS ALBUM, AND LISTED ONLY A FEW OVER THE YEARS, AS THIS VINYL PICKS UP ANY BACKGROUND NOISE DUE TO THE INCREDIBLE NUMBER OF SILENT PASSAGES DURING THE MUSIC. I HAVE NO HESITATION IN STATING THAT IN MY OPINION THIS IS THE HARDEST ALBUM TO COLLECT IN A MINT OR NEAR MINT CONDITION. THE FACT THAT MOONCHILD WHICH LASTS FOR 12 MINUTES OR MORE, HAS OVER 6 MINUTES OF NEAR SILENCE ONLY INTERRUPTED BY THE OCCASIONAL NOTE FROM AN INSTRUMENT IS ENOUGH IN MOST CASES TO HAVE ME REMOVE THE VINYL FROM THE DECK AND NOT LIST IT.

THIS VINYL IS JUST SUBLIME. FIRSTLY THERE IS NOT ONE JOT OF DISTORTION AT ANY POINT ON EITHER SIDE, AND THIS MEANS THAT THE COUPLE OF PLAYS IT HAS RECEIVED IN THE LAST 40 YEARS WERE COMPLETED ON A SYSTEM SPORTING AN UNWORN AND CORRECTLY WEIGHTED STYLUS

THE STEREO REPRODUCTION IS JUST MAGNIFICENT, AND THERE IS NO BACKGROUND CRACKLING WHATSOEVER

THOSE THAT COLLECT ISLAND RECORDINGS WILL BE ONLY TOO AWARE THAT A HUGE PERCENTAGE OF PRESSINGS FROM THIS ERA HAVE INBUILT VINYL NOISE DUE TO THE POOR QUALITY OF THE VINYL USED IN THE MANUFACTURE. HAPPILY THIS ONE HAS ESCAPED VIRTUALLY ALL OF THAT AND ONLY ON A COUPLE OF OCCASIONS ARE YOU ABLE TO DETECT A LITTLE VINYL NOISE

THIS VINYL HAS FIVE TINY TICS DURING THE RUN IN TO THE FIRST TRACK,WHICH IS A MILD IRRITANT, BUT IS THE ONLY FLAW WITH THE DISC, AND THE ODD SECOND OR TWO OF STATIC LIKE VINYL NOISE IN A FEW SPOTS. I HAVE EVEN RECORDED THE RUN OUT GROOVE WHICH ON BOTH SIDES IS SILENT. WITHOUT THE FIVE LITTLE TICS I WOULD HAVE GRADED THE VINYL MINT!!!

MOONCHILD IS THE MOST VULNERABLE TRACK FOR THE REASONS I HAVE ALREADY MENTIONED, BUT ON THIS PRECIOUS COPY IT SOUNDS ABSOLUTELY STUNNING AND NEAR FLAWLESS. TAKE A LISTEN!!

I AM MORE THAN HAPPY TO GRADE THIS VINYL MINT MINUS

PLEASE TAKE A FULL LISTEN TO THIS ALBUM AND JUDGE IT FOR YOURSELF

THE SLEEVE

A GENUINE FIRST PRESS SLEEVE TO MATCH THE LP. I SAY GENUINE BECAUSE THIS SLEEVE BEING NON LAMINATED IS PRONE TO SERIOUS RUBBING TO THE COLOURS, AND IT HAS BEEN KNOWN THAT SOME INDIVIDUALS HAVE CHANGED THE SLEEVE ON A PINK ISLAND COPY TO THAT OF THE LATER PINK RIM COPY. THE PROBLEM WITH THIS IS THAT ALTHOUGH THE SLEEVES ARE VIRTUALLY IDENTICAL, THE FIRST ISSUES WERE MADE BY E. J DAY AND CO, AND THE LATER ONES WERE MADE BY ROBOR

THE FRONT SURFACE IS ABSOLUTEST PRISTINE THE DELICATE COLOURS HAVE REMAINED UNRUBBED. AS MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY THIS IS QUITE A RARITY.

INCREDIBLY THERE IS NOT ONE CREASE, CREASE LINE OR EVEN THOSE THAT FORM NEAR THE SPINE. ABSOLUTELY NONE!!!

NO THUMB LINES AND NO WEAR OF ANY DESCRIPTION. IT LOOKS LIKE IT HAS JUST BEEN MADE

THE VERY TIP OF THE TOP LEFT CORNER HAS THE TINIEST SPECK OF RUB

THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES HAVE SOME VERY MILD SHELF WEAR WITH TOP HAVING ONLY A FEW SPECKS AND THE BOTTOM SOME COLOUR LOSS TO THE FRONT EDGE

THE SPINE IS NEAR MINT   IT IS FLAT, TOTALLY UNRUBBED AND EVERY LETTER OF THE TYPEFACE IS PERFECTLY LEGIBLE. NO SQUASHING OF ANY DESCRIPTION. A TRULY STUNNING EXAMPLE, WITH ONLY THE VERY TIP ENDS TOP AND BOTTOM HAVING A SPECK OF RUBBING

THE OPENING EDGE IS STILL RAZOR  SHARP AND SHOWS CLEARLY THAT THE LP HAS BEEN CAREFULLY HANDLED WHEN REMOVING IT FROM THE SLEEVE.

THE REAR SURFACE IS ALMOST AS PRISTINE AS THE FRONT. WHAT IS ALSO WORTH POINTING OUT IS THAT THERE IS NO RECORD SHAPE OR RING WEAR, AND NO PEN MARKS ON ANY PART OF THE COVER WHATSOEVER. EVEN ANGLING THE SLEEVE INTO LIGHT THERE IS NOT THE SLIGHTEST SHADOW OF RECORD IMPRINT. THERE IS JUST ONE SLIGHT IMPRESSION IN THE TOP LEFT CORNER WHERE SOMETHING HAS RESTED AGAINST THE SLEEVE HERE

OPENING THE GATEFOLD REVEALS TWO PRISTINE INNER PANELS. NO COLOUR LOSS AT ALL, AND THE E.J.DAY TYPEFACE AT THE BOTTOM RIGHT OF THE LEFT PANEL

SO THERE WE HAVE IT, AN INCREDIBLE MINT MINUS SLEEVE COUPLED WITH A NEAR MINT VINYL

I DON'T THINK THIS WILL EVER NEED UPGRADING

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

GARRY