King Crimson STARLESS AND BIBLE BLACK UK LP 1ST MINT-

	£		107
	$		142

KING CRIMSON - STARLESS AND BIBLE BLACK

IN MAGNIFICENT ONE PLAY CONDITION

FIRST PRESS  - PALM TREE ISLAND LABEL

WITH THE ULTRA RARE LYRIC INNER SLEEVE

• CATALOGUE:ILPS 9275
• MATRIX: ILPS9275 A/3U  B/3U
• FIRST PRESS 2 T / 2 GP
• 'GARC' ETCHED INTO DEAD WAX SIDE A
• 'SEAN & RAY ETCHED INTO DEAD WAX SIDE B
• PLAYED NO MORE THAN TWO TIMES

THE COLLECTIBLE KING CRIMSON ALBUM!!!

IN SUCH MAGNIFICENT CONDITION I CAN HARDLY BELIEVE IT MYSELF

there are so many quiet passages on this album that to find a top grade collectible copy is just about impossible, but here is a staggering example of this sought after album!!!

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

PALM TREE ISLAND LABELS IN PRISTINE CONDITION. NO MARKS OR STAINS ANYWHERE. THE COLOUR IS RICH AND VIBRANT. THE COLOUR FULLY STRETCHES INTO THE UNWORN SPINDLE HOLE, WHERE THERE IS EVEN SOME RESIDUE VINYL SHARDS LEFT OVER FROM THE PRESSING OF THE LP, PROVING THAT IT JUST HASN'T BEEN PLAYED. THE BLACK TYPEFACE IS TOTALLY UNWORN AND PERFECTLY LEGIBLE.

THERE ARE NO MORE THAN 1-2 REALLY SMALL SPIDER LINES VERY CLOSE TO THE HOLE SHOWING EXACTLY HOW MANY PLAYS THIS ALBUM HAS RECEIVED. IT JUST HASN'T BEEN PLAYED WHEN YOU CONSIDER THAT IT IS 37 YEARS OLD

THE VINYL

ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO HAVE  IN THIS INCREDIBLE CONDITION. USUALLY FOR TWO REASONS. ONE IS THAT THE ISLAND VINYL USED WAS FAIRLY POOR QUALITY RESULTING MOSTLY IN VINYL NOISE, AND SECONDLY BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY QUIET PASSAGES ON THIS ALBUM  ANY TICK OR CRACKLE IS JUST SO OBVIOUS.

I GUARANTEE THAT THIS IS JUST ABOUT THE BEST COPY THAT YOU COULD FIND.

THE VINYL GLEAMS LIKE NEW AND LOOKS LIKE IT WAS FRESHLY PRESSED. THERE ARE NO MARKS HANDLING OR OTHERWISE ANYWHERE ON THE SURFACE, AND EVEN UNDER INTENSE ILLIUMINATION, THERE IS NOTHING MORE THAN A COUPLE OF REALLY WISPY HAIRLINES TO BE SEEN. A MAGNIFICENT DISC

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, SOMETHING I AM DOING NOW WITH EVERY LISTING I PLACE, AS I AM CONVINCED THAT BIIDERS WANT TO BE ABLE TO HEAR WHAT THEY ARE BIDDING ON, AND NOT JUST RELY ON A DESCRIPTION, NO MATTER HOW GOOD IT IS

THE ALBUM PLAYS TO THE HIGHEST STANDARD WITHOUT ANY DISTORTION WHATSOEVER, AND WITHOUT ANY CLICKS OR POPS

IN ADDITION TO THE STUNNING QUALITY OF THE VINYL, THE REPRODUCTION IS ALSO INCREDIBLE. EVERY NOTE IS HEAR TO PERFECTION AS CLEAR AS A BELL.

I CANNOT GET OVER JUST HOW MANY SILENT PASSAGES THERE ARE ON THIS ALBUM, AND JUST HOW BRILLIANT IT PERFORMS. THE ONLY THING I CAN SAY IS THAT DURING WHAT CAN ONLY BE DESCRIBED AS TOTAL SILENCE DURING THE VERY LONG INTRO TO THE 3RD SOUNDBITE THERE IS THE MOST MINIMAL STATIC LIKE AND BARELY AUDIBLE BACKGROUND.

IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR THE BEST COPY THAT MONEY CAN BUY OF THIS RARE ALBUM FROM KING CRIMSON THEN THIS MAY WELL BE FOR YOU

I HAVE NO HESITATION IN GRADING THIS MINT MINUS

THE SLEEVE

GENUINE 1ST PRESS ROBOR SLEEVE

 VERY HARD SLEEVE TO GET IN A HIGH GRADE COLLECTIBLE CONDITION. THE REASON FOR THIS IS NOT ONLY IS THE SLEEVE UNLAMINATED, BUT IT IS DEEPLY TEXTURED, MAKING THE SLEEVE HAVE HUNDREDS OF RAISED POINTS ALL VULNERABLE TO RUBBING AND COLOUR LOSS, AND OF COURSE BECAUSE IT IS WHITE IT IS ALSO VULNERABLE TO DIRT AND GRIME, AND  MOST COPIES THAT YOU WILL SEE ARE BADLY WORN THROUGH SHELF WEAR AND MISSHANDLING. THIS SLEEVE IS AS GOOD AS YOU WILL GET I BELIEVE.

THE FRONT SURFACE IS VERY FLAT AND CLEAN. THERE ARE NO MARKS OR STAINS ANYWHERE. THERE ARE NO CREASES, CREASE LINES OR BENDS, NOT EVEN ANY OF THE SMALL LINES CLOSE TO THE SPINE. THERE IS JUST ONE VERY FAINT LINE NEAR THE TOP LEFT CORNER.

THE WHITE COLOUR IS IN 99% PERFECT STATE.AND THIS IS DUE TO THE SLEEVE BEING HOUSED INSIDE A PLASTIC COVER FROM NEW. THERE ARE JUST A COUPLE OF VERY VERY LIGHT SUGGESTIONS OF FINGER TOUCHES TO THE VERY BOTTOM EDGE.

THE PRICE STICKER THAT YOU SEE IN THE PICTURE WAS THE ORIGINAL SHOP STICKER WHEN PURCHASED IN 74. I HAVE CAREFULLY REMOVED IT SINCE, AND I HAVE STUCK IT ON THE NEW POLY LINED INNER THAT I HAVE PLACED THE LP INTO.

THE REMOVAL OF THIS STICKER HAS NOT DAMAGED THE SLEEVE IN ANY WAY

THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES ARE FREE FROM ANY SHELF WEAR

THE SPINE ON THIS SLEEVE IS AT BEST USUALLY FOUND WITH SHELF WEAR AND WORN TYPEFACE, BUT HERE IS A MINT UNSQUASHED AND UNWORN EXAMPLE WITH EVERY LETTER OF THE TYPEFACE PERFECTLY LEGIBLE

THE OPENING EDGE IS STILL RAZOR SHARP WITH JUST A COUPLE OF TINY THUMB NAIL NICKS WHERE THE LP HAS BEEN REMOVED A COUPLE OF TIMES

THE REAR SURFACE IS AS BRILLIANT AS THE FRONT SURFACE AND DOESN'T EVEN HAVE THE LIGHT RECORD SHAPE THAT I HAVE SEEN ON MANY OTHER COPIES OF THIS SLEEVE

OPENING THE GATEFOLD REVEALS A PRISTINE INNER SURFACE ON BOTH SIDES.

THE VERY RARE LYRIC INNER SLEEVE IS IN WHAT I CAN ONLY DESCRIBE 'AS NEW' CONDITION. IT IS SO THIN AND DELICATE THAT MOST ARE SPLIT ALONG ALL THE SEAMS BUT WITH THIS VIRTUALLY UNPLAYED ALBUM THE INNER HAS REMAINED IN FLAT, PRISTINE, AND UNSPLIT CONDITION

I HAVE NO HESITATION IN GRADING THIS SLEEVE MINT MINUS

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

GARRY