Nazareth HAIR OF THE DOG UK LP 1ST A1U/B2U TOPS 107 PLAYS NEAR MINT MINUS

	£		37
	$		48

NAZARETH - HAIR OF THE DOG

PLAYS TO A NEAR MINT MINUS GRADE

NEAR MINT MINUS SLEEVE TO MATCH

• CATALOGUE:MOUNTAIN TOPS 107
• MATRIX: CREST27 A-2U (CROSSED OUT) TOPS107 A-2U /CREST28 B-1U(CROSSED OUT) TOPS107 B-1U 
• MOTHERS / STAMPERS: 1 R / 2 T (INCREDIBLY EARLY PRESS)

A WORD ABOUT THE 1975 FIRST PRESSES. THIS VINYL WAS ORIGINALLY RELEASED ON THE MOONCREST LABEL AND GIVEN THE CATALOGUE NUMBER CREST27. CREST 27 WAS THE FINAL ALBUM RELEASED ON THE MOONCREST LABEL IN 1975 (THERE WAS A CREST 28 3 YEARS LATER) BUT TO ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES, CREST 27 WAS THE FINAL VINYL. CERTAINLY AS FAR AS NAZARETH WERE CONCERNED BECAUSE THE LP WAS IMMEDIATELY REISSUED ON THEIR NEW LABEL MOUNTAIN.

WHAT I FIND INTERESTING IS THAT THE VINYL USED FOR BOTH LABELS APPEARS TO BE IDENTICAL. THE MATRIX NUMBER CREST27 IS OF COURSE USED IN THE DEAD WAX FOR THE MOONCREST RELEASE, BUT IT ALSO APPEARS IN THE DEAD WAX OF THE MOUNTAIN ISSUE. IT IS OF COURSE CROSSED OUT AND TOPS107 STAMPED IN NEXT TO IT.

SO COULD THEY BOTH HAVE BEEN PRESSED IN THE SAME FACTORY. MORE LIKELY IS THAT THERE WAS VINYL LEFT OVER WHEN THE BAND SWITCHED LABELS AND IT WAS USED INSTEAD OF REPRESSING ONTO FRESH VINYL. IN MY BOOK THAT MAKES THE VINYLS FIRST PRESSES DESPITE THE LABEL CHANGE

WHICHEVER WAY YOU LOOK AT IT, THERE IS CERTAINLY ROOM FOR DISCUSSION

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

THE PASTEL GREEN AND BLUE MOUNTAIN LABELS ARE IN PRISTINE CONDITION. THE RICH AND VIBRANT BASE COLOURS FULLY STRETCH INTO THE UNWORN SPINDLE HOLE,AND ALL OF THE BLACK TYPEFACE IS BOTH UNRUBBED AND CLEAR AND LEGIBLE. FINALLY THERE ARE JUST TWO  MINUSCULE SPIDER LINES CLOSE TO THE HOLE SHOWING JUST HOW LITTLE THIS 1975 1ST PRESS HAS BEEN NEAR A TURNTABLE

THE VINYL

THIS HEAVY WEIGHT VINYL GLEAMS LIKE A NEW DISC, AND HAS RETAINED ALL OF THE ORIGINAL SHEEN AND LUSTRE. IN DAYLIGHT IT LOOKS TOTALLY FLAWLESS, AND EVEN WHEN PLACED UNDER INTENSE ILLUMINATION THERE ARE JUST A FEW WISPY HAIRLINES TO BE SEEN, AND A FEW REALLY MINUSCULE HANDLING MARKS

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 FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT BIDDERS WOULD LOVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO HEAR THE RECORD BEFORE LAYING A BID

THIS IS A SERVICE I AM DELIGHTED TO OFFER MY CUSTOMERS

 THE LP PLAYS THROUGH BRILLIANTLY ON BOTH SIDES, AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO TAKE A GOOD LISTEN TO THE SOUNDBITES WHICH DEMONSTRATE JUST HOW FANTASTIC THIS LP SOUNDS.

THERE IS NO DISTORTION TO THE SOUND WHATSOEVER,SHOWING THAT THE FEW PLAYS THAT THIS ALBUM HAS RECEIVED HAS BEEN COMPLETED WITH A STYLUS THAT WAS BOTH UNWORN, AND TRACKING AT THE CORRECT WEIGHT.

THE VERY QUIET ' GUILTY ' ON SIDE ONE ALWAYS SEEMS TO HAVE LIGHT STATIC LIKE BACKGROUND RUNNING THROUGH THE EARLY PART OF IT. EVERY COPY I HAVE EVER HAD DISPLAYS THE SAME LIGHT STUFF

THE TRACK GUILTY AND THE FINAL TRACK ' PLEASE DON'T JUDAS ME' BOTH HAVE A LITTLE OF THIS LIGHT BACKGROUND, PLUS SOME LIGHT ROTATIONAL LITTLE BARELY AUDIBLE TICS FOR A FEW SECONDS

OTHER THAN THIS THE VINYL PLAYS SUPERBLY. NO HEAVY BACKGROUND CRACKLE AND NO LOUD CLICKS AND CERTAINLY NO IRRITATING VINYL NOISE

I AM MORE THAN HAPPY TO GRADE THIS VINYL NEAR MINT MINUS

BUT PLEASE TAKE A LISTEN AND JUDGE IT FOR YOUR SELF

THE SLEEVE

NON LAMINATED GARROD AND LOFTHOUSE SINGLE SLEEVE IN SUPERB CONDITION.

THE FRONT SURFACE WHICH OFTEN HAS SERIOUS COLOUR LOSS, IS  RICH AND VIBRANT AND HAS NO COLOUR LOSS WHATSOEVER.

THERE ARE TEN REALLY TINY LITTLE LINED VERY CLOSE TO THE WAFER THIN SPINE, AND ONE ALONG THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES. NO THUMB LINES NEAR THE OPENING EDGE HOWEVER.

THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO RINGWEAR TO THE COVER, AND INCREDIBLY NO RECORD SHAPE EITHER, EVEN WHEN THE SLEEVE IS ANGLED INTO THE LIGHT

THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES ARE STILL IN SUPERB CONDITION. THE TOP EDGE HAS THE SPINE WORDING ON IT AND 'NAZ' ARE VERY LIGHTLY RUBBED AND THE ONLY OTHER WEAR IS TO THE VERY RIGHT CORNER TIP. THE BOTTOM EDGE HAS A COUPLE OF SLIVERS OF WHITE SHOWING

THE SPINE IS VERY VERY THIN BUT IMMACULATE. TOTALLY FLAT, UNRUBBED AND WITH PERFECT TYPEFACE

THE OPENING EDGE IS STILL SHARP WITH JUST A COUPLE OF TINY THUMB NAIL NICKS

THE REAR SURFACE, HAS ONLYSIX MINUSCULE LINES NEXT TO THE SPINE, AND ONE LIGHT CREASE LINE ACROSS THE BOTTOM LEFT CORNER, AND A SHADOW OF RECORD SHAPE JUST UNDER THE TOP EDGE

THE CARD INNER SLEEVE IS IN SUPERB CONDITION. FLAT AND NO CREASES WHATSOEVER. THE TOP OPENING EDGE HAS A  THUMB NOTCH WHICH IS ALSO UNBLEMISHED. THE BOTTOM EDGE LOOKS TO HAVE A LITTLE SCUFF ALONG IT WHERE THE COLOUR IS MISSING. NO SPLITS TO THE EDGES

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

GARRY