A Saucerful Of Secrets 3/3

This early pressing plays with fantastic audio and has only been played once, perhaps twice at most.  A pristine, immaculate vinyl with a very well preserved cover also.

As per the early pressings 'Gilmour' is spelt as 'Gilmore' and the tracklisting on the S2 label is 1,2 & 4.

SCX 6258 // YAX 3633 - 3 / YAX 3634 - 3 // TM 4 / GOP 5

The audio on S1 is Mint-

The audio on S2 is Mint- (track 1 Near Mint- / Ex+ for a few seconds)

The laminated cover is Ex+

The labels are Mint

The inner sleeve is Ex

Visual grading

This vinyl is visually stunning and has an incredible jet black glossy sheen the likes of which are rarely seen on these early pressings.  Quite simply it looks 'as new'!  There are only a couple of tiny barely visible spindle lines on each label and it is obvious the vinyl has been hardly played.  I have looked under various lights and I cannot detect a single hairline and there are certainly no scratches.  This is a vinyl that has been fantastically well preserved.  A stunning copy with beautifully clean run out grooves and labels also.

Play grading  

With no lead in static 'Let There Be More Light' plays with immaculate quality from the very first note!  The opening section plays 'as new' which I know is a strong claim to make but the clarity and strength of the audio could not be any better.  This astounding quality continues throughout and there is no interference at all.  If you want perfect audio quality on an early stereo pressing this is the one to own!  The remainder plays equally as well and even the 'louder' end section plays with superb precision and none of the distortion that you so often have on the early pressings.  The fade out just has a couple of light 'ticks' but no other 'background'.  I am confident in grading this as Mint- the audio is just so clear and strong.

'Remember A Day' is not far from this quality.  It has only a small number of mega light dust ticks that you would often get on new vinyl let alone one of this age!  It still plays with exceptional quality and there are no clicks or pops.  The quiet sections play impeccably well and again this is super impressive audio.

The intro on 'Set The Controls...' is truly sublime.  Of course it is so quiet and yet there is no intrusive 'background' at all and the clarity is superb.  The depth and the warmth of the audio here is nigh on perfect and it goes without saying there are no clicks or pops.  For such a quiet track the precision of the audio is stunning and I am not sure if I have ever heard a cleaner version.  The more I listen to it the more I am astounded by the stunning quality of the audio here, it is absolutely superb!  And I repeat not one single click or pop and no static or crackle either.

This has to be one of the most impressive 'Corporal Clegg's' I have heard.  There is always some distortion but here there is very little and the quality of the audio is barely affected.  Another stunning track to end a fantastic S1.

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'A Saucerful Of Secrets' has some light static for the first few seconds but is certainly not intrusive.  It is what you expect on a vinyl of this age and aside from three faint clicks about two minutes in the audio is of a very high standard again.  As it builds there is a minimal touch of static now and then but it does not intrude on the quality of the listen.  I just state what I hear and to most ears this static would be negligible - this track displays superb audio overall.  This is patently obvious when the drum section begins as the clarity here is truly exceptional.  The following super quiet section plays supremely well with no interference wow!  It is extremely rare for this 'quiet' track to play with precision.  You then approach the organ section and you will not be disappointed!  There is a little static here and there (not crackle!) and the audio cannot fail but impress!  The intermittent static is very quiet and the audio remains very 'clean' indeed.  The choral section in the main plays with sublime sound and there is none of the distortion that you so often find.  As it progresses the more you are impressed with the stunning audio here, a little static at the beginning but the second half of this choral section is absolutely 100% perfect!  I would err on the side of caution and grade this instrumental as Near Mint- although many sections do play better than that.

'See-Saw' then plays to a standard that is so rarely found today.   With no intrusive 'background' the audio could not really be any better.  The clarity is once again exceptional and this is 'high end' audio for certain.  No distortion and no clicks or pops.  The sonic quality is stunning.  It would be virtually impossible to find a 'cleaner' version and the fade out plays with perfect precision also.

'Jugband Blues' from the first note to the last plays as well as the day it was first released.  As per S1 this final track often has some distortion but there is barely any here.  In fact the clarity is stunning and there is no 'background', not even after the brass section which is of course completely silent.  This is a prime example of the sublime audio on offer here.  The quiet vocal that follows plays practically 'as new' and ends the album in superb style.  What a finale!

In summary this early stereo pressing plays with superlative audio with barely any interference.  Visually it is 'as new' and the vast majority plays like it also.  With near complete silence in the dead wax between every track the audio is of a 'high end' standard and will not disappoint.  The cover is also very clean with very little wear.

The Cover

This non-flipback G&L cover is in lovely condition with very little shelf wear.  The edges have only a minimal amount of rubbing and the thin spine is in superb shape and is still 100% legible.  The corners have very little wear and are very clean indeed as is the opening edge which has hardly any handling wear.  The front cover actually has the rare pasted on laminate and it remains in great condition with no splitting just a couple of tiny white rub marks on the right side.  The back cover is very clean with only some light fading here and there, nothing to worry about.

Inner sleeve

The plain white die-cut inner sleeve is in excellent condition with no splits or tears, just a couple of very small age related marks and light creasing.

The labels

The black Columbia labels have two EMI logos on each side and are in absolutely pristine condition.  They are as clean as can be with only a couple of tiny 2/3mm wispy spindle lines.  Stunning examples.

Play tested on my Pro-Ject Essential III Turntable / B&W 684 Speakers

This record has been cleaned on a Pro-Ject VC-S machine

SCX 6258 // YAX 3633 - 3 / YAX 3634 - 3 // TM 4 / GOP 5

I grade according to "Record Collector" guidelines.

Any questions please feel free to ask

Please pay within 4 days of auction end

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Postage & Packaging

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