Pink Floyd : The Dark Side Of The Moon A2/B2 1st Press (Solid Blue)

This highly collectable first pressing plays with exceptional audio and there is not one single click or pop!  There is only the absolute minimal amount of light static and in essence there is nothing really that detracts from the stunning audio quality.  It also has only two stampers on each side which makes it one of the earlier first pressings.

The 'midnight blue' cover remains strong with no rips or tears but it does have some fading/spotting around the edges.  It also includes the original black inner sleeve and the posters and stickers all of which are in excellent condition.

SHVL 804 // A - 2 / B - 2 // HA 3 / MG 3

The audio on S1 is Ex+ (Mint- in many sections / track 1 intro Ex / track 4 intro VG+ for 4,5 seconds)

The audio on S2 is Near Mint (Mint- for the majority / track 2 Near Mint-) 

The 'midnight blue' cover is a strong VG perhaps closer to VG+

The original inner is Ex-

The labels are Near Mint-

The posters are Near Mint- and the stickers are Mint-

This is one of the most impressive solid blue first pressings I have ever seen!  It still has a mirror-like glossy sheen with no marks or scratches and I had to look very hard in order to find even the faintest of sleeve removal hairlines.  Indeed there are only a very small number on S1 and I could not detect any on S2!  There is also not very much spindle wear and all things point to a record that has not been played that often, the clarity and depth of the recording certainly suggests that.  It really is in lovely condition and the run out grooves and labels are also in superb order.

Play grading  

The heartbeat intro on 'Speak To Me' has only a couple of static ticks at the beginning and thereafter plays with great clarity.  Once you hear the 'clock' the playback is stunning!  There is barely any static and this provides a very 'clean' start to this classic album.  As the 'music' builds there is no lessening in quality and the segue into the next track is perfect.

'Breathe' then plays with immaculate clarity and warmth from the very first groove.  The entire intro is practically 'as new' with only one mega faint tick.  As the vocal comes in the audio continues to plays with wonderful depth and there is no intrusive 'background' of any kind.  A couple of dust ticks that is all.  This grades as Near Mint although many would say better!

'On The Run' plays superbly with no obvious 'background' and the definition of the audio on this bass heavy instrumental is very impressive.  There are a small number of very light ticks near the beginning but they are very much 'buried' in the music and could even be missed.  The 'crash' towards the end is stunning with no distortion and then the 'running man' section plays with fantastic clarity and barely any 'background'.

The initial 'clock' intro on 'Time' has one light crackle sound and four static ticks but then the multitude of clocks reverberate with immense power and no distortion.  The lead in instrumental section then plays very 'cleanly' with only a minimal static sound in the background.  As Gilmour's vocal begins the audio cannot be faulted and the same applies to Wright's first chorus.  The guitar solo that follows plays with real distinction and no irritating distortion that you often find.  The remainder is also of a sublime standard with no interference, the clarity is stunning.  I would say the intro grades as VG+ although the music still plays very clearly and the rest is Mint- it is that good!

'Breathe Reprise' keeps up this fine standard and from start to finish there is no interference.  I am again confident in grading this as Mint- the clarity is 'high end' to say the least.

The quiet intro on 'The Great Gig In The Sky' has to be heard to be believed!  It is remarkably clean and only after 20 seconds or so is there little static hiss which is a little more obvious around the 'spoken' intro section.  It is not that intrusive though and I only mention it to be complete in my grading.  There is some light crackle for 3,4 seconds also but as the 'vocal' comes in the playback is absolutely stunning.  I turned up the volume on this entire section and wow what sound!  There is no distortion and the depth and power is amongst the strongest I have ever heard, just a hint of minimal static right at the end.  The quieter end section plays beautifully with hardly any static it is just so 'clean' sounding.  Not one single click or pop and no crackle - a sublime end to a classic track!

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The cash register on the 'Money' intro plays (!) with stunning precision and there is no let up in quality as the music 'kicks in'.  The first vocal is flawless and the long sax/guitar instrumental is 100% stunning!  The sonic quality is of a standard that you so rarely hear and it is patently obvious this vinyl has not been overplayed.  There is no groove wear affecting the sound and this classic is Mint- from start to finish and to be honest not even the minus is required!  There is no 'muddiness' to the sound and even the fade out plays with perfect precision.

The intro on 'Us And Them' plays with excellent clarity on the whole with only very light intermittent static and one static tick also.  This track always has some 'background' I find and it is just a matter of how much.  I am glad to say it is minimal here and hardly intrusive.  No loud clicks or pops at all.  The first verse is superb with hardly any 'background' and the chorus then plays with breathtaking power and depth, 'as new' I would say.  The second verse is equal to this and again the clarity cannot be overstated here, there is just no intrusion on the audio whatsoever, wow!  After the second chorus there are a small number of ticks but honestly they are so quiet and totally non-intrusive.  The powerful sax/vocal section that follows plays with infinite precision and quality and the remainder plays beautifully with only a couple of barely noticeable ticks on the final verse.  This is a sublime version overall and I would argue that there is no obvious interference at all.  This classic is very hard to find with perfect audio on a solid blue first pressing as it regularly plays with some 'background' but I am confident in grading this as Near Mint- as the vast majority plays with exceptional quality.

'Any Colour You Like' is stunning from start to finish as Mint- as there is no 'background' at all.  The definition of the audio is again that of vinyl hardly played.

The opening notes on 'Brain Damage' play perfectly, a stunning intro for certain.  The first two verses are of the same impeccable standard and the chorus then plays with jaw-dropping quality!  Without sounding repetitive the remainder plays with perfect precision and no interference.  Another Mint- track which rarely has no inner groove distortion on the top end.

'Eclipse' ends this particular album in fine style with no obvious interference.  There are no clicks or pops and only the bare minimum of distortion and that is only if I'm being super critical.  It is such a powerful finish and the 'heartbeat' fade out has only the lightest of static, more just the needle running through the grooves.

In summary this A2/B2 first pressing plays to a wonderful standard and with no clicks or pops - how rare is that?!  There is very little static and only a small number of light static ticks and overall the clarity is hugely impressive.  I am not exaggerating when I say so much of this classic album plays 'as new' the definition of the audio is that good.  As stated this is one of the 'cleanest' solid blue vinyls that I have ever seen and would add to any collection.

The Gatefold

The vinyl may not have been played that much but the iconic 'midnight blue' cover does have a little shelf.  In saying that it still remains strong with no splits, tears or creases but it does have some fading around the edges which is more pronounced on the back cover.  There are however no other marks.  The edges also have some rubbing and whilst the corners are still firm with no splits they do have some rubbing again.  The spine is in excellent order with very little wear and the opening edge has no handling wear, another indication the vinyl has not been removed from the cover too many times.   all.  The front cover also has one crease by the foot of the spine which can be seen on the other side also.  The inside of the gatefold is in great order with no marking.  This is by means a perfect cover but as I say it remains strong and the wear is mainly superficial.  I have seen many worse!

The Original Inner & Posters & Stickers

The black polylined inner has no side splits which is a real rarity but does have a couple of very small tears on the top edge.  It has very minor creasing and no marking and the central 'window' has no wear either.  The 'Patent Nos' and 'Made In Great Britain' are printed in silver text on one side.

The original matt posters are in superb condition with no splits or tears and only very minor creasing.  The original 'Crack Back Fasprint' stickers have no wear at all and are also in wonderful condition.

The Labels

The famous 'solid blue' labels have retained their original colour extremely well and only the S1 label has a couple of tiny 'speck' marks.  Superb examples overall with not very much spindle wear and no writing either.

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

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

SHVL 804 // A - 2 / B - 2 // HA 3 / MG 3

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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