PINK FLOYD Dark Side Of the Moon UK LP 1ST NMINT- A2/B2

	£		144
	$		191

PINK FLOYD - DARK SIDE OF THE MOON

•  
• HARVEST 1973
• SHVL 804
• MATRIX: SHVL804-A2 / B2
• MOTHERS / STAMPERS: 7 GGL / 4L

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THIS AND LATER PRESSES?

WELL WHATS ALL THE FUSS ABOUT, WHEN THIS ALBUM SOLD IN THE MILLIONS.

IF YOU ARE A COLLECTOR IN THE KNOW, THEN JUMP DOWN TO THE RECORD DESCRIPTION. IF YOU WANT ALL THE DETAIL READ ON.

ITS VERY STRAIGHT FORWARD, IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THE LABEL YOU WILL SEE THAT IT IS REALLY HARD TO READ THE TRACK LISTING AS THE SILVER TYPEFACE BECOMES ALMOST INVISIBLE AGAINST THE PALE BLUE BACKGROUND. FACED WITH THIS EMI REPRESSED THE ALBUM WITH AN OUTLINE TRIANGLE RATHER AN THE SOLID BLUE ONE, BUT NOT BEFORE A SMALL QUANTITY HAD MADE IT OUT TO THE SHOPS. SO THOSE FEW PEOPLE WHO BOUGHT THEIR COPY FROM THE FIRST BATCH WILL HAVE RECEIVED THE NOW RARE 1ST PRESS DSOM. I WONDER HOW MANY PEOPLE TOOK IT BACK FOR ONE THAT COULD BE READ EASIER?

IN ADDITION THERE ARE ALSORTS OF ANOMALIES REGARDING THE SLEEVE, BUT I WILL COVER THAT BELOW

THE RECORD

THE LABELS ARE OF COURSE THE 1ST PRESS LIGHT BLUE LABELS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION, SHOWING ONLY 5-6 LIGHT SPIDER LINES, AND JUST A TRACE OF COLOUR LOSS AROUND THE SPINDLE HOLE, NOT SPINDLE HOLE WEAR, JUST A LITTLE LOSS OF THE BLUE SURFACE

THE VINYL GLEAMS LIKE A NEW DISC, AND IS SIMPLY STUNNING. THERE ARE NO SCRATCHES TO BE SEEN, AND EVEN UNDER INTENSE ILLUMINATION I AM ONLY ABLE TO MAKE OUT A COUPLE OF REALLY FAINT HAIRLINES. THERE IS ONE TINY NON SOUNDING SCUFF ON SIDE 2, WHICH I HAVE TAKEN A PICTURE OF TO SHOW HOW SMALL IT IS

NOW THE ACID TEST

GENTLY LOWERING THE LP ONTO MY REGA TURNTABLE ENSURING I DO NOT ADD TO THE 3-4 SPIDER LINES, I AM ABSOLUTELY GOBSMACKED TO FIND THAT THE RUN IN PRODUCED  NEAR SILENCE!!!

THE RUN IN GROOVE HAS NO VIRTUALLY NOBACKGROUND NOISE WHATSOEVER ! JUST THE BAREST AND I DO MEAN BAREST BIT OF STATIC

THE GRADUALLY INCREASING THUMPING SOUND THAT INTRODUCES THE LISTENER TO THE OPENING TRACK"SPEAK TO ME" HAS THE ABSOLUTE BAREST OF STATIC, WHICH IS VIRTUALLY INAUDIBLE. AS THE TRACK PROGRESSES IT IS VERY CLEAR THAT THERE IS NOT ONE JOT OF DISTORTION ANYWHERE. THIS IS TRUE OF THE ENTIRE ALBUM, WHICH PLAYS ABSOLUTELY MAGNIFICENTLY ALL THE WAY THROUGH BOTH SIDES

. I AM DELIGHTED TO BE LISTENING TO AUDIO PERFECTION. AS SIDE ONE PROGRESSES IT BECOMES VERY CLEAR THAT THIS IS A SPECIAL EXAMPLE INDEED. ONLY THE VERY VERY OCCASIONAL MINUTEST BIT OF STATIC, AND PERHAPS THE BAREST VIRTUALLY INAUDIBLE LIGHT POP OR TWO.

SIDE TWO OPENS WITH THE MAGNIFICENT "MONEY" AND THE STEREO SPLIT ON THIS TRACK IS JUST SUPERB, AND AGAIN ALL THE WAY THROUGH THIS SIDE ALL YOU HEAR IS PERFECT CLARITY, UNDISTORTED SOUND, AND BACKGROUND NOISE FREE MUSIC, ONCE AGAIN IF I AM BEING PICKY THERE IS THE ODD LIGHT POP, AND VIRTUALLY INAUDIBLE HALF SECOND OF STATIC IN A COUPLE OF PLACES.

THIS IS TRULY A SUPERB EXAMPLE OF THIS SOUGHT AFTER VINYL

 A HIGH GRADE COLLECTIBLE INDEED, AND FULLY WARRANTS A NEAR MINT MINUS GRADE.

THE SLEEVE

THE NON LAMINATED GATEFOLD SLEEVE IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION ALL ROUND. FAMOUS FOR ITS UNIQUE PRISM DESIGN IT IS IMPORTANT TO EXPLAIN WHY THIS IS A FIRST PRESS SLEEVE, AND NOT SOME LATER AND MORE MINT SLEEVE PACKAGED WITH A MINT DISC. THE FIRST PRESS SLEEVES ARE A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT COLOUR TO THE SUBSEQUENT 2ND AND 3RD PRESSES. A TRUE FIRST PRESS HAS A BLUEY BLACK COLOUR, WHEREAS ALL THE LATER PRESSES WERE JET BLACK. I HAVE INCLUDED A PICTURE OF BOTH SLEEVES, AND YOU SHOULD BE EASILY ABLE TO IDENTIFY WHICH IS THE BLACK SLEEVE AND WHICH IS THE BLUE/BLACK.

 A GENUINE FIRST PRESS SLEEVE HAS A SEALED FRONT HALF OF THE GATEFOLD, AND IS SEALED WITH A FLIPBACK SECTION THAT IS TUCKED INSIDE THE GATEFOLD AND STUCK DOWN INSIDE. THIS IS A GENUINE FIRST PRESS SLEEVE EXACTLY AS I HAVE DESCRIBED

 ANYWAY THESE ARE THE WAYS IN WHICH YOU TELL IF YOU ARE HOLDING A FIRST PRESS OR NOT. THEREFORE YOU WILL SOMETIMES SEE A FIRST PRESS LP WITH A LATER PRESSED SLEEVE JUST BECAUSE IT IS IN BETTER CONDITION. I UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE DO IT, BUT IT IS WRONG, AND THE COLLECTOR IS BEING CHEATED.

THIS IS SIMPLY A SUPERB EXAMPLE OF THIS SLEEVE. VERY HARD TO FIND IN EXCEPTIONAL CONDITION. THIS SLEEVE FULLY JUSTIFIES AN EXCELLENT PLUS RATING. THE FRONT SURFACE IS FLAT AND CLEAN WITH NO CREASES, AND NO RING WEAR WHATSOEVER.

THE COLOUR LOSS IS SO MINIMAL IT HARDLY WARRANTS A MENTION, BUT THERE IS JUST A TRACE ON THE BOTTOM QUARTER. THE SPINE IS PERFECT APART FROM ONE SMALL BIT OF COLOUR LOSS WHICH YOU WILL BE ABLE TO SEE IN ONE OF THE PICS. THE REAR SURFACE IS NEARLY AS GOOD AS THE FRONT WITH JUST A SHADE MORE COLOUR FADE ALONG THE BOTTOM EDGE, AND A COUPLE OF LIGHT LINES

THE ORIGINAL POLY LINED BLACK INNER SLEEVE IS VERY GOOD UNSPLIT  CONDITION, AND AGAIN THIS IS THE GENUINE ARTICLE AND PROVEN BY THE WORDING ON THE BOTTOM OF THE SLEEVE WHICH STATES THE PATENT NUMBER, AND THE FACT THAT IT WAS MADE IN GT BRITAIN.

THE FOUR INSERTS ARE IN EXCELLENT CONDITION, WITH THE POSTERS HAVING ONLY ONCE OR TWICE BEEN OPENED UP. THE FOLDS ARE STILL VERY VERY SHARP, AND WHEN OPENED THEY TEND TO WANT TO NOT LAY FLAT BECAUSE OF THE SHARPNESS OF THE FOLD., THE STICKERS HAVE A COUPLE OF LIGHT CREASE LINES

TO SUM UP THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST EVER EXAMPLES OF THIS ALBUM YOU WILL COME ACROSS, AND WILL ONLY EVER INCREASE IN VALUE AS COPIES GET WORN OUT OR LOCKED AWAY IN VAULTS.

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

REGARDS

GARRY