PINK FLOYD THE PIPER AT THE GATES OF DAWN 1/1 2nd STEREO PRESS Blue COLUMBIA EX
£
276
$
366
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Description
Pink Floyd : The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn 1/1 Very Early Blue Columbia Stereo Press
This is commonly known as a second pressing as it has 'File Under Popular' on the back of the cover top right.
The audio is excellent with only a little interference on S1. There is some light static but certainly not an excessive amount and S2 is actually very impressive with only very minimal 'background', nothing intrusive. There are numerous hairlines but this just shows how 'robust' these vinyls are.
It has only a single stamper on each side showing that this is one of the earlier second pressings.
The cover is in superb condition with only minimal wear, you won't find many cleaner. Almost Ex+ but I will grade as Ex just to err on the side of caution. The original EMI inner is also in excellent condition.
Please could you wait before making payment so I can calculate the exact cost.
SCX 6157 // YAX 3419 - 1 / YAX 3420 - 1 // M 1 / R 1
The audio on S1 is Ex (Ex+ in many sections / T5 VG+)
The audio on S2 is Ex+ (T3 Ex)
The cover is a very strong Ex
The S1 is Ex and the S2 label Near Mint-
The inner sleeve is Ex+
Visual grading
The vinyl has clearly been played a number of times as there is some spindle wear but there are no scratches. Yes there are numerous hairlines and 4/5 that are a little more obvious but as is often the case with 60s vinyl (they were built to last!) they have little affect on the audio which remains very strong throughout. The run out grooves have a little marking also but the matrix info can clearly be read.
Play grading
The quiet intro on 'Astronomy Domine' has only a little static and as the vocal begins the audio is very clear. In the brief 'silent' section that follows there are a couple of light clicks and then the remainder of this classic then plays very well with only very minimal background static. It certainly does not intrude on the quality of the listen in my opinion. In fact the vast majority plays with great clarity and there is no distortion at all. I think an Ex grade is a fair assessment of the audio.
'Lucifer Sam' plays incredibly well from the very first groove. The definition of the audio is very impressive here and as it continues there are no ticks, clicks or pops and there is hardly any static to be heard. Ex+ overall.
'Matilda Mother' has only minimal static on the intro and from then on plays extremely well with no intrusion. There may be hairlines on the record but as is so often the case they are superficial and so far are not having any obvious affect on the audio. I would say this ranges between Ex and Ex+ so I will grade as Ex overall just to be cautious.
The intro on 'Flaming' has just a little more static but it is by no means loud. The vocal has that familiar almost distorted quality but I find that to be case on all of the early Columbia pressings. It still plays with excellent quality and again...no clicks or pops. The clarity here can hardly be faulted. A fine Ex+ version.
'Pow R. Toc H.' of course has a relatively quiet intro and yet the playback is very 'clean' with only very minimal 'background'. A little more static/light crackle in the first piano section and a couple of light click sounds but the music still comes through very clearly. As it builds the audio is very strong and it's only the quieter end section that has a little more static. Not loud and you could say it adds to the atmosphere! VG+
The percussive intro on 'Take Up Thy Stethoscope And Walk' is perfect and the first vocal is of the same quality. It progresses in much the same way with barely any inner groove distortion which is rare for this final track. The 'high octane' sections play very well indeed with no real intrusion and I have to say this really is a very impressive version. Perhaps just a little distortion towards the end but it has to be said the final vocal is superb! I will grade as Ex although I am sure many would grade higher!
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The intro 'Interstellar Overdrive' plays with very strong audio. There is barely any 'background' and it continues to play with superb audio. Even during the first 'quiet' section there is only a minimal amount of very light static and there are no clicks or pops at all. The clarity and depth here is so impressive and in a way I'm surprised just how well it plays! There is no 'muddiness' to the sound which you can often get due to 'overplay' - no groove wear and you can hear each note with perfect precision. There is only light static in the quieter passage just prior to the final crescendo section but again so quiet and totally non-intrusive. This closing section then plays with stunning power and depth and Ex+ is more than deserved although many sections do play better than that in my educated opinion.
'The Gnome' has 3/4 seconds of light static on the intro and as the vocal begins the playback is superb! From start to finish there are no negatives - there is only very minimal intermittent static and this does not intrude on the audio whatsoever. Ex+
'Chapter 24' is similar with perhaps just a little more static but it is still very much in the background. There are no clicks or pops and overall I think Ex is about right. Just a little static on the fade out.
The percussive intro on 'The Scarecrow' could hardly play any better and this standard is maintained as the vocal begins. There is no interference and as the bass/acoustic guitar end section comes in the audio is stunning. Ex+
The classic 'Bike' ends the album with very impressive audio once more. There is hardly any of the inner groove distortion that you regularly find and the clarity is very impressive. The brief 'silent' section has only minimal static and the final instrumental piece plays superbly with no interference at all. Even the 'ducks' have no 'background'! A fine Ex+ version but arguably could be graded higher.
In summary this second pressing plays to an excellent standard overall with only four light clicks on S1 and there are no intrusive pops. S2 is even better and this is a prime example of a vinyl playing so much better than its visual quality. I believe I have given an honest appraisal of the audio and as can be seen the iconic cover is also in excellent condition with very little wear.
The Cover
The E.J, Day cover is one of the cleanest I have seen in a long time and for once has none of the marking/staining on the back that you so often see. The edges are in perfect condition and the thin pinched spine is also in superb order with only minimal wear on the corners. The top right corner is very clean and bottom right just has a little wear. The opening edge has hardly any handling wear and remains in great shape. The front cover is near perfect with no laminate damage, just one very small laminate crease and the wear on the bottom corner. The back cover, as stated, is in lovely condition with no real marking on the grey background, just a couple of very faint lines. The flipbacks are still firmly in place and have only minor staining on the edges. As per the second pressings it has ''File under Popular...'' top right. It is also worth noting that the cover is still very strong and robust with no bends etc proving that it has always been very carefully handled. So overall a fine example of this iconic cover and rarely seen in this condition today.
The Inner Sleeve
The original EMI inner is in excellent condition with no side splits and only a couple of very faint marks and minor creasing only. It is not poly-lined although I'm not sure if they all were. It is advertising 'Piper' and 'Sgt. Peppers' amongst other.
The Labels
The blue Columbia labels do have some spindle wear as expected but are very clean overall. The S1 label does have a small blacked out area just above the 'C' but it is not that obvious. The KT tax stamp is on the S2 label. The Pink Floyd can be seen at the foot of each label also.
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
SCX 6157 // YAX 3419 - 1 / YAX 3420 - 1 // M 1 / R 1
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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