The Wall (Very Early Press)

This iconic album has audio of a stunning standard for the vast majority.  The second vinyl also has an A1/B2 matrix confirming it was pressed from one of the very first stampers.  The original cream coloured gatefold and lyric inners are also in wonderful condition.

 SHSP 4111/2 // A-6U / B-3U / A-1U / B-2U

The audio on S1 is Near Mint (Mint- in many sections)

The audio on S2 is Near Mint (Mint- in many sections)

The audio on S3 is Ex+ (Near Mint in many sections)

The audio on S4 is Mint- ('Waiting For The Worms' Ex and 'Outside The Wall' Ex+)

The gatefold is Ex+

The lyric sleeves are Near Mint

The S1 label is Ex the others are Near Mint

The vinyls are in pristine condition and retain a lovely glossy sheen.  I can only detect a couple of very faint sleeve removal hairlines and they have obviously been very carefully handled since first purchased.  There are no scratches or marks at all.  Rarely have I seen a very early pressing with such a visually stunning appearance.

Play grading  

There is a minimal static on the 'In The Flesh' intro and the remainder plays with stunning quality and practically no 'background' at all.  'The Thin Ice' is 'as new' the clarity is that good. 'Another Brick In The Wall part 1' also impresses with sublime sound throughout and only one click mid track.  The other tracks on the side quite simply play with a depth and warmth that is so rarely heard on these early pressings.  There is only the odd barely audible dust tick but to all intents and purposes the audio is of Mint standard for the vast majority here.  'Mother' is a classic example of this, there is no intrusive interference whatsoever and the clarity is of the highest calibre possible.  Considering the relatively quiet 'nature' of this track the 'high end' quality of the audio is breathtaking and there is not one iota of 'background' on the fade out either.  It is no exaggeration to say that nearly all of S1 plays 'as new'.  An incredible start to this album.

'Goodbye Blue Sky' on S2 is another superb example of a vinyl being so well preserved.  Some very light background dust ticks but nothing that intrudes on the superb audio.   There is one click on the 'Empty Spaces' intro but aside from that, sheer perfection.  'Young Lust' plays with Mint quality throughout, no interference and no distortion.  It has stunning depth and resonance and the end phone operator section and then the very quiet intro on 'One Of My Turns' is just sublime as is the rest of the track.  I don't like to repeat myself but it's getting difficult here!  'Don't Leave Me Now' has one light click on the intro but apart from that the audio is of a superlative standard which is all the more surprising when you consider how quiet the long intro is.  There is nothing that interferes with the superlative audio here.  'Another Brick In The Wall part 3' is Mint from start to finish, end of.  The audio could not be any clearer.  'Goodbye Cruel World' also impresses with great clarity, just a touch of light static on the intro.

'Hey You' is yet another stunning highlight on this album.  With a handful of dust ticks only the clarity is exceptional and rarely will you hear such 'high end' sound on an A1 side.  No clicks or pops this again plays practically 'as new'.  'Is There Anybody Out There?' / 'Nobody Home' have a little more 'background' but it is quiet and very sporadic and not intrusive in my opinion.  'Vera' and 'Bring The Boys Back Home' play 'as new' apart from one click at the start of the former.  This version of 'Comfortably Numb' is an absolute masterpiece!  The audio has such a rich, well defined depth you forget you are listening to such an early pressing and it qualifies as Mint without a doubt.  The iconic guitar solo is incredible and has none of the distortion which you so often find.  A stunning finale to S3!

There is no need to grade each track on S4 as the audio throughout is generally of a superb standard and the clarity is once again of supreme quality.  There are 3/4 crackle sounds and one click on the first minute of 'Waiting For The Worms' but thereafter it plays with great quality.  An true indicator of any vinyl is how well the quiet tracks play and I am pleased to confirm that 'Stop' plays with wonderfully clear audio and 'Outside The Wall' has a minimal amount of 'background' only.

The Gatefold

This gatefold is in excellent shape for nearly 40 years of age.  The edges and wide spine are in superlative condition and even the corners have very little wear, there is only a small amount of creasing on the bottom right corners.  This cover is notoriously difficult to keep clean due to its 'white' nature but this one has retained its original 'look' very well.  There is no discolouration and only one small mark on the front and a couple on the back.  There are a small number of faint scratch type marks and also one not very obvious crease near the opening edge on the back cover.  The inside of the gatefold is in superb condition with only one tiny blemish and the opening edges are very clean with only very minor handling wear.

Being a first press the gatefold is cream coloured and has the misaligned bricks and no band members listed on the inside.  Overall this has been very well maintained down the years and any shelf wear is only superficial, no major issues at all.

Lyric sleeves

They are both in near perfect condition and have no splits or marking at all.  A couple of very minor creases on the top edges and a tiny corner crease that is all.

The labels

They are in excellent condition with very little spindle wear.  The S1 label does have a minor amount of bubbling on one small section around the edge.  There are no further markings or any writing on them.

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

SHSP 4111/2 // A-6U / B-3U / A-1U / B-2U

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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