Queen : Greatest Hits II

This very early pressing was released in late 1991 and is one of the finest I have ever seen or heard.  The audio plays to a standard that is so rarely heard today and the gatefold is also very impressive, one of the 'cleanest' I have seen in a long time.  The picture inners are in perfect condition.

PMTV 21/22 // A - 3 / B - 1U / A - 2 / B - 3

The audio on S1 is Mint-

The audio on S2 is Near Mint (Mint- for the majority / track 4 intro Ex+)

The audio on S3 is Mint-

The audio on S4 is Mint-

The gatefold is Ex+

The picture sleeve are Mint

The labels are Near Mint

Visual grading

The vinyls are in lovely condition and still have an impressive glossy sheen.  There are only a small number of faint hairlines and there are no scratches or marks at all.  It is clear that both records have only been sparingly played down the years.  This is confirmed by the quality of the audio as detailed below.

Play grading

The audio quality across both vinyls is of an immaculate standard.  Starting with 'A Kind Of Magic' there is no 'background' here at all and can only be described as Mint it is that good.  'Under Pressure' has only a minimal touch of mega light static on the intro but still qualifies as Near Mint the playback is stunning and that includes the 'finger clicks' at the end!  S1 continues to play with wonderful clarity and depth and the classic 'Radio Ga Ga' is a prime example of that.  There is no interference and the track grades as Mint without question.  Both 'I Want It All' and 'I Want To Break Free' also play to a sublime standard with only one minor light static sound on the latter.  I cannot stress enough how well this side plays.  The definition and clarity is obviously of a record hardly played.

'Innuendo' on S2 has minimal static on the intro and then plays with fantastic power and depth.  The quiet Spanish guitar section plays with remarkable clarity and only one light static tick.  To the end it plays 'as new', this is a stunning version.  The remaining tracks do not disappoint and there are no clicks or pops.  'It's A Hard Life' has only a modicum of mega light static, nothing intrusive, and 'Breakthru' is exceptional from start to finish, another Mint track.  The intro on 'Who Wants To Live Forever' has only a little static but does not intrude on the audio.  So often it has intrusive crackle but that is certainly not the case here and it soon plays with breathtaking quality.  Thereafter the playback is so impressive and there is very little static on the orchestral end section.

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From the very first groove to the last 'Headlong' on S3 plays with perfect precision and depth on this track is just astounding!  Mint all the way!  'The Miracle' is of the same impeccable quality with not a single click or pop and no static or crackle either.  This is audio of the highest standard and I am delighted to say 'I'm Going Slightly Mad' and 'The Invisible Man' are equal to this with no interference whatsoever.  As all my regular customers know I listen to every second of every track in order to provide a 'complete' grading.

'Hammer To Fall' again plays faultlessly no interference and that also applies to 'Friends Will Be Friends'.  I don't wish to sound repetitive but it's a long time I heard this album playing with such stunning clarity and definition.  'The Show Must Go On' is nigh on perfect aside from a couple of light static ticks on the fade out and 'One Vision' ends this incredible album with Mint audio from beginning to end. It is quite possibly the strongest version of this track that I have ever heard!  What is impressive is that neither of the two final tracks have any distortion, a real rarity.

In summary you could not wish to find a GH2 playing with better audio than this.  It is patently obvious that it has only been lightly played such is the clarity and sonic quality on offer.  Not one click or pop!  With only a little static on the WWTLF intro there is no intrusive interference and any avid collector would be hugely impressed with the playback here.  The gatefold is also one of the cleanest I have seen in along time.  A superb double album and so much better than the recent reissues! 

The Gatefold

This is easily one of the best GH2 gatefolds I have seen in a long time.  They are so prone to wear and yet this one has been very well preserved down the years.  The edges are very clean and have only a small number of minor 'rubs' and the wide spine is also in great shape with just the one obvious 'rub' mark.  The corners are quite simply stunning and have no wear at all and the opening edges have no handling wear either.  The front cover has the faintly embossed Queen crest and is almost 'as new' apart from one very minor crease line top right.  The back cover is almost as good but does have a faint scratch line that can only be seen when the cover is held at a certain angle and a couple of small creases next to the spine.  The inside of the gatefold is pristine looks like it did when released 28 years ago.  This is an exceptional cover and would be very difficult to find a better one!

The Picture Sleeves

They are both in perfect condition with no splits, creasing or marking.

The Labels

  The labels have very little spindle wear as mentioned and no markings/writing either.  The S2 label does have some fading/minor rough areas - quite difficult to describe!  This is common and caused during the manufacture anyway.

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

The records have been cleaned on a Pro-Ject VC-S cleaning machine

PMTV 21/22 // A - 3 / B - 1U / A - 2 / B - 3

Any questions please feel free to ask

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Postage & Packaging

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