QUEEN I (3U/3U 1st Press)

This first pressing plays with stunning quality and has hardly ever been judging by the lack of spindle wear and the clarity and definition of the audio.  The vinyl is also extremely 'clean' and has been so well preserved down the years.

The cover is in superb condition and is one of the most impressive I have seen in a long time.  The original inner is also in great shape with no side splits.

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EMC 3006 // YAX 4623 - 3U / YAX 4624 - 3U // HP 3 / OA 2 // KIP - HUGGYPOO KISSY & AGAIN! etched in the run out grooves

The audio on S1 is Mint-

The audio on S2 is Mint- (Track 1 first minute Ex+)

The cover is Ex+

The inner is Ex+

The labels are Mint-

 Visual grading

The vinyl is in lovely condition and has no marks or scratches.  It still has a strong glossy sheen and there is only one very faint scuff hairline on S1 but this has no affect on the superb audio.  S2 has a small number of very faint hairlines also but again these have no affect.  At first glance the vinyl is in stunning condition and you have to look very closely in order to see any hairlines.  There are only 4/5 spindle traces on the S1 label and nothing on S2!  The run out grooves are beautifully clean and the labels are in great condition with no marking.

Play grading

'Keep Yourself Alive' plays perfectly from the very beginning with not even a dust tick.  The audio is so strong and deep and it is immediately clear this record has been so well looked after down the years, the playback is astounding!  It continues to play with great clarity and with no interference whatsoever.  This is Mint- without a doubt and the fade out has no 'background' either.  Wow what a start!

With complete silence in the dead wax the quiet intro on 'Doing All Right' plays beautifully with only a couple of barely audible 'ticks', the clarity is again exceptional for a record that is nearly 50 years of age!  Having listened to every second of this track (as I always do) I cannot believe the sonic quality on offer here.  Every section, whether up tempo or quiet plays with the same stunning precision and this is one of the strongest versions of this classic that I have ever heard.  Truth be told it could not play any better!  Another breathtaking Mint- track - the definition of the audio is sublime, 'as new' you could say.  

The intro on 'Great King Rat' is so 'clean' with only a couple of mega light dust ticks and then proceeds to play with 'high end' audio.  Every note can be heard perfectly and I cannot overstate just how fantastic the audio is here, I am running out of superlatives!  There is just no interference not even during the brief quieter section 3/4 of the way through and May's following guitar instrumental is as 'fresh' as the day when first released in '73.  The percussive end section is nigh on perfect with just one very faint tick.  Another mention for the clarity and definition of the audio here - it is patently obvious this vinyl has only ever been lightly played.  There is no groove wear and the overall 'sound' is so 'clean' and deep with such a strong bass level.  Mint- once more.

'My Fairy King' is immaculate from the very first note and there is no distortion on Roger's 'vocal' at all!  Freddie's first vocal plays without fault and it continues to impress with superb audio.  There is only minimal inner groove distortion but that has to be accepted as a given for any final track as this is vinyl, it is totally non-intrusive.  The clarity on the quieter section towards the end is high quality to say the least!  Absolutely stunning!!  All I heard was one very faint tick and there is no underlying static or crackle whatsoever.  The 'crescendo' section is 'as new' and the final few 'quiet' seconds have no static etc.  I have no hesitation in grading this as Mint- again the audio could not be any better.  What a side!

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The instrumental opening on the classic 'Liar' plays with stunning power and clarity and only a couple of light 'swish' static sounds at the end of this section.  The first verse has just one static sound although the next verse does have a few more.  Don't let this put you off!  They are very quiet and the music still comes through very strong and clearly and there are no clicks or pops.  From then on the audio is sensational and the more you progress the more you are impressed by it.  The mid guitar solo could not play with any greater clarity or definition and the following 'all day long' vocal is just stunning.  May's next solo - I've never heard it play with such sharp definition and the 'choral' section is also so impressive.  To the end it plays with perfect precision.  I would grade the first minute as Ex+ although much of it does play better than that and Mint- for the remainder.

The long bass/acoustic intro on 'The Night Comes Down' is awesome!  I do not like using that word but I need another adjective!  It plays with Mint precision with no 'background' and this standard is maintained during the first vocal.  It continues to play with incredible depth and warmth and there is no interference at all.  This is rare for this relatively quiet track and Mint- is a fair reflection of the quality here.

'Modern Times Rock 'n' Roll' is of the same 'high end' standard with no sign of any interference.  It plays loud and true with wonderful depth and power.  I am not exaggerating when I say it plays 'as new'.  Mint- again.  

'Son And Daughter' is deserving of the same grade and again plays with such a strong deep bass sound.  This depth and clarity is only found on a vinyl that has been only been on a turntable a few times.  A superb version, there is no distortion or interference and even the long fade out plays perfectly.

'Jesus' has a very 'clean' intro with only one very faint tick (not a click!) and then plays with great definition and power.  This track so often plays with a fair amount of inner groove distortion but there is barely any here.  This is so rare!  The 'loud' instrumental section is just mind-blowing!  Wow!  It is so powerful and yet there is no distortion at all.  The final vocal plays with the same precision and again emphasises how well this vinyl has been preserved.  A stunning Mint- version with no interference.

The abridged 'Seven Seas Of Rhye...' ends the album in the same way with wonderful clarity and no 'background'.  Again this final 'track' often has obvious distortion but there is certainly none in evidence here.  It is a very 'clean' Mint- version.

In summary this FINAL UPGRADE first pressing plays to a standard you so rarely find today.  The clarity and sonic quality is so impressive and there is barely any interference.  Yes there are a small number of static sounds on the first track of S2 but they are very quiet and largely non-intrusive.  Aside from that the audio is stunning throughout and that is due to two factors - having hardly been played and by being so well looked after down the years.  I may have used the Mint- grade a lot but the minus is only used so as to adhere to RC guidelines!  In essence the audio qualifies as Mint for the vast majority and I am sure any audiophile would be hugely impressed by the quality of the audio here.

The Cover

 The cover is in superb condition and you don't see many like this these days!  The top edge is perfect and the bottom edge just has a minimal amount of light rubbing leading to the left corner.  The thin spine is also in great shape with only minimal wear and it remains 100% legible.  All four corners have barely any wear and the opening edge has no handling wear either.  The front cover is exceptionally clean and has none of the fading or marking that you generally see, just a little ringwear at the top and bottom.  The colours are still so strong and vivid.  The back cover is equally as good, if not better, with no real wear at all.  A sublime example of this first press cover.

Inner Sleeve

The plain white die-cut inner has no side splits or marking and only minimal creasing.  It is in great condition.

The Labels

The EMI labels are super clean with no marking or writing and only minimal spindle wear on S1 and nothing on S2. Stunning!

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

EMC 3006 // YAX 4623 - 3U / YAX 4624 - 3U // HP 3 / OA 2 // KIP - HUGGYPOO KISSY & AGAIN! etched in the run out grooves

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

I SHIP WORLDWIDE BUT WHEN SENDING ITEMS TO ITALY, RUSSIA/UKRAINE AND SOUTH AMERICA I WILL ONLY SEND THEM VIA TRACKED SHIPPING AND THIS COSTS AN ADDITIONAL £5.00.

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