QUEEN II - ABSOLUTELY MAGNIFICENT NEAR MINT EXAMPLE, STUNNING COVER, INNER & LP.

	£		53
	$		70

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World in Quality, Safe Packing.

Postage: UK £4.75 (£1 per extra record). Europe (including Russia) £12.50 (£2 per extra record). Rest of World (including ALL parts of the USA) £16.50 (£3 per extra record). All boxes signed for in quality, safe packaging – I NEVER use mailing envelopes that offer virtually no protection at all – in fact I think these things should be banned as records WILL arrive damaged in them at some time. Here, you get what you pay for – SAFE PACKING in BOXES using 7mm DOUBLE-WALL STIFFENERS. Full details nearer the end of the listing.

Posting to Russia: Yes, I do post to Russia. But delivery can take up to 4 to 6 weeks from the UK. So please be patient. I will submit a tracking number to the winning bidder, and when the packet arrives there it can be followed online using the Russian post website.

ALSO: I now apply the Ebay ‘2-day’ rule for non-payment to keep things moving – cash-flow is important for any small business. I will always keep my P&P prices as low as possible, and even after yet another Royal Mail price hike from April this year, I have NOT raised my prices and will never compromise on solid, safe packing that is invariably heavier than most you will get. My P&P offers probably the best value-for-money for vinyl records available, and I even will pay for full insurance on any record that sells for over £100 at NO extra cost – that is UK and abroad. Also I aim to post the very same day after payment is received. You WILL see the difference when my packet arrives.

FINALLY: Late payers will now be blocked at my discretion. As will any bidder who cancels a bid. I do not like this practice as it is most often used to phish out the price to beat. Ebay does not approve and neither do I – so only bid on my items if you want them.

Artist or Band: QUEEN

Album Title: Queen II.

Producer(s): Roy Thomas Baker, Robin G. Cable and Queen.

TRACK LIST:

’WHITE SIDE’: Procession; Father to Son; White Queen (As it Began); Some Day One Day; The Loser in the End.

’BLACK SIDE’: Ogre Battle; The Fairy Feller’s Master-Stroke; Nevermore; The March of hte Black Queen; Funny How Love Is; Seven Seas of Rhye.

Label/Format: EMI – matt, smooth surfaces with Trident logo.

Label Conditions: Both practically Mint as-made. One ultra faint spindle trace seen under a magnifier.

Cat Number: EMA 767 (YAX 4736).

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Warps: The ‘Black Side’ is gently raised in the centre, but had no affect on tracking on my Sondek. Any rim movement being tiny and minimal, it should cause no issue to any turntable worthy of a name.

Weight of this Record: 140 grams. An excellent solid weight for this one, heavier than most others I have had for any of their albums.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Moderate in terms of numbers sold. But this is very difficult to find in this little short of immaculate condition. The cover especially is rarely seen without major laminate issues that include lifting, dulling and creasing. This is truly a stunning example that has barely any of the aforementioned problems. Indeed that cover-protected cover looks practically new and could prove the ultimate upgrade for Queen collectors. This is one to hold and really enjoy to the near maximum. Put aside a snowy white, totally unsplit inner sleeve and a hardly played record, and you have a gorgeous age-defying example. These are rare like this, make no mistake.

Original Year of Release: 1974

Matrix Nos: YAX 4735-10 / YAX 4736-4U (both sides are error corrected).

Stamper Codes: 1 1 0 / 1 RDH

Musicians: Freddie Mercury – Vocals; Brian May – lead guitar; John Deacon - bass guitar; Roger Taylor – drums.

Brief Info: Queen’s second album and now getting more intricate and interesting, this is not an overly commercial album and is far more rocky and even ‘progressive’ compared to later titles. They loved to emphasise the fact they did not use synthesisers, all the sounds were ‘natural’. Still relative newcomers, this follows-on from the super debut and their reputation was gaining momentum quickly and superstardom was only just around the corner. It was clear from the outset, this band were to become very special and immensely popular and with a talismatic vocalist in Freddie Mercury, this was no surprise. ‘Queen II’ is a very original and powerful work, not lauded as highly as some future works but this is an amazing album in its own right and one of my personal favourites. Beautifully packaged with the very famous band pose artwork on the cover that became familiar to all via their anthem ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ single and video that followed later. This included their first major single success in ‘Seven Seas of Rhye’ – the first album included a taster of which, and they never looked back thereafter. Later becoming one of the greatest and popular bands of their era and Mercury the ultimate showman. Their popularity and collectability has never ceased to decline. Their early works were different and appealed more to ‘rock’ fans – personally was less keen on their latter albums that simply got too commercial for my own taste. This is a supreme copy and plays superbly, many were crackly, probably due to mass-production, although production quality was outstanding, the pressing quality often let them down, but not on this one. The iconic cover is stunning, after seeing this one, all others I see will be judged by it – it simply reminds of the sheer beauty these had when they first entered the shops. Cover protection and great care is the only way to keep the laminate looking like this. I do not think I have seen one quite like it being honest, this is simply fantastic as is the inner sleeve. One for Queen connoisseurs.

Cover Grade and Format: MINT(–): and even this hardly does it full justice. A fully laminated gatefold format. Printed and made in England by Garrod & Lofthouse and also includes the 1974 Trident logo and reference to the long defunct ‘cartridge’ format. The record enters ABOVE the portrait’s heads, thus my main cover pictures are sideways on as most covers would be.

Lamination – Front, Back & Centrefold: Yes all FOUR faces are laminated and all look little short of stunning. The middle is immaculate and still has very tight laminate on the hinge that is fully intact, uncracked or split. Like a new cover, this will not open up fully due to the pressure on the super-fresh laminate inside. It retains that rarely experienced ‘spring’ and resistance – not floppy and ‘broken’. Both front and back are gorgeous with that classic Queen portraits poses looking incredible. Freddie minus the moustache – that came later as the showman years took over. This is ‘classic-rock’ Queen which listeners such as myself preferred. The laminate retains superb shine, freshness and clarity with barely any hint of dulling at all, even viewed under angled light. There merest ‘ghost’ trace of the label rim impression when scrutinised right up close, but this is minuscule, any marks or blemishes tiny and faint as well. There is no lifting whatsoever, and any creasing almost conspicuous by it’s absence – a couple of super-fine edge hairlines and one equally fine and small half moon on the back. Creasing, lifting and dulling are the curses of this classic rock cover, so when all are almost absent, it makes for a thing of rare beauty. The laminate ends on both front and back are quite wide and fully present. Both the fine exposed strips are nigh-on perfect as well. All surfaces of this beautifully preserved cover will prove beyond difficult to ever find better.

Top & Bottom Edges: All four little short of as new, unworn and super-smooth with no chips or scuffs.

Right Edge(s), and Type: (These being the edges ABOVE the heads). The front is closed and immaculate. The back entrance is very clean, very sharp with barely any hint of wear or thickening, both are guaranteed untrimmed or enhanced.

Spine and Text: The spine is in very fine condition also: Solid, largely straight and folded square, so the edges are practically parallel. It has tilted a little to left, so the opposite edges are not quite flush, but this is a almost a natural trait of this cover. The laminate surface is immaculate, ultra smooth, clear and uncracked. The same for both the folds which are totally unscuffed and appear hardly ‘used’. All text matter is pristine.

Corners: All corners are superb and all retain near mint pointed shape and great definition with no dinks or creases.

Cover Summary: Most Queen collectors will know just how hard this cover is to find in this condition. Although laminated, it does not age well if exposed or not fully protected, or even handled many times. The surface will lose that stunning lustre this copy still has. The mirror-like laminate shine with the intense black graphic makes for spectacular viewing. This is one that most collectors will cherish.

The Inner Sleeve: PRACTICALLY MINT: and one of the very few (if indeed any) with NO edge splits (or repairs). Many were split from day one as records moved in transit to shops etc, and this was something of a lottery. Also made in England by Garrod & Lofthouse, this unlined thick paper inner is immaculate, still as clean and white as new – totally unaged or toned. No creasing or marks worthy of mention, even the wide, recessed top opening area is pristine. The merest hint of rim impression is nigh-on impossible to avoid, being present from day one. This integral part of the album will not be beaten.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: MINT(–), a superb visual copy that is very clean with excellent and very solidly pressed at something over average weight. Any surface traces are bordering on minuscule and faint, as seen with utmost scrutiny under bright angled light. Harder unlined inners never surface-friendly, but little affect on this one due to the record being stored in a replacement lined inner. Thus the original lyric inner is such impressive and unsplit condition. The centre of the ‘Black Side’ is slightly raised near the centre, so not dead flat. But has minimal movement on rotation and there should be no tracking issues for any deck worthy of a name. Visually a lovely record that should please most-all collectors.

Album Played For Grading: Yes. [I play ALL records I offer before submitting to Ebay, also the record is played in its entirety unless clearly stated otherwise. I do NOT play snippets or joining grooves to check for sound quality and quietness – I play from the beginning to end via clinically revealing B&W speakers that include the legendary tweeter from their awesome Nautilus range that reveals every blemish or miniscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This brilliant, more ‘proggy’ second album, plays up to its high visual grading with hardly anything to fault. It offers strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is fantastic with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. From the beginning this band wanted high standards and this again is beautifully produced with immense power and detail. Any surface sound traces being minimal and faint – an ultra gentle trace at the very beginning of the ‘White Side’ being ultra critical. Overall an exceptional clean pressing especially for a popular record that was produced in considerable numbers as fame quickly took off. Few examples will outperform this one significantly I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp, I know this record has been played very lightly and has been clearly well stored and carefully handled within in a non-smoking environment. No tracking issues*, any minor movement on the rim from the raised centre minimal and gentle, I feel any turntable will have no problems either. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record. This copy will prove very difficult to find better and can be strongly recommended.

* As played-graded on a high-end Linn LP12 Sondek turntable with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Quintet Blue moving coil cartridge tracking at 2.2 grams.

Now one of the most established sellers on Ebay and still offering the finest and most accurately described and graded records I can find. I pride myself on offering a variety of genres to keep my site as interesting as possible. I will rarely offer any record that falls below a true Excellent grading, unless its of a certain rarity which will justify offering a lesser grade. I try, to the best of my ability to describe as accurately and as honesty as I can all items I offer for sale with all the relevant information I can think of to help any potential bidder and collector. You may notice I only submit records sparingly on Ebay as I Play-Grade every record I offer in their entirety – also on higher-end equipment – not just bits to guess a grade - visuals alone do not always tell a true or full story. I will mention any defects or flaws no matter how small that I notice to be fair as possible to any interested collector – I am very fussy and my buyers have the right to be too. Every record I offer, whether it be a common or rare item deserves the same respect as far as I am concerned and will be treated the same - just because an item is rare does not always mean it’s good. I get just as much pleasure offering a relatively common record in stunning near mint condition as the real rare items. All the pictures I use for your guidance are taken with a digital camera or scanned - they are NOT improved, cleaned-up or made better looking than they are with camera trickery or enhancing with digital programmes. Room light factors can make things vary sometimes, that is hard to control, especially in winter. If any picture I take looks more flattering than the actual item for any reason, I will clearly state the fact in the advert and vice-versa. I hope the item below is to your liking - any questions can be emailed and I will do my very best to answer you. I am enthusiastic, and have a fair degree of knowledge about many genres and I promise quality items - bid with confidence - excellence comes as standard and so does Near Mint regularly. Please assume all records I offer have NO jumps, sticks, warps or writing on covers or labels unless clearly stated to the contrary. Thanks for your interest and Good luck – MIKE.

Deck: Linn LP12/Hercules/Cirkus with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Quintet Blue moving coil cartridge (tracks at 2.2 grams). Amps: Naim Supernait 2 with Project USB phono stage and Tellerium Black interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired with Tellurium Black terminated cable). All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional VPI-17 vacuum machine before play-grading for the cleanest and best possible sound and will include a brand new lined inner and protective cover too. Pictures taken with a Nikon D5000 SLR Digital Camera.

PACKING - THIS IS WHAT YOU GET.

What You Get: To confirm to the strict Ebay rules on shipping, I must now send ALL my packets ‘Signed-For’ with NO exceptions. Both buyers and sellers want their packets to have a safer journey and this is not a bad thing.

I now offer the fastest possible posting, often the very next day after payment is received or within two to three days maximum (unless on holiday). I only use FIRST-CLASS Mail. The record’s cover will be placed within a BRAND NEW soft protective sleeve and the actual record will be professionally cleaned on my new VPI-17 Pro vacuum system to give ultimate clean grooves and playing surfaces and the best possible looks and ultimate sound quality. You will NOT get tired, dull looking, dust infested records inside worn and foggy covers with tatty inners from this seller and that’s a promise and guarantee. All records are posted in professional boxes (NOT Mailers, these do not offer any real protection). The record(s) are REMOVED from their main cover to avoid edge splits and placed within a brand new polylined inner. The record’s original inner will be included if available. The boxes are then reinforced with at least TWO, ULTRA THICK stiffeners for maximum extra protection – these are FOUR TIMES thicker than commercial stiffeners and are custom-made for oneadayrecords. Really rare and expensive albums will even be Double Boxed if deemed necessary and possible. When larger boxes are used, the thick record and stiffener ‘sandwich’ is then thickly embedded into bubble-wrap to bulk out the record inside the box to centre the item inside to reduce the risk of damage still further. Printed address labels are used for clarity as well as a sender label. Customers requests or special needs for P&P will be respected if at all possible but ‘Signed-For’ posting is NOT an option anymore. I do not profit on posting, better quality packaging costs, I offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible for ultimate confidence. The boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffeners make a near impregnable fortress for safe shipping and this is used inland and overseas for ALL my records, not just the rare and expensive. I will invoice any winning bidder as soon as possible after the auction ends. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is minuscule in over 14 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional. The only damage rate acceptable for this seller is ZERO and I think my packets will offer just that. It would take a vicious postman or postal service to damage these for sure. Oneadayrecords is a MAILER-FREE ZONE – they offer next-to-no-protection, and should be banned, no ‘professional’ should consider using them in my opinion. I discount of course for multiple purchases with a maximum of FIVE records per box (one double can sometimes be included subject to total weight). All postage costs are below and at the top of the listing.

NOTE: First Time Bidders: Please ask me first.

PLEASE NOTE: I now exercise my right to open a dispute after the Ebay rule of TWO days if no payment is received. I will then cancel the dispute to end the bid, again after the mandatory FOUR days and then offer the item to the runner-up or relist. The non-payer will also be blocked from my Ebay site as will any suspicious bids or bid withdrawals. Small businesses need prompt payment to trade and these strict rules WILL be applied.

SHIPPING COSTS & CONDITIONS – THESE comply with EBAY’S RULES - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY:

Posting & Packing: UK & CHANNEL ISLANDS all now sent via Recorded Delivery:

1 LP (FIRST-CLASS Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £4.75

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7.50. (this includes insurance of £500). Add £1 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA. (Airmail Only):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£50 maximum]) = £12.50 (enhanced Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3). Add £2 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (ANY PART OF); South America; New Zealand; Australia; Canada; Japan and other Far East; (Airmail Only: I NEVER use Surface Mail):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£50 maximum]) = £16.50 (£17.50 for double sets). Add £3 per extra LP. (enhanced Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3)

Payment Conditions:

I prefer PayPal or cheque from UK winning bidders. I can accept PayPal from overseas bidders or direct payment into my bank account.

Potential Bidders: I will cancel any bids I feel are time-wasters. A maximum 3 days for communication and 7 days for payment to arrive - if not I will relist the item or offer to the runner-up. Fast deals get great feedback from me. Any questions - please ask and thanks for looking.

My Guarantee: If any winning bidder is not satisfied with their purchase I will offer a complete refund. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer, so read the item description carefully. If any overseas collector does not understand anything in my listing, please email and ask me to help. Thank You.

SOME GENERAL GUIDES TO WEAR AND CONDITIONS TO HELP YOU DECIDE

My Use of Description Terminology: Surface Marks = Superficial, usually light marks, hairlines or light scuffs that rarely sound. Scratch = a needle mark that goes below the record’s surface, some will sound, some will not, my play-grade will inform. Original = a record that has been pressed with the first label design which does NOT necessarily mean a very first pressed record. First Pressing = A record that I believe or know to be a genuine very first pressed record. I do not claim to always know for sure, and that’s why I state the stamper and matrix numbers if at all possible, for those who claim to know what they all mean, the information is there for the collector to decide. I prefer to use terms like ‘Early Copy’ rather than ‘First Pressing’ if I am not totally sure. Surface Sound = Mild, light sound, usually light crackle or similar. Distortion = Break up of the actual sound caused by groove wear or damage from a chipped stylus – the most undesirable form of unwanted sound, vintage mono records were the most prone to this happening but not exclusively so. The symptoms of distortion are high frequency clipping, moderate constant crackle or an echo type sound quality. Violin, piano and vocals are most prone to groove-wear distortion. Feathering = Fraying or softening of the entry edge of a cover. Covers with feathered entrance edges are more likely to have had the actual record inserted and removed more than a non-feathered, sharp-edged cover which are always far more attractive. Set Off, actually a printer’s term for dark ink leaving mild residue on pale or white ink when rested upon. e.g. when a gatefold cover has black ink closed against white, this can leave some black residue on the pale area – this is mostly unavoidable or course.

The Argument for Vinyl Original sound and mix (mono mixes are rarely available on CD), high quality sound on clean copies (played on a hi-end dedicated analogue system – breathtaking sound!), beautiful, large format covers, artwork, inserts and even full size posters etc; huge investment potential, and the pleasure of owning ‘the real thing’.