Queen NIGHT AT THE OPERA UK LP -2/-2 1ST PRESS MINT

	£		225
	$		298

QUEEN - A NIGHT AT THE OPERA

IN MAGNIFICENT 1 PLAY CONDITION

An absolutely staggering mint (pure white) sleeve

A GENUINE -FIRST PRESS OF THIS CLASSIC ALBUM

• CATALOGUE:EMI EMtC 103
• MATRIX: YAX 5063-2 / 5064-2 (THE VERY FIRST PRESS MATRIX NUMBERS)
• MOTHERS/STAMPERS:4 RAG / 3 T
• BLAIRS ETCHED INTO DEAD WAX SIDE 1 AND 2 /

AN ABSOLUTELY STUNNING VINYL THAT HAS AT THE MOST BEEN PLAYED JUST THE ONE TIME,

THE SLEEVE IS JUST IMMACULATE. COLLECTORS WILL KNOW HOW DIFFICULT THIS IS TO GET IN THIS SORT OF CONDITION. BUT HERE WE HAVE A SLEEVE THAT HAS REMAINED INSIDE A PLASTIC OUTER SLEEVE FROM NEW. IT IS IMMACULATE

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

THE WHITE BASE COLOUR ON THESE DELICATE LABELS ARE STILL PURE WHITE. THERE ARE NO SIGNS OF MARKS OR STAINS ETC. THE COLOUR FULLY STRECTHES UNBLEMISHED INTO THE UNWORN SPINDLE HOLE. THE BLACK TYPEFACE IS ALSO PRISTINE AND PERFECTLY LEGIBLE.

THERE IS JUST ONE REALLY TINY SPIDER LINE VERY CLOSE TO THE SPINDLE HOLE WHICH I ONLY SPOTTED WHEN PLACED UPTO A SPOTLIGHT. IT IS VERY CLEAR THIS MAGNIFICENT ALBUM HAS ONLY HAD THE ONE PLAY EVER!!!

THE VINYL

INCREDIBLE GLOSSY MINT CONDITION VINYL, BUT WHAT ELSE WOULD YOU EXPECT FROM A VIRTUALLY UNPLAYED ALBUM?

THERE IS NOT ONE MARK ON IT ANYWHERE, AND EVEN UNDER INTENSE ILLUMINATION THERE IS NOTHING TO SEE, APART FROM A COUPLE OF WISPY HAIRLINES THAT HAVE NO IMPACT ON THE PERFORMANCE WHATSOEVER

I BELIEVE THAT IF YOU ARE GOING TO SPEND YOUR MONEY ON A FANTASTIC COLLECTIBLE VINYL, THAT YOU SHOULD BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR WHAT YOU ARE BUYING. I HAVE THEREFORE INVESTED IN THE SOFTWARE THAT ALLOWS YOU TO DO JUST THAT.

I HAVE RECORDED THE ENTIRE ALBUM FROM START TO FINISH AS I AM CONVINCED THAT BIDDERS WOULD WELCOME THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE HEAR WHAT THEY ARE CONSIDERING BIDDING ON, BEFORE LAYING ABID. THIS IS A SERVICE I AM DELIGHTED TO BE ABLE TO OFFER MY CUSTOMERS

THE CLARITY OF THIS FIRST PRESS IS JUST BRILLIANT. IT PLAYS TO ABSOLUTE PERFECTION ALL THE WAY THROUGH BOTH SIDES, AND THE FIRST THING THAT IS EVIDENT IS THAT THERE IS NOT ONE JOT OF DISTORTION WHATSOEVER AT ANY POINT, MEANING THAT THE ONE CAREFUL PLAY THE LP HAS RECEIVED WAS CONDUCTED ON A SYSTEM THAT HAD AN UNWORN AND CORRECTLY WEIGHTED STYLUS

THE STEREO REPRODUCTION OF THE 'BLAIR CUT' IS SUPERB, AND EVERY NOTE IS HEARD AS WAS ORIGINALLY INTENDED

I DON'T THINK I HAVE EVER HEARD A CLEANER COPY THAN THIS

THERE IS NO BACKGROUND CRACKLE WHATSOEVER, AND NO CLICKS, AND INCREDIBLY BEARING IN MIND HOW MANY QUIET PASSAGES THERE ARE ON THIS ALBUM, NO MORE THAN THE ODD SECOND OF BARELY AUDIBLE STATIC

NO VINYL NOISE WHATSOEVER EITHER

AN ABSOLUTELY MAGNIFICENT FIRST PRESS OF THIS CLASSIC QUEEN ALBUM, AND WHILST THE ALBUM CERTAINLY CANNOT BE CONSIDERED TO BE RARE, FINDING A MINT COPY MOST DEFINITELY IS

I HAVE NO HESITATION WHATSOEVER IN GRADING THIS SUPERB ITEM MINT!!!

PLEASE DON'T JUST TAKE MY WORD FOR IT THOUGH, TAKE A LISTEN AND JUDGE FOR YOURSELF

THE SLEEVE

INCREDIBLE 'WHITE' SLEEVE ON THIS SUPERB ALBUM.

THE FRONT SURFACE IS TOTALLY FLAT AND ABSOLUTELY SPOTLESS.

USUALLY THIS SLEEVE IS FOUND WITH THE WHITE SURFACE 'LESS THAN WHITE'. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT AN UNPROTECTED SLEEVE WOULD NATURALLY PICK UP FINGER MARKS AND DIRT, AND OF COURSE WOULD SHOW ON THIS SLEEVE MORE THAN ANY OTHER. ADDED TO THE FACT THAT THE COVER IS UNLAMINATED AND YOU HAVE THE PERFECT SENARIO FOR A GRIMY WHITE SURFACE. NOT ON THIS ONE THOUGH.

THIS HAS BEEN HOUSED UNMOLESTED INSIDE A PLASTIC OUTER SLEEVE FROM THE DAY IT WAS PURCHASED.

THE FIRST THING TO MENTION IS THE FACT THAT THE SLEEVE HAS THE EMBOSSED LOGO ON THE FRONT COVER, ENSURING A FIRST PRESS SET

NEXT AND THE MOST OBVIOUS THING IS THAT THE SURFACE IS IMMACULATE. PURE WHITE AND TOTALLY UNBLEMISHED

THERE ARE NO FINGERMARKS, NO GRUBBINES WHATSOEVER ANYWHERE

THERE ARE NO HEAVY CREASE LINES,LITTLE CREASE LINES, FINE CREASE LINES OR EVEN ANY OF THOSE TINY LINES THAT GATHER BY THE SPINE. IT IS 100% CREASELINE FREE, WHICH IS ALMOST UNHEARD OF

THE COLOURS IN THE CENTRE EMBOSSED AREA ARE RICH AND VIBRANT AND UNRUBBED

THIS IS A SUPERB EXAMPLE OF THIS FIRST ISSUE

THE TOP EDGE IS TOTALLY UNRUBBED, WHISLT THE ONLY BLEMISH ON THE ENTIRE SLEEVE APPEARS ON THE BOTTOM EDGE IN THE FORM OF A LIGHT SCUFF HALF WAY ALONG

THE SPINE IS JUST MINT!!!. CLEAN ALL THE WAY ALONG, AND NO COLOUR RUBBING OR GRUBBINES. IT IS TOTALLY FLAT AND THERE IS NO SQUASHING AT ALL, AND EVERY SINGLE LETTER OF THE TYPEFACE IS MINT

THE REAR SURFACE IS IN EXACTLY THE SAME INCREDIBLE CONDITION AS THE FRONT

OPENING THE GATEFOLD REVEALS A PURE WHITE, IMMACULATE INNER SURFACE. MY GUESS IS THAT BECAUSE THE COVER HAS BEEN INSIDE THE OUTER SLEEVE, IT HAS RARELY BEEN HANDLED OR OPENED

ALSO WORTH POINTING OUT IS THE FACT THAT THERE IS NO RINGWEAR AT ALL EITHER, NOT EVEN A TOUCH OF RECORD SHAPE

THE FIRST PRESS INNER SLEEVE IS MADE FROM A STRONG STIFF CARD AND NOT PAPER LIKE LATER PRESSES. THE CARD HAS A THUMB NOTCH ALONG THE TOP EDGE WHICH IS IMMACULATE AND UNDAMAGED. THE SLEEVE ITSELF IS FLAT AND UNCREASED, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY UNSPLIT.

IT IS ALSO WORTH MENTIONING THAT FIRST ISSUE INNER SLEEVES HAD THREE OF THE 4 CORNERS CUT ACROSS THE ANGLE. LATER ISSUES THAT WERE CARD HAS ROUNDED CORNERS

THIS INCREDIBLE AS NEW SLEEVE HAS TO GRADE MINT, PERHAPS MINT KINUS DUE TO THE SMALL SCUFF ALONG THE BOTTOM EDGE

I DON'T BELIEVE THERE CAN BE A BETTER EXAMPLE OUT THERE

THIS IS A FANTASTIC EXAMPLE OF THIS QUEEN ALBUM, AND WOULD GRACE ANY COLLECTION

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR BID IF YOU CHOSE TO GO FOR IT

GARRY