SPRING A1/B1 1st 1st PRESS NEON 1971 Strong VG+ COVER & Incredible AUDIO RARE
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Description
I will declare a lower amount on the customs form for all countries so as to avoid/decrease high import charges. However, in the case of the EU all purchases are subject to VAT which eBay collect at point of sale. No shipping to Russia currently.
Spring : Spring A1 / B1 1st Press Neon 1971
This classic album needs little introduction I guess! Highly collectable in 'prog circles' this first pressing is stunning! What you immediately notice before you even play it is how clean the vinyl is, it has just the one small mark on S1 which has no impact on the audio quality. And then when you play it? Wow!! S1 in particular plays with phenomenal clarity, depth and warmth and has background whatsoever. S2 is not far behind and has only minimal background on a couple of tracks and nothing intrusive I would add, there are no clicks or pops. Based on the audio quality, the lack of spindle wear and that the opening edge has no handling wear I would surmise that the vinyl has hardly been played.
The famous Keef tri-fold cover has a little wear but nothing stands out as such. I have graded it as VG+ overall but it does have a number of excellent aspects as detailed below. The original inner sleeve does have some wear but it's good that it's included but of course it's the audio quality that's the real stand out here. Sonically it is superb!
AGBS 0521 - A - 1 A1E // AGBS - B - 1 A1C
The audio on S1 is Mint(-)
The audio on S2 is Mint(-) (T2 Near Mint / T3 Ex+)
The gatefold is VG+ The original inner sleeve is VG
The Neon labels are Mint-
Visual description
The vinyl is in great condition and still has a strong glossy sheen with no scratches. S1 does have one small mark on the final track but it has no affect on the audio. Aside from that I can only see a small number of ultra faint hairlines and these of course can only be seen under a bright light, it really is a superb looking record! There is no groove or surface wear and the Neon labels are in lovely condition with no marking and no spindle wear.
Play Grading
The intro on 'The Prisoner (Eight By Ten)' plays beautifully with no intrusion and Moran's opening vocal section is equally as clean. The instrumental bridge is perfect and the next vocal section is as strong as the first. It continues in the same precise way - there is nothing that detracts from the audio, literally nothing. There are no ticks, clicks or pops and no background static either. Moran's vocal is often questioned but I think it perfectly suits this very English sounding prog album. Every section plays with STUNNING clarity and warmth and the closing instrumental is a fine example of that, superb definition. This classic is Mint from start to finish.
With complete silence in the dead wax the gentle intro on 'Grail' is perfect and the opening vocal is just as impressive. The chorus is flawless with not even a dust tick and next verse / chorus are of the same high end standard. The use of the mellotron is of course well documented on this album and sonically it could not be any stronger here. The mid instrumental is phenomenal - every instrument plays with sublime quality and in particular Maloney's bass - the sound is so strong and deep. The quieter moments play with an 'as new' clarity - it's quite a long instrumental and it plays to perfection. The following vocal has crystal clear audio and to the end it plays with impeccable precision. Another superb instrumental in fact and a perfect fade out. Another Mint track and one of the highlights of the album.
It's a shame 'Boats' isn't longer because it's a great track! A very strong melody and the two minutes play with STUNNING clarity and depth from the first note to the last. MINT!
The percussive intro on 'Shipwrecked Soldier' is perfect as is the remainder when Martinez comes in. The first vocal has no interference and this 'clean' sound is very much prevalent throughout every section. For a final track the clarity of sound is so impressive and by now it is patently obvious this vinyl has been so well preserved over the last 54 years and hardly played in my opinion. The long instrumental is incredible! Once again the clarity and depth stand out and the closing vocal / instrumental have no intrusion either. I mean this is as good as it gets really - a remarkable version and if I had to say anything perhaps a minor touch of inner groove distortion on a couple of words but believe me that is being very very critical! I will say Mint- although I am sure many would argue the minus isn't necessary.
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The mellotron / acoustic intro on 'Golden Fleece' plays to perfection without any background and the opening vocal section is exactly the same. The instrumental bridge and next vocal again have zero intrusion and it continues to play with a sonic quality that is second to none. As per S1 the audio is so sharply defined and by that I mean the clarity of sound is flawless - there is no 'muddiness', no distortion and of course no interference. If you win this just listen to the mid instrumental, you will know exactly what I mean. The solos from Martinez are stunning and even the quieter acoustic section plays to the highest standard possible. Once again I cannot believe what I am listening to! The end vocal is faultless and the closing instrumental is so clean and 'fresh' sounding. A breathtaking Mint version. If there was a minor static tick I would downgrade it to Mint- but there isn't one!
'Inside Out' is more or less the same. If I was being super critical it is perhaps not quite as strong sonically, kind of very slightly 'muffled' in places. It is very minor and hardly detracts from the overall listen. However, the mid instrumental section is perfect and from start to finish there is no actual interference. I think Near Mint is fair here.
'Song To Absent Friends (The Island)' is a quiet number and it plays very clearly with only some very light statics here and there. They are very quiet and barely intrusive in my opinion and Ex+ is still deserved. It's worth saying that there are no clicks or pops... The intro on 'Gazing' plays with genuine quality, there is no background at all. Almost Genesis like here and as the volume decreases the playback is faultless. The opening vocal section is just as impressive and from then on there is no drop in quality. The mid instrumental is so strong and clear and there is no discernible inner groove distortion at all. The next 'quieter' passage plays with sublime clarity and the following vocal is equal to that. The remainder has no background and Mint- is definitely a fair assessment of the audio. A superb album in so many ways!
The Gatefold & Inner Sleeve
The iconic triple fold-out matt textured cover has been well looked after overall and has only a little shelf wear here and there. It is still very strong and robust and whilst the edges have some rubbing it is by no means excessive. The wide spine remains 100% legible with some rubbing and a little wear on the corners. The right hand corners are similar but again the wear is not major. The opening edge is superb and is practically 'as new'. Another indication perhaps the record has hardly been removed from the cover and therefore only sporadically played? The front cover is in excellent shape for the majority and is still very clean with only a few small white 'rubs' mainly by the bottom edge. The back cover is much the same with just two obvious small 'scuffs' in the top right hand corner. The third panel of the 'shipwrecked soldier' is in lovely condition with barely any wear. The three inside panels are in excellent order with very little wear - a handful of small white 'rubs' at the foot of the left panel but otherwise is extremely clean. The two inner spines are very strong with zero wear. Yes there are many excellent aspects to this cover I would say overall VG+ is the correct grade to give.
The original black inner sleeve does have a couple of small side splits and some wear on the top edge also plus some creasing also. This one has no poly-lining.
AGBS 0521 - A - 1 A1E // AGBS - B - 1 A1CPlay tested on my Rega P2 with AT VM-95EN Cart / Denon PMA-520AE Amp / B&W 684 Speakers
This record has been professionally cleaned on my Pro-Ject VC-S machine
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 will only send items items worldwide via tracked shipping. This provides 'peace of mind' in case of loss or damage. The shipping costs are shown below and combined shipping is always offered. Any over-payment will always be refunded.
The Royal Mail only insure up to a value of £250 so if an item sells for more it may be wise to use a courier service (e.g. Parcelforce or DPD). An extra insurance premium will be required but I will not know the exact amount until the final sale price is known. Because of this I will sometimes have to estimate the cost and this will be shown in the listing. Please wait for the invoice before making payment and if you have any questions please feel free to ask. Many thanks.
All vinyls are packaged in strong over-sized custom made mailers with plenty of extra cardboard protection. They are placed inside separate poly-lined inners outside the cover so as to avoid seam splits in transit and then placed inside a PVC sleeve to provide even more protection. I pride myself on my high quality packaging as my feed confirms and if any customer has any specific requirements I am more than happy to help.
The mailers I use cost £1.00 each and I will use anything between 3-5 cardboard stiffeners which cost approx £0.18 each. There is also the cost of the poly-lined inner and PVC sleeve to consider, it all adds up! Not forgetting that eBay take 10% of the shipping fee also!!
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LPs/12" singles : £6.50 up to 1kg then £1.00 per extra item
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USA (Tracked - Max 2kg)
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LPs/12" singles : £21.95 then £2.50 per extra
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