STEELY DAN PRETZEL LOGIC '74 A1/B1 UK 1st press PROBE SPBA 6282 SPARINGLY PLAYED

	£		33
	$		44

STEELY DAN - PRETZEL LOGIC

A truly exquisite condition copy of this increasingly rare and sought after 1974 very 1st UK press Steely Dan soft rock classic, with earliest A-1, B-1 vinyl matrix numbers on the PROBE label, STEREO, SPBA 6282

The dead wax matrix numbers are :

Side 1   SPBA 6282 A - 1 with stampers "11" and "GP" at 8 o'clock and 2.30 o'clock respectively

Side 2    SPBA 6282 B - 1 with stampers "1" and "GR" at 4 o'clock and 10 o'clock respectively

The appearance and overall condition of the flat and nicely weighted vinyl is excellent plus (EX+), though I am sure that many would grade as "near mint". In normal daylight each side of the vinyl comes across as in gleaming, jet black, perfect "as new" condition : and is is only with very close scrutiny under a bright light that I can just detect a couple of the wispiest of wispy hairlines and 2 very, very light paper scuffs - nothing at all really. Even under a bright light I simply cannot fault side 1. Truly remarkable condition for this 46 year old antiquity - and virtually impossible to come across a UK 1st pressing of this soft rock gem in condition as truly impressive as this.

The labels are excellent plus (EX+). Gorgeous condition labels with all black writing upon the smooth beige background, along with the iconic PROBE logo, each in pristine condition. The side 1 label has no spindle trails at all, the side 2 label has three small and extremely faint spindle trails adjacent to the centre hole (only detectable under a bright light) which is the only thing that prevents me from grading the condition of the labels as "near mint".

The condition of the non-laminated Garrod & Lofthouse outer gatefold sleeve is again excellent plus (EX+). The thick cardboard remains fully intact with no creasing and no horizontal abrasions either - this copy is completely devoid of any wear and tear marks and is hard to fault. All edges, including the spine, remain firm with no scuffing at all (apart from just a single 4mm, very light inconsequential scuff mark on towards the right corner of the bottom reverse side edge - barely noticeable), each corner remains a perfectly defined right angle with no rubbing, and the opening edges are similarly rigid with no fraying or feathering at all. All colours, text, and art work remain in virtually "as new" condition - rich, vibrant with great clarity and definition, and that of course also applies to the inside of the gatefold for which the condition is impossible to fault. The only blemish (and that is far too strong a word to use) is a very light 3cm horizontal line mark on the reverse side towards the top edge - trivial, non-obvious, and you will need to tilt the gatefold at the right angle and in a good light to even detect it. What can I say? Remarkable!

The quality of the audio is outstanding. There is nothing more satisfying than placing a 1970's classic rock LP onto the turntable, turning up the volume, and as the stylus meets the vinyl...silence! And that's exactly the case here with this sparingly played soft rock gem. Fantastic tone and clarity throughout, even at higher volume and on higher frequencies. No skips, jumps, repeats, sticks, clicks, or background crackle at all. Wonderful STEREO audio reproduction with the whole album making for a great listen, even after all these years. 

The tracks are :

Side 1 :

1. RIKKI DON'T LOSE THAT NUMBER

2. NIGHT BY NIGHT

3. ANY MAJOR DUDE WILL TELL YOU

4. BARRYTOWN

5. EAST ST. LOUIS TOODLE-O

Side 2 :

1. PARKER'S BAND

2. THROUGH WITH BUZZ

3. PRETZEL LOGIC

4. WITH A GUN

5. CHARLIE FREAK

6. MONKEY IN YOUR SOUL

Comes with original excellent plus (EX+) condition "PATENT NO..." & "MADE IN GREAT BRITAIN", "The PROBE Family" inner advertising sleeve with no rips, tears, seam splits, or  creasing and of course remaining fully functional. Note that I always use a new, plain white replacement inner sleeve for shipping purposes in order to protect the original.

In summary a truly superb condition copy of this increasingly rare and sought after 1974 UK very 1st press Steely Dan soft rock classic - the whole LP remains a great listen, and surely there cannot be many UK 1st press copies left in as impressive condition as this.  A worthy addition to any serious  rock vinyl collection and will only continue to gain in value.

 If you require any further information, including photos, then let me know and I'll do my best to oblige. 

If this record interests you then take a look at my other 60's & 70's classic vinyl listings.

A bit about myself : I have been collecting vinyl for more than 50 years and have amassed a huge collection covering a varied genre, but mostly of 1960's and 70's origin. Most of my records were originally bought by myself for my own collection, but during the past 30 years I have embellished my collection by buying records from a variety of sources : friends/acquaintances, car boot sales, auctions, and even through putting up a "vinyl wanted" notice in my wife's shop! I am now retired and take great delight in being able to spend more time scouring the country and attending boot sales and auctions in the hope of unearthing more vinyl gems...I am 65 years of age now and am still discovering bands and music of the 60's and 70's that I have never come across before. Wonderful! Richard

My ebay feedback speaks for itself so rest assured that you are buying from a trusted seller and in the very unlikely event that you are unhappy with your purchase just e-mail me and I'll sort out the problem. I offer a "no quibble" refund policy. 

On the subject of packaging and postage, I take great care in the packaging of all items, using a proper vinyl thick cardboard "crucifix" style mailer along with at least two thick cardboard stiffeners. I take great care in separating the record from the outer sleeve in order to help prevent sleeve damage in transit and I always insert the vinyl, outer sleeve and inner into a clear plastic sleeve, thus adding further protection. 

For this item postage & packaging will be UK £3.00, Royal Mail 1st class signed for; 

Continental Europe £10, and Rest of the World £14 respectively, Royal Mail 1st class international Airmail tracked and signed for

 I DO discount post & packaging costs for multiple purchases. I do NOT profit from postage.

Good luck with your bidding!

NOTE : My vinyl descriptions comply with the official Record Collector vinyl grading guidelines :

Mint

The records itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. The cover and any extra items, such as the lyric sheet, booklet or poster are in perfect condition. Records advertised as Sealed or Unplayed should be Mint.

Excellent

The record shows some signs of having been played, but there is very little lessening in sound quality. The cover and packaging might have slight wear and /or creasing.

Very Good

The record has obviously been played many times, but displays no major deterioration in sound quality, despite noticeable surface marks and the occasional light scratch. Normal wear and tear on the cover or extra items, without any major defects, is acceptable.

Good

The record has been played so much that the sound quality has noticeably deteriorated, perhaps with some distortion and mild scratches. The cover and contents suffer from folding, scuffing of edges, spine splits, discolouration, etc.

Fair

The record is still just playable but has not been cared for properly and displays considerable surface noise; it may even jump. The cover and contents are torn, stained and/or defaced

Poor

The record will not play properly due to scratches, bad surface noise, etc. The cover and contents are badly damaged or partly missing.

Bad

The record is unplayable or might even be broken, and is only of use as a collection-filler