The Beatles : Rubber Soul 'Loud Cut' 1st Press 1/1

This highly collectable and increasingly rare Loud Cut first pressing is in superb condition and it would be difficult to find better.  The audio is so clean and precise and S1 in particular is stunning, S2 just has a few seconds of minimal interference but it doesn't take away from what is a visually very impressive vinyl!

It has been so well preserved down the years and it is clear the vinyl has not been overplayed judging by the incredible clarity and definition of the audio and the fact that there is not too much spindle wear.

In my opinion this is one of the rarest Loud Cut editions in that the labels have the Times New Roman font which is the second variation of the label.  The vast majority of these have either have a 1/4 or 4/1 matrix and yet this one still has the original 1/1 matrix.  There are certainly not many of these around today, they were pressed in very limited numbers.  In fact I have never seen another!   

A little history about the Loud Cut press.  Production was soon stopped due to it having a 'muddy' bass and an aggressive vocal sound hence the rarity and collectability value.

The Patents pending cover is in lovely condition and has barely any of the marking that is so often prevalent.  It is very rare to find one as 'clean' as this!  The original Emitex inner is also in excellent condition.

PMC 1267 // XEX 579 - 1 / XEX 580 - 1 // HA 1 / GGD 3 6

The audio on S1 is Mint- (Track 7 Near Mint)

The audio on S2 is Mint- (T3 fade out VG / T4 intro VG- )

The cover is Ex+

The labels are Near Mint-

The Emitex inner sleeve is Ex+

  This vinyl has been so well preserved over the decades and still has that same jet-black glossy sheen that it had when first released in '65.  It is that good!  S1 is immaculate and I am not exaggerating when I say it looks 'as new' there are no marks or scratches at all.  I cannot even detect any obvious hairlines, all I can see is one minor speck!  S2 has the same immaculate glossy sheen but there are two very small areas where you can see a couple of very faint squiggly scratch lines.  They are very minor and causes only minimal interference as described below.  It has no other marks and again there are no obvious hairlines.  It is one of the finest Loud Cut pressings I have ever seen and that is reflected in the superb audio quality.  There is not very much spindle wear and the run out grooves and labels are also beautifully clean.

Play grading

'Drive My Car' plays with stunning precision from the very first groove and as the vocals come in there is no decrease in quality.  The playback is so 'clean' and the entire track has no 'background' of any kind.  The fade out also plays perfectly with only a couple of barely audible dust ticks.  A superb Mint start to the album.

The classic 'Norwegian Wood' also plays with a clarity that is rarely found on these first pressings.  The so called 'muddy' bass sound is first in evidence here as per the Loud Cut pressings but it does not detract from the wonderful quality of the audio though.  This easily qualifies as Mint it is stunning!

'You Won't See Me' plays to a standard that again defies the age of the record - 55 years old lest we forget!  There is no 'background' whatsoever - no clicks, pops, static or crackle.  I am happy to grade this as Mint the definition of the audio is up there with the best I have ever heard on a Loud Cut press.

Now the following version of 'Nowhere Man' is the most impressive I have ever heard on a Loud Cut!  The 'aggressive' vocal sound and the 'muddy' bass are very much to the fore here and yet the audio is remarkably clean and precise for such a rare record.  I have no hesitation in grading this as Mint as there is literally no interference to be heard.  Wow!

'Think For Yourself' is of the same 'high end' standard with no intrusion on the audio at all.  From beginning to end it plays with stunning precision and again grades as Mint

I think what impresses with 'The Word' is the complete lack of distortion.  Records from the 60s regularly play with inner groove distortion as you approach the end of the side where the 'sound' is more compressed and more so on a mono record being played through a stereo system.  However, the clarity and definition is so good here which can only mean it has only been lightly played thus maintaining its original quality.  The playback cannot be faulted and even the 'louder' passage towards the end plays beautifully.  This is Mint in every way!

'Michelle' is so often affected by static distortion on the first pressings but not here!  This is such a 'clean' version and has none of the usual vocal distortion.  There are only a small number of very light static ticks which have no impact on the stunning quality of the audio.  They are so quiet and totally non-intrusive and in all honesty it would be nigh on impossible to find a better version.  There are no clicks or pops and the super clean fade again provides further evidence of a vinyl hardly played.  This is a Near Mint finish to S1 and wow what a side!

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S2 has a couple of swish sounds on the run in but that is before the music starts obviously.  'What Goes On' then plays with great quality and, you guessed it, no interference at all.  The 'muddy bass' is again very much in evidence here but the clarity and sonic quality has not diminished over the years.  The harmonies here are so 'clean' and each note plays with incredible precision.  This is Mint with yet another perfect fade out.

'Girl' plays with very impressive clarity for a relatively quiet track.  There is no underlying static, no clicks or pops and the only 'background' is a couple of very light ticks.  Mint- is a fair appraisal of the audio here, a stunning version.

The acoustic intro on 'I'm Looking Through You' is 'as new' and it continues to play with sublime quality.  For once there is no there is no distortion on Harrison's famous chord sequence which is such a rarity.  The only 'background' is a couple of clicks right at the end of the end.  This is caused by the 'squiggle' scratch previously mentioned.  I would grade this as Mint but with a VG fade out.

This also causes a little interference on the 'In My Life' intro but I glad to say it does not last long.  There are about 6/7 static click sounds over the first 15 seconds but from then on it plays as per the rest of the album i.e. with superb clarity and definition.  There are no more clicks, in fact no 'background' at all and the playback is again exceptional.  The intro is VG- but the remainder is Mint it could not play with any greater precision.  Stunning!  

'Wait' is very strong from start to finish and as per S1 there is no distortion even as we get nearer to the end of the side.  This is a fantastic version and plays with great power and depth.  It is worthy of another Mint grade.

'If I Needed Someone' plays so well and if there is any inner groove distortion it is kept to an absolute minimum and perhaps when played as 'mono' it would disappear completely.  The audio is so 'clean' and again there is no interference.  Mint- is a fair reflection of the audio.

The acoustic intro on 'Run For Your Life' is 'as new' and once the vocal begins there is no decrease in quality.  Harrison's guitar also has no distortion which is a real rarity.  The playback cannot be underestimated here - the clarity and definition is stunning and there is nothing that detracts from the listen.  You can turn it up to loud without having to turn it down immediately!  I cannot praise this track highly enough and it may well be the strongest version I have heard on a Loud Cut press an it's the lack of distortion that makes it really stand out.  Plus the fade out is perfect which is rare for the final grooves on a 55 year old record!  This is a superb Mint- end to this classic album.

In summary this is without doubt one of the most impressive Loud Cut editions I have ever had the pleasure in listening to.  S1 in particular is absolutely stunning and S2 is not far behind with only a few seconds of minimal interference.  Despite it being the 'rejected' mix the clarity and depth of the audio is stunning.  Not only that but the visual quality of the vinyl cannot be underestimated either apart from the one minor imperfection on S2 of course.  It is so clean and has clearly not been overplayed resulting in the 'high end' audio that we have here.  A fantastic album that would impress any Beatles' collector.

The Cover

The laminated G & L Patents pending cover is in lovely condition and has hardly any shelf wear.  The edges and spine are 'as new' and all corners have no obvious rubbing either, they are so clean!  The opening edge has next to no handling wear and the front cover is also in superb order with no marking and only a small number of faint creases around the edges.  There is no laminate damage at all.  The back cover has retained its original white colour very well with barely any marking and only light staining of the flipback edges.  This is very common but aside from that the flipbacks are very clean and remain firmly in place.  A very impressive cover and one of the cleanest Loud Cut issues I have seen in a long time.

The Labels

The yellow/black Parlophone labels are so clean and have no marking or writing and not too much spindle wear as stated.  They have not lost any of their original colour.  The KT tax stamp is on the S2 label.

The Inner Sleeve

The original poly-lined Emitex sleeve has no side splits or tears, just some of the usual creasing.  There is hardly any age related fading.

Play tested on my Pro-Ject Essential III Turntable / B&W 684 Speakers

Any questions please feel free to ask

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