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The Who : My Generation 1B / 1B Mono Press 1965 (Brunswick)

This first mono pressing on the Brunswick label is easily one of the finest examples I have ever listened to.  The clarity, depth and power of the audio is stunning - I cannot emphasise enough just how high end the audio is!  There is barely any intrusion - just a little inner groove distortion on 'My Generation' and a small number of very light ticks on 'Please Please Please'.  Both those tracks still plays with great audio but the others certainly have the wow factor!  The vinyl is visually very impressive with only three marks which are detailed in the description below.

The cover is in excellent condition with only minor marking on the back but is a lot cleaner than so many you find today.  The inner sleeve is also in excellent shape with very little wear.

This is a genuine first press as it has the 1B/1B matrix.  With a B / U stamper is it maybe the first off the production line?  I'm not sure if there ever was a B / B stamper.  Regardless of that it is still obviously one of the first produced.

LAT 8616 // MG-10256-1B / MG-10257-1B // B 1 / U 1

The audio on S1 is Mint(-) (T6 Ex+)

The audio on S2 is Mint(-) (T1 Near Mint / T2 Ex+)

The cover is Ex-

The labels are Near Mint-

The inner sleeve is Ex+

The vinyl is in excellent order and still has a lovely glossy sheen for the large part.  There is no dulling or mottling to the surface and there is no groove wear either.  To be honest it is one of the least marked first pressings I have seen.  S1 does have a thumbprint type mark on the first track and a much smaller mark on track 5 but neither have any affect on the audio.  Aside from that it is in lovely condition with only a handful of barely visible hairlines.  S2 just has one squiggly hairline mark across most of the first three tracks but only causes a small number of light ticks on the second track so is definitely not an obvious scratch.  The rest of the side is in beautiful condition with no obvious hairlines at all.  The run out grooves are very clean and you can easily read the matrix and the KT tax stamp on both sides.  The Brunswick labels have no marking or writing just some spindle wear on both sides.  A fine example overall.

Play grading  

That classic familiar intro from Townshend on 'Out In The Street' plays perfectly with that deep rich mono sound and Daltrey's opening vocal is just as strong and it continues to play with great quality for the remainder.  I love the production values on this album and they are certainly enhanced when you find a vinyl as well preserved as this one.  From start to finish there is no interference and the depth of the audio is just stunning.  Ok a couple of barely audible ticks but you could easily miss them they are so quiet!  The vocals are so clean and fresh, every note so sharp and precise and it provides an immaculate Mint- start to the side.

'I Don't Mind' then plays to the same standard with no intrusion.  The clarity of sound is again 'as new' with a sonic quality that just cannot be faulted, even the fade out has no background!  Already I cannot believe what I am listening to!  Arguably the first track should be graded as Mint but this is undoubtedly Mint in every way.

The intro on 'The Good's Gone' so often plays with some static distortion but not here!  From that point on it plays with sensational quality and the vocal harmonies have lost none of their original quality.  There are no ticks, clicks, pops or static and Townshend's mid instrumental also plays with tremendous power and definition.  The remainder is equally as impressive and I have no hesitation in grading this as Mint also.

The percussive intro on 'La-La-La-Lies' is faultless and the opening vocal has no background either.  The first chorus keeps up this fine start and it continues to play with sublime quality.  Once again there is nothing that detracts from the audio and the mid instrumental is a case in point.  In essence every verse and chorus play to perfection and Mint is again deserved.

The vocal only intro on the classic 'Much Too Much' could not play any better and this high end standard is kept up throughout.  The power and definition of the audio is stunning - each note can be heard with such precision and there is no 'muddiness' or distortion on the sound.  By this stage you might expect some inner groove distortion (this is being played through a stereo set up after all) and yet the playback is so clean.  Mint

Now 'My Generation' always plays with some distortion I find and it just a matter of how much or how little.  I am delighted to say this has to be the cleanest version I have heard in many a year.  As you progress into the track there is perhaps a little distortion but it really is so minimal and non-intrusive.  In a sense you expect it because this is vinyl and it is the final track after all.  A little more during Moon's frenetic solo and the closing section but...there are no ticks, clicks or pops and I am sure the audio could be improved when played as a mono record.  Still damn good though and Ex+ is definitely a fair assessment of the audio.  What a side!

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Townshend's first note on 'The Kids Are Alright' has no static etc and then Daltrey's first vocal plays perfectly.  Shut your eyes and transport yourself back to the halcyon days of the 60s!  Well I'm too young but you get my drift!  The vocals are so high in the mix here and yet they 100% sound as good as they did in back in '65 if not better on my higher grade equipment!  The depth of the audio is again astonishing!  I think I picked up a dull click during the instrumental section towards the end but it isn't immediately obvious.  The final vocal has no intrusion so overall Near Mint is fair.

'Please Please Please' plays with great clarity throughout with no clicks, pops or static.  I did detect some light ticks but they are quiet and do not intrude on the quality of the listen in my opinion.  Perhaps a couple in the middle that are a little more obvious but they are not loud clicks!  Because of this I think Ex+ is an honest appraisal of the audio here.

There are four clicks in the dead wax but the good news is that the intro on 'It's Not True' has no interference and that applies to the entire track.  This is another track where the audio blasts out of the speakers with incredible power and precision.  A mind-blowing Mint version and the harmonies here are superb!

'I'm A Man' plays with exceptional clarity and depth from the first note to the last with...no interference.  The long instrumental is just fantastic!  It has a number of relatively quiet passages and yet the clarity is stunning for a record of this advanced age!  NO interference whatsoever - wow it sounds good!  The build up towards the end is just as strong and this is Mint in every sense of the word.  The definitive version in my opinion.

The intro on 'A Legal Matter' for once has no static distortion and the opening vocal is equally as impressive.  From then on it plays with outstanding power and depth and... no interference.  Another high end version that can only be graded as Mint 

The percussive intro on 'The Ox' is 'as new' and from then plays with genuine power and definition.  So often affected by intrusive distortion this version is very 'clean' to say the least.  You can hear each note perfectly and it plays loud and true with no distortion, no interference at all.  This may well be the most 'complete' version I have heard as there are no negatives.  S1 ends with a little distortion but this side certainly doesn't and I cannot overstate just how strong this version is.  A Mint- finish to this classic album - and it is worth pointing out that the fade out has not even a single dust tick.

In summary this first pressing plays to a standard you so rarely find today.  The clarity, depth and resonance of the audio is stunning in so many ways and whilst you can see this record has been played a number of times the original sonic quality is still very much in evidence.  The depth of the audio especially is so impressive.  As for any background well it really is kept to a minimum - some minor distortion at the end of S1 and some light ticks on one track on S2 that about sums it up.  Any Who collector I am sure will be very pleased to have this in their collection.

The Cover & Inner Sleeve

This iconic cover is in excellent condition and still has its original shape and structure which means it has always been carefully handled over the last 57 years.  The front cover is often very clean due to being protected by the 'Clarifoil' laminate but it's the back that is regularly found in poor condition due to there being no laminate.  This one is in excellent order with only a couple of minor marks near the top of the opening edge and a little marking along the top edge also.  Aside from that it has only minimal fading / spotting around the edges.  The edges and thin pinched spine are in superb shape with no marking / rubbing and even the corners are still in great order with barely any wear and the same applies to the opening edge.  The front cover is super clean with just one minor crease top left and as stated the back cover is easily one of the better ones around today.  A very impressive first press cover overall.

I'm not entirely sure if this is the original inner but it nonetheless remains in excellent condition with no side splits or tears and only minimal age related fading around the edges and only minimal creasing.

Play tested on my Rega P2 Turntable / Denon PMA-520AE Amp / B&W 684 Speakers

This record has been cleaned on a Pro-Ject VC-S machine

LAT 8616 // MG-10256-1B / MG-10257-1B // B 1 / U 1

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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