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Uriah Heep : Salisbury 1Y1 / 2Y1 1st press 1971 Vertigo

This first Vertigo pressing plays with stunning quality with only minimal intrusion on the opening two tracks but not very much!  Overall the clarity, depth and power of the audio is superb and 'Lady In Black' and the epic 'Salisbury' are a case in point.  The sonic quality is just incredible and I have never heard a better version of this classic title track.  The vinyl has been so well preserved and is visually stunning to say the least.  That is reflected in the audio - I honestly do not think I have heard a more 'complete' version of this classic album.

The cover has also been very carefully looked after and as we all know that is a genuine rarity!  It has only light wear and retains its original shape and structure perfectly.  The original Vertigo inner just has some fading mainly around the edges and has no splits.

6360028 1Y*1  420   1 3  // 6360028 2Y*1  420   1 5

The audio on S1 is Mint(-) (T1 Ex+ / T2 intro Ex)

The audio on S2 is Mint(-) (T1 intro Near Mint)

The gatefold is Ex

The Vertigo inner sleeve is Ex

The labels are Near Mint-

Visual description

The vinyl is in superb condition and still has a lovely glossy sheen with no marks or scratches.  I can only see a small number of ultra faint hairlines under a bright light and there is certainly nothing that stands out.  The run out grooves are pristine and the Vertigo labels are super clean also with only a little spindle wear and one small 'scuff' around the S1 spindle hole.

Play grading

The 'heavy' intro on 'Bird Of Prey' is more or less perfect with only a couple of barely audible statics and Byron's opening vocal is equally as impressive.  The following instrumental passage is faultless and the next vocal just has one light static click sound between lines one and two and a couple of other minor ticks but still plays exceptionally well.  The remainder plays very clearly with great power and depth and with only one more static tick.  I will grade as Ex+ overall but it's fair to say the majority is stronger than that.

The quiet intro on 'The Park' plays beautifully for the vast majority - there is no background static and just one static and a couple of crackles / static clicks towards the end.  The first three verses play with sublime clarity, there is no background at all.  It continues in the same precise way and for a relatively quiet track the sonic quality is just stunning.  The 'jazzy' instrumental is a fine example of that and you can easily hear the birdsong!  The final vocal is 'as new' - a superb version overall.  I will grade the intro as Ex but the remainder is Mint- at the very least.

'Time To Live' plays with stunning audio from the get go.  The powerful intro and first two verses play with outstanding clarity, power and depth as does the instrumental section.  The final vocal section has no intrusion either and the long fade out is equal to that.  Turn this track up to max!  The audio is so strong and dynamic and there is no distortion.  Mint

The classic 'Lady In Black' plays with incredible sonic quality and 'as new' sums it up perfectly.  It has to be the most 'complete' version I have ever heard.  Every verse and instrumental section plays with incredible clarity and there is no background to be heard.  For this final track to play so clearly on a vinyl of this age is a genuine rarity and I am confident in grading it as Mint such is the quality of the audio.  Wow!

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The intro on 'High Priestess' plays so clearly with only a handful of quiet non-intrusive statics and Hensley's opening vocal is flawless.  It continues to play with that familiar Heep power and depth and there is no interference - great clarity and tremendous work from Box as per usual.  I think Near Mint for the intro and Mint for the rest is a fair reflection of the audio.

The entire opening section on the classic 'Salisbury' plays with stunning quality - very progressive and very amazing!  As Baker comes in the audio is still 'as new' and the opening four verses play to perfection also.  I cannot emphasise enough just how clean and precise the audio is, the sonic quality is on another level.  The following instrumental plays with incredible clarity also and of course there is quite a lengthy quiet section here and yet there is no background at all.  STUNNING!  There is great depth to the audio and that is helped considerably by Newton's strong bass sound.  The next vocal from Byron again has no intrusion and it continues to play with phenomenal quality.  More superb work from Box and there is literally nothing getting in the way of the audio - no ticks, clicks or pops and no distortion either.  The final two verses are faultless and the quiet ending followed by the 'crescendo' has no interference either.  This has to be the most 'complete' version of this 16 minute epic that I have ever listened and Mint- is richly deserved.  In essence there is no interference, only a handful of very quiet statics that is all.  What a version!

The Gatefold & Vertigo Inner Sleeve

This cover is rarely found in decent condition but this may well be the cleanest example I have seen in many a year.  The edges have only minimal light rubbing and the spine is in great shape with only light wear on the corners.  The top corners of the front cover have a little more wear but it is by no means excessive.  The corners of the back cover are very impressive indeed.  The opening edge has only very minor handling wear and the front cover is stunning with no marking at all.  The inside of the gatefold has a little white 'spotting' on the left side of each panel from where they have stuck together at some point but this is only minor and overall the inside is very clean, so much better than what you normally see!  The back cover has a little fading mainly around the edges but again less than usual.  Overall this is a fine example of this cover and Ex is very much deserved in my opinion.  There is nothing that stands out which is a rarity.

The Vertigo inner (dated 0171) does have some age related fading but has no side splits or tears and only minimal creasing.  No other marking either.

Play tested on my Rega P2 with AT-VM95EN Cart / Denon PMA-520AE Amp / B&W 684 Speakers

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

6360028 1Y*1  420   1 3  // 6360028 2Y*1  420   1 5

I grade according to "Record Collector" guidelines.

Any questions please feel free to ask

Please pay within 4 days of auction end

Recent Feedback

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 : £24.95 then £2.50 per extra 

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LPs/12" singles : £21.95 then £2.50 per extra

If you are not entirely happy with your purchase please contact me before leaving feedback and I will always resolve any issue, 100% guaranteed.  If you would prefer to send the item back I will also pay the return shipping cost if I am at fault, I am only human after all!!