WISHBONE ASH: ARGUS/1st PRESS/HEXAGON LABEL/NMINT VINYL
£
50
$
66
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Description
WISHBONE ASH
Argus
The huge-selling third album which established the band in the States.
Labels: Two coloured hexagon, perfect, just a couple of light tracery spindle marks only visible under bright magnification.
Mode: Stereo
Rarity: Very, in this condition
Original Year of Release: 1972
Catalogue Number: MDKS8006
Outer Sleeve: Bagged into a PVC cover on purchase, the only time the vinyl has ever been out of its inner was when it was being played.
This Robert Stace & Co hard card Gatefold, normally found marked, creased and scratched, is in superb condition with very little rubwear and very little feathering. Clean, bright and fresh with practically no marks, little storage or rub wear to the edges or to the square and rigid thick spine - where all the text is clear and bold. Even the just-visible slight label residue at the top of each side doesn't detract from the amazing quality. In short, a fantastic example of this classic sleeve - EXCELLENT++
Inner: Record Care Poly-lined, date stamped 4-72
Insert:
Matrices: 7-LMNG-256-1L, 7-LMNG-257-1L
Vinyl Weight: 130gms
Vinyl Condition & Grading: I bought this album on release and have played it sparingly over the years on a Pioneer PL12AC, Thorens TD160, B&O Beogram 4002, Rega Planar and now the Linn, all fitted with high quality cartridges, of course.
There's not a mark on the vinyl to be seen! There's not a click, a tick, a pop or a crackle to be heard! Absolutely brilliant quality of audio; crystal clear, deep, rich and warm sound and, with the very loud cut used on the early presses, huge undistorted volume. There are no significant audio issues of note - no scratches, no skips or jumps and minimal surface noise - in fact, there are no issues at all. This first pressing is immaculate with very quiet dead vinyl tracking throughout and fantastic audio quality even in the very quiet passages. The playback is practically flawless with stunning warmth, depth and clarity and no groove-wear or distortion (I've taken really good care of it over the last 39 years). I grade this album NEAR MINT for audio. It's a fabulous copy of an outstanding LP and one that I can recommend highly to anyone.
Album Played For Grading: Yes. (Equipment: Linn Sondek LP12, Linn Ekos arm, Linn K9 moving coil cartridge, tracking at 2 grams into a Cambridge Audio Azur 340A amp and out to a pair of Bose speakers with a Super Woofer)
Album Tracklisting:
1 Time Was
2 Sometime World
3 Blowin' Free
4 The King Will Come
5 Leaf and Stream
6 Warrior
7 Throw Down the Sword
8 No Easy Road
If Wishbone Ash can be considered a group who dabbled in the main strains of early-'70s British rock without ever settling on one (were they a prog rock outfit like Yes, a space rock unit like Pink Floyd, a heavy metal ensemble like Led Zeppelin, or just a boogie band like Ten Years After?), the confusion compounded by their relative facelessness and the generic nature of their compositions, Argus, their third album, was the one on which they looked like they finally were going to forge their own unique amalgamation of all those styles into a sound of their own. The album boasted extended compositions, some of them ("Time Was," "Sometime World") actually medleys of different tunes, played with assurance and developing into imaginative explorations of new musical territory and group interaction. The lyrics touched on medieval themes ("The King Will Come," "Warrior") always popular with British rock bands, adding a majestic tone to the music, but it was the arrangements, with their twin lead guitar parts and open spaces for jamming, that made the songs work so well. Argus was a bigger hit in the U.K., where it reached the Top Five, than in the U.S., where it set up the commercial breakthrough enjoyed by the band's next album, Wishbone Four, but over the years it came to be seen as the quintessential Wishbone Ash recording, the one that best realized the group's complex vision.
Complete with PVC cover
MCA Label Info: I am indebted to an anonymous seller for the following information:
The Black MCA label was the last design Decca used for MCA for 1973/4 presses (the first pressings of Wishbone 4 released in 1973 has the black label). The first two Ash LPs have the two coloured (dogbone design) labels in Blue/Black, Red/Pink, Red/Yellow, Orange/Purple or Red/Brown. In 1972 (Argus) the label was two-coloured with a hexagon design in the centre. After these came the Black label, and in 1974 MCA severed links with UK Decca and switched its licensing deal to EMI. These later labels have the rainbow insignia and are EMI, not Decca presses.
Post & Packing: This is a valuable item which will be shipped with insured trackability as follows:
UK: £7.00 (Special Delivery)
Europe: £12.00 (International Signed For with Extra Compensation)
ROW: £15.00 (International Signed For with Extra Compensation)
The quality of my Service Provision is of great importance to me and I strive to provide each customer with as much personal attention as is possible. If you have any queries regarding an item or items, if what you've received doesn't meet your expectations or you wish to comment upon some aspect of the service you have received, please feel free to email me at bluesvinyl@btconnect.com.Check out my other items!
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