Wishbone Ash ARGUS UK LP 1ST PRESS BLUE & BLACK LABELS EXCELLENT +++

	£		27
	$		36

WISHBONE ASH - ARGUS

IN EXCELLENT PLUS PLAYTHROUGH CONDITION

1ST PRESS BLUE AND BLACK LABELS

VERY FIRST PRESS MATRIX NUMBERS

OUTSTANDING NEAR MINT !! SLEEVE

• CATALOGUE:MCA MDKS 8006
• MATRIX: 7-LNMG-256-2L / 257-2L
• MOTHERS/STAMPERS:1 H / 1 BC

 A QUICK WORD ABOUT THE LABELS FOR MCA PRESSINGS. IT SEEMS THEY WERE FOREVER CHANGING THE DESIGN, BUT THERE IS A DEFINITE PROGRESSIVE PATH THAT THEY TOOK WITH THE EARLY 70'S PRESSES.

THE FIRST TWO WISHBONE ASH ALBUMS HAD THE MULTICOLOURED 'DOGBONE' LABEL WHERE THE CENTRE BAND YOU SEE ON THIS PRESS CURVED INWARDS IN THE CENTRE AND GAVE THE APPEARANCE OF A DOGBONE. THIS CAME IN ONE OF FOUR COLOURS AS I REMEMBER.

RED AND BROWN

YELLOW AND RED

RED AND PINK

ORANGE AND MAGENTA

ALL FOUR WERE ISSUED AT THE SAME TIME AND ONE IS NOT EARLIER THAN THE OTHERS, AND IT IS POSSIBLE TO GET THE FIRST TWO ASH ALBUMS ON ANY OF THE FIRST TWO COLOURS.

BY THE TIME ARGUS WAS RELEASED THE LABELS HAD UNDERGONE THE CHANGE YOU SEE HERE. A BLACK LABEL WITH A BLUE BAND ACROSS THE MIDDLE

THE NEXT CHANGE SAW THE BLUE BAND DISAPPEAR AND THE LABEL WAS SOLID BLACK WITH SILVER TYPEFACE. YOU CAN GET ALL THREE OF ASH ALBUMS ON THIS PLAIN LABEL. THEY ARE NOT 1ST PRESSES

WISHBONE FOUR IS A FIRST PRESS ON THE BLACK AND SILVER LABEL HOWEVER

AFTER THIS THE LABELS CHANGED AGAIN TO THE RAINBOW DESIGN ON THE BLACK SURFACE

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

THE JET BLACK, AND BLUE BANDED  LABELS ARE IN FINE CONDITION. THE BASE COLOUR IS RICH AND VIBRANT AND HASN'T WORN ANYWHERE, AND IT STRETCHES RIGHT INTO THE UNWORN SPINDLE HOLE. THE SILVER TYPEFACE AND LOGOS ARE ALSO IN TOP CONDITION AND ALL PERFECTLY LEGIBLE.

THERE ARE JUST 6-7 SMALL SPIDER LINES CLOSE TO THE HOLE SHOWING THE LIMITED PLAY THE RECORD HAS RECEIVED

THE VINYL

THE HEAVYWEIGHT VINYL STILL RETAINS THE ORIGINAL SHEEN AND IN DAYLIGHT LOOKS VERY CLEAN. UNDER INTENSE ILLUMINATION THERE ARE NUMEROUS  VERY VERY FINE  WISPY HAIRLINES, AND A FEW SURFACE HANDLING LINES

I BELIEVE THAT IF YOU ARE GOING TO SPEND YOUR MONEY ON A FANTASTIC COLLECTIBLE VINYL, THAT YOU SHOULD BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR WHAT YOU ARE BUYING. I HAVE THEREFORE INVESTED IN THE SOFTWARE THAT ALLOWS YOU TO DO JUST THAT.

I HAVE RECORDED THE ENTIRE ALBUM FROM START TO FINISH AS I AM CONVINCED THAT BIDDERS WOULD WELCOME THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO HEAR EXACTLY WHAT THEY ARE CONSIDERING BIDDING ON, AND WHILST IT TAKES FAR LONGER TO DO, I AM DELIGHTED TO BE ABLE TO OFF THIS AS A SERVICE TO MY CUSTOMERS

THE LP PLAYS THROUGH BRILLIANTLY ON BOTH SIDES, AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO TAKE A GOOD LISTEN TO THE SOUNDBITES WHICH DEMONSTRATE JUST HOW FANTASTIC IT IS, PARTICULARLY THE QUIETER EXCERPTS.

THE SILENT BITS ARE NEAR SILENT, AND THE MUSIC COMES THROUGH CRISPLY AND CLEARLY. THE STEREO REPRODUCTION IS JUST SUBLIME, AND THIS IS WITHOUT A DOUBT A CLASSIC WISHBONE ASH

THERE IS NO DISTORTION WHATSOEVER AT ANY POINT AND EVERY NOTE IS HEARD AS IT WAS INTENDED.

THERE IS NO HEAVY BACKGROUND CRACKLE OR LOUD CLICKS AT ALL!!

THERE IS A LITTLE STATIC LIKE BACKGROUND HEARD MAINLY AT THE START OF SIDE ONE AND ON ODD OCCASION THROUGH THE PLAY

THERE ARE ALSO A FEW RANDOM LITTLE STATIC TICS AND POPS, BUT IT IS THE MUSIC THAT IS PROMINENT ALWAYS

I HAVE EVEN RECORDED THE DEAD WAX RUN OFF TO BOTH SIDES TO SHOWCASE JUST HOW SILENT THIS VINYL IS.

THIS ALBUM PLAYS TO AN EXCELLENT PLUS STANDARD

DON'T JUST TAKE MY WORD FOR IT THOUGH, TAKE A LISTEN AND JUDGE IT FOR YOURSELF AGAINST YOUR OWN STANDARDS

THE SLEEVE

NON LAMINATED , GATEFOLD FIRST ISSUE SLEEVE FROM ROBERT STACE

THIS SLEEVE IS PROBABLY THE HARDEST WISHBONE ASH SLEEVE TO GET IN A HIGH GRADE COLLECTIBLE CONDITION. BEING UNLAMINATED IS ONE THING, BUT THIS SLEEVE HAS A POWDERY FINISH TO ITS SURFACE AND MOST COPIES OF THIS THAT YOU WILL SEE WILL BE VERY BADLY RUBBED. THE COLOUR THAT GETS AFFECTED MOST OF ALL IS THE SOLDIER'S RED CAPE WHICH IS USUALLY MORE GREY THAN RED AS THE TOP COLOUR GETS RUBBED AWAY.

HERE WE HAVE A NEAR  PRISTINE SLEEVE. THE FRONT SURFACE IS FLAT AND CLEAN AND ALL OF THE COLOURS ARE RETAINED. EVEN THAT RED CAPE THAT I MENTIONED IS NEAR IMMACULATE. THERE IS NO COLOUR LOSS WHATSOEVER ON THIS SLEEVE, JUST A VERY LIGHT SHADOW OF GREYING JUST ON AND ABOVE THE BOTTOM EDGE.

THERE ARE NO HEAVY CREASES, CREASE LINES OR BENDS. AND ONLY FIVE TINY LINES CLOSE BY THE SPINE. NONE ALONG THE TOP EDGE, NONE ALONG THE BOTTOM EDGE, AND ONE THUMB LINES IN THE CAPE . THE BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER TIP HAS A LITTLE RUB

THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES OF THIS SLEEVE ARE USUALLY WORN AWAY, BUT THIS SLEEVE HAS VERY WELL CARED FOR AND THE TOP EDGE ONLY HAS A SPECK OF RUB TO THE RIGHT CORNER TIPS, AND THE BOTTOM EDGE JUST A LITTLE LIGHT SHELF WEAR AND RUB TO THE RIGHT CORNER AREA.

THE SPINE  LIKE MOST SOFT CARDED SLEEVES IS USUALLY FOUND VERY SQUASHED. THIS ONE IS NOT. IT HAS A LIGHT WAVYNESS, BUT NO FINGER TO THUMB SQUASHING AND THE EDGES OF THE SPINE ARE UNWORN. THE BOTTOM TIP HAS A PIN PRICK OF RUB

ALL OF THE DELICATE BLACK TEXT IS PERFECTLY LEGIBLE.

THE OPENING EDGE IS STILL RAZOR SHARP

THE REAR SURFACE IS ALMOST AS IMMACULATE SHOWING A CLEAN RUB FREE SURFACE. NO RING WEAR AND ONLY THREE TINY LINES NEAR THE SPINE, AND ONE ON THE BOTTOM EDGE, AND A LIGHT SHADOW OF RECORD SHAPE 

OPENING THE GATEFOLD REVEALS A PRISTINE INNER SURFACE AGAIN NO COLOUR LOSS WHATSOEVER. THE BROWN BASE COLOUR IS RICH AND VIBRANT.

THE BLUE AND WHITE POLY LINED INNER SLEEVE IS IN SUPERB CONDITION. VERY WHITE AND ONLY A COUPLE OF LIGHT WRINKLES. THE DIE CUT HOLE IS UNDAMAGED, AND THE SEAMS ARE UNSPLIT. ,ONE TINY NICK ON THE TOP EDGE

IT HAS THE CORRECT 6-72 IN THE BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER (JUNE 1972) THE ALBUM'S RELEASE DATE, WAS IN APRIL 1972 EVEN THOUGH IT WAS RECORDED IN 1971

I HAVE NO HESITATION IN GRADING THIS MAGNIFICENT SLEEVE NEAR MINT !!!!

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR BID IF YOU CHOSE TO GO FOR IT

GARRY