Yes CLOSE TO THE EDGE 1972 UK LP 1st Press A1/B3 FINAL UPGRADE MINT ARCHIVE HEAR

	£		98
	$		130

YES - CLOSE TO THE EDGE

IN MAGNIFICENT MINT CONDITION

WITH A MINT MINUS SLEEVE

I HAVE NEVER SEEN A BETTER EXAMPLE
A TRUE ARCHIVE COPY

• CATALOGUE:ATLANTIX K50012
• MATRIX: K50012 A1 / B3

CLOSE TO THE EDGE IS AN ABSOLUTELY SUPERB ALBUM AND FINDING A TRUE FIRST PRESS IS REALLY HARD

HERE IS EXACTLY WHAT MAKES UP A FIRST PRESS

1. THE LABELS ARE A FAR DARKER COLOUR THAN THE STANDARD GREEN AND ORANGE, THE ORANGE IS ALMOST BROWN ON THE FIRST ISSUE

2. THE LABELS MUST NOT HAVE A 'W' LOGO AT 3 O'CLOCK

3. THE SLEEVE MUST BE TEXTURED NOT SHINY AND SMOOTH

4. THE INNER SLEEVE MUST BE GREEN NOT WHITE

5 THE MATRIX NUMBERS MUST BE A COMBINATION OF 1,2 OR 3, THERE IS AN A1/B1, A1/B2, A1/B3, A2/B1, A2,B2, A2,B3 ETC.. YOU GET THE PICTURE I AM SURE

SO HAVING SAID ALL OF THAT WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS A FIRST PRESS . IT HAS THE HEAVILY TEXTURED OUTER SLEEVE , AND THE GREEN INNER, AND THE LABEL IS FREE OF THE LETTER 'W', AND IT HAS THE THE LOW MATRIX NUMBERS

THE RECORD

THE LABELS

THE TWO BROWN AND GREEN LABELS ARE IN PRISTINE CONDITION. 

BOTH BASE COLOURS ARE IMMACULATE AND UNWORN. SO IT THE BLACK TYPEFACE. THE SPINDLE HOLE IS ALSO UNWORN, AND THERE ARE NO VISIBLE SPIDER LINES BY THE HOLE 

ALSO THE LABEL IS THE FIRST ISSUE ATLANTIC LABEL WITHOUT THE WARNER 'W' AT THREE O'CLOCK

THE VINYL

THIS VINYL GLEAMS LIKE NEW, AND HAS LOST NONE OF ITS ORIGINAL LUSTRE. IN DAYLIGHT THE VINYL LOOKS FLAWLESS

EVEN WHEN PLACED UNDER A MAGNIFYING LED HALO THE RECORD STILL LOOKS PERFECT. THERE CAN BE NO BETTER OR CLEANER EXAMPLE OF THIS RECORD 

THE TEST PLAY

CLOSE TO THE EDGE HAS SO MANY SILENT PASSAGES THAT FINDING A COPY WITHOUT NOISE AND CRACKLE IS REALLY DIFFICULT

HERE HOWEVER WE HAVE AN ABSOLUTELY IMMACULATE EXAMPLE

THE FIRST THING TO POINT OUT IS THAT THERE IS NO DISTORTION TO THE SOUND WHATSOEVER, SHOWING THAT IF INDEED THE RECORD HAS HAD SOME PLAY THAT IT WAS  COMPLETED ON A SYSTEM THAT HAD A CORRECTLY WEIGHTED AND UNWORN STYLUS

THE INTRO PLAYS SUPERBLY WITHOUT ANY NOISE WHATSOEVER, AND BEARING IN MIND IT IS LONG AND NEAR SILENT, THIS IS INDEED A RARITY

THE STEREO REPRODUCTION IS JUST MAGNIFICENT WITH EVERY NOTE HEARD TO PERFECTION

THERE IS NO BACKGROUND CRACKLE AT ALL ON ANY PART OF EITHER SIDE, AND NO  CLICKS EITHER, THE LINKING GROOVES ARE DEATHLY SILENT

I CANNOT FAULT THIS AUDIO IN ANY WAY. NO STATIC ANYWHERE AND NO TICS OR POPS

IT IS THE BEST I HAVE EVER HEARD THIS PLAY

MY SUGGESTION IS TO TAKE A FULL LISTEN TO THIS OUTSTANDING AND RARE FIRST ISSUE, AND YOU BE THE JUDGE OF IT'S QUALITY

FOR ME THE PLAYTHOUGH GRADES AN INCREDIBLE MINT

THE SLEEVE

NON LAMINATED AND TEXTURED GATEFOLD SLEEVE WITH THE ROGER DEAN ARTWORK. THIS IS SUCH A HARD SLEEVE TO FIND IN THIS SORT OF CONDITION. THE FACT THAT IT IS UNLAMINATED AND TEXTURED USUALLY ASSURES THE SEVERE COLOUR LOSS TO THE DELICATE GREEN SURFACE. 

THE ONLY WAY TO ENSURE THAT THIS COULD NOT HAPPEN WAS TO PROTECT IT FROM DAY ONE INSIDE A PLASTIC SLEEVE (AND LEAVE IT THERE). I AM DELIGHTED TO SAY THAT THE LP'S ORIGINAL OWNER HAD THE FORSIGHT TO DO JUST THAT. AND HERE WE HAVE WHAT CAN ONLY BE DESCRIBED AS A PERFECT SLEEVE.

THE FRONT SURFACE IS FLAT AND TOTALLY CLEAN. THERE IS NOT ONE MARK ON IT ANYWHERE.

THE GREEN COLOUR IS IMMACULATE. NO RUB OR COLOUR FADE ( A COUPLE OF MINUSCULE SPECKS OF GREYING)

THERE IS NO RING WEAR OR RECORD SHAPE AND THE FOUR CORNERS ARE SHARP AND SQUARE WITH THE MOST INSIGNIFICANT MINUSCULE DING TO THE BOTTOM RIGHT TIP

THERE ARE NO PRESSURE LINES ON THE SPINE. NONE ON THE TOP OR BOTTOM EDGES AND NO THUMB LINES NEAR THE OPENING EDGE

THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES ARE IMMACULATE AND AGAIN THIS IS NIGH ON IMPOSSIBLE UNLESS THE SLEEVE HAS BEEN PROTECTED FROM NEW. THERE IARE JUST A COUPLE OF PIN PRICKS OF WHITE SHOWING

THE SPINE IS PERFECT. NOT ONE SPECK OF COLOUR LOSS 

EVERY LETTER OF THE WHITE TYPEFACE IS LEGIBLE. ALSO IT IS TOTALLY FLAT AND HAS NO FINGER TO THUMB SQUASHING EITHER. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO BETTER EXAMPLE OF THIS SPINE

THE OPENING EDGE IS JUST AS NEW!! RAZOR SHARP AND LOOKING AS GOOD AS THE DAY IT WAS PRINTED AND PUT TOGETHER. FURTHER PROOF THAT THE RECORD HAS REMAINED INSIDE THE SLEEVE.

THE REAR SURFACE IS ALSO IN THE BEST POSSIBLE CONDITION THAT ANY COLLECTOR TO COULD WISH TO HOPE FOR. NO PRESSURE LINES NEAR THE SPINE AND TOTTALY RUB AND WEAR FREE

OPENING THE GATEFOLD REVEALS A PRISTINE MINT  INTERIOR PAIR OF SURFACES.

THE VERY FRAGILE GREEN PRINTED INNER SLEEVE IS TOTALLY FLAT AND FREE FROM ANY CREASES WHATSOEVER

THE ORIGINAL OWNER REMOVED THE LP FROM THIS SLEEVE ON THE DAY OF PURCHASE AND PLACED IT IN A POLY LINED INNER, WHICH HAS KEPT THE INNER SLEEVE TOTALLY BRAND NEW. I HAVE NEVER SEEN BETTER EVER

A REAL TREAT TO BE ABLE TO GRADE THIS SLEEVE MINT MINUS

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