Hawkwind DEBUT LP 1970 RARE BLUE LIBERTY LABEL MINT-/EX

	£		209
	$		277

HAWKWIND - DEBUT ALBUM

THE RARE BLUE LABEL 1ST PRESS

A1/B1

• CATALOGUE:LIBERTY LBS8348
• MATRIX: LBS83348 A//1 / B//1

HAWKWIND'S ICONIC DEBUT ALBUM. RELEASED JUST AS LIBERTY WERE CHANGING THEIR LABELS FROM BLUE TO BLACK, THIS WAS ONE OF ONLY A VERY LIMITED RUN OF BLUE LABEL PRESSINGS, EVEN THE REPLEACEMENT BLACK LABEL ISSUE HAS THE FIRST PRESS A1/B1 MATRIX NUMBERS

THE RECORD

THE LABELS

THE PASTEL BLUE LABELS ARE IN MINT CONDITION. THE COLURS ARE UNMARKED AND FULLY STRETCH INTO THE UNWORN SPINDLE HOLE. THERE ARE JUST TWO MINISCULE LITTLE SPIDER LINES REALLY CLOSE TO THE SPINDLE HOLE 

THE VINYL

THE VINYL HAS RETAINED ALL OF ITS ORIGINAL LUSTRE, AND LOOKS SUPERB AND MARK FREE IN DAYLIGHT, AND EVEN UNDER INTENSE ILLUMINATION THERE IS NOTHING MORE THAN A FEW REALLY FINE WISPY HAIRLINES TO BE SEEN. THERE WAS AN ISSUE ON SIDE 2 (READ BELOW) THAT CAUSED ME TO EXAMINE THE DISC FURTHER WHERE USING A MAGNIFYING GLASS I FOUND ONE REALLY TINY SCRATCH

PLAYING THE RECORD

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 DECIDED WITH ALL LISTINGS WHERE PRACTICAL TO RECORD THE ENTIRE ALBUM FROM START TO FINISH. IT HAS OFTEN BEEN SAID THAT BUYING FROM EBAY IS A RISK DUE TO THE HIGH NUMBER OF SELLERS WHO MISDESCRIBE RECORD CONDITION. A VERY VALID POINT AS WELL. BUT HERE YOU ARE ABLE TO NOT ONLY READ ABOUT THE CONDITION OF THE LP'S THAT I OFFER FOR SALE, BUT TO ACTUALY HERE THE COMPLETE DISC IN THE COMFORT OF YOUR OWN HOME. THE EXTRA TIME THIS TAKES ME TO COMPLETE THIS WILL I HOPE ENABLE POTENTIAL BIDDERS TO WANT TO COME BACK TO LISTEN TO MORE OF MY ALBUMS UP FOR AUCTION

THE FIRST SIDE PLAYS THROUGH MAGNIFICENTLY. NOT ONE JOT OF DISTORTION ANYWHERE AND A LOUS CLEAN, CRISP STEREO REPRODUCTION THAT IS AS GOOD AS THE DAY IT WAS PRESSED. NO CLICKS POP, OR ANY FRYING BACON, JUST THE ODD SECOND OF BARELY AUDIBLE STATIC IN ONE OR TWO PLACES, AND EASILY GRADES MINT MINUS

SIDE TWO HAS SOME VERY VERY MILD VINYL NOISE DURING THE FIRST 20 SECONDS OR SO OF PLAY. TRACK TWO STARTS AND THERE ARE A COUPLE OF LIGHT POPS AFTER A MINUTE OR SO.ABOUT SEVEN MINUTES IN AND THERE IS A TINY JUMP IN THE VINYL FOLLOWED BY THREE TICKS. I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT SO THIS IS WHY I GOT THE MAGNIFYING GLASS OUT TO EXAMINE THE VINYL AS I COULDNT SEE ANYTHING IN EITHER NORMAL OR EVEN UNDER PIN LIGHT. THE MAGNIFYING GLASS REVEALS THE TINIEST SCRACT, WHICH I CAN ONLY ASUME WAS MADE BY THE STYLUS BEING DROPPED ONTO THE LP HERE, BECAUSE THERE IS NOTHING ELSE I CAN THINK OF. THIS SMALL JUMP HAS BEEN RECORDED ONTO THE 4TH SOUNDBITE, SO PLEASE ATEK A LISTEN. EVERYTHING BEFORE IT AND THEREAFTER PLAYS AS PERFECT AS SIDE ONE

I GUESS I CAN ONLY GRADE SIDE 2 AS EXCELLENT

THE SLEEVE

UNLAMINATED GATEFOLD IN SUPERB CONDITION

THE FRONT SURFACE IS FLAT AND CLEAN AND HAS NO HEAVY CREASES, CREASE LINES OR MARKS ETC.THERE ARE JUST 3 BARELY VISIBLE SMALL LINES CLOSE TO THE SPINE

ALL OF THE DELICATE COLOURS HAVE BEEN RETAINED

THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES HAVE THE ABSOLUTE MINIMAL AMOUNT OF SHELF WEAR.

THE SPINE IS FLAT AND EVERY LETTER OF THE OFTEN RUBBED AWAY WHITE TYPEFACE IS PERFECTLY LEGIBLE. WITH THE NAKED EYE THERE IS NO WEAR TO THE SPINE APART FROM THE VERY TOP AND BOTTOM TIP SHOWING  ALITTLE RUBBING. THE MACRO IMAGE I HAVE TAKEN SHOWS A LITTLE BROWN LINE ABOVE THE TEXT ON THE VERY EDGE OF THE SPINE

THE REAR SURFACE IS EVERY BIT AS CLEAN AND TIDY AS THE FRONT , AND AMAZINGLY THERE IS NO RINGWEAR OR EVEN ANY RECORD SHAPE HERE OR ON THE FRONT FOR THAT MATTER

OPENING THE GATEFOLD REVEALS A PRISTINE PAIR OF INNER PANELS

THE ORIGINAL POLYLINED INNER SLEEVE IS IN TOP UNSPLIT CONDITION

THE SLEEVE EASILY GRADES NEAR MINT MINUS

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

GARRY