Maxwell Embrya Original US Pressing Vinyl LP

	£		62
	$		82

Opportunity for a bargain, this is a played lightly original pressing of Maxwell's 1998 classic second album and neo-soul masterpiece, Embrya.
This album is in virtually the same condition as it was when I bought it in 1998.  I was a student in America in 1998 and when I brought it back to the UK unfortunately the cover got creased.  I am an extremely conservative grader of LPs and I like to be specific rather than giving arbitrary grades which often conceal imperfections sellers want to know.
This was a US pressing when vinyl had almost died out in the US and CDs were the dominant medium for music.  This album plays from start to finish without any pops or skips but it does have some minor pressing blemishes, none of which distract from the music (not on my turntable anyway).  It is an extremely rare pressing and I really hope it goes to a good Maxwell loving home.
It is an ideal play copy for a buyer seeking Maxwell's albums as original pressings but is on a budget.
Cover: Still in its original (and very rare) stickered shrinkwrap, the cover is as new.  Unfortunately, the cover got creased on the way back to England.  Because the shrink wrap is so old, I do not want to pull it off and risk splitting it or tearing the sticker on the front.  I have pulled it back a little to show there is creasing in the top right corner and I can see creasing in the top left corner.In a plastic sleeve this is not especially noticeable but the cover is essentially creased and therefore damaged.  The central image of Maxwell is superb and undamaged by sunlight.  The cover is trifold and without pulling the shrink off and unfolding it I do not know how creased the three panels are "inside" but I suspect the creasing would be superficial.  Sold as is.  Anecdotally, because of the trifold sleeve, I have never seen a copy of this LP with an undamaged sleeve; they all seem to be damaged in some way, even the sealed ones that come up now and then.  The original version did not have a barcode or anything on it, which was unusual for releases, back then.
Paper sleeve inner sleeves.
LPs: In exactly the same condition as from new and the LP has been played for the first time in 20 years for this listing.  I played it perhaps five times before recording it on to a cassette in the 1990s.  I am only selling this copy because I bought it on CD in Japan and that is the version I play more often than this and need some shelf space.  It is a reluctant sale, however.
Please note: this LP was released when vinyl was dying out in the US.  There are no pops or skips on the LPs and the sound quality is generally excellent throughout - the bass absolutely bangs.  However, there are scuffy marks, grazes and lines on the LP which were genuinely there from new and would be on any copy of this release.  US pressings today are often like this, but this was also quite normal in the 90s.  There are also some little dimples in the pressing surface.  I have played the LP through and on my turntable I cannot hear these as flaws because of the bassy, deep music, however please note that this album has scuff marks and small pressing flaws.  I genuinely do not believe any copy of this album would be free of these defects but there are no pops, skips or intrusive surface noise that I have heard playing all four sides today.  On side 1 track 1, there are some particularly noticeable scuffy marks -  careless manufacturing blemishes.  I did notice some very, very light ticks (not clicks or pops) in the middle of this track but only because I was really listening for them.  They were so brief, I have never noticed them before.  Side C does have some occasional very light ambient crackle and very occasional clicks, which might just be dust but sold as is. side 4 is an ambient, hissy, backwards noise, which I guess is meant to be “womb” noise.
The album has never been cleaned and the LPs were sitting in paper sleeves since 1998. I have put them in polylined sleeves and that is what they will be shipped in.  A wet clean would probably be a good idea but as is the discs sound superb with only light occasional ambient ticks here and there as all records have.
I really hope this album goes to a good home; it's sentimental to me; I bought it at Bleecker Street Records in New York, in 1998.  It is a superb album musically but it is also a great, but not perfect pressing from vinyl's twilight in the 90s.  Very rare in any condition, but not mint in any capacity.
UK bidders only unless using the GSP.  Thanks for looking.