PINK FLOYD DARK SIDE OF THE MOON A2/B2 1st PRESS (COMPLETE) Great COVER & AUDIO
£
460
$
610
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Description
I will declare a lower amount on the customs form for all countries so as to avoid/decrease high import charges. However, in the case of the EU all purchases are subject to VAT which eBay collect at point of sale. No shipping to Russia currently.
Pink Floyd : The Dark Side Of The Moon A-2 / B-2 1st Press Solid Blue + Posters/Stickers
This first pressing plays to a superb standard for the vast majority and only two brief passages on S1 have some interference. The good news is that it does not last long and you will find it on the 'Speak To Me' intro and and on the running man section at the end of 'On The Run'. Please see below for all the details. Aside from that the clarity and depth of the audio is very impressive and S2 in particular is just STUNNING, it could hardly play any better! There are so many highlights here - 'Breathe', 'Time' and 'Great Gig...' and all of S2! The sonic quality is out of this world!
The iconic 'midnight blue' gatefold is easily one of the finest examples I have ever seen and has no obvious wear, it has been preserved so well. It comes complete with the original posters and stickers which look like they have never seen the light of day, they are pristine! The original black inner sleeve is also in superb condition with barely any wear.
As can be seen this first pressing is one of the earlier versions as it has only two stampers on each side.
SHVL 804 // A-2 / B-2 // HD 2 / LL 1
The audio on S1 is Near Mint- (T1 VG- / T3 'running man' section G / T4 & T5 Mint-)
The audio on S2 is Mint(-) (T2 & T5 Near Mint)
The 'midnight blue' gatefold is Ex+
The labels are Near Mint-
The original black inner sleeve is Near Mint-
The posters and stickers are Mint
Visual description
The vinyl is in excellent condition and still has a very strong glossy sheen. The only negative really is two very tiny scratches on S1 but you only know they are there once you heard the interference as detailed below. They are too small to notice just from a casual look at the vinyl if you understand what I mean. There are some faint hairlines on both sides but none that stand out and there is no bag rash or groove wear. The run out grooves are very clean and the iconic solid blue labels are unmarked and just have some spindle but not too much. They have lost none of their original colour.
Play grading
'Speak To Me' has some quiet static on the first few heartbeats and one pop followed by a couple of light clicks and then plays very clearly up until the 'spoken' section where there are 8 dull click sounds. However, they are not loud and whilst a fair amount of this iconic intro does play very clearly I can only grade it as VG- due to the interference.
The segue into 'Breathe' is 'as new' and there are only a couple of very minor clicks about 20 seconds in, maybe more like ticks? The two verses then play with perfect clarity and no intrusion of any kind. The depth and warmth of the music here is stunning and this sonic quality is only found on the original A2/B2 first pressings. Near Mint- overall.
'On The Run' has only a couple of mega light ticks on the intro and then plays with exceptional audio for the vast majority. The playback is so strong and clear with only a modicum of very light static in the middle section that you could easily miss. From then on it plays with great clarity and depth. The 'running man' section has two pops followed by three clicks so I will grade this passage as G but the audio preceding that as Near Mint-
The segue into 'Time' is STUNNING and the loud chiming clocks 'play' as close to perfect as is possible with only a couple of barely audible ticks. The metronome / heartbeat section has no interference, just one mega light tick, and then Gilmour's opening vocal and Wright's first chorus play with phenomenal clarity and the former's first solo is of the same high end standard with literally no interference. The final verse / chorus again play beautifully and overall this classic has to grade as Mint- the sonic quality is superb!
'Breathe Reprise' is equal to that and plays with a clarity and depth that cannot be faulted. There is no intrusion on the audio and Mint- is again deserved.
The quiet piano intro on 'The Great Gig In The Sky' has only the lightest of static for the first 3/4 seconds and then plays so clearly up until the first 'vocal' with only a handful of mega light dust ticks. Torry's opening vocal is absolutely STUNNING and resonates so powerfully around the room with no distortion whatsoever. The quieter passage that follows also plays with wonderful and again there are only a very small number of dust ticks that hardly deserve a mention. This truly is a stunning version and the final few grooves do not disappoint either. I think Near Mint- is deserved here at the very least and you would be hard pressed to find a better version if I'm honest.
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The 'intro' on 'Money' has no background and then the iconic bass line from Waters plays to perfection. There is just one barely audible tick soon after Mason comes in and the first two verses then play with impeccable quality and literally no interference. The classic instrumental, beginning with the sax section, has a clarity and power that is second to none and I cannot overstate just how well it plays, it is mind-blowing! The sheer depth of the music also is astonishing and there is no distortion on the top end of Gilmour's guitar work. The final verse is flawless and the spoken end section has no background either aside from one dust tick. This has to grade as Mint- such is the quality. There is no 'skip' either - I must have sold at least 20 of these first pressings down the years and not one of them has had it!
The segue into 'Us And Them' is close to perfect with barely any static and just one minor static tick. As the music comes in the playback is superb. There are only a handful of mega light ticks and the sax section is indeed perfect. The opening vocal is 'as new', the clarity and warmth of the audio is STUNNING, and the first chorus is just as impressive. It continues to play with genuine quality and has to be one of the cleanest versions I have ever heard. In essence there is no interference and you can see why the production values on this LP have always been so highly regarded when you hear sonic quality as strong as this. Every section plays with exceptional quality and the mid instrumental is a prime example of that - wow! The final vocal has no interference either and this has to grade as Near Mint but this is a case of the vast majority playing even better than that! What. A. Version! 'Any Colour You Like' is so so close to perfect with only a couple of very light ticks in the middle section. Not clicks I hasten to add! It plays with that by now familiar depth and power and as there is no actual interference I am more than happy to grade it as Mint-
The intro on 'Brain Damage' has no intrusion Waters' opening vocal is equally as impressive. It continues to play with wonderful precision with just one very tick on the last line of the second verse. The first chorus is 'as new' and that applies to the rest of this classic. There is no distortion (for once) and Mint- is again deserved.
'Eclipse' ends the album with amazing power and once more there is zero inner groove distortion. You can blast it up to loud without having to turn it down immediately which is a good measure of this track! The sonic quality is incredible, so good I had to play it twice! This is without question one of the strongest versions I have ever heard with a power and definition that you rarely find. The quiet 'heartbeat' ending also plays very clearly with just some static at the end so I will grade as Near Mint accordingly even though the 'main' part of this classic play to perfection.
In summary this solid blue first pressing plays to a very high standard and S2 especially is STUNNING. Admittedly S1 does have some interference in a couple of places but it does not last long and the rest of the side plays with superb audio. The clarity of sound on the majority of this record is so impressive and you can tell from this that it has not been overplayed. This is just one reason why this first pressing is so collectable - you just don't find this level of sonic quality on any of the later pressings / reissues. As stated we have the complete 'package' here and I am pleased to say all the other components including the cover are in superb condition.
The Gatefold, Posters / Stickers & Inner Sleeve,
The 'midnight blue' cover is definitely one of the cleanest I have seen and has no wear that you would say is 'obvious'. The top edges are pristine and the bottom edges are close to that with only minimal rubbing by the right hand corners. The spine is in lovely condition with barely any wear on the corners and as you look at the cover front on all of the corners look very clean. The opening edge has just very minimal handling wear. The front cover is beautiful with only a couple of minor 'specks' and one very faint 'line' to the left of the prism that you can only see when you hold it at a certain angle, not sure why I am mentioning it really! The back cover is superb with only a couple of faint diagonal scratch lines that again you can only see when held at an angle. A handful of insignificant specks also. The inside of the gatefold is immaculate with no marking at all. It would be hard to find a better one and Ex+ is easily deserved at the very least.
The two glossy posters are in pristine condition and look like they have never been removed from the cover! They have no wear and no marking or fading on the reverse side. The two Crack Back / FasPrint stickers are also 'as new' with no marking or creasing. Superb examples!
The original poly-lined die-cut black inner is in great condition with no side splits or tears and is unmarked. It has only minimal creasing and has the usual Patent Nos and Made in Great Britain printed in silver on one side. One of best I have seen.
Play tested on my Rega P2 Turntable / Denon PMA-520AE Amp / B&W 684 Speakers
This record has been professionally cleaned on a Pro-Ject VC-S machine
SHVL 804 // A-2 / B-2 // HD 2 / LL 1
I grade according to "Record Collecter'' guidelines.
Any questions please feel free to ask
Please pay within 4 days of auction end
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