QUEEN "Sheer Heart Attack" 1st PRESS NM *FACTORY SAMPLE

	£		53
	$		70

QUEEN "Sheer Heart Attack" 1st PRESS NM *FACTORY SAMPLE
1974 UK EMI, LAMINATED G&L SLEEVE, w/TEXTURED INNER


QUEEN
Sheer Heart Attack


HERE WE HAVE A SUPERB, UK EMI (EMC 3061) FIRST PRESSING (November 1974) OF QUEEN'S CLASSIC THIRD LP "Sheer Heart Attack" - IN BEAUTIFUL, BARELY PLAYED CONDITION
* THIS COPY IS A RARE UK FACTORY SAMPLE AND HAS THE "FACTORY SAMPLE" STICKER ON THE SIDE TWO LABEL (please see photos)

PRESSED ON QUALITY MID-WEIGHT WHICH DELIVERS TREMENDOUS AUDIO - BEAUTIFUL CRYSTAL CLEAR, RICH AND POWERFUL SOUND - SOUNDS SENSATIONAL
THE LP HAS THE FIRST EMI LABELS (w/"FACTORY SAMPLE" sticker)
FIRST ISSUE MATRICES: YAX 4881 - 3U (TM-S) / YAX 4882 - 4U
MOTHERS/STAMPERS: 1/A and 1/M (marking this copy out as in the batch of the first 1200 pressed)
AND IS HOUSED IN THE ORIGINAL FULLY LAMINATED SLEEVE PRINTED BY "Garrod and Lofthouse" (although there is no printers credit)
COMES COMPLETE WITH THE ORIGINAL FIRST ISSUE TEXTURED LYRIC INNER SLEEVE WITH TOP CUT CORNERS AND 9" OPENING NOTCH (which does have the G&L credit in the bottom corner)

THIS REALLY IS A BEAUTIFUL UK *COMPLETE* FIRST ISSUE OF A TREMENDOUS RECORD AND A FINER COPY WOULD BE VERY HARD TO LOCATE INDEED - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Queen II was a breakthrough in terms of power and ambition, but Queen's third album Sheer Heart Attack was where the band started to gel.
It followed quickly on the heels of the second record — just by a matter of months; it was the second album they released in 1974 — but it feels like it had a longer incubation period, so great is the progress here. Which isn't quite to say that Sheer Heart Attack is flawless — it still has a tendency to meander, sometimes within a song itself, as when the killer opening "Brighton Rock" suddenly veers into long stretches of Brian May solo guitar — but all these detours do not distract from the overall album, they're in many ways the key to the record itself: it's the sound of Queen stretching their wings as they learn how to soar to the clouds.
There's a genuine excitement in hearing all the elements to Queen's sound fall into place here, as the music grows grander and catchier without sacrificing their brutal, hard attack.
One of the great strengths of the album is how all four members find their voices as songwriters, penning hooks that are big, bold, and insistent and crafting them in songs that work as cohesive entities instead of flourishes of ideas. This is evident not just in "Killer Queen" — the first, best flourishing of Freddie Mercury's vaudevillian camp — but also on the pummeling "Stone Cold Crazy," a frenzied piece of jagged metal that's all the more exciting because it has a real melodic hook. Those hooks are threaded throughout the record, on both the ballads and the other rockers, but it isn't just that this is poppier, it's that they're able to execute their drama with flair and style.
There are still references to mystical worlds ("Lily of the Valley," "In the Lap of Gods") but the fantasy does not overwhelm as it did on the first two records; the theatricality is now wielded on everyday affairs, which ironically makes them sound larger than life. And this sense of scale, combined with the heavy guitars, pop hooks, and theatrical style, marks the true unveiling of Queen, making Sheer Heart Attack as the moment where they truly came into their own.


Track Listing:
Side 1: Brighton Rock / Killer Queen / Tenement Funster / Flick Of The Wrist / Lily Of The Valley / Now I'm Here
Side 2: In The Lap Of The Gods / Stone Cold Crazy / Dear Friends / Misfire / Bring Back That Leroy Brown / She Makes Me (Stormtrooper In Stilettoes) / In The Lap Of The Gods... Revisited

LABELS: The labels are CLEAN and BRIGHT with NO unwanted marks/writing and only ONE light spindle trace on Side Two (NO spindle marks on Side One). POSSIBLY BEEN PLAYED ONCE OR TWICE AT MOST
VINYL Visual: The vinyl still retains its DEEP, GLOSSY SHEEN. There are some light marks on the surfaces but these have NO audio consequence - the record plays BEAUTIFULLY throughout
VINYL Audio: The audio is OUTSTANDING - CRYSTAL CLEAR, VERY STRONG and VIBRANT PLAYBACK. There are NO scratches, NO sticks/jumps, barely any clicks or pops (really, hardly any and barely worth a mention) and NO surface noise - the quiet sections play as beautifully and as quietly as vinyl possibly can. The record SOUNDS STUNNING throughout and plays to an extremely high standard with NO groove-wear or distortion. Must be graded NEAR MINT for audio. BEAUTIFUL COPY AND A FINER FIRST PRESS EXAMPLE I DO NOT THINK YOU WILL FIND. NOT over-graded in ANY way as I use strict RECORD COLLECTOR grading standards (please refer to my feedback and 'About Me' page)
SLEEVE: The 1st issue fully laminated sleeve is also in BEAUTIFUL condition. CRISP, SHARP and FRESH with a DEEP, DEEP GLOSS. The edges show practically NO storage wear and the spine is straight and true with all text CLEAR and BOLD. SUPERB NEAR MINT EXAMPLE
INNER SLEEVE: The original textured white lyric inner is in EXCELLENT condition with just some light age discolouration to one edge but otherwise, UNMARKED. All the edges are SHARP with NO splits (which is very rare for this inner sleeve). The LP is now housed - and will be posted in - a new inner to prevent any 'knifing' damage to the original during transit

PLEASE HAVE A LOOK AT MY PICTURES - I USUALLY TAKE QUITE A FEW SO YOU CAN GET A CLEAR INDICATION OF EVERY DETAIL OF THE ITEM
I HAVE UPLOADED AS MANY PICTURES AS I CAN BUT I WOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO SUPPLY ANY ADDITIONAL PHOTOS ON REQUEST
THIS REALLY IS A SUPERB UK FIRST PRESSING WHICH DELIVERS SENSATIONAL AUDIO THROUGHOUT, AND COMPLETE WITH THE ORIGINAL FIRST PRESS INNER - VERY SCARCE IN THIS CONDITION
AS WITH ALL MY RECORDS THIS HAS A LOW START PRICE AND NO RESERVE
PLEASE CHECK OUT MY OTHER AUCTIONS FOR MORE RARE AND COLLECTABLE VINYL
AND PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO CONTACT ME WITH ANY QUERIES YOU MAY HAVE
THANKS FOR LOOKING, CHEERS

PLEASE REFER TO MY 'ABOUT ME' PAGE FOR MORE DETAILED INFO ON MY PLAY-GRADING, EQUIPMENT USED, P&P etc

POST & PACKING
UK: 1st Class: £4.00 (Recorded Delivery)
EU: Airmail: £5.00 (Insured & Signed For: £8.50)
INTERNATIONAL: Airmail: £8.00 (Insured & Signed For: £11.50)

UK bidders: PayPal or Cheque
INTERNATIONAL bidders: PayPal ONLY

REDUCED POSTAGE FOR MULTIPLE ITEMS (EACH ADDITIONAL LP: UK: £1.00, EU & INTERNATIONAL £2.00)
I will combine postage for items purchased within any 10 day period. However, at the end of each 10 day period, all outstanding items will need to be paid for in full and will be posted to you. Any items purchased after payment will be included in the next 10 period. I am continually adding new items which may be of interest to you and it is impractical for me to allow payment to be postponed indefinitely in the expectation that you might wish to bid on future items. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation
Insurance: In the unlikely event anything should go wrong I can only try to claim up to the standard compensation rate of £30. Therefore if your item is worth more than £30 I strongly recommend you take out the insured/recorded option.
Guarantee: I try to be as accurate and honest as possible when describing the condition of any LP but of course if you feel that I am mistaken and the description is inaccurate I will offer a complete, no quibble refund (through Paypal) upon return of the item.

ALL RECORDS ARE PROFESSIONALLY CLEANED BEFORE DISPATCH AND PACKAGED WITH THE VINYL OUTSIDE OF THE SLEEVE TO PREVENT ANY 'KNIFING' DURING TRANSIT.
A PROTECTIVE POLY SLEEVE, QUALITY MAILER AND STIFFENERS ARE ALWAYS USED TO ENSURE THAT YOUR RECORD ARRIVES SAFELY



I will email you when payment has been received to let you know when the item will be posted. Please leave feedback upon receipt of the item so that I know you have received it safely. Any problems please email me. Thanks



 277 (GS 5.2 (277))