The Beatles : Rubber Soul 1/1 Loud Cut First Pressing

This 'Loud Cut' vinyl is a final upgrade archive first pressing without question.  I have never seen one as immaculate as this, the vinyl looks 'as new' and the audio plays to a fantastic standard.  There is hardly any spindle wear and it is obvious that the vinyl has hardly been played over the last 54 years.

Any audiophile will understand just how collectable the 'Loud Cut' pressing is and I am delighted to say it plays as good as it looks.  The clarity and depth is stunning and there is not one single click!  The G&L Patents Pending cover has also been beautifully well preserved.

'The Gramophone Co. Ltd' etc printed around the perimeter edge with 'Sold in U.K. subject' text also.  This is the first label variation with the San-serif font and a space between the song title and the * indicator.  The KT tax code is on S2.

PMC 1267 // XEX 579 - 1 / XEX 580 - 1 // LD 5 / MH 5

The audio on S1 is Near Mint (Mint- for the majority)

The audio on S2 is Near Mint (Mint- for the majority)

The cover is Ex+

The original Emitex sleeve is Ex

The labels are Mint-

 Visual grading

This is a stunning, pristine vinyl the likes of which are hardly ever seen today, it is just beautiful!  It has been so well preserved and as such has no hairlines, marks or scratches at all.  I am not exaggerating when I say it gleams 'as new' - the jet-black glossy sheen is just incredible.  As stated there is hardly any spindle wear and has only been played a small number of times and that is reflected by the immaculate quality of the audio.  I cannot stress enough just how visually superb this 'Loud Cut' pressing and to think it is 54 years old this year.  In all honesty this is the cleanest, most impressive 50+ year old record that I have ever seen!  The labels and run out grooves are also in fantastic condition.  Wow what a record!

Play grading

'Drive My Car' begins superbly with no obvious static on the guitar intro and from then plays faultlessly with no interference.  The clarity is so impressive and the fade out has only a minimal touch of mega light static right at the end.  Production may have been stopped on these first pressings due to the sound issues but this opening track still plays with great depth and as I say there is nothing that interferes with the music.

'Norwegian Wood' plays in a very similar way and again there are no clicks or pops.  The so called 'muddy' bass sound is certainly in evidence here but that's why it's collectable I guess!  It is no exaggeration to say this is practically 'as new' which is a bold statement to make for a 54 year old record but I am confident in my assessment.  It is Near Mint without question, many would say better, and the clarity could not be any better.

'You Won't See Me' is without fault and from start to finish there is no 'background'.  As stated this vinyl has hardly been played and the audio thus far pays testament to that.  Just a touch of mega light static on the fade out.

That aggressive vocal sound is obvious on the acapella intro to 'Nowhere Man' and the 'muddy' bass is also prevalent but you could not wish for a more impressive 'Loud Cut' version.  There is so much to admire here, no clicks or pops and no static or crackle either.  I will grade this as Mint- it is that good.

'Think For Yourself' and 'The Word' both with wonderful power and depth and yes...no interference.  What is impressive is that the latter has no distortion.  As you approach the end of any vinyl there is often some distortion but that is certainly not the case here.  This is another example of a vinyl that has only been lightly played i.e. there is no groove wear causing a deterioration in sound quality.  They both play with impeccable precision.

As any Beatles collector will know 'Michelle' always has some 'background' on the 'Loud Cut' pressings so I am delighted to say this is the cleanest version I have perhaps ever heard.  There is only a minimal touch of static but it is so minimal and totally non-intrusive.  A fantastic version that ends a near perfect S1.  Not a single click or pop, absolutely stunning!

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'What Goes On' impresses from start to finish and the clarity is again astounding.  It is just so rare for a record of this age to play so clearly and especially this one!  The definition of the audio is incredible and you can hear each note perfectly, nothing has been lost in the intervening years.  The vocals are so clear as is each instrument.  There is no static or distortion on the top end and this is a mono record being played through a stereo system, making the 'sound' even more impressive!  I am confident in giving this a Mint- grading.

'Girl' plays beautifully from the very first groove.  There is only a minimal amount of barely audible static and one very faint 'tick' near the half way mark.  There is no obvious interference whatsoever and for a relatively quiet track it plays supremely well.  The majority is Mint- and the fade out has barely any static.  A sublime version.

The acoustic intro on 'I'm Looking Through You' plays with perfect precision and there is only a couple of mega quiet static sounds as the vocal begins which could easily be missed.  The remainder is 'as new' which I know is a risky thing to say but again I never knowingly over-grade and the playback is just immaculate.  There is no distortion on the top end of the Hammond Organ which is very much a rarity on these first pressings.

The quiet intro on 'In My Life' has barely any static and then continues to play with wonderfully clear audio.  It may appear that I am becoming a little repetitive ! but I prefer to grade each track so as to provide a comprehensive grading.  This is another track that performs with admirable clarity and depth, it is near perfect.  There is just one very faint 'tick' towards the end but still deserves a Near Mint grading.

'Wait' plays superbly with no clicks etc and as any Beatles' aficionado will know the 'aggressive' vocal sound is more obvious here.  There is no interference at all, another 'high end' track.

'If I Needed Someone' has a little distortion on the top end but that is probably due to it being 1) a 'Loud Cut' press 2) a mono record on a stereo set up and 3) nearing the end of the side.  Aside from that it plays incredibly well with no 'background' of at all.  Just a minimal touch of static on the final note.

'Run For Your Life' ends this fine album in a similar way with a little distortion on the top end.  I am just being honest and it takes nothing away from what is another super impressive track.  The playback is stunning and I would not be surprised if it played in exactly the same way back in late '65.  It has such a dynamic to it, the definition of the audio so strong plus the fade out is nigh on perfect.

In summary this FINAL UPGRADE ARCHIVE 'Loud Cut' first press is the most impressive I have ever seen or heard.  It is a beautiful looking vinyl and the clarity and depth is of a standard that is increasingly difficult to find today.  There are no clicks or pops, no crackle and any static that there is (hardly any!) is so quiet as to be 100% non-intrusive.  I never use terms like 'impossible to find' etc but of ever a 'Loud Cut' press deserved that accolade then this is the one!  There is a little quiet static between tracks every now and then but as for the music, well it doesn't get any better than this.  Any collector would be hugely impressed by the audio here.  Not only that but the G&L cover has also been fantastically well preserved as detailed below.

The Cover

The G&L Patents pending cover is one of the most impressive I have seen for a 'Loud Cut' first pressing.  The edges and spine are in fantastic condition with no wear whatsoever and all four corners are so clean with only a minor amount of wear bottom right.  The opening edge has very little handling wear and has only five mega small white 'nicks' next to it on the front of the cover.  The front cover itself is in great shape with no laminate splits or lifting and only a small number of faint creases around the edges that you always see.  The white background on the back cover is so clean and has none of the marking/staining that you so often find.  The flipbacks are also in superb condition with no creasing or fraying and only very faint marking on the one edge next to the spine.  To be honest there is no obvious wear and this is a fantastic example of a 'Loud Cut' cover.  You won't find many better!

Inner Sleeve

The original poly-lined Emitex sleeve has no splits or tears, just some creasing here and there.  There is also very little age related fading.

The Labels

They are super clean with no marking or writing and absolute minimal spindle wear.  The KT tax stamp is on the S2 label.

Play tested on my Pro-Ject Essential III Turntable / B&W 684 Speakers

I grade according to "Record Collector" guidelines.

Any questions please feel free to ask

Please pay within 4 days of auction end

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Postage & Packaging

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