FULLY TEST PLAYED AND RECORDED PRIOR TO LISTING SO YOU CAN HEAR IT BEFORE BIDDING
ROXY MUSIC - STRANDED
MINT MINUS AUDIO
WITH AN EX+SLEEVE
1973 FIRST PRESS A1 / B1
THE RECORD
THE LABELS
THE PALM TREE LABELS ARE IN MAGNIFICENT CONDITION. ALL COLOURS ARE RICH AND VIBRANT AND THE WHITE AREAS ARE STILL PURE WHITE. NO MARKS OR STAINS AT ALL ON ANY PART OF THE LABEL.
THE BLACK TYPEFACE IS ALL PERFECTLY CLEAR AND LEGIBLE AND UNRUBBED.
THE SPINDLE HOLE IS UNWORN AND THERE ARE JUST 3-4 SPIDER LINES CLOSE TO THE SPINDLE HOLE .
THE VINYL
THE VINYL IS IN PRISTINE CONDITION. GLEAMING LIKE NEW IT IS ABSOLUTELY FLAWLESS IN DAYLIGHT, AND EVEN WHEN PLACED UNDER INTENSE ILLUMINATION THERE IS JUST NOTHING TO SEE AT ALL APART FROM A COUPLE OF WISPY HAIRLINES AND A COUPLE OF EMBEDDED DULL STREAKS
THE TEST PLAY
AN ABSOLUTELY OUTSTANDING AUDIO REPRODUCTION FROM BEGINNING TO END, AND A STEREO RECORDING THAT HAS TO BE HEARD. THERE ARE MANY QUIET PASSAGES OF MUSIC ON THIS ALBUM AND NONE OF THEM ARE DISTURBED BY ANY UNWANTED NOISES. NO DISTORTION AT ANY POINT, MEANING THAT THE COUPLE OF PLAYS THIS ALBUM HAS RECEIVED SINCE 1973 WERE CONDUCTED ON A SYSTEM THAT HAS A CORRECTLY WEIGHTED AND UNWORN STYLUS
THE CLARITY OF THE REPRODUCTION IS PERFECT, WITH EVERY NOTE BEING HEARD EXACTLY AS WAS ORIGINALLY INTENDED.
THE RUN IN GROOVE IS SILENT AS ARE THE LINKING GROOVES AND THIS DESPITE THE FACT THAT ISLAND PRESSES USUALLY HAVE INHERENT VINYL NOISE. THIS IS AS GOOD AS ANY I HAVE EVER HEARD
THE MUSIC PLAYS WITHOUT ONE IOTA OF BACKGROUND CRACKLE WHATSOEVER. THERE ARE NO CLICKS AND NO MORE THAN A COUPLE FO TINY SPECKS OF BARELY AUDIBLE STATIC.
I CANT SAY THAT I HEARD ANY DUST POPS EITHER
THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO DOUBT IN MY MIND THIS INCREDIBLE VINYL GRADES MINT MINUS
TAKE A LISTEN FOR YOURSELF AND JUDGE IT THAT WAY!
THE SLEEVE
FULLY LAMINATED GATEFOLD SLEEVE
THIS IS THE ORIGINAL 1ST ISSUE GATEFOLD THAT WAS MADE OUT OF ONE PIECE OF CARD AND HAS ONE FLIPBACK INSIDE THE BOTTOM EDGE WHERE IT IS SEALED. BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE SURFACES ARE LAMINATED
THE FRONT SURFACE HAS ONE FLAW. A THIN CREASE LINE OVER THE TOP RIGHT CORNER AND A SLIVER OF LAMINATE LIFT AT THE TOP OF THE CREASE LINE.
OTHER THAN THIS THE LAMINATE HAS NO ISSUES. VERY GLOSSY ALL OVER
THREE OF THE FOUR CORNERS ARE SHARP AND SQUARE WITH THE BOTTOM RIGHT HAVING SOME RUB.
THE SPINE HAS JUST THREE MINUSCULE PRESSURE LINES BY IT. THE TOP EDGE JUST ONE, AND THE BOTTOM EDGE HAS NONE. NOR ARE THERE ANY THUMB LINES BY THE OPENING EDGE
THE TOP EDGES ARE 100% LAMINATED AND HAVE NO SHELF WEAR WHATSOEVER. THE BOTTOM EDGES ONLY SHOW A DOT OF RUB TO THE RIGHT TIPS
THE SPINE HAS UNFADED COLOURS AND THE YPEFACE IS PERFECT. THE TOP TIP END HAS A LITTLE RUB, AND THE LAMINATE IS PERFECT
THE OPENING EDGE IS STILL RAZOR SHARP AND SHOWS CLEARLY THAT THE LP HAS HARDLY EVER BEEN OUT OF THE SLEEVE.
THE REAR SURFACE DOES NOT HAVE THE CREASE LINE. IN FACT THERE ARE NO EDGE PRESSURE LINES EITHER. A LIGHT SHADOW OF RECORD IMPRESSION IS ALL THAT SHOWS
OPENING THE GATEFOLD REVEALS A FULLY LAMINATED INTERIOR PAIR OF SURFACES, WHICH ONCE AGAIN GLEAM LIKE NEW.THERE IS STILL THAT CREAK YOU GET ON SOME FULLY LAMINATED SLEEVES WHERE IT JUST HASN'T BEEN OPENED
THE PLAIN WHITE INNER SLEEVE HAS NO SEAM SPLITS
THIS SLEEVE GRADES EX+
GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR BID IF YOU CHOSE TO GO FOR IT
GARRY