Egg : The Civil Surface 1st Stereo Press A1 / B1

This first pressing plays to a wonderful standard overall with only minimal light static in a couple of sections.  It has only ever been lightly played (a couple of vinyl 'flecks' around the spindle hole) and the vinyl itself is in immaculate condition.

A first press is denoted by E.J.D. written on the back cover (printed by E.J. Day) and the labels do not have the copyright info around the rim and of course the 1U/1U matrix.  It also has the catalogue number on both the spine and back cover.  The earliest pressings (like this one) also have the Caroline Records sticker on the front cover.

The cover incidentally is in excellent condition with only very minor shelf wear.  The original inner is also in great shape.

Please wait for the invoice before making payment as this may have to be sent via tracked shipping, conditions below.

C 1510 A - 1U / B - 1U // GA 1 / GG 1

The audio on S1 is Mint- (Track 1 intro Near Mint / T2 Near Mint)

The audio on S2 is Mint- (Track 2 Ex+ in one brief section / T4 ranges between Ex+ and Near Mint)

The cover is Ex

The labels are Mint-

The inner sleeve is Near Mint

As per the other 'Egg' albums I am selling this vinyl is in beautiful condition with no marks or scratches.  It has a stunning glossy sheen and all in can detect is one small hairline on S1 that has no affect on the audio at all.  At first glance the vinyl looks 'as new'!  There is only one faint spindle trace on the S2 label and clearly has hardly ever been played.  The run out grooves and labels are also in pristine condition.

Play grading

The super quiet intro on 'Germ Patrol' has only very minimal light static for a few seconds and then plays with stunning clarity and precision.  There is no obvious 'background' apart from the odd dust tick and for a track with so many quiet sections the playback is so impressive.  As per the other 'Egg' albums I am selling the depth of the audio really stands out.  Not one single or pop and overall a Mint- grade is deserved.

'Wind Quartet 1' plays with very similar clarity and with only a small number of light dust ticks that are in no way intrusive, they are hardly worth a mention really.  I will grade as Near Mint although I am sure many would grade higher!

'Enneagram' is absolutely stunning from the first note to the last!  It's rare for a record of this age to play as well as this and there is just no interference to be heard.  The quieter moments play with infinite precision and 'as new' is a fair assessment.  The sonic quality is just out of this world!  Mint without a doubt.

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The intro on 'Prelude' quite simply plays 'as new' which is so rare as it is so quiet of course.  There are just a handful of mega light ticks as the drums begin but they are so quiet and non-intrusive.  The melodic vocals cannot be faulted, the clarity is amazing, and the remainder is nigh on perfect apart from a couple of light ticks.  The clarity on this track is so impressive and I believe Mint- is a fair grade.

'Wring Out The Ground Loosely Now' again provides further evidence of a vinyl hardly played and the intro section plays perfectly.  The first quiet section does have a few light static ticks but they are very much in the background and the music can still be heard very clearly.  There is no underlying static or crackle and from then on it plays with fantastic clarity and depth and no interference.  Mint- for the majority but with that brief Ex+ section.

The intro on 'Nearch' is so 'clean' and has only a small number of mega light dust ticks.  Thereafter it plays with sublime quality and the only 'background' is one light click.  The end section with the frequent 'silent' passages is just incredible!  There is no interference not even a dust tick, what amazing clarity!  This is still worthy of a Mint- grade.

'Wind Quartet 2' ends the album with wonderful clarity for the vast majority.  There is a little light static in the middle section but it does not intrude on the quality of the listen.  Don't get me wrong this section still plays exceptionally well with no clicks or pops.  The remainder plays very clearly with only some very light ticks in the background, again not intrusive.  I would grade this track between Ex+ and Near Mint.

In summary this first press plays with great quality overall and only minimal static.  It is still the finest version I have heard and would impress any avid collector.  So much is 'as new' and the clarity and definition of the audio is very impressive.  The iconic cover is also in great shape with only very minor wear.

The Cover

The iconic E.J. Day cover is in excellent condition with minimal shelf wear.  The edges have only a little rubbing and the spine has no wear at all and remains 100% legible.  The corners have only a small amount of wear and the opening edge has no handling wear at all.  The front cover is very clean with only a little fading around the edges and a very small stain in the lower left corner.  As stated the original 'Caroline Records' sticker can be seen top right with another small price sticker beneath it.  The back cover is in superb shape with no real wear, just one very faint mark top left.  A fine example of its type.

The Labels

The 'Caroline' labels are in perfect condition with no marking or writing and just one mega faint spindle trace as mentioned.  There are even a couple of vinyl 'flecks' on the S1 label.

The Inner Sleeve

The plain white die-cut inner sleeve has no side splits or tears and no marking either and barely any creasing.

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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