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.

Fairweather : Beginning From An End A3 / B4 1st Press Neon Label 1971

This first pressing and first release on the Neon label plays with great quality and with no interference as such.  There are only 3/4 minor statics and one light tick on S1 nothing more.  The clarity and power of the audio is so impressive and as always I have listened to every track in full.  The vinyl is visually in fantastic condition and has hardly been played based on the audio and that there is no spindle wear on the labels.  Any Neon record is very collectable, only 11 were released, and the winning bidder will not be disappointed with this one.

The cover is very good condition with some shelf wear but the original inner is very clean and in great shape.  Interesting to note that the model on the front cover is the same one that appears on the first Black Sabbath album!

ZGBS 0454 A - 3  /  ZGBS 0455 B - 4  // A2K & A1M etched on the run outs

The audio on S1 is Mint(-) (T1 & T3 Near Mint )

The audio on S2 is Mint(-)

The gatefold is VG+

The labels are Mint

The original inner sleeve is Near Mint-

Visual description

The vinyl is in beautiful condition with an immaculate glossy sheen and there are no marks or scratches.  Under a bright light S1 is stunning and S2 has only a handful of very faint hairlines.  The iconic Neon labels are pristine with no marking and no spindle wear.

Play grading

The intro on 'God Cried Mother' has only one background static and plays with stunning clarity.  The opening vocal has no intrusion and it continues to play with great quality and there are no clicks or pops.  I did hear 3/4 light static ticks which are not intrusive but I will grade as Near Mint accordingly.  The vocals are very strong here and there is no distortion - the fade out has no background by the way giving you a good idea of the clarity.  There is one light click in the dead wax though just before the next track.

The intro on 'Don't Mess With Cupid' has definite overtures of Floyd's Atom Heart Mother and plays so clearly with only a couple of barely audible dust ticks.  The powerful opening vocal section is so strong and dynamic and the brief instrumental section that follows is superb!  From then on it plays with exceptional power and depth and with great clarity also.  This track has quite a long fade out and yet it plays perfectly with not even a dust tick.  This is Mint- at the very least.

The 'intro' on 'Dead And Past' is perfect and there is just one crackle sound as the music comes in.  The first vocal has no interference, just one easily missed very light tick, and from then on it plays with very clear audio and... no intrusion.  The sonic quality here is superb but I will grade as Near Mint due to that one crackle.

The instrumental 'Beginning From An End' plays with stunning quality from start to finish with no background not even during the quieter sections.  It is Mint in every sense of the word.

The segue into 'I Hear You Knockin' is perfect and it then plays with great power and depth and if there is any inner groove distortion it is kept to an absolute minimum.  Every vocal and instrumental section plays with very clear audio and the brief silent passage at the end is totally silent.  The final instrumental piece then ends this powerful and original version version with no interference.  I think Mint- is deserved here.

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'You Ain't No Friend' plays with superb audio from the get go.  The percussive / brass intro is flawless and the opening vocal is equal to that.  From then on it plays with impeccable quality and of course... no interference.  Quite a bluesy number in a way the playback could not be any stronger and Mint is deserved.

The spoken intro on 'Sit And Think' is more or less perfect with only a half second light static sound and then the first vocal plays with stunning clarity.  This is one of the quieter tracks on the album and yet it plays with such a clean sound through every section.  I did not even hear a single dust tick, this really is audio of the highest quality.  I will say Mint- due to one barely audible static :-)

The intro on 'Looking For The Red Label' plays perfectly and the opening vocal has no background either.  The first chorus is of the same quality and it progresses in the same way.  Once again there are no ticks, clicks or pops - it's a long track and yet the vocal and instrumental sections play with great precision.  Another Mint track.

'Poor Man's Bum-A-Run' plays with genuine quality and there is no interference.  Despite being the final track there is no inner groove distortion and the clarity and power of the audio is very impressive.  A Mint conclusion to the album.

In summary this first pressing plays with superb audio from start to finish with no obvious intrusion.  No clicks or pops.  If I'm honest I don't think the production is as strong here as compared to other Neon records but there is no denying the actual quality of the audio.  As stated the vinyl is visually stunning and has hardly been played if at all!  If you are after a near perfect copy of the first release on the RCA Neon label then you can't go wrong with this one!

The Gatefold & Inner Sleeve

The E.J Day cover is in very good condition with some wear but there is nothing that really stands out.  The edges have some rubbing although the spine is in excellent shape overall with just some wear on the corners.  The top right corners have only minimal wear but there is a little bit more bottom right on the front cover.  The opening edge is very clean with barely any handling wear and the front cover is in pretty good shape with only a small number of faint spots and a small scrape mark.  The back cover has a couple of small scuffs and a little ringwear and is also slightly wavy probably due to being damp at some point or just how it was stored.  The inside of the gatefold is in great condition with only minimal corner wear bottom left.

The original poly-lined black inner is very clean with no marking or side splits and hardly any creasing.

Play tested on my Rega P2 with AT-VM95EN Cart / Denon PMA-520AE Amp / B&W 684 Speakers

The record has been cleaned on a Pro-Ject VC-S machine

ZGBS 0454 A - 3  /  ZGBS 0455 B - 4  // A2K & A1M etched on the run outs

I grade according to "Record Collector" guidelines.

Any questions please feel free to ask

Please pay within 4 days of auction end

Recent Feedback

THIS IS WHAT A SELLER SHOULD BE LIKE ON HIGH END VINYL! Exactly as described if not better ! I could not be a happier customer .. well packed for international flight .. and shipped and received very fast .. No worries here this guy is the tops

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Beautiful record as described, fast safe delivery, top seller. Cheers Steve.

Another fantastic LP from this seller - condition exactly as shown and the audio as described! Fast delivery, vinyl properly and carefully packed. Very highly recommended A++++

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Great seller and great vinyl record, professionally packaged. I’m very satisfied with my purchase and will certainly buy again!

Postage & Packaging

I will only send items items worldwide via tracked shipping.  This provides 'peace of mind' in case of loss or damage.  The shipping costs are shown below and combined shipping is always offered.  Any over-payment will always be refunded.

The Royal Mail only insure up to a value of £250 so if an item sells for more it may be wise to use a courier service (e.g. Parcelforce or DPD).  An extra insurance premium will be required but I will not know the exact amount until the final sale price is known.  Because of this I will sometimes have to estimate the cost and this will be shown in the listing.  Please wait for the invoice before making payment and if you have any questions please feel free to ask.  Many thanks.

All vinyls are packaged in strong over-sized custom made mailers with plenty of extra cardboard protection.  They are placed inside separate poly-lined inners outside the cover so as to avoid seam splits in transit and then placed inside a PVC sleeve to provide even more protection.  I pride myself on my high quality packaging as my feed confirms and if any customer has any specific requirements I am more than happy to help.

The mailers I use cost £1.00 each and I will use anything between 3-5 cardboard stiffeners which cost approx £0.18 each.  There is also the cost of the poly-lined inner and PVC sleeve to consider, it all adds up!  Not forgetting that eBay take 10% of the shipping fee also!!

UK Postage Rates (First Class Recorded - Max 2kg)

LPs/12" singles : £5.95 up to 1kg then £1.00 per extra item 

EUROPE (Tracked - Max 2kg)

LPs/12" singles : £15.95 then £2.00 per extra

USA (Tracked - Max 2kg)

LPs/12" singles : £24.95 then £2.50 per extra 

REST OF WORLD (Tracked - Max 2kg)  

LPs/12" singles : £21.95 then £2.50 per extra

If you are not entirely happy with your purchase please contact me before leaving feedback and I will always resolve any issue, 100% guaranteed.  If you would prefer to send the item back I will also pay the return shipping cost if I am at fault, I am only human after all!!