JETHRO TULL THICK AS A BRICK Rare MINT 1st press Great AUDIO and Stunning Cover

	£		311
	$		412

BID WITH TOTAL CONFIDENCE . YOUR SATISFACTION IS GUARANTEED: COMPLETE MONEY BACK GUARANTEE IF NOT TOTALLY SATISFIED

SERVICE YOU CAN TRUST, QUALITY ASSURED. I HAVE A 100% POSITIVE FEEDBACK RATING AND A 100% TRACK RECORD OF OFFERING GREAT PRODUCTS, SERVICE, COMMUNICATION AND DELIVERY – GUARANTEED!! 

  JETHRO TULL - THICK AS A BRICK

STUNNING - 1st ORIGINAL 'I' Logo UK PRESSING and 1st EVER ORIGINAL UK 'NEWSPAPER' COVER.

  Great Playing Record! ARCHIVE Audio and Cover. Original UK 1st PRESS Labels. 

Complete with original News Paper Cover and Inner Sleeve, all in Great Condition. Original Year and Date of Release: 1972, this is a great all round complete pressing. Vault condition!

A brilliant package from my own personal collection, and an ultimate collectable,  getting rarer by the day!

CAT NO:....

CHR 1003    

LABEL PRESS DETAILS:

ULTRA RARE 1st Press 'I' logo Labels - with the iconic minimalist green matt finish, with the orange Chrysalis butterfly butterfly logo. Ian Anderson Music Ltd / Chrysalis Music Ltd. text.

Finding a Complete 1st press in this wonderful condition is very rare indeed and makes this a very special chance to own a genuine rarity and a massively collectable classic.

MATRIX NOs. ON RUN-OUT GROOVE

CHR 1003   A   -  3  U     /    CHR 1003   B   -  2  U

MOTHER STAMPERS:

Side 1. ''  1 L   '' 

Side 2. ''  1 P ''  ( Ultra Rare 1   1    matching press )

TRACK LISTING…

1. Thick as a Brick, Part I 

2. Thick as a Brick, Part 2 

A great complete 1st pressing of this classic Tull rarity!      

Thick as a Brick is the fifth studio album by Jethro Tull. Released in 1972, the album includes only one song, the title track, which spans the entire album. Thick as a Brick was deliberately crafted in the style of a concept album. The original packaging, designed like a newspaper, claims the album to be a musical adaptation of an epic poem by a (fictional) 8-year-old boy, though the lyrics were actually written by the band's frontman, Ian Anderson.

Thick as a Brick was Jethro Tull's first deep progressive rock offering, coming four years after the release of their first album. The epic album is notable for its many musical themes, time signature changes and tempo shifts—all of which were features of the progressive rock scene which was emerging at the time. In addition, the instrumentation includes harpsichord, xylophone, timpani, violin, lute,trumpet, saxophone, and a string section—all uncommon in blues-based rock.

Band leader Ian Anderson was surprised by the critical reaction to the previous album, Aqualung, as a "concept album", a label he firmly rejects to this day. Ian Anderson has been quoted as stating that Thick as a Brick was written "because everyone was saying we were a progressive rock band, so we decided to live up to the reputation and write a progressive album, but done as a parody of the genre."  The formula was successful, and the album reached number one on the charts in the United States.

ALBUM PLAYED FOR GRADING:

Yes – brilliant! - TOP AUDIO 

Sensational audio from this rare its pressing that looks and sounds unplayed!

Thick As A Brick is an early JETHRO TULL masterpiece and is also a famously sensitive piece of vinyl. Worn copies can have a lot of surface sound even on the many musically complex sections. I am a huge fan of Thick As A Brick, and also highly critical of the audio performance. I just cant stand to hear a pressing that is worn or plays with anything other than great clear sound. This pressing would be almost impossible to ever better for audio clarity and depth. It just sounds incredible.

I am very pleased to say that this rare 1st pressing plays through with great, very bright un disturbed archive audio. This great record plays up to the high visual grading and beyond. It really is a tremendous example. Strong sound free of any loud pops or clicks. It has been very little played, in fact its only been played a couple of times. The channels are clean and unstressed and there is not even a hint of distortion anywhere on the record. There is some light occasional static at the very start of the record and occasionally after that, but it is so light and very occasional thats its almost undetectable. The odd very light static tic, but nothing obvious or repetitive or really that noticeable. 

The audio plays through with brilliant strong and clear sound.  This is the ultimate 1st press of this Tull classic, it is a stunning listen. I will give a detailed account below:

This great sounding record starts with surprisingly little static in that famously quiet intro. Great clear sound, the track plays superbly with the occasional very light tic (the kind found on all vinyls)  and some barely detectable light static at the very start. Fantastically clear, the whole of the fist side really plays with superbly clear audio throughout. When the music really builds up, about ten minutes in, you can suddenly hear just how quiet the first ten minutes have been, and how little static there is for such incredibly sparse section. So often heavily distorted and affected by clicks and hiss, the whole side plays through with amazing clarity and bright loud sound.  I heard one light pop towards the end of side one only. Some very occasional static and the occasional tic, but it is extremely light. 

Super clear sound, no loud pops of clicks and barely any obvious static as the album progresses. 

Side 2. with begins with some static during the run in, but then the music starts and again its amazing clear, largely flawless audio. It plays with an amazing bright studio feel, the original sound that is very hard to find, and lost on most pressings. This long track is nearly always plagued by loud pops, clicks, static and even distortion, and this press has none of these, it just sounds superbly clean and bright. Any background static I have to insist is far in the background, and virtually undetectable. You have to get up close to the speakers to hear it. Then its gone and the sound is great. Bright clear sound leading to the albums climax, which plays superbly, with brilliant clear audio. No pops or clicks or interference at all. Just great clear sound.

The record plays with staggering power, great audio with minimal interference to distract from the enjoyment of this great record. There is hardly even any surface or static noise between the tracks. There is the occasional light dust tic but certainly nothing loud, repetitive or even particularly noticeable anywhere. 

The music jumps out, with definition and clarity, particularly on the percussion instruments, and vocals, which come through with tremendous power. As is the same with the bass and drums, whilst the guitars come through crisp and clear. On the whole this lp plays with superb, clear bright audio. I have given  a detailed account and l believe I have been unforgiving in pointing out the slightest audio interference on what is a tremendous 1st ever pressing. I would easily give an overall audio grading of NEAR MINT to MINT!

THE RECORD – Visual Grading 

A stunning piece of glossy vinyl, this rare 1st press is really thick and chunky, with amazing deep clear grooves. In daylight it looks unmarked and unplayed, as do the labels, and that is extremely unusual.  Only when viewed directly under a spot light can a  couple of faint whispy paper handling marks be seen, and they are really light and need to be seen under an intense spotlight. A really wonderful example that has clearly been very little played!

A really great example. Grades at NEAR MINT!

THE LABELS 

A lovely set of labels, largely unmarked with only a couple of tiny ultra light spindle traces. These are an great pair of labels that look like they've barely seen a turntable. A lovely set, they have no spindle wear, and certainly no writing, finer prints or other marks. Grading at NEAR MINT!

VINYL TESTED FOR ANY SIGNS OF WARPING:

Yes, NONE visible what so ever when tested be sight and on a moving turntable.    

THE COVER 

A near perfect example that would be hard to ever better! This 1st press comes with its original NEWS PAPER Cover in simply stunning condition. I would have to say it would be near impossible to ever find a better example. And don't be fooled, these 1st press covers are completely different to all other covers from the UK pressings of Thick As A Brick. These covers themselves are rare and very valuable, and so hard to find with out heavily worn edges, corners and surfaces.

The original LP cover was designed as a spoof of a 12-by-16-inch (305 by 406 mm) multiple-paged small-town English newspaper, entitled The St. Cleve Chronicle and Linwell Advertiser, with articles, competitions, adverts, etc., lampooning the parochial and amateurish local journalism that still exists in many places today, as well as certain classical album covers. Jethro Tull's official website states about the mock-newspaper: "There are a lot of inside puns, cleverly hidden continuing jokes (such as the experimental non-rabbit), a surprisingly frank review of the album itself [written by Anderson under a pseudonym], and even a little naughty connect-the-dots children's activity." The "newspaper", dated 7 January 1972, also includes the entire lyrics to "Thick as a Brick" (printed on page 7), which is presented as a poem written by an 8-year-old literary prodigy, Gerald "Little Milton" Bostock, whose disqualification from a poetry contest is the focus of the front page story. This article claims that although Bostock initially won the contest with "Thick as a Brick," the judges' decision was repealed after a multitude of protests and threats concerning the offensive nature of the poem, furthered by allegations of the boy's psychological instability. Throughout the newspaper's many articles are subtly scattered various references to the lyrics, to Gerald Bostock, to Jethro Tull, and to other peculiar parts of the newspaper itself. The satirical newspaper was heavily abridged for conventional CD booklets, but the 25th Anniversary Special Edition CD cover is much closer to the original, and the 40th anniversary boxed version contains a nearly-complete replica of the original newspaper, still missing details such as an article spoofing former U.S. Tull distributor Reprise Records.

The Matt finish News paper covers of  Thick As A Brick  have to be one of the most prone to wear, of all the classic vinyls from the sixties and early seventies. Being matt finish and not having the advantage of being laminated, these covers usually faired pretty badly, with serious ring wear and scuffed along the edges, the pages torn and heavily worn. The Spines are nearly always torn, worn and scuffed. And they are always very yellowed and stained with fingerprints and other grubby marks. Not this one!

This 1st Press Cover has virtually no scuffing to the corners, or rubbing along the edges, and that is virtually un heard of for Thick As A Brick. The opening edges are very square and totally un frayed, with NO detectable ring wear on either the rear or front cover, again unheard of. The back cover is nice and clean, again with no impression of the vinyl. The inside Gatefold is clean and virtually unmarked and all the pages are completely in tact and un marked. The Spine shows minimal wear only, and shows barely any wear at the edges.  This inner newspaper is perfect, with no grubby marks or fingerprints, and fully in tact and attached with its original staples. Quite unbelievable. All round, this is a really amazing example that is largely unmarked.     

And, this is an ORIGINAL 1st Press COVER, and an extremely extremely white one at that. Easily and strictly grades at NEAR MINT.

THE INNER

A near perfect example. Original plain inner sleeve in EXCELLENT condition. No tears, stains, just some light creasing and NO seem splits at all!!! Just some very light age toning. And don't be fooled, these are completely different to all other inner sleeves from the UK pressings of Thick As A Brick. So hard to find with out heavy wear, graffiti, tears and splitting. A great example. 

RARITY

Finding an original UK 1st press of Thick As A Brick in great condition is extremely rare indeed. It is one of the hardest pieces of vinyl from the early 1970's to find with great audio.

The cover is almost impossible to find without serious wear, even modestly worn examples are scarce and this is the best example I've seen. Finding a great cover like this, with a great piece of vinyl,  fantastic!.

A Thick As A Brick 1st pressing in this type of condition is scarce. The vinyl is so often played so much, heavily marked, scratched, with noisy, poor and distorted sound. Any Thick As A Brick examples with a record in this type of condition, that plays superbly is very rare. An ORIGINAL 1st press, with ORIGINAL 1st Press Cover and ORIGINAL inner sleeve, all in great condition, with TOP audio makes this very rare indeed!

GREAT COVERS WITH NO SEAM SPLITS, NO TEARS, NO WRITING, NO STICKERS.

GREAT VINYLS WITH NO LOUD CLICKS OR POPS, NO JUMPS OR REPEATS - GUARANTEED!

SCRUPULOUS EXAMINATION and TESTING; PLEASE NOTE:

This record has been play tested on highly sensitive equipment to ensure the sound quality and accuracy of description. I aim to give a precise and concise description of the sound quality, pointing out any defects so that you know what you are buying. I will not go into screeds of information about the nature of the songs, as I imagine that you already know them well. I aim to describe all items as accurately as possible, and offer a full refund on return if for any reason you are not completely happy with the item description.

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VINYL SOUND - PLEASE NOTE:

The highest quality vinyl with clear sound is rare, and is what I always aim for. I only sell records that play with TOP AUDIO performance, super clear sound uninterrupted by hiss or other interference. Even with the cleanest copies you will find occasional static sound or occasional light tics during playback, caused by a build of dust in the grooves. This is clearly different from the distortion, loud pops, repeating tics or clicks that are found on heavily played and worn pieces of vinyl. Any static build up will reduce when played, and I advise a light clean should be given between plays for optimal performance. 

VINYL

Large format art work covers with the original sound and mix unique to vinyl and of the highest quality audio. Vinyl record have always been loved and have become a great investment opportunity, with prices soaring over the last ten years, making classic pieces a great financial as well as a cultural investment.  

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IMAGES and INFORMATION

I only use my photographs taken with a high quality professional digital camera of the item for sale. The images are designed to be as clear as possible, giving an exact image of the item. I aim to give sufficient and accurate detail as possible, so that you know exactly what you are bidding on. Please let me know if you need any further information and I will be only to happy to oblige.

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ABOUT ME 

I am a visual artist, working internationally, a collector of art and rare objects including rare vinyl, which I have been collecting for over 25 years, and an art and music enthusiast. I specialise in the  highest quality rarest items, selling to collectors the world over. I want you to know what a great item you are bidding on. If there is anything that is unclear in the listing, or you have any questions about this or any other item, please feel free to get in touch. All the best to you.  

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SERVICE YOU CAN TRUST, QUALITY ASSURED. I HAVE A 100% POSITIVE FEEDBACK RATING.

SOME EXAMPLES OF FEEDBACK –

BRILLIANT LP MINT CONDITION,AWESOME SELLAR,1ST CLASS PACKAGING, NO PROBLEMS A+

ITEM RECEIVED.. AS DESCRIBED... PACKED GREAT...MANY THANKS..RECOMMENDED.. A*******

Great LP from a great seller. Thanks !! Very well packaged. AAA+++

received today! great record!! thank you!!!

Item arrived quickly, well packaged and in excellent condition. Very pleased.

fast delivery, superb communication, good item, great ebayer AAAAA+++++

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RETURN POLICY:

100% Satisfaction Guaranteed ; - returns accepted with out question. If you are not happy then it can be returned, I cant say fairer that that!

I ONLY SELL RARE GOODS THAT ARE IN GREAT CONDITION, IF THERE IS ANY SLIGHT DEFECT, IT WILL BE CLEARLY STATED.

If in the unlikely event that you may want to return an item, or that I have missed something in the listing, I offer a no quibble return policy. Items must be returned within 12 Days of receipt, and returned in the same condition that they were sent out in. Return postage must be paid by buyer, unless there is a particular fault with the item, and then I will pay the full postage costs!

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MY RECORD GRADING SYSTEM IS AS FOLLOWS - (BASED ON RECORD COLLECTOR MAGAZINE U.K. )

MINT: Virtually unplayed. The record itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. Cover is pristine.

EXCELLENT: The record shows some signs of having been played, but there is very little lessening in sound quality. The cover and packaging might have slight wear and/or creasing.

V.G PLUS: The record will still be nice and shiny, but may have a few light marks, and will play well. Slight wear and tear on the cover.

V.G: The record has obviously been played many times, but displays no major deterioration in sound quality, despite noticeable surface marks and occasional light scratch. Normal wear and tear on the cover or extra items.

GOOD: The record has been played so much that the sound quality has noticeably deteriorated, perhaps with some distortion and mild scratches. The cover and contents suffer from folding, scuffing of edges, spine splits, etc.

FAIR: Fair. It is noticeable that the record has been played so much that the sound quality has deteriorated very noticeably. The cover and contents are showing signs of folding, scuffing of edges etc.

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POSTAGE AND PAYMENT DETAILS : -

Items will be extremely well sealed and securely wrapped using the best possible packaging for safe handling and delivery. I send items all round the globe with 100% success! I sell top quality rare records to discerning buyers. I do not make money from the postage costs and aim to keep the prices at a reasonable rate, but please don't expect a cheap second rate service. 

IT IS AN ABSOLUTE PRIORITY THAT THE ITEMS YOU BUY GETS TO YOU IN PERFECT CONDITION. All RECORDS ARE REMOVED FROM THEIR MAIN COVER AND PLACED IN A BRAND NEW REPLACEMENT INNER SLEEVE TO AVOID ANY CHANCE OF EDGE SPLITS OR KNIFING. THEY ARE HELD SAFELY IN EXTRA THICK PLASTIC SLEEVES, AND THEN THEY ARE SECURED WITH SEVERAL EXTRA LAYERS OF REINFORCED CARD BOARD AND PADDING AND MAILED IN EXTRA STRONG PROFESSIONAL RECORD CONTAINERS TO ENSURE THEIR SAFE ARRIVAL. AS I HAVE STATED I HAVE A 100% SUCCESS RATE AND AIM TO KEEP IT THAT WAY.

Example of packaging used

UK - First Class Signed For Recorded Delivery with Insurance : = £5.00

UK Special Signed For Next Day Delivery with Insurance : = £8.90

EUROPE - International Airmail Signed For Recorded Delivery with Insurance : = £11.95

INTERNATIONAL, Non-Europe e.g. USA, Japan, Russia, Australia etc. International Airmail Signed For Recorded Delivery with Insurance : = £18.95

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MULTIPLE PURCHASE REDUCTION

Reduced postage of course for multiple items up to 30% off extra items.

POSTAGE WILL BE FIRST CLASS OR THE FASTEST AND SAFEST POSSIBLE ALTERNATIVE, RECORDED WITH TRACKING AND INSURANCE. ALL ITEMS ARE FULLY INSURED AND COVERED FOR THE SAFEST DELIVERY POSSIBLE, AT NO EXTRA COST TO YOU. GUARANTEED!

POSTAGE RECEIPTS AND PROOF OF POSTAGE IS ALWAYS AVAILABLE. MANY THANKS.

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PAYMENTS 

Payments must be made within 3 days of purchasing unless an alternative arrangement has been agreed upon. Pay Pall ONLY for International buyers. We will accept Pay Pall, cheque or postal order within the UK, but no cash or bank transfers. Items sent out immediately on receipt of payment

Please Note: If no contact is made by the winning bidder following the mandatory Ebay 3 days, I will reserve the right to offer the item to the runner-up, unless prior notice of any delay is arranged beforehand.  Any bidder who has missed the chance to purchase an item from me can still email to make a priority second chance.