Kate Bush : Hounds Of Love A4/B7 Early Press

This early pressing is from the collection I purchased recently where each record has been so well preserved down the years and this one is no exception!  In the vast majority of cases the previous owner only played them once or twice in order to transfer them to tape and this one does not disappoint!  I believe this to be the fifth variation on the first pressing.

Such is the quality of the audio there is no real need to describe each track in detail.  The clarity, depth and warmth of the audio on both sides is so impressive and there is only very minimal 'background'.  I am confident in saying the vast majority of this classic album plays with Mint quality audio and any 'imperfection' is stated in the grading below.

The vinyl is visually stunning and the cover is also very clean with only minimal wear.  The lyric inner has a couple of small side splits but remains very strong with no creasing or marking.

Shipping costs to the US have increased recently so please wait for the invoice.  I will only send items to Italy, Russia/Eastern block & South America via tracked shipping and this will generally cost £5.00 extra.  All shipping costs are shown below.

EJ 2403841 // A-4U / B-7

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

The audio on S2 is Near Mint (Mint- for the majority / T1 Ex+)

The cover is a very strong Ex

The lyric inner is VG++

The labels are Mint-

Play grading

Hounds Of Love

This classic album begins with a superb rendition of 'Running Up That Hill' which has only one static click in the middle section but apart from that the clarity cannot be faulted.  'Hounds Of Love' similarly plays with exceptional quality with only a couple of light ticks about 30 seconds in.  These two opening tracks grade as Near Mint although 'The Big Sky' goes one better and grades as Mint- as the only 'background' is a couple of light ticks at the end of the fade out.  'Mother Stands For Comfort' has just one light tick on the intro and then plays so clearly with barely any intrusion.  A couple of light static ticks at most and there are no clicks or pops at all.  It truly is a stunning version.  'Cloudbusting' ends the side with wonderful sonic quality that could not play with any greater clarity, the playback is stunning!  The definition, the warmth of the audio here is just incredible and Mint more than does it justice.  What a finish to the side!

The Ninth Wave

'And Dream Of Sheep' on S2 has only a minimal amount of very light static on the intro and I do mean minimal!  From then on it plays extremely well with only a light static here and there and two static ticks.  Ex+ is deserved here.  'Under Ice' is near perfect with only a hint of mega light static on the intro and 'Waking The Witch' is stunning throughout - the clarity and definition of the audio is mind-blowing!  The remaining tracks are of the same 'high end' standard and play with a clarity and warmth that you rarely find on these early pressings.  Honestly I cannot praise the audio highly enough!  I have never heard this 'progressive' side play so beautifully and so little intrusion.  Yes there is a little static on the first track but even then it is kept to a minimum but the rest of the side is breathtakingly good!  Even the quieter sections (and there are many) play with such delicate precision and 'Hello Earth' is a prime example of that with only a couple of light static ticks during the first choral section.  The vast majority of S2 plays with glorious Mint quality audio of that I am confident in saying.

Visual grading

The vinyl has an immaculate jet-black glossy sheen and no marks or scratches can be seen.  Under a strong light I can only find a handful of very faint sleeve removal hairlines and even they are hard to locate!  It is in beautiful condition and the grooves really are super clean with no wear.  The run out grooves are pristine and the labels have only a couple of spindle traces on each side.

The Cover & Lyric Inner

The cover is in excellent condition with only minimal shelf wear.  The edges and spine are perfect, there is barely any corner wear either and the opening edge also looks untouched.  The front cover is very clean and has only a light 'fading' near the top and bottom edge with just a little more in the top left corner.  There is also a small corner crease which can also be seen on the reverse side.  The back cover itself is in great shape with no marking at all.  The lyric inner at first looks to be in superb condition but on closer inspection you can see a 5cm split on the top edge and a 4cm split on the side although they are 'clean' splits.  There is also a minor corner crease.

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

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

I grade according to "Record Collector" guidelines.

Any questions please feel free to ask

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Postage & Packaging

I SHIP WORLDWIDE BUT WHEN SENDING ITEMS TO ITALY, RUSSIA/UKRAINE AND SOUTH AMERICA I WILL ONLY SEND THEM VIA TRACKED SHIPPING AND THIS COSTS AN ADDITIONAL £5.00.

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