KING CRIMSON In the Court… FANTASTIC N/M UK Island LP

	£		227
	$		301

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Please see my Detailed Packing Description Further Down & All Shipping Costs and Options – NOTE: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment.

Artist or Band: KING CRIMSON

Album Title: In the Court of the Crimson King

Producer(s): King Crimson.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: 21st Century Schizoid Man; I Talk to the Wind; Epitaph.

Side 2: Moonchild; In the Court of the Crimson King.

Cat Number: ILPS 9111

Label Format: Island – pink rim format with smooth finish.

Label Conditions: Both look fantastic: very clean, fresh and retaining that rich deep colour that makes this one of the most attractive of labels. One very light dull spot on side one seen under light. Spindle marks are very few, fine and faint. This another prog classic from the superb collection of very lightly played records, purchased from new by the one-and-only owner who played them very sparingly on a high quality system.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Warps: Assume all records I offer have no warping of any significance and all tracking is easy and effortless and should play on all turntables and even ‘budget’ decks.

Weight of this Record: 132 grams. A very good weight for this pressing.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Original Year of Release: 1969 on the pink i label. This a copy from 1971 or thereabouts.

Matrix Nos: ILPS 9111 A-4U / ILPS 9111 B-4U

Mothers / Stampers: 1 RH / 1 AA

Run-Out Groove Etchings: ‘PORKY’ / ‘PECKO’

Brief Artist & Album Info: Subtitled: An Observation by King Crimson, this was arguably the birth of ‘real’ British progressive rock and rarely, if ever, was this pioneering album ever matched or bettered. Issued back in 1969, this actually charted at 5 in the UK and its rarity on the pink label is so often overblown. The same cannot be said of it’s musical brilliance, nothing had been heard quite like this before. Even the cover design and artwork was quite radical and visually stunning, it can hardly go unnoticed can it? The excellence of the music lay within the band personnel, namely: Robert Fripp on guitar; Ian McDonald on reeds, woodwinds, vibes, keyboards, mellotron and vocals; Greg Lake, bass and lead vocals; Michael Giles, drums and percussion with words written by Pete Sinfield. Comprising of just five songs, this groundbreaking, and at times ear shattering, rock masterpiece - an album that more than justifies this word - still sounds fresh and is still eagerly searched for as ever. As far as vinyl goes this has to be one of the hardest albums to ever find that plays well, for me, far more significant than ‘rarity’. A record I have had several times on different label variations and most all had varying degrees of surface sound and sometimes even minor pressing flaws – these are far from unusual, especially on the pink pressings that are a minefield. This early-cut pink rim copy plays through in it’s entirety without any tracking problems. This album is a roller-coaster ride of extremes, the manically powerful and electrifying opener ‘21st Century Schizoid Man’ – arguably the greatest progressive track ever written – is as loud and thrilling as rock ever gets, and then to the other end of the extreme comes the lengthy ‘Moonchild’ that occupies a large proportion of side two. This is a fragile and delicate track that plays very quietly to almost near silence in places - all very challenging for any vinyl recording. Delicate acoustics and percussion interplay with gentle clarity and fine stereo imagery, but so testing for pressing and groove-wear quality. Finding a copy that plays the loud passages distortion-free and ‘Moonchild’ anything like quiet and noise-free is always a challenge bearing in mind what early copies of this album were likely to have been played on. This copy plays the fragile ‘Moonchild’ beautifully with little unwanted, any crackle traces are very light and modest. The odd mild sporadic tick or crackle trace at the very least has to be expected but here minimal. A very clean record, it retains lovely shine and the lustre of a little handled copy. Even the manic nirvana of ‘Schizoid Man’, which can often sound muddled on less than worthy systems, can be enjoyed with all the instruments sounding individual, not just blended together. The keyboards can be heard separately from the rasping saxes, even on the wild climax, the clarity and detail remain in focus. Greg Lake’s vocals, usually so clear and precise and one of the best of his type ever, are now manically treated on ‘Schizoid’, it makes the neck hair stand on end – ‘Cat’s foot, iron claw, neuro surgeons scream for more, at paranoia’s poison door, 21st-Century Schizoid Man!’ – crazed lyrics sung in a totally crazed voice, this is prog at its blistering best. Sound quality of the highest order and it’s not unique to just this track, all songs are clear and well-balanced with high definition and clarity. That stunning drum crash after the quiet flute passage on the title song (often where the pressing fault lies) is massively solid with terrific slam and when the Mellotron’s kick in soon after it gives the rare tingle factor that only the great recordings ever can. I cannot guarantee CD silence on ‘Moonchild’ – and never will, if that is demanded, best stick to the silver disc (but lose out on one of the truly great vinyl recordings ever made). The number of copies that will play this near impossible track to near silence will be few. I have heard many copies of this record via full pink and pink rim, even the late Polydor pressings that simply are unlistenable, virtually all have some surface sound with clicks or pops, and often loud - many simply sound awful. Often repressings hold an advantage, as they more often avoid the heavy-tracking equipment of yesteryear and some early Island pressings are known to disappoint. This incredibly clean, and without any doubt, hardly played pink rim copy is totally devoid of distortion and that is hugely important too, Mellotrons and electric saxes and winds do not tolerate over-playing or abuse gladly and all play sharp and focused on this splendid example. As a massive too, the cover is in supreme condition too – look at the pictures, they do not lie – a beautifully cover-protected example that has probably not seen light-of-day for decades. Bought from new by the one-and-only owner and very well looked-after. This sets a high standard and could represent the ultimate value-for-money copy in all departments.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(++): an unlaminated gatefold format with intense, rich and vibrant colour to the matt, smooth surfaces. Printed and made in England and uncredited, this has the early Basing Street address and the blue lined inner.

Cover – Front & Back: One of the most famous cover in rock music and this does it very high justice with any wear to the front and back being small and very minor. Retaining superb rich, almost pastel-like colour and freshness with no grubbiness and any traces of rubbing tiny, very few and ultra faint. The only reason this failed to get a Mint(-) grading is a fine surface crease near the top right corner of the back. This has NOT broken the ink and has modest visibility or impact and in terms of creases, only light. This is pretty much the only crease on the entire cover. A couple of very faint surface marks on the front only show under angled light and the lack of ringwear or rubbing, ageing and grubbiness is a massive bonus on a cover that never wears well. I have seen few that have bettered this and only a tiny handful to even match it. So very wear-prone and even more so with afairly thick record inside for nigh-on 40 years, this looks really pleasing to the eye – and the record, pleasing to the ear.

Cover Gatefold Inner: Near perfect, any marks or blemishes are tiny and faint. Possible very fine manufacture lines seen under light, nothing to do with ‘wear’, merely part of the process of print and construction. This also retains rich, deep colour and looks fantastic.

Top Edges: Both nigh-on pristine and both very straight.

Bottom Edges: Very light, patchy rubbing – emphasise VERY LIGHT. Being the traditional storage edges, few will escape with less than these.

Right Edge(s), and Type: The front edge is folded and tucked for maximum neatness. So this has a clear printed edge and thsi one has barely any traces of wear at all. The back opening is very clean, sharp with again, hardly any traces of wear and this is guaranteed untrimmed. Any burr traces or thickening is minuscule.

Spine and Text: Absolutely superb with no friction wear whatsoever. Possible slight light shade change over the years, but little else to fault and it really looks quite amazing. Solid, dead straight with no compression and folded square so the edges meet up very closely together and nigh-on parallel. The artwork and text has avoided rubbing and even the very ends of the corners are neat and sharp (please see my text close up pictures).

Corners: The lack of tip rubbing on this vulnerable cover is almost remarkable. Few will remain this crisp and sharp with the almost the definition of when first made.

Cover Summary: A highly attractive example of prog’s most famous cover, with many seen tired, grubby, creased and rubbed and often rife with ringwear, this is one on the other end of the cover spectrum. A real beauty and seldom seen with no little wear, especially to the vulnerable areas such as the back, edges, spine, corners and entrance – it’s these aspects that mean the difference between average to exceptional, and this is pretty exceptional if feel. It should please most collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: NEAR EXCELLENT: the original blue lined Island inner is included in fine condition. Only marked down a little due to modestly light ageing from the usual darkening of the adhesive on the seams. A few tiny tone spots and a little crinkle on the back. All the edges unsplit and few creases. It includes the original Basing Street address text.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: MINT(-) a beautiful clean visual record with lovely shine, intense black and very solidly pressed. Played little for sure, like most from whence is came. Any surface traces are incredibly few, ultra fine and super faint, hardly even seen with scrutiny under light. This has intricate patterns that indicate to ‘groove readers’, complex sound and varied volume – yes, this is a typical King Crimson record in every respect. This copy should please most-all collectors.

Album Played For Grading: Yes. [I play ALL records I offer before submitting to Ebay, also the record is played in its entirety unless clearly stated otherwise. I do NOT play snippets or joining grooves to check for sound quality and quietness – I play from the beginning to end via clinically revealing B&W speakers that include the legendary tweeter from their awesome Nautilus range that reveals every blemish or miniscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: The sound on this early-press pink rim is very impressive. My head was constantly turning towards the speakers as details came out that are simply not present on the CD versions. Subtle acoustic guitars over the Mellotrons on the title song, delicate pianos on ‘Epitaph’ and what sounds like harpsichord pieces too. The power on ‘Schizoid Man’ is breathtaking with the saxes really rasping in anger and the simple things like the percussion on ‘Moonchild’ simply rings ‘n’ tings with super clarity. The Mellotron whooshes and the cymbals zing with astonishing resolution. The delicate flute passage on the the title track is beautifully quiet, and quite honestly this copy will match most around and better the vast majority. This is a vintage hi-fi masterpiece with faultless production and at last a worthy pressing to present it near perfectly. I say ‘near’, I feel no standard copy will ever play without the odd light tick and crackle trace, especially on ‘Moonchild’. This is the definitive vinyl sound and if you have not heard this album via the original format you simply have not heard it for real. This super record plays mostly for all up to it’s high visual grading. Powerful, totally distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear and that’s not putting too finer a point on it - the type of sounds on this album often break up with unwanted echo type distortion. I have outlined pretty much what to expect here on ‘Moonchild’ already – silence is a near impossible ask, but this has little unwanted. This example is nigh-on 40 years old don’t forget - I still think silence is unrealistic for this most difficult record - I am very fussy and almost nothing spoilt my enjoyment of this very clean example. The benefits of the vinyl mix and blistering sound quality far outweigh any tiny extraneous sounds of which there are barely any. When virtually no sound is present on the record, the stylus has only to hit the tiniest piece of debris or fragment to induce an audible sound, on ‘Moonchild’ there is simply nowhere to hide. Thus my usual professional clean will always benefit, as it will on all records I offer. This copy will prove immensely difficult to find significantly better for audio playback and will match or better most of the first pinks, of that I am certain. My LP12 bought an even higher dimension to this groundbreaking release – as good as the latest CD remasters are, they simply do have the power, clarity and detail of this phenomenal recording. I refuse to knock CDs, there is a time and place for both formats and when they are played on a top quality player and through dedicated digital equipment, they offer impressive sound. But they do lack that ultimate dynamic range and fine details only the vinyl record can offer, again when played with a quality turntable, arm and cartridge. The vinyl record for this powerful, groundbreaking work will never be beaten by the digital format and this copy is hugely worthy.

End Piece: I cannot emphasise enough the beauty of this album and also the fragile nature of it’s contents and cover. These grooves are as clean and wear-free as the get. It tracks easily and perfectly and sounds amazing - even after all these years. I feel totally confident this copy will give any other a strong run for its money. With UK Pink copies variable to say the least and played on heaven knows what, this very pretty pink label copy simply offers great value for money and that cover is simply gorgeous – your choice.

Now one of the most established sellers on Ebay and still offering the finest and most accurately described and graded records I can find. I pride myself on offering a variety of genres to keep my site as interesting as possible. I will rarely offer any record that falls below a true Excellent grading, unless its of a certain rarity which will justify offering a lesser grade. I try, to the best of my ability to describe as accurately and as honesty as I can all items I offer for sale with all the relevant information I can think of to help any potential bidder and collector. You may notice I only submit records sparingly on Ebay - on average ONEADAY, a couple more at weekends if time permits, hence the name - time rarely allows for more as I Play-Grade virtually every record I offer in their entirety, not just bits to guess a grade - visuals alone do not always tell a true or full story. I will mention any defects or flaws no matter how small that I notice to be fair as possible to any interested collector – I am very fussy and my buyers have the right to be too. Every record I offer, whether it be a common or rare item deserves the same respect as far as I am concerned and will be treated the same - just because an item is rare does not always mean its good. I get just as much pleasure offering a relatively common record in stunning near mint condition as the real rare items. All the pictures I use for your guidance are taken with a digital camera or scanned - they are NOT improved, cleaned-up or made better looking than they are with camera trickery or enhancing with digital programmes. What you see is what you get and scanned labels will give a more accurate representation of the genuine colour than flash photography where light is variable. I cannot guarantee total accuracy for colours however but most will be very close. If any picture I take looks more flattering than the actual item for any reason, I will clearly state the fact in the advert and vice-versa. I hope the item below is to your liking - any questions can be emailed and I will do my very best to answer you. I am enthusiastic, and have a fair degree of knowledge about many genres and I promise quality items - bid with confidence - excellence comes as standard and so does Near Mint regularly. Please assume all records I offer have NO jumps, sticks, warps or writing on covers or labels unless clearly stated to the contrary. Thanks for your interest and Good luck – MIKE.

Deck: Linn LP12/Hercules/Cirkus with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Rondo Red moving coil cartridge (tracks at 2 grams). Amps: Naim Nait 5i with Project USB phono stage and Chord interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired with QED Silver terminated cable). All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional VPI-17 vacuum machine before play-grading for the cleanest and best possible sound and will include a brand new lined inner and protective cover too. Pictures taken with a Nikon D5000 SLR Digital Camera.

PACKING - THIS IS WHAT YOU GET.

What You Get: To confirm to the strict Ebay rules on shipping, I must now send ALL my packets ‘Signed-For’ with NO exceptions. Both buyers and sellers want their packets to have a safer journey and this is not a bad thing.

I now offer the fastest possible posting, often the very next day after payment is received or within two to three days maximum (unless on holiday). I only use FIRST-CLASS Mail. The record’s cover will be placed within a BRAND NEW soft protective sleeve and the actual record will be professionally cleaned on my new VPI-17 Pro vacuum system to give ultimate clean grooves and playing surfaces and the best possible looks and ultimate sound quality. You will NOT get tired, dull looking, dust infested records inside worn and foggy covers with tatty inners from this seller and that’s a promise and guarantee. All records are posted in professional boxes (NOT Mailers, these do not offer any real protection). The record(s) are REMOVED from their main cover to avoid edge splits and placed within a brand new polylined inner. The record’s original inner will be included if available. The boxes are then reinforced with at least TWO, ULTRA THICK stiffeners for maximum extra protection – these are FOUR TIMES thicker than commercial stiffeners and are custom-made for oneadayrecords. Really rare and expensive albums will even be Double Boxed if deemed necessary and possible. When larger boxes are used, the thick record and stiffener ‘sandwich’ is then thickly embedded into bubble-wrap to bulk out the record inside the box to centre the item inside to reduce the risk of damage still further. Printed address labels are used for clarity as well as a sender label. Customers requests or special needs for P&P will be respected if at all possible but ‘Signed-For’ posting is NOT an option anymore. I do not profit on posting and the cost of this lavish packing is NOT even charged for, I offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible for ultimate confidence. The boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffeners and bubble wrap make a near impregnable fortress for safe shipping and this is used inland and overseas for ALL my records, not just the rare and expensive. I will invoice any winning bidder as soon as possible after the auction ends. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is less than one in two thousand based on over 7,000+ items sold in nearly 10 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional. The only damage rate acceptable for this seller is ZERO and I think my packets will offer just that. It would take a vicious postman or postal service to damage these for sure. Even one of these stiffeners cannot be bent by hand, so what chance 3 or 4 inside a box? Oneadayrecords is a MAILER-FREE ZONE. I discount of course for multiple purchases with a maximum of FIVE records per box (one double can sometimes be included subject to total weight). I will not respond to questions on shipping costs as all the details are included here and on ALL of my adverts. Details below:

NOTE: First Time Bidders: Please as me first.

PLEASE NOTE: I now exercise my right to open a dispute after the Ebay rule of FOUR days if no payment is received. I will then cancel the dispute to end the, again after the mandatory FOUR days and then offer the item to the runner-up or relist. The non-payer will also be blocked from my Ebay site and they take the Ebay consequences (a strike or removal from the system). Small businesses need prompt payment to trade and these strict rules WILL be applied.

SHIPPING COSTS & CONDITIONS – THESE comply with EBAY’S RULES - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY:

Posting & Packing: UK & CHANNEL ISLANDS all now sent via Recorded Delivery:

1 LP (FIRST-CLASS Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £4.

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7.50. (this includes insurance of £500). Add £2 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA. (Airmail Only):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£46 maximum]) = £10. (Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3). Add £3 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (ANY PART OF); South America; New Zealand; Australia; Canada; Japan and other Far East; (Airmail Only: I NEVER use Surface Mail):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£46 maximum]) = £14. Add £4 per extra LP. (Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3)

Payment Conditions:

I prefer PayPal or cheque from UK winning bidders. I can accept PayPal from overseas bidders or direct payment into my bank account.

Potential Bidders: I will cancel any bids I feel are time-wasters. A maximum 3 days for communication and 7 days for payment to arrive - if not I will relist the item or offer to the runner-up. Fast deals get great feedback from me. Any questions - please ask and thanks for looking.

My Guarantee: If any winning bidder is not satisfied with their purchase I will offer a complete refund. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer, so read the item description carefully. If any overseas collector does not understand anything in my listing, please email and ask me to help. Thank You.

SOME GENERAL GUIDES TO WEAR AND CONDITIONS TO HELP YOU DECIDE

My Use of Description Terminology: Surface Marks = Superficial, usually light marks, hairlines or light scuffs that rarely sound. Scratch = a needle mark that goes below the record’s surface, some will sound, some will not, my play-grade will inform. Original = a record that has been pressed with the first label design which does NOT necessarily mean a very first pressed record. First Pressing = A record that I believe or know to be a genuine very first pressed record. I do not claim to always know for sure, and that’s why I state the stamper and matrix numbers if at all possible, for those who claim to know what they all mean, the information is there for the collector to decide. I prefer to use terms like ‘Early Copy’ rather than ‘First Pressing’ if I am not totally sure. Surface Sound = Mild, light sound, usually light crackle or similar. Distortion = Break up of the actual sound caused by groove wear or damage from a chipped stylus – the most undesirable form of unwanted sound, vintage mono records were the most prone to this happening but not exclusively so. The symptoms of distortion are high frequency clipping, moderate constant crackle or an echo type sound quality. Violin, piano and vocals are most prone to groove-wear distortion. Feathering = Fraying or softening of the entry edge of a cover. Covers with feathered entrance edges are more likely to have had the actual record inserted and removed more than a non-feathered, sharp-edged cover which are always far more attractive. Set Off, actually a printer’s term for dark ink leaving mild residue on pale or white ink when rested upon. e.g. when a gatefold cover has black ink closed against white, this can leave some black residue on the pale area – this is mostly unavoidable or course.

The Argument for Vinyl Original sound and mix (mono mixes are rarely available on CD), high quality sound on clean copies (played on a hi-end dedicated analogue system – breathtaking sound!), beautiful, large format covers, artwork, inserts and even full size posters etc; huge investment potential, and the pleasure of owning ‘the real thing’.