KING CRIMSON In the Court… RARE TEXTURED 1st Pink Rim

	£		261
	$		346

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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 & Rarity etc: Island – Ultimate first repress on the new Pink Rim format. The very first issues on this new format were heavier and thicker pressed and had textured labels with a deep inner ring ridge. For me, the most beautiful and prettiest Island design ever. The Island label was in constant change between 1967 to 1970 and this replaced the full pink label with the i logo that the original ‘Court Of’ first appeared on. Most-all pink rim copies had smooth labels and were much thinner. Now just about everything was superior for these very limited pressings that came and went very quickly with only a limited number of titles found on it. The labels have a more de luxe finish with deeper, richer colour and the texturing is lovely. The matrixes are much bigger and deeper punched just like the first pink format with the orange eyeball logo that are seen on the early Jethro Tull, Fairport Convention and Spooky Tooth albums (to name just three). The original cover that came with copy is the most prized and elusive (in top conditions) E. J. Day version (please see this in close-up). Some of these had uncredited covers and later pink rims were Robor. I also consider this particular pressing to be superior for detail and clean sound too. Many pink originals suffer pressing flaws and finding one that will play without surface noise, pops and clicks is immensely difficult to the point of being near impossible. This ‘PORKY’ / ‘PECKO’ cut is vastly superior for detail and high fidelity credentials and this beauty plays with very little unwanted. The ultimate test being the incredibly difficult ‘Moonchild’ with it’s very sparse and minimal instrumentation that lacks any great volume. Early copies usually rife with crackle, distortion and just sound plain terrible. Either by over-use or abuse from heavy tracking stylus of the day that were seldom changed or even set-up correctly, many worn to the point of bluntness – this complex and fragile record simply failed to withstand such abuse. This rare top quality pressing plays beautifully and with barely anything unwanted. Unfortunately the quality then slipped back on subsequent pressings, especially during the 1972 oil crisis era when recycled vinyl was often used with horrendous results on audio quality. This very briefly available textured format, for me is the ultimate all-round copy and they are not seen at all often, far less than the original pinks in fact, and for clean sound, they will blow most of them away. I have seldom seen this and the other early Island classics on this format and are now becomning prized and sort after.

Label Conditions: Both look fantastic, the smooth finish pink rims really do not compare for sheer classy good looks. Both very clean and fresh with only very light, few and ultra fine spindle marks, the hardly visible but can be just seen under angled light.

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: 167 grams. A staggering weight for this album, way above the pink i pressings, and even by the standard of these heavyweight textured pink rims, this is exceptional. Has anyone ever seen, held or owns a heavier ‘standard’ pressing of this record?

Country of Manufacture: England.

Original Year of Release: 1969 on the pink i label. This now recognised genuine second pressing and first on the then new pink rim format, was pressed in 1970.

Matrix Nos: ILPS + 9111 + A3 / ILPS 9111 + B3

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 it’s rarity on the pink label is so often overblown and exaggerated, but for sure, 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 brilliance of the music lay within the band’s musicians. 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 a number of times on different label variations and most all had varying degrees of surface sound and sometimes even with pressing flaws – top quality examples these days are far from unusual, especially the pink pressings that are a minefield. Pressing problems are not uncommon for this album and I have encountered them once or twice. This ‘Porky’ copy plays through in its entirity without 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 subjected to. Many record players of the era were very basic and few, if any, were engineered to the standards of even budget turntables of today. High-end turntables, like my LP12 are precision pieces of equipment designed to inflicted next to no wear on a record and gleans every possible minute details from record’s grooves. This copy plays the fragile ‘Moonchild’ beautifully with barely anything unwanted, any crackle traces almost minuscule. The odd mild sporadic tick or crackle trace at the very least has to be expected but here barely anything. A very clean disc, it retains lovely shine and the lustre of a little handled record. Even the manic nirvana of ‘Schizoid Man’, which can often sound muddled on less than worthy systems, can be heard with all the instruments sounding individual, not just blended together. The keyboards can be heard separately from the rasping reeds, even on the wild climax, 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 made to sound very different 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 deranged voice, this is prog at it’s 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 higher 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 kicks 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, but this was a real joy. 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 –buying this without a full play-grade is a lottery and hugely risky. Sometimes repressings can surpass for clean sound originals and some early Island pressings are known to disappoint, and this one does more often than not. This massively, thick-pressed textured pink rim copy is totally devoid of distortion and that is hugely important too, Mellotron and electric saxes and winds do not tolerate over-playing or abuse gladly and all play sharp and focused on this splendid example. This sets a high standard and could represent the ultimate upgrade copy in all departments. That too including the E. J. Day cover, which can be considered rare in near top conditions. Clearly, this pressing sufficiently early to still include one, that in most cases was only available with the very first issued. This one in exceptional condition – remember the age of these Day covers, most are worn to shreds and this has only minor traces of wear or blemishes and, importantly, looks STUNNING.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(+): an unlaminated gatefold format that was printed and made in England by E.J. Day. Yes this first pink rim repress, in this case, included the very first printed cover and few ever will. The last one of these I offered was uncredited and most were reprinted by Robor.

Cover – Front: One of the most famous and spectacular covers in rock music history and this does it very high justice with any wear or blemishes being small and light. Most E. J. Day first printings are in wretched states, rubbed, grubby, ringworn and just plain tatty. This is on the other side of the spectum and still looks fabulous as I hope my pictures show. Retaining superb rich, almost pastel-like colour and freshness with no grubbiness and barely even a hint of any rubbing or ageing at all. A tiny tip rub on the bottom right with a small, mild tip crease is present, but let’s get real – how many ‘Day’ example front will ever been seen off-the-shelf perfect or better looking than this? Any minor surface marks are few and faint, only seen really with point-blank viewing and any creasing very few and light, confined entirely to the edges, and only one on the spine shows to any minor extent. So very wear-prone and even more so with a massively thick record inside for over 40 years, this front looks as pleasing and impressive as any UK version I have ever seen, and first printings are seriously rare like this – available ones especially. How many of these could withstand such close-up pictures, taken to show just how clean this is.

Cover – Back: The back is almost as impressive with just a few very fine and faint surface marks and three fine creases – again, only really seen way-up-close and even when held at arms distance away, it looks fantastic with little visible. The lack of rubbing – corner tips and edge traces accepted – and especially ringwear makes this unusual and exceptional. A faint mark just seen near the top right corner (look very hard).

Cover Gatefold Inner: Little to fault inside here and the richness of the colour has to be seen – any tip creasing or surface blemishes are few and very faint indeed. Please note the E. J. Day imprint seen in close-up, these are the most prized first printings of this famous cover.

Top Edges: One fairly small moderate rub on the back, any others are very fine, few and faint.

Bottom Edges: Mainly light patchy rubbing, a little being nearer moderate, but little of that. Being the traditional storage edges, few will escape with a great deal less. All four edges are straight and unbowed.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, mostly sharp with little wear and no feathering and guaranteed untrimmed. The front is very neat and is sealed, hence the record is stored on the back, these delicate edges have minimal traces of any thickening or burring.

Spine and Text: The vulnerable spine is in very fine condition: solid with no compressio, but this has a mild tilt to right but is NOT crushed. This spine is thick and few will not tilt at the very least, many will be flattened with tight storage over the years. This one is folded square so the edges meet up quite closely together and all parallel. Also worthy of mention, because this is far grom guaranteed on all – the construction of this cover is very precise and neat with no overlapping or off-square card – again this makes a real difference for the more discerning collector. The only real wear is some light rubbing at the ends mainly on the underside fold. In context, this is very mild indeed. With all text present and practically unworn and the artwork the same, this delicate area has survived the years very well indeed (please see my text close up picture, all other is the same).

Corners: Light to moderate tip rubs with the odd small tip crease, few will show a great deal less (unless trimmed or tipped-in), practices I will not plumb the depths to deploy – if I suspect any item I offer has ‘enhanced’, I will clearly state the fact. Fine to very fine shape is retained and given all the facts about this this cover, these are all better than average.

Cover Summary: A highly attractive example of prog’s most famous cover – never under-estimate how difficult the ‘Day’ originals are to find showing such little wear or ageing. With many seen tired, grubby, creased and rubbed and often rife with ringwear, this is an exceptional one that should give pleasure to most collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT: a plain white unlined inner, later pink rim examples with their Robor, not E. J. Day covers, have blue lined inners. This is unlined and as the text ‘PATENT APPLIED FOR’. Little aged with all edges unsplit with no repairs. A little creasing and some evidence of adhesive darking/ageing on the seams.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(+): and a grading this does this superb record scant justice. A beautiful clean visual copy with lovely shine, intense black and massively presse – and ‘massive’ is no exaggeration. Will a heavier Island pressing even exist? Clearly these ‘contact’ Island pressings – most were Polydor or EMI – were made way above standard weight and my belt-driven Linn took an extra second or two just to get up to speed. Played a only very modestly, and in terms of this popular title, little. A few light surface marks that have NO sound and most are ultra fine and faint hairline types with just a couple more easily seen with normal viewing. Very deep grooves and complex patterns that indicate to ‘groove readers’, intricate and varied levels of sound – yes, this is a typical King Crimson record in that respect. This copy should please most 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 minuscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: The sound, detail and mix can only be described as awesome – this copy offering the original mix sound too. My head was constantly turning towards the speakers as details came out that are simply not present on the CD versions or still later pressings – only the second one of these rare contract pressings I have heard – and this totally failed to disappoint. On side two, I gave up typing, and just let the music flow without having to concentrate on words and spaces. I always give this even more critical side the extra attention is demands. 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 reeds 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 blow away most, and that includes the majority of the pinks. I am absolutely certain, this pressing was far less manufactured than any other, thus it’s elusiveness. This is a vintage hi-fi masterpiece with faultless production and at last a quality pressing to present it almost perfectly. 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 above 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 or significant crackle. I have outlined pretty much what to expect here on ‘Moonchild’ already, but again, it’s one of the cleanest I have heard bar none. This is example is over 40 years old don’t forget - I still think silence is unrealistic for this most difficult record - I am very fussy and nothing spoilt my enjoyment of this amazing example. The benefits of the vinyl mix and blistering sound quality far outweigh any tiny extraneous sounds of which there are very few on this copy. 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 VPI clean will always benefit, as it will on ALL records I offer. I have proved this fact to friends and fellow dealers time and time again with demonstrations, and none when they heard the difference for themselves have argued ever again – and many have invested now themselves. I have been pro-standard cleaning my records for most of my years while selling on Ebay, and strangely, none have melted, disintegrated or been affected any way other than to offer the cleanest and best sound possible. I will state, ‘Moonchild’ will rarely, if ever be heard cleaner or better than via this supreme Island pressing. Of course, if this, or most any vinyl record are played at immense volume (and I did play this as loud as I could get a way with), a little gentle surface sound will be present on the ultra quiet segments, record reproduction is made via contact, and is natural and impossible to avoid. I barely heard a click at all on this one and no pops. This copy will prove immensely difficult to find better. I am still getting my breath back after listening to this, 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 - that said this record is very special and will seldom be found on this more elusive label variant.

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, the few light surface marks are totally ignored and it tracks easily and sounds amazing - even after all these years. Over the years, this is one of most listened-to albums from many different sources and pressings – my enjoyment of this set has never diminished and King Crimson remain one of my ultimate and special bands. 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 textured pink label copy that in real terms is rarer. This ‘special’ pressing does not show up often and will rarely be seen or heard better. The inclusion of a first printing E. J. Day cover in very impressive condition is the icing on what is already a very rich cake. The legendary Robert Fripp and the rest of the band would surely approve. Do not lose this one.

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’.