KING CRIMSON Lizard RARER A-2U/B-2U UK 1st Issue Island LP with VERY CLEAN SOUND

	£		123
	$		163

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World in Quality, Safe Packing.

Postage: UK £4.75 (£1 per extra record). Europe (including Russia) £12.50 (£2 per extra record). Rest of World (including ALL parts of the USA) £16.50 (£3 per extra record). All boxes signed for in quality, safe packaging – I NEVER use mailing envelopes that offer virtually no protection at all – in fact I think these things should be banned as records WILL arrived damaged in them at some time. More details on my packing nearer the end of the listing.

Posting to Russia: Yes, I do post to Russia. But delivery can take up to 4 to 6 weeks from the UK. So please be patient. I will submit a tracking number to the winning bidder, and when the packet arrives there it can be followed online using the Russian post website.

ALSO: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment to keep things moving – cash-flow is important to any small business. I will always keep my P&P prices as low as possible, and even after yet another Royal Mail price hike from April this year, I have NOT raised my prices and will never compromise on solid, safe packing that is invariably heavier than most you will get. My P&P offers probably the best value-for-money for vinyl records available, and I even will pay for full insurance on any record that sells for over £100 at NO extra cost – that is UK and abroad. Also I aim to post the very same day after payment is received. You WILL see the difference when my packet arrives.

Artist or Band: KING CRIMSON

Album Title: Lizard.

Producer(s): Robert Fripp and Peter Sinfield.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Cirkus (including Entry of the Chameleons); Indoor Games; Happy Family; Lady of the Dancing Water.

Side 2: Lizard; a) Prince Rupert Awakes b) Bolero – The Peacocks Tale; c) The Battle of Glass Tears including 1: Dawn Song 2: Last Skirmish 3: Prince Rupert’s Lament 4: Big Top.

Label/Format: Island – original pink rim format with matt, smooth surfaces. This album was not issued on the full pink format in the UK.

Label Conditions: Both in stunning condition: ultra clean, fresh and highly attractive with just one or two ultra fine and faint spindle traces. This exceptional example appears hardly played.

Cat Number: ILPS 9141.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Record: 137 grams. Above average.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity & Special Note: First issues of this wonderful prog album included an E. J. Day cover with the spine text inverted compared to most standard reading covers, these also had less shiny laminate. Also they included a white inner sleeve prior to the issue of the blue types. Second ‘Day’ covers had the spine text printed the other way and had more shiny laminate. I own both versions myself. Later covers were printed by Robor. This album only missed the pink label cut by a few weeks and was one of the earliest original albums on the new format. In terms of rarity, the early ones are scarce, but special mention has to be made about the pressing quality. King Crimson, prog and vinyl collectors will know just how bad this album often sounds. I am sure this was often pressed on recycled vinyl and the audio quality often horrendous. An album rarely heard without significant crackle, pops, clicks and even pressing sounds – personally, I will never buy a copy of this album without being able to play it first, simply because I know it has lottery odds on sounding decent. All King Crimson albums are a challenge in terms of musical content with passages of volume and then very quiet, so a top pressing is always required for a better listening experience. But I have heard very few Lizard’s that offer it. Inherent crackle being the biggest and most consistent problem, few seem to avoid it, finding a truly clean pressing is beyond difficult. So when one surfaces I consider them rare, finding one played less as well, very rare. Another issue with the rarer inverted text spine covers is the laminate. This more often seen with manufacture adhesion issues, long creasing lines are seldom avoided, this has very few and way less than usual, being only light as well, they show little. At last a copy here that should please the majority of listeners, it plays with very little unwanted and probably the cleanest pressing I have heard for a long time. An immensely complex and challenging album that was enjoyed to almost maximum advantage on an early-pressed record, strongly recommended and immensely difficult to find with audio quality this clean – fact.

Original Year of Release: 1970

Matrix Nos: ILPS 9141 A-2U / ILPS 9141 B-2U

Stamper Codes: 2 RL / 2 AT

Musicians: Robert Fripp - guitar, mellotron, electric keyboards and devices; Mel Collins - flute and saxes; Gordon Haskell - bass guitar, vocals; Andy McCulloch - drums; Peter Sinfield - words. Guests: Robin Miller - Oboe, cor anglais; Mark Charig - cornet; Nick Evans - trombone; Keith Tippet - Piano, electric piano; Jon Anderson (of Yes) vocals on ‘Prince Rupert Awakes’.

Brief Info: With Ian McDonald and Greg Lake now departed, this could have been a serious blow few bands could have coped with, but against the odds King Crimson’s third album is a prog classic and one of my favourites within their illustrious early catalogue. The bands second album, ‘In the Wake of Poseidon’ was criticised somewhat for being too similar to the debut classic, this one pushed the boundaries of progressive rock still further and introduced a more jazzy sound. A highly adventurous and complex work with use of many varied instruments as will be clear from above. Beautifully produced, but so regularly let-down by poor pressing quality. The packaging includes a stunning cover with magnificent artwork – this is real progressive rock at it’s very best. The title song has beautiful use of wind instruments including the haunting cor anglais – a woodwind instrument similar to the oboe but deeper – few prog bands used such exotic instruments as often or effectively as King Crimson and Lizard remains possibly their most complex and inventive work. This is a very fine all-round copy that includes the rarer inverted spine text and a record that IS well-pressed. Typically testing on vinyl with it’s usual roller-coaster ride of extreme volume and very quiet passages. This copy plays impressively well and without the usual crackle and surface noise that blights so many. These days, I buy most of my records on approval, and this particular album is probably the most rejected one I come across. Most-all I hear, have unaccepable surface noise, constant crackle, pops, clicks and even pressing noises and distortion. The slightly later pressed ones seem to give the most problems, made in the era of the oil crisis of 1971-72 when records were often pressed on recycled vinyl (often including the labels), hardly any wonder they sound so bad. Even the most perfect shiny and unplayed copies can disappoint, these sounding terrible from day one. Well this copy, even with very fine surface marks seen under light, plays superbly with very little unwanted. The odd sporadic light click near impossible to avoid on such content, but the lack of crackle and contact noise a massive plus. The cover also suffers laminate adhesion issues – many seen with large crinkle and blistering and few will ever be ‘perfect’. Again this has little to fault, this being the first Day cover with the less shiny laminate variation. Overall a splendid copy, silence for this record is nigh-on impossible, but this in all departments is strong and almost as good as they ever get, and at least, one that can be played an enjoyed.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(+): one of the most gorgeous prog and Island covers ever made and this does it near high justice. A gatefold format with laminate on front and back, the inside matt and smooth. This the more difficult less shiny finish type. Printed and made in England by the E. J. Day Group and has the wider and robust spine with the inverted text. Includes the first plain white inner sleeve.

Lamination: front & back: With artwork of this quality, it has to be seen near it’s very best. The first covers used laminate that had a less glossy surface and it did not adhere as well as the later glossy type. This has far less adhesion creases than most I have seen with barely any lifting. Any ‘lines’ few and faint, four on the front right edge and one towards the right, they show little. I have seen this first printing literally covered with them before and avoiding them completely beyond difficult. Any marks or creases few and faint with minimal traces of dulling. Both sides look impressive and again I remind, this version is much harder to find than the standard Day and Robor covers.

Cover Inner Gatefold: The inside little short of as made.

Top Edges: A couple of microscopic (or smaller) chips and looking almost as made. These thick and straight.

Bottom Edges: If anything, even better than above.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, very sharp with no wear and guaranteed untrimmed or enhanced. Another variant, this one has the manufactured cut edges, the records enters on the back.

Spine and Text: Immaculate: with slightly wider depth and very solid, straight and uncompressed. Folded squarely (again not always the case), the edges meet up almost flush and parallel. All text is perfect and unworn under the very solid, uncracked laminate that is fully intact and all is smooth to the fingertip. This text is printed upside down compared to what is considered the ‘normal’ way round. This is read with the front cover facing downwards, later ones were changed to the usual style. (Please see my close-up of the text to make this clearer).

Corners: All the actual tips are again immaculate: there is barely a hint of any wear to any of them at all. Just the end panel card slightly thickened. All retain practically mint shape with no dinks or creasing.

Cover Summary: A very impressive all-round example of this far more elusive and difficult cover that is well-known to have consistent manufacturing issues which this one generally lacks. An interesting variant for the specialist collector as well, it should please most.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT(++): many still think the earliest pink rim albums had the blue lined inners, well not so. A plain solid white unlined inner preceeded them and this has little to fault at all. Barely aged with no creasing or edge splits (or repairs).

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT: a very fine visual copy that is clean with fine shine and solidly pressed. Under bright angled light light surface marks are evident but no penetrating scratches, these whispy and almost certainly from dry cloth cleaning. Totally harmless and I feel very little played, it should please many, if not 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 miniscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This classic Island record plays superbly, certainly compared to most I have heard – and I have heard many over the years. It has very little to fault and, this too on an immensely difficult and complex recording. Powerful totally distortion-free sound – that’s a huge bonus on an album that has immense dynamics, detail and difficult sound passages with heavy use of critical tracking wind instruments and mellotron, always the most susceptible to groove-wear damage and clipping (or worse, distortion). All frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality, at times is astonishing with a massive dynamic range and very detailed, complex, real hi-fi sound. This copy lacks that dreaded crackle and pressing noises that ruins so many. I have heard copies of this that have consistent moderate crackle throughout and it totally ruins the experience. So to play-grade one that has hardly any was a real joy. Way better pressed than average, I reject more of these than probably any other album within the prog-rock genre. Silence, as stated above, is near impossible on this album, especially if played on a more revealing system. With extremes in volume every other minute, this, like all in their catalogue is difficult. Passages of the ‘Lizard’ suite are immensely challenging with almost silence in places, only the best-pressed early copies will ever have a chance to perform well enough to please the more discerning collectors. There will always be the odd tick or sporadic click at best, if anyone owns a totally CD quiet copy of this album, well treasure it, because few ever will be. Overall, one of the better-pressed ‘Lizards’ I have heard for some considerable time and this is a typically difficult King Crimson album, it will take an exceptional copy just to better it significantly. Nothing of any real note spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record – if absolute dead silence is demanded, well the CD version is an alternative but the sheer scale and drama of this magnificent recording on vinyl takes a lot of beating. My LP12 is ultra sensitive and little escapes its clinical ability to reveal, I found this copy VERY enjoyable – I do not expect miracles from any ‘Lizard’, with some noise is usually ancipated, and this had hardly any. The details and intricate production embedded within these vintage grooves are definitive and this copy will prove very difficult to find better. Nothing compares to an early issue for those extra tiny pieces of detail, the audiophile collector reading this will know exactly what I mean, not quite so easy to put into words. This is a copy I can highly recommend (unless total silence is mandatory), do not under-estimate how rare copies like this really are. Indeed finding my own copies (with cover variants) sounding largely this clean took me ages, and if not for them, this copy would be staying here. For sound (and a very sound cover), this could prove a major upgrade for many.

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 Terrarium Black 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 10,000+ items sold in over 12 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 2 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). All postage costs are below and at the top of the listing.

NOTE: First Time Bidders: Please ask 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] = £4.75

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £8. (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 [£50 maximum]) = £12.50 (enhanced 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 [£50 maximum]) = £16.50 (£17.50 for double sets). Add £3 per extra LP. (enhanced 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’.