KING CRIMSON STARLESS AND BIBLE BLACK A3/B3 1st PRESS SUPERB AS NEW MINT- AUDIO
£
67
$
89
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Description
I will declare a lower amount on the customs form for all countries so as to avoid/decrease high import charges. However, in the case of the EU all purchases are subject to VAT which eBay collect at point of sale. No shipping to Russia currently.
King Crimson : Starless And Bible Black A-3U / B-3U 1st Press
This first press on the pink rim Island label is absolutely STUNNING! You could not wish to find a better version! The clarity, depth and power of the audio is second to none and this clearly was owned by a collector who really looked his records. The sonic quality is just on another level and there is NO interference on either side, I cannot stress enough just how immaculate the playback is. It is a FINAL UPGRADE time-warp classic in every sense. The vinyl is visually so impressive also and has only been played a handful of times at most in my opinion.
The textured cover is in excellent condition with only minimal wear, mainly a little fading / spotting around the edges, and the lyric inner is more or less perfect.
A first press has the A3U/B3U matrix and 'SARC' and 'Sean + Ray' are etched on the run out grooves. The textured cover has 'Printed in England by Robor Limited' on the back.
ILPS 9275 // A-3U SARC (etched) / B-3U Sean + Ray (etched) // GH 2 / GL 2
The audio on S1 is Mint(-)
The audio on S2 is Mint(-)
The gatefold is Ex
The labels are Mint-
The lyric inner is Near Mint
Visual description
The vinyl is in lovely condition with a superb glossy sheen and no marks or scratches. A small number of minor 'specks' on S1 but so faint and they obviously have no affect on the audio. Under a strong light I can only find a small number of the usual very faint sleeve removal hairlines. The run out grooves are pristine and the smooth pink rim Island labels have hardly any spindle wear. A stunning example!
Play grading
The run in has no background and the same applies to the 'heavy' intro on 'The Great Deceiver' which plays with stunning power and definition. The first vocal is 'as new' and this clarity of sound is prevalent through every vocal section I am pleased to say. I cannot overstate how clean and precise the audio and it honestly plays like it has never been played before! The up-tempo sections play with outstanding power and accuracy and the quieter passages just have no interference whatsoever. With not even a dust tick the audio is Mint from the first note to the last. What a start!
The intro on 'Lament' again has no intrusion and Wetton's opening vocal has a couple of barely audible dust ticks no more - perfect clarity in other words! The first two verses are flawless and the mid instrumental equally so. The next two more powerful verses have no interference and the instrumental sections are just breath-taking! Another Mint track in every way.
With complete silence in the dead wax (again) the super quiet opening section on 'We'll Let You Know' plays beautifully with only a couple of mega light ticks, hardly worth a mention really! From then on it plays with sublime clarity and once more there is just nothing that detracts from the quality of the audio. Heavy on Wetton's bass and Bruford's percussion this is a stunning Mint version.
Another very quiet intro on the 'The Night Watch' and another perfect one! As the volume increases there is no drop in sonic quality, it just plays superbly. It continues to play so clearly and you just have to sit back and admire how well this vinyl has been preserved! Once again there is not so much as a dust tick. Mint
'Trio' of course has an even quieter intro and yet the clarity is AMAZING! You cannot even hear the stylus running through the grooves, not on my set up anyway! This truly is audio of the highest calibre and this standard is kept maintained throughout with literally no intrusion. A STUNNING Mint instrumental.
'The Mincer' has one static tick right at the start and then plays as per the rest of the side! The clarity, depth, power and warmth of the audio is again faultless the end vocal has no intrusion either. Mint- is more than deserved.
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The first instrumental on S2 'Starless And Bible Black' plays with stunning quality and it really is the clarity of sound that stands out. Again. I cannot put into words just how clean and 'fresh' the audio and even on the higher register of Fripp's guitar the playback is phenomenal. Bruford's percussion is just incredible! The quieter section towards the end also plays with sublime quality and from start to finish there is no interference. 3/4 dust ticks at most this is as good as it gets! Mint
The slow build up intro on 'Fracture' plays with exceptional clarity and as the volume increases the quality does not diminish. There is no need to dissect every section as needless to say they all play with imperious quality and no interference. The quiet sections play beautifully and the more powerful sections play with great definition. Fripp's iconic work could not play any better either and throughout the entire 11+ minutes there are no clicks, pops or static and the only background I picked up were a handful of very quiet ticks which are totally non-intrusive. In fact the more I play it the more I am blown away by the sheer quality of the music. Nowhere is this more obvious than around the 8/9 minute mark - the power and depth of the audio here is incredible! The end sequence is of the same standard and it's worth noting that there is no distortion here at all. I truly believe this is worthy of a Mint grade as having played it in its entirety there is not one negative. As per S1 this really is audio of the highest standard.
In summary this first pressing plays with 'as new' audio on both sides with no interference of any kind, I cannot praise it highly enough. The clarity, depth and power of the audio is STUNNING and it clearly has not been played very much at all. I know I can get a little 'over-enthusiastic' at times when I discover audio such as this but I'm sure I can be forgiven! This is without question a FINAL UPGRADE album and I am sure is rarely found in this condition today.
The Gatefold & Inner Sleeve
The fully textured cover is in excellent condition with only a little shelf wear. The top edges have only light spotting (very faint) and the bottom edges are very clean with only a handful of minor 'nicks' in one area. The wide spine is in superb order without any wear and all corners are so clean with no obvious wear either. The opening edge is pristine. The front cover has just a little spotting around the edges and one small corner crease top left. The back cover has just minor fading / spotting around the edges and the inside of the gatefold is immaculate. A very strong example overall.
The paper lyric inner is in fantastic condition with no side splits or tears and barely any creasing or marking.
Play tested on my Rega P2 Turntable / Denon PMA-520AE Amp / B&W 684 Speakers
This record has been professionally cleaned on a Pro-Ject VC-S machine
ILPS 9275 // A-3U SARC (etched) / B-3U Sean + Ray (etched) // GH 2 / GL 2
I grade according to "Record Collector" guidelines.
Any questions please feel free to ask
Please pay within 4 days of auction end
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Postage & Packaging
I NOW ONLY SEND ITEMS WORLDWIDE VIA TRACKED SHIPPING. THIS PROVIDES 'PEACE OF MIND' IN CASE OF LOSS OR DAMAGE. ALL COSTS ARE SHOWN BELOW AND COMBINED POSTAGE IS ALWAYS OFFERED. ANY OVER-PAYMENT WILL ALWAYS BE REFUNDED BACK TO THE BUYER.
THE ROYAL MAIL ONLY INSURE ITEMS UP TO THE VALUE OF £250 SO IF AN ITEM SELLS FOR MORE A COURIER SERVICE MAY BE USED (e.g. Parcelforce, DPD). AN EXTRA INSURANCE PREMIUM WILL BE REQUIRED BUT I WILL NOT KNOW THE EXACT AMOUNT UNTIL THE FINAL SALE PRICE IS KNOWN. HOWEVER, SOMETIMES I WILL ESTIMATE A COST AND THIS WILL BE STATED IN THE LISTING. PLEASE WAIT FOR THE INVOICE BEFORE MAKING ANY PAYMENT BUT IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE FEEL FREE TO GET IN TOUCH. MANY THANKS.
ALL VINYLS ARE PACKAGED IN STRONG CUSTOM MADE OVER-SIZED MAILERS WITH EXTRA CARDBOARD PROTECTION. THEY ARE PUT IN SEPARATE POLY-LINED INNERS OUTSIDE OF THE COVER SO AS TO AVOID SEAM SPLITS. THEY ARE ALSO PLACED INSIDE A PVC SLEEVE TO PROVIDE EXTRA PROTECTION. I PRIDE MYSELF ON MY HIGH QUALITY PACKAGING AS MY FEEDBACK TESTIFIES AND IF ANY CUSTOMER HAS ANY SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS I WILL ALWAYS ENDEAVOUR TO HELP.
I ONLY USE HIGH QUALITY MAILERS AND THESE COST ME £1.00 EACH. I WILL OFTEN USE 3 OR 4 CARDBOARD STIFFENERS AND THESE COST AT LEAST £0.15 EACH AND THEN THERE IS THE COST OF THE POLY-LINED INNER AND PVC SLEEVE TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT. IT ALL ADDS UP! NOT FORGETTING EBAY TAKING 10% OF THE SHIPPING FEE ALSO!!
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