Mott The Hoople : Mott A1/B1 1st Press 1973 (Die-Cut Acetate Cover)

This first pressing plays to a superb standard with barely any intrusion.  This is another album from a collection I purchased 4/5 months ago which the owner hardly played and that is reflected in the audio and visual quality.  The clarity and depth of the audio is so good and the vinyl itself looks practically 'as new'.

The die-cut acetate cover is in fantastic condition with only one small corner crease and the lyric inner has also been so well preserved.  Hardly been out of the cover I would say!

With international shipping (including Europe now) I will declare a lower amount so as to decrease/avoid any Customs' fees.

S 69038 A1 / S 69038 B1 S?? ??6??5??6??4??0?? ??B??1?? ?

The audio on S1 is Mint(-) (T3 & T5 Near Mint)

The audio on S2 is Mint(-) for the majority / T1 intro Ex- (but no music here!) / T3 & T4 Near Mint-)  

The die-cut acetate cover is Ex+

The labels are Mint

The lyric inner is Near Mint-

This vinyl is in beautiful condition with an immaculate jet-black glossy sheen.  Much like the rest of the collection this record has been hardly played and that is why it has such an impressive visual 'look' and barely any spindle wear.  There are no marks or scratches and I can only detect one very small and faint hairline scuff area on S1 which has no affect on the audio.  It really is very minor!  The run out grooves are pristine and the orange CBS labels are also in perfect condition.  A stunning example of a first pressing.

Play grading  

The intro on 'All The Way From Memphis' plays perfectly with no intrusion and the same applies to every vocal section.  In fact from start to finish there is no interference and the 'high octane' end section has no distortion either.  No need for a minus here this is deserving of a Mint grade for sure.

'Whizz Kid' plays to the same exemplary standard with no ticks, clicks or pops and the clarity and depth of the audio is so impressive.  Even the super quiet end section plays so clearly with only a handful of dust ticks.  Mint

'Hymn For The Dudes' again plays to a wonderful standard.  The intro is nigh on perfect and the first acoustic section/verse has only the bare minimum of mega light static for a few seconds.  From then on there are no negatives.  The very quiet third verse plays so clearly with only very minimal static and one light tick and the final section ends the track with incredible power and definition.  I had to play it again it is so good!  Overall Near Mint is a fair assessment of the audio but yes the majority is better than that :-)

'Honaloochie Boogie' is outstanding from start to finish with no interference at all not even on the fade out.  Mint

'Violence' ends the side with...high quality audio throughout.  There is perhaps just a hint of inner groove distortion but it's just what you expect on a final track and is so so minimal and totally non-intrusive.  A little more towards the end but there are no ticks, clicks or pops and Near Mint is deserved.

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The first few grooves on 'Drivin' Sister' does have a little crackle but hey the track hasn't even started at this point!  Once Ralph's guitar kicks in the audio is superb.  The up tempo sections have no interference and the quiet interlude is close to perfect with only a couple of light ticks.  To the end there are no faults, an Ex- intro and Mint- for the remainder.

'Ballad Of Mott' plays with amazing clarity and no intrusion.  For this slower paced number to play so clearly is a rarity and I only picked 3/4 mega light ticks towards the end of the final verse.  A little static at the end of the fade out also but it seems harsh to grade any lower than Mint-

The intro on 'I'm A Cadillac' is flawless and the first verse is close to that with only one light click.  From then on it plays with great precision and power and the very quiet acoustic section plays extremely well with only very minimal static.  Remember this album is near 50 years of age so for a section this quiet to play so well is a rarity.  As it builds the audio is immaculate and then the final quiet section plays with only a little light static.  A fine Near Mint- version in my opinion.

The mandolin intro on 'I Wish I Was Your Mother' plays beautifully and the first verse is equally as good.  Thereafter it plays so well but if I was being super critical there is just a minor touch of vocal distortion here and there. Maybe it doesn't warrant a mention being the final track but I like to be 100% 'complete' in my grading.  Aside from that I heard only a couple of light ticks and overall you cannot really fault the audio.  The end mandolin section again plays 'as new' and that includes the fade out.  I will grade as Near Mint- but yes I might have undervalued it there.

In summary this first pressing plays with stunning quality on both sides with barely any intrusion.  The clarity of the music is very impressive and with only three light clicks across the entire album there is a lot to like here!  And as detailed below the acetate cover is one of the finest examples around today I am sure.

The Gatefold & Lyric Inner

This die-cut cover has been so well preserved and the first thing you notice, apart from it being so clean, is just how strong and robust it is.  It has obviously not been handled very much and the only 'real' wear is a small crease in the top left corner.  Aside from that the edges have no wear and the wide spine only has one minor compression in the centre and yes a little creasing at the top.  The other corners are in superb condition.  The front cover is so clean with only one faint mark near the spine (the photos might not even pick it up) and the acetate sheet underneath is in perfect condition also.  The back cover is pristine with just a little creasing top right.  The inside of the cover is immaculate and the 'opening' edge has no wear at all.  The colours throughout remain so strong and vibrant and this is a superb example of this cover for sure.

The lyric inner is of course made of paper and yet it has no side splits or tears - how rare is that?!  It has no marking and only very minimal creasing.

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

S 69038 A1 / S 69038 B1 S?? ??6??5??6??4??0?? ??B??1?? ?

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

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