PINK FLOYD DARK SIDE OF THE MOON A2/B2 SOLID BLUE TRIANGLE POSTERS/STICKERS EX
  £   256
  $   339

 


£ 256 Sold For
Apr 10, 2016 Sold Date
Mar 31, 2016 Start Date
£   50 Start price
17   Number Of Bids
  Great Britain Country Of Seller
eBay Auctioned at
 
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Description

THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON A2/B2
This A2/B2 first press of The Dark Side of the Moon is in excellent condition for its age as my gradings below state.  The audio, for the majority, plays extremely well but with some intermittent background noise as detailed below.
This iconic LP obviously has the solid blue triangle on the labels as per all the A2/B2 pressings.  It comes complete with the 'midnight blue' cover, a rarity in itself.  Many were issued with the dark black gatefold.  This particular cover has been very well looked after in the main with only slight shelf wear.  It comes complete with the posters and the stickers that are all in superb condition.
SHVL 804 A-2 GGT 4 / SHVL 804 B-2 AG 2 (both stamped)
Visual grading
For its age and rarity the vinyl is in excellent condition.  Under a very strong bright light you can detect various faint hairlines but quite honestly it looks great to the naked eye and there are certainly no scratches, faint or otherwise.  At first glance the vinyl is in wonderful condition and retains that glossy sheen so it definitely has not been played to death.  Yes you can see it has been played a number of times due to the spindle marks on the labels but I was pleasantly surprised by the audio on this rare and highly sought after album.
Play grading
I have listened to this rare LP in its entirety and the audio overall is excellent.  There is some crackle and a few light clicks at the beginning of ''Speak To Me' but this very soon dissipates.  Just as 'Breathe' begins there is one small skip which in a way is surprising as the audio is very clear at this stage with very little interference.  Apart from that one skip the audio plays with superb clarity for such a rare vinyl of 43 years of age.  'On The Run' has wonderful audio, it plays so clearly it was a joy to listen to!  There is hardly any background noise and with the 'running man' right at the end there is no static, just one faint pop, fabulous!  The clocks reverberate superbly at the beginning of 'Time' with excellent audio and the remainder does not disappoint either.  There is just light static in the background but you are going to expect that.  It plays with a wonderful depth and resonance with a little distortion but overall though it is a fantastic listen for a first press.  'Breathe Reprise' has almost no background interference at all.  'Great Gig...' plays very well with only faint crackle in the background but the audio still comes through clearly and you can only hear the crackle in the quieter sections.  It is certainly not loud though and does not get in the way of the music.  So often it plays with distortion but not on this one.  Even the very quiet ending plays with only very minor static and just a couple of clicks at the end. 
'Money' has faint crackle throughout but again is only in the background and not obtrusive.  To be honest the audio is first class here, it plays with superb depth, clarity and loudness!  It is well known that the A2/B2 pressings, whilst manufactured in high numbers, were produced to a very high standard hence the excellent audio.  There are a few light clicks right at the end though.  This continues into 'Us and Them' with a couple of pops also.  This disappears however once the singing starts and from thereon plays with only the lightest of static and is an excellent listen.  'Any Colour You Like' plays with absolute quality with almost zero interference, an amazing listen.  'Brain Damage' continues in the same vein with hardly any static and quite honestly I can't believe just how good it sounds!  'Eclipse' plays well but with some distortion which is especially common on this LP due to it being the final track where the grooves are pressed closer together in order to 'fit' it onto the side.  However, during the 'heartbeat' ending there is only one click, other than that it's pure silence only :-)
In summary whilst there is some crackle and a few intermittent clicks this highly collectible A2/B2 pressing plays very well.  It is actually quite difficult to grade as some sections play as VG+ but for the majority I would say the audio is Ex and often better than that if I'm honest.  I'm sure any keen Floyd collector would be very pleased with this first press.  So many play poorly due to being played to death in smoke/drug (!) filled rooms in the 70s that you do not find many that play well today let alone one you can barely listen to.
Gatefold cover (midnight blue)
The original Garrod and Lofthouse gatefold is of the 'midnight blue' variety and is in very good to excellent condition considering it age.  There is some shelf wear to the edges and more noticeably to the corners and the bottom opening edge does a have a small split in it.  However, the spine is in excellent shape as is the inside of the gatefold.  It is one of the better ones I have seen in recent times and there are no marks or any writing on it anywhere.  The opening edge has a little handling wear and there is also minor ringwear on the back cover.  Overall though it is better than most and there is no major defect to be seen.
The right front opening of the gatefold cover is sealed with a fold over flap that is glued inside the opening and on the back of the cover it states  'SHVL 804, (IE 064-05249), stereo'
Inner sleeve 
The vinyl is contained within the original die cut polylined sleeve with patent numbers and "Made in Great Britain" in silver at the bottom.  It has no splits or tears and is in excellent condition with just one white 'splodge' on it!
Labels
The solid blue triangle labels are in excellent condition with some spindle wear and one tiny mark on the triangle on Side Two.
Posters and Stickers
The two glossy posters are in superb condition with no rips or tears.  Both stickers have also been extremely well cared for.  The backing paper is tan with 45 degree angled diagonal stripes of dark brown from the top to bottom, and 'FasPrint Permanent' and 'Crack Back Patented' on the paper.

Play tested on my Technics SL-J110R turntable system
SHVL 804 A-2 GGT 4 / SHVL 804 B-2 AG 2 (both stamped)
       The vinyl is Ex- (the majority plays as Ex and some sections better than that)
The gatefold cover is Ex-
The original inner sleeve is Ex+
The labels are Ex+
The posters and stickers are Near Mint

Any questions please feel free to ask

Please pay within 4 days of auction end


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