Queen : Sheer Heart Attack 4U/4U 1st Press

This very pressing plays to an immaculate standard that is so rarely found today.  The clarity and depth of the audio is incredible and I cannot remember when I last heard such an early pressing as impressive as this.  It has been so well preserved and it goes without saying that there are no clicks or pops.

The cover is also in lovely condition with barely any shelf wear and the same applies to the lyric inner which rarely has no splits!  A stunning 'package'.

Please wait for the invoice before making payment thank you.

EMC 3061 // YAX 4881 - 4U / YAX 4882 - 4U // RHT 3 / RMT 2

The audio on S1 is Mint- (Track 1 Near Mint)

The audio on S2 is Mint- (Track 3 Near Mint)

The cover is Near Mint-

The lyric inner is Near Mint

The labels are Near Mint-

 Visual grading

The vinyl is in beautiful condition and has an immaculate glossy sheen with no scratches or markings.  There are only a small number of very faint sleeve removal hairlines but they are not easy to find!  S1 does have a couple of marks on the lead in grooves but this is obviously before the audio starts and the stylus runs over them with no problem.  The run out grooves and labels are also in fantastic condition.  I cannot underestimate how visually stunning this vinyl is!  It is a fine example for such an early pressing.

Play grading

The 'circus' intro on 'Brighton Rock' is superb from the very first 'note' and there is no 'background' here at all.  It then plays with stunning power and depth and what stands out is just how 'clean' the sound is.  This is a common I find with this album when it has been so well preserved.  It is so well produced and the definition of the audio could not be any more impressive - there is no 'muddiness' to the sound and the audio is sensational!  The bass is so strong and there is no distortion at all.  The 'quieter' section towards the end has only minimal static and the remainder is faultless.  This deserves a Near Mint grade and would be Mint- but for minor static as mentioned.

With complete silence in the dead wax 'Killer Queen' can only be described 'as new'.  There are no clicks or pops and no static or crackle either, the clarity is equal to that of a recently pressed vinyl not one that is 46 years old.  There is no need for a minus here this is Mint and even the fade out plays perfectly.

'Tenement Funster' again plays with sublime precision throughout and again there is no interference, not even a dust tick!  This is Mint audio of the highest calibre - the sonic quality is STUNNING!

The segue into 'Flick Of The Wrist' is flawless and then plays with breathtaking quality.  There is no 'background' and once again you're scratching your head in disbelief in the audio quality here!  It plays with immense power and perhaps the most pleasing aspect is that there is no distortion whatsoever.  This is Mint without question.

'Lily Of The Valley' often has some 'background' but this version is almost perfect.  With only a couple of barely audible dust ticks on the intro the clarity is so good and from start to finish there is no interference.  Mint-

'Now I'm Here' has no obvious static on the intro and as the volume increases there is no inner groove distortion and that as any Queen fan knows is a rarity.  Another sign this record has only been lightly played.  It continues to play with wonderful depth and if there is any distortion on the end section it is kept to an absolute minimum.  This is by far one of the 'cleanest' and strongest versions of this classic that I have heard in a long time.  It is Mint- and there is nothing to detract from the wonderful quality of the audio and the fade out also plays with superb precision which is another rarity. 

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'In The Lap Of The Gods' plays with fantastic quality right from the very first note.  This intro is stunning with a capital S the quality is amazing!  Once the vocal begins there is no intrusion, just a handful of mega light dust ticks, and thereafter continues to impress.  I cannot overstate just how well this plays, the depth and clarity is awesome!  This is easily Mint- the audio cannot be faulted.

The following version of 'Stone Cold Crazy' is the strongest you could ever wish to hear.  There is no interference and I cannot adequately put intro words the power and clarity on offer here.  I turned the volume up to 'super' loud and there was no distortion at all.  No one could argue with a Mint grading here.  Wow!

'Dear Friends' plays beautifully and has only a minimal touch of mega light static during the first verse.  It is so quiet and totally non-intrusive, the playback is superb.  The second verse is immaculate with only one crackle sound on the final piano note.  This is Near Mint and again the clarity is very impressive.

'Misfire' is Mint from start to finish with not even a dust tick to be heard.

'Bring Back That Leroy Brown' is of the same 'high end' standard with no interference at all.  I won't prevaricate this is Mint from the first note to the last.

I have no wish to repeat myself but 'She Makes Me...' is 100% stunning!  I just cannot believe the level of clarity and definition on this album.  The audio is 'as new' there is no other way to describe it, the sonic quality is astounding.  You can hear each note so precisely, it's like it's never been played before.  WHAT A VERSION!  You know the grade :-)

'In The Lap Of The Gods...revisited' ends this fine album with wonderful quality and again there are no clicks or pops and no static or crackle.  It is so 'clean' and there is barely any distortion which is a rarity for sure.  A fantastic Mint- version and the closing 'bomb' has never sounded more powerful!

In summary this FINAL UPGRADE album plays with remarkable clarity and definition and it is no exaggeration to say 99% is 'as new'!  It has to be one of the finest examples I have ever heard.  You can tell it has been played as there is some spindle wear but it has clearly been so carefully handled down the years and has lost none of its original quality.  There is not one single click or pop!  A fantastic find that would impress any avid collector.

The Cover

 The laminated G&L cover is in lovely condition with only very minimal shelf wear.  The edges and spine are perfect with no rubbing and there is no corner wear either which is incredibly rare to see.  The opening edge has just one very small area of 'crimping' and this can also be seen on the front cover.  It is the only wear to be seen on the front cover and is very minor anyway.  The laminate has no splits or 'lifting' and only a small amount of the usual faint creases around the edges.  The back cover is in fantastic condition with no marking and overall this is a stunning example of its kind.

The Lyric Inner

The original lyric inner with the three cut corners is near perfect apart from one tiny tear on the corner of the thumb notch.  You can hardly see it!  This inner is so clean and has none of the marking/staining that is so often found and no creasing either.  It would be difficult to find better!

The Labels

There is some spindle wear mainly around the centre of the spindle hole but they have no marking or writing and are very clean indeed.

Play tested on my Pro-Ject Essential III Turntable / B&W 684 Speakers

This record has been professionally cleaned on a Pro-Ject VC-S machine

EMC 3061 // YAX 4881 - 4U / YAX 4882 - 4U // RHT 3 / RMT 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

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