Radiohead - The Bends, original UK vinyl LP (1995), later first pressing version
£
180
$
238
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Description
From my own collection that I'm gradually down-sizing . . .
This is Radiohead's 'The Bends' that I bought sometime in 1995 although I know it was not on release day. I got it on spec because of the reviews but I didn't listen to it much either then or since.
I realise this might be quite rare nowadays so I've had a quick look on Discogs and it seems to me it matches the description of the later version of the first pressing still with the original sleeve and inner.
The sleeve is glossy with no splits or tears and with a good spine. There are signs of a bit of rubbing on the edges, which makes sense as it's been on shelving and moved around from time to time, and it's also got small dints in the two bottom corners which is most noticeable on the rear cover in the bottom right. However overall it looks excellent.
The glossy inner sleeve looks virtually new with one of the bottom corners just having a very tiny dint. The b/w side has a large pixelated '0%' which confirms it's not a super rare very early first pressing copy, but if you're reading this I assume you already know that!
At first look the vinyl is shiny and new, but under a bright light you can see hairline marks and rubbing from being taken out of the sleeve.
The stamped matrix numbers on each side are: Side One - PCS 7372 A-01-01- and also 'D' stamped elsewhere Side Two - PCS 7372 B-01-01- and also 'D' stamped elsewhere On both sides after the third dash of the matrix there is nothing stamped - see pictures - although up close it looks like part of something could have been etched very very faintly. On Side One it's hard to even guess what, but on Side Two from some angles it looks like it could be '2'. I've tried to get a picture but my phone isn't hi-res enough to pick it up.
There is also some etching on both sides: Side One - SHE'S OUT WITH HER ANSWERPHONE Side Two - (NICE DREAM)
I know it has been played about a dozen times on each side so it's not mint. I've therefore just put it on a Pro-ject deck to try a few sections and the first thing I noticed is that the lead-in on both sides is crackly. I seem to remember thinking this at the time but in the mid-1990s the quality of vinyl used was often poor and a bit noisy so it wasn't that unusual.
The actual tracks play well on both sides so the pressing is fine. On Side One it's actually reasonably quiet between tracks, with Side Two having a bit more background noise between tracks although nothing like crackle on the lead-in.
Reading online details for the vinyl pressings it seems as though later copies of the first pressing were prone to being a bit crackly on the lead-ins so that seems to confirm this as being that version.
I will package it well, with inner removed from sleeve, and send it out in the UK with P+P included in the price.
Overseas the shipping costs you see are for the Global Shipping Programme.
price rating
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