SLADE PLAY IT LOUD RARE UK PRESS IMPORT A2/B2 JAMES UPTON SLEEVE ONLY TWO PLAYS

$

60

Slade - "Play It Loud"

UK Pressing!

A2/B2 Matrices

Unlaminated James Upton Sleeve

Catalog Number: 2383-026

The criminally-underrated sophomore release by the eventual glam heavyweights, which finds them playing in an oftentimes harder, gritter, and, shall we say, "pub-ier" style than they would become known for, but with their radiant energy and knack for melody already very evident. There are even quite a few heavy psych flourishes, such as on their cover of "The Shape of Things to Come", and on originals like "Know Who You Are" and "Sweet Box".

CONDITION OF THE ALBUM:

I visually grade the disc as Excellent (EX).

I recently purchased this album as a new-old-stock import which had remained sealed by its US importer for 40 years! I am the only person to have ever handled or played this record, and played it only twice on high-end equipment (Technics turntable, Grado stylus).

In turn, the disc retains its full gloss and shows no groovewear whatsoever. Neither label has a single spindle mark (I am always very careful in placing my records on the turntable).

While the disc is free of any scratches or scuffs, it is VERY important to point out that the vinyl itself possesses some defects, including three marks which appear to be scratches, but, upon closer inspection, turn out to be imperfections within the vinyl compound itself. I have taken close-up photographs of each. There are also a couple of tiny bubbles scattered throughout.

None of these defects cause any skips or repeating grooves, but surface noise is present, mostly in quieter passages (the verses of "Dapple Rose" are a prime example). Thankfully, Slade are usually "playing it loud" on this album (as the title would suggest, and as they do on all of their albums), so the noise isn't a total deal-killer. While this is definitely not an audiophile pressing, it's still a very enjoyable listen with lots of life. I'm only selling it because it's a duplicate in my collection.

I have downgraded the disc to EX, despite the fact that it is essentially NM, being that it came from the "record mint" with these defects - it is still in factory-fresh condition, but it didn't come from a great factory, so to speak.

The disc lies perfectly flat on the turntable platter.

Remember, if you aren't satisfied with it, simply initiate a return.

We grade the jacket as Very Good (VG).

Being that the jacket was housed in shrink wrap for over 40 years, it is completely free of ringwear or soiling. The white areas are still as bright white as the day they were printed (or not printed upon, I suppose).

However, there are two things which warrant mention. First, there is a good deal of wrinkling in the area of the spine on both the front and back (but mostly the front). This is due to the fact that the shrink wrap was, well, shrinking and pulling the jacket with it (don't worry - as I mentioned, the disc is perfectly flat and did not get warped in any way). Secondly, there is a small split (about 2 inches long) centered on the bottom seam. It is pretty clean and inconspicuous.

The jacket will be placed in a new, plastic outer sleeve.

The original poly lined inner sleeve is included.

I have put the disc in a second, brand-new, poly-lined inner sleeve to preserve the original.

. . .

Our grading system pretty much follows the Goldmine Magazine format, and is as follows:

Mint (M), Near Mint (NM), Excellent (EX), Very Good Plus (VG+), Very Good (VG), Good (G+), Good (G), Fair (F), and Poor (P).

Although thorough grade explanations are best left for specific item descriptions, we will endeavor to say that: M is pretty much left for the discs of sealed records (and SOMETIMES the jackets of sealed records); NM and EX are in the “Wow, what a beauty!/archive piece” range; VG+ and VG are in the “That’s pretty nice” range; G+ and G are in the “eh, it’s okay” range, and F and P are in the “trashed” range.

All records are shipped in genuine cardboard record mailers. The disc will be placed in a new liner and packaged outside the jacket (but within the plastic outer sleeve) so as to prevent splits. Original liners (if included) will be kept inside the jackets, as will any inserts. The album will be surrounded by three sheets of 12” by 12” bubble wrap (two sheets over the disc). Shipping info is always typed up and printed out – we don’t take chances with shoddy, hand-written addresses! The box will be sealed with and the address sheet will be affixed by lots of Scotch Heavy Duty Shipping Tape.

All payments must be made by PayPal. You may pay by debit, credit, or e-check, but must use the PayPal website to do so.

Payment must be made within 48 hours of purchase/auction’s end.

Import duties, taxes and charges are not included in the item price or shipping charges. These charges are the buyer's responsibility. Please check with your country's customs office to determine what these additional costs will be prior to bidding/buying. These charges are normally collected by the delivering freight (shipping) company or when you pick the item up. Do not confuse them for additional shipping charges.

If you have any further questions, feel free to ask!