The Who QUADROPHENIA UK LP 1ST TRACK 2-3 PLAY NMINT

	£		54
	$		72

THE WHO - QUADROPHENIA

IN MAGNIFICENT BARELY PLAYED CONDITION

• SET NUMBER 2657 013
• CATALOGUE:TRACK 2406-111 
• MATRIX: 2406110  A-2 / B-2 / 2406111 A-1 / B2

ORIGINAL FIRST PRESS OF THIS 1973 DOUBLE ALBUM ON THE TRACK LABEL. LABELS ARE THE LIGHTLY TEXTURED FIRST ISSUE AND MATT FINISH NOT GLOSS LIKE THE LATER RELEASES

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

ALL 4 LABELS ARE IN SUPERB CONDITION. THE JET BLACK BASE COLOUR HAS REMAINED UNRUBBED, AND THERE ARE NO MARKS OR STAINS ANYWHERE. THIS COLOUR FULLY STRETCHES INTO THE UNWORN SPINDLE HOLE. THE SILVER TYPEFACE IS ALSO IN TOP CONDITION AND EVERY LETTER IS PERFECTLY LEGIBLE. THE TRACK LOGO WHICH CAN RUB AND WEAR BADLY IS IN PRISTINE CONDITION ON ALL 4 SIDES. A CLOSE EXAMINATION OF THE SPINDLE HOLES REVEALS 3-4 SMALL SPIDER LINES CLOSE BY INDICATING THE VERY MINIMAL AMOUNT OF PLAY THAT THIS 1973 SET HAS RECEIVED

THE VINYL

BOTH DISCS GLEAM LIKE NEW AND COULN'T LOOK ANY BETTER. ALL OF THE ORIGINAL LUSTRE HAS BEEN RETAINED. THERE ARE NO VISIBLE MARKS OR ANY SIGNS OF HANDLING ON THE DISCS, AND EVEN UNDER INTENSE ILLUMINATION THERE ARE JUST A FEW LIGHT WISPY HAIRLINES. A SUPERB PAIR OF ORIGINAL VINYLS

PLAYING THE RECORD

I BELIEVE THAT IF YOU ARE GOING TO SPEND YOUR MONEY ON A FANTASTIC COLLECTIBLE VINYL, THAT YOU SHOULD BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR WHAT YOU ARE BUYING. I HAVE THEREFORE INVESTED IN THE SOFTWARE THAT ALLOWS YOU TO DO JUST THAT.

I HAVE RECORDED THE WHOLE DOUBLE ALBUM SET FROM START TO FINISH. I HAVE TAKEN THIS EXTRA TIME AND EFFORT IN A BID TO STEP UP WHAT GOOD LOOKS AND SOUNDS LIKE ON EBAY. IT HAS LONG BEEN SAID AND FAIRLY SO THAT BUYING VINYL ON EBAY IS A LOTTERY AS SELLERS CONTINUE TO MISDESCRIBE THE QUALITY OF THEIR ALBUMS OFTEN LISTED WITHOUT BEING ACTUALLY ABLE TO PLAY THEM. I THINK BUYERS ARE FED UP WITH BIDDING ON MINT ALBUMS TO FIND THEM ACTUAL A FAR LESS GRADE WHEN PLAYED. HERE THEN IS THE WAY FORWARD I BELIEVE AND I HOPE YOU THINK SO TOO

THE LP'S PLAY THROUGH BRILLIANTLY ON BALL SIDES, AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO TAKE A GOOD LISTEN TO THE SOUNDBITES WHICH DEMONSTRATE JUST HOW FANTASTIC THESE DISCS SOUNDS. THE SILENT BITS ARE SILENT, AND THE MUSIC COMES THROUGH CRISPLY AND CLEARLY. THERE IS A LITTLE VINYL NOISE AT THE START OF EACH SIDE, AND A COUPLE OF RANDOM LITTLE DUST POPS HERE AND THERE, BUT CERTAINLY NO BACKGROUND CRACKLING OR FRYING BACON.

IT'S A CRACKING ORIGINAL 1973 FIRST PRESS, AND IN A VERY VERY COLLECTIBLE CONDITION

I AM MORE THAN HAPPY TO GRADE THIS VINYL NEAR MINT / MINT MINUS

THE SLEEVE

WELL WHERE TO BEGIN WITH THIS SLEEVE?

IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT MOST COPIES FOR SALE, YOU WILL NOTICE IMMEDIATELY THAT THE SLEEVE LETS THE RECORDS DOWN, NO MATTER HOW GOOD THE VINYL IS. THERE ARE MANY REASONS FOR THIS, SO LETS TAKE A LOOK AT WHY THIS IS SUCH A HARD SLEEVE TO FIND IN A COLLECTIBLE CONDITION.

THE FIRST THING IS THAT THE SLEEVE IS MANUFACTURED FROM A VERY SOFT CARD. WHEN YOU TOUCH IT YOU CAN ALMOST GET THE SENSE THAT IT MADE OF SOMETHING LIKE PHOTO PAPER. THE SURFACE FEELS ALMOST SLIMY TO THE TOUCH. THIS DELICATE SURFACE IS THEREFORE PRONE TO SEVERE WEAR, USUALLY THE MOST NOTICABLE BEING RING WEAR WHERE THE WHITE OUTLINE OF THE RECORDS HAVE CREATED A HIDDEOUS RING ON BOTH THE FRONT AND THE BACK COVER. BEING THIS SOFT AS WELL MEANS THAT ANY STICKER THAT WAS ON THE SURFACE, IF REMOVED IT LIKELY TO TEAR AWAY THE TOP SURFACE. AND OF COURSE THE FACT THAT THE SLEEVE IS NOT LAMINATED MEANS IT IS PRONE TO STAINS AND HANDLING. THE SPINE ALSO SUFFERS BADLY, AND MANY MANY COPIES ARE BENT, SQUASHED, FRAYED, SPLIT, OR COMPLETELY SHELF WORN.

INSIDE THE SLEEVE THERE IS A VERY VERY HEAVY BOOKLET WHICH WAS STAPLED INTO THE SPINE. IT ONLY TAKES A FEW ROUGH PAGE TURNS TO JOLT THIS LOOSE AND TEAR IT FROM THE SOFT SPINE. OR MORE COMMON THAN THAT IF THE SLEEVE IS LEFT UNPROTECTED, AND BY THAT I MEAN NOT HOUSED IN A PLASTIC SLEEVE, THEN THE WEIGHT OF THE BOOK GRADUALLY PULLS DOWN ON THE STAPLES WHICH EVENTUALLY GIVE WAY AND THE WHOLE BOOK COMES ADRIFT, WHICH IS WHY MANY COPIES, THE BOOK WILL BE FOUND HOUSED INSIDE THE SLEEVE WITH THE RECORDS. ANYWAY SORRY FOR THE HISTORY LESSON, BUT I WANTED TO GET ACCROSS JUST HOW NEAR IMPOSSIBLE IT IS TO FIND ONE IN MINT CONDITION

THE FRONT SURFACE IS TOTALLY FLAT AND 100% FREE FROM ANY LOSS OF THE GREY COLOUR. IT HAS BEEN HOUSED IN A STRONG PLASTIC OUTER SLEEVE SINCE 1973. THERE ARE NO HEAVY, OR EVEN LIGHT CREASES TO THIS SURFACE, AND NOT EVEN THE SMALL ONES THAT CONGREGATE ALONG THE SPINE EDGE EITHER. THERE ARE SOME SMALL LINES ALONG THE BOTTOM EDGE, AND ONE ALONG THE TOP EDGE.THERE IS NO WHITE RECORD SHAPE RING AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED.

THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES HAVE THE BAREST TRACE OF SHELF WEAR, BUT AGAIN COMPARED TO MOST THESE ARE EXCELLENT

THE LARGE WIDE SPINE IS JUST AMAZING. DEFINITELY THE BEST ONE I HAVE EVER SEEN. NO COLOUR LOSS,APART FROM A PIN PRICK AT THE VERY TOP EDGE, NO CREASES OR ANY DAMAGE WHATSOEVER, AND EVERY SINGLE LETTER IS LEGIBLE. LOOKS SUPERB!

THE TWO OPENING EDGES ARE BOTH RAZOR AND BEARING IN MIND JUST HOW SOFT THIS CARD IS, THAT IS QUITE SPECIAL.

THE REAR SURFACE IS EVERY LITTLE BIT AS BRILLIANT AS THE FRONT. AGAIN NO CREASES, OR LOSS OF COLOUR OR RING WEAR. JUST PERFECT.

NOW THEN OPENING THE GATEFOLD WITH SOME CARE REVEALS THAT THERE HAS BEEN A SMALL REPAIR TO THE BOOK. THE FONT AND BACK PAGES ARE PROPERLY  STUCK IN PLACE, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE THERE HAS BEEN A LITTLE LOSENING AND PEHARS THE MIDDLE OF THE BOOK DID COME LOOSE AT ONE POINT AS THERE ARE SOME BROWN TAPE MARKS BUT NO ACTUAL TAPE. THE BOOK IS FIRMLY IN PLACE AND NOT LOOSE SO WHATEVER WAS DONE HAS CORRECTED THE PROBLEM, I AM HOUSING THE WHOLE SLEEVE INSIDE A NEW VERY TIGHT HUGGING OUTER SLEEVE TO ENSURE THERE IS NO FURTHER WEIGHT PLACED UPON THE STAPLES. ALSO I AM REMOVING THE LP'S FROM THE SLEEVE AND PLACING THEM OUTSIDE FOR MAXIMUM PROTECTION.

THE TWO ORIGINAL INNER SLEEVES ARE IN SUPERB CONDITION. FLAT AND UNCREASED WITH JUST SOME LIGHT AGING TO THE GLUE WHICH SHOWS THROUGH THE PAPER. THERE ARE ASLO A COUPLE OF MOTTLING STAINS, BUT NO SEAM SPLITS ETC.

I HAVE NO HESITATION IN GRADING THIS MAGNIFICENT SLEEVE NEAR MINT MINUS

I WILL BE ON HOLIDAY WHEN THIS FINISHES SO I AM HAPPY TO WAIT FOR PAYMENT UNTIL I CAN POST IT, AROUND OCTOBER 10TH

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR BID IF YOU CHOSE TO GO FOR IT

GARRY