Wishbone Ash ARGUS UK LP 1ST BLUE BLACK LABELS MINT-

	£		79
	$		105

WISHBONE ASH - ARGUS

IN MAGNIFICENT BARELY PLAYED CONDITION

1ST PRESS BLUE AND BLACK LABELS

• CATALOGUE:MCA MDKS 8006
• MATRIX: 7-LNMG-256-2L / 257-2L
• MOTHERS/STAMPERS:1 K / 1 D1

THIS IS THE SECOND COPY OF THIS SUPERB ALBUM THAT I HAVE HAD THE FORTUNE TO BE ABLE TO LIST IN THE LAST 2 WEEKS. THIS ONE IS A REAL STUNNER!!!

 A QUICK WORD ABOUT THE LABELS FOR MCA PRESSINGS. IT SEEMS THEY WERE FOREVER CHANGING THE DESIGN, BUT THERE IS A DEFINITE PROGRESSIVE PATH THAT THEY TOOK WITH THE EARLY 70'S PRESSES.

THE FIRST TWO WISHBONE ASH ALBUMS HAD THE MULTICOLOURED 'DOGBONE' LABEL WHERE THE CENTRE BAND YOU SEE ON THIS PRESS CURVED INWARDS IN THE CENTRE AND GAVE THE APPEARANCE OF A DOGBONE. THIS CAME IN ONE OF THREE COLOURS AS I REMEMBER.

RED AND BROWN

YELLOW AND RED

RED AND PINK

ALL THREE WERE ISSUED AT THE SAME TIME AND ONE IS NOT EARLIER THAN THE OTHERS, AND IT IS POSSIBLE TO GET THE FIRST TWO ASH ALBUMS ON ANY OF THE FIRST TWO COLOURS. I HAVEN'T SEEN A RED AND PINK ONE, BUT YOU NEVER KNOW

BY THE TIME ARGUS WAS RELEASED THE LABELS HAD UNDERGONE THE CHANGE YOU SEE HERE. A BLACK LABEL WITH A BLUE BAND ACROSS THE MIDDLE

THE NEXT CHANGE SAW THE BLUE BAND DISAPPEAR AND THE LABEL WAS SOLID BLACK WITH SILVER TYPEFACE. YOU CAN GET ALL THREE OF ASH ALBUMS ON THIS PLAIN LABEL. THEY ARE NOT 1ST PRESSES

WISHBONE FOUR IS A FIRST PRESS ON THE BLACK AND SILVER LABEL HOWEVER

AFTER THIS THE LABELS CHANGED AGAIN TO THE RAINBOW DESIGN ON THE BLACK SURFACE

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

THE JET BLACK, AND BLUE BANDED  LABELS ARE IN MINT CONDITION. THE BASE COLOUR IS RICH AND VIBRANT AND HASN'T WORN ANYWHERE, AND IT STRETCHES RIGHT INTO THE UNWORN SPINDLE HOLE. THE SILVER TYPEFACE AND LOGOS ARE ALSO IN TOP CONDITION AND ALL PERFECTLY LEGIBLE.

THERE ARE JUST 2-3 SMALL SPIDER LINES CLOSE TO THE HOLE SHOWING JUST WHY THIS INCREDIBLE VINYL HAS BARELY BEEN PLAYED

THE VINYL

THE RECORD GLEAMS LIKE NEW AND COULDN'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 ONLY UNDER INTENSE ILLUMINATION ARE THERE SOME WISPY HAIRLINES, AND A COUPLE OF SUPERFICIAL TINY MARKS

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 ENTIRE ALBUM FROM START TO FINISH AS I AM CONVINCED THAT BIDDERS WOULD WELCOME THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO HEAR EXACTLY WHAT THEY ARE CONSIDERING BIDDING ON, AND WHILST IT TAKES FAR LONGER TO DO, I AM DELIGHTED TO BE ABLE TO OFF THIS AS A SERVICE TO MY CUSTOMERS

THE LP PLAYS THROUGH BRILLIANTLY ON BOTH SIDES, AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO TAKE A GOOD LISTEN TO THE SOUNDBITES WHICH DEMONSTRATE JUST HOW FANTASTIC IT IS, PARTICULARLY THE QUIETER EXCERPTS.

THE SILENT BITS ARE SILENT, AND THE MUSIC COMES THROUGH CRISPLY AND CLEARLY. THE STEREO REPRODUCTION IS JUST SUBLIME, AND THIS IS WITHOUT A DOUBT A CLASSIC WISHBONE ASH ALBUM IN SUBLIME ORIGINAL CONDITION

THERE IS NO DISTORTION WHATSOEVER AT ANY POINT AND EVERY NOTE IS HEARD AS IT WAS INTENDED.

THERE IS NO BACKGROUND CRACKLE OR CLICKS AT ALL!!

I BELIEVE THIS EVEN OUT PERFORMS THE ONE I LESTED LAST WEEK, AS I HEARD PERHAPS TWO TINY DUST POPS THROUGH THE ENTIRE PLAY AND ONE SPLIT SECOND OF STATIC

THIS ALBUM PLAYS TO A MINT MINUS CONDITION EASILY

THE SLEEVE

NON LAMINATED , GATEFOLD FIRST ISSUE SLEEVE FROM ROBERT STACE

THIS SLEEVE IS PROBABLY THE HARDEST WISHBONE ASH SLEEVE TO GET IN A HIGH GRADE COLLECTIBLE CONDITION. BEING UNLAMINATED IS ONE THING, BUT THIS SLEEVE HAS A POWDERY FINISH TO ITS SURFACE AND MOST COPIES OF THIS THAT YOU WILL SEE WILL BE VERY BADLY RUBBED. THE COLOUR THAT GETS AFFECTED MOST OF ALL IS THE SOLDIER'S RED CAPE WHICH IS USUALLY MORE GREY THAN RED AS THE TOP COLOUR GETS RUBBED AWAY.

HERE WE HAVE A GREAT ALMOST PRISTINE SLEEVE. THE FRONT SURFACE IS FLAT AND CLEAN AND 99% OF THE COLOURS ARE RETAINED. THERE IS THE VERY SLIGHTEST DUSTING OF GREY ALONG THE BOTTOM EDGE.

THERE ARE NO HEAVY CREASES, CREASE LINES OR BENDS. INCREDIBLY THERE ARE JUST 2 BARELY VISIBLE LITTLE LINES CLOSE BY THE SPINE, AND A THE VERY LIGHTEST SHADOW OF A STICKER REMOVAL MARK JUST TO THE RIGHT OF THE SOLDIER'S HELMET, BUT THIS IS REALLY HARD TO SEE

THE EDGES OF THIS SLEEVE ARE USUALLY WORN AWAY, BUT THIS SLEEVE HAS BEEN HOUSED INSIDE PLASTIC FROM NEW AND BOTH THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES ARE 99% FREE FROM ANY SHELF WEAR, WITH JUST THE BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER TIP LIGHTLY RUBBED

THE SPINE  LIKE MOST SOFT CARDED SLEEVES IS USUALLY FOUND VERY SQUASHED. THIS ONE IS NOT. IT HAS THE RIDGE INSIDE THE MIDDLE, AND IS IN SUPERB ORIGINAL CONDITION. ALL OF THE COLOUR IS THERE AND ALL OF THE TYPEFACE IS LEFIBLE, AND UNRUBBED

THE OPENING EDGE IS STILL RAZOR SHARP AND IT IS VERY OBVIOUS THAT THE RECORD HAS NOT BEEN REMOVED FROM THE SLEEVE MORE THAN A COUPLE OF TIMES

THE REAR SURFACE IS IMMACULATE SHOWING A PRISTINE FINISH. NO RING WEAR AND NOT EVEN ANY SIGN OF RECORD SHAPE. JUST ONE TINY LINE NEAR THE SPINE

OPENING THE GATEFOLD REVEALS A PRISTINE INNER SURFACE AGAIN NO COLOUR LOSS WHATSOEVER. THE BROWN BASE COLOUR IS RICH AND VIBRANT

THE BLUE AND WHITE POLY LINED INNER SLEEVE IS IN MAGNIFICENT UNMOLESTED CONDITION. FLAT AND UNSPLIT AND IN NEAR MINT CONDITION

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

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

GARRY