Wishbone Ash ARGUS UK LP 1ST PRESS -2L BLUE/BLACK MINT-

	£		74
	$		98

WISHBONE ASH - ARGUS

IN MAGNIFICENT CONDITION

• CATALOGUE:MCA MDKS 8006
• MATRIX: 7-LNMG-256-2L / 257-2L

ABSOLUTELY STUNNING FIRST PRESS OF THIS SUPERB THIRD ALBUM FROM WISHBONE ASH. THERE WAS NO -1L MATRIX NUMBERS SO THE -2L IS ALWAYS THE FIRST PRESS.

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

HOPE THIS WAS INFORMATIVE

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 3-4 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!!

THERE IS SOME VERY VERY LIGHT VINYL NOISE (STATIC LIKE) IN A FEW OF THE QUIETEST SPOTS,( AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF EACH SIDE) BUT NOTHING THAT MARS THE SUPERB PERFORMANCE OF THIS REPRODUCTION, BUT TAKE A GOOD LISTEN AND JUDGE IT FOR YOURSELF

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 HAS 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. There are just 4 small lines close to the spine, and two thumb lines close to the opening edge.

THE TOP EDGE IS UNWORN,APART FROM ONE TINY WHITE CHIP, WHILST THE BOTTOM EDGE SHOWS MARGINAL LIGHT PATCHY SHELF WEAR.

 THE SPINE WHICH LIKE MOST SOFT CARDED SLEEVES IS USUALLY FOUND VERY SQUASHED. THIS ONE JUST HAS A COUPLE OF HALF FINGER TO THUMB SQUASHES. ALL OF THE DELICATE BLACK TYPEFACE IS THERE AND PERFECTLY LEGIBLE

THE OPENING EDGE IS STILL SHARP AND IT IS VERY OBVIOUS THAT THE RECORD HAS NOT BEEN REMOVED FROM THE SLEEVE. THERE ARE A FEW TINY THUMB NAIL NICKS ALONG THE TOP EDGE

THE REAR SURFACE IS IMMACULATE SHOWING A PRISTINE FINISH. NO RING WEAR AND NOT EVEN ANY SIGN OF RECORD SHAPE. THERE ARE TWO SMALL LINES CLOSE TO THE SPINE

OPENING THE GATEFOLD REVEALS A PRISTINE INNER SURFACE AGAIN NO SERIOUS COLOUR LOSS . THERE IS A LIGHT SHADOW OF GREY AROUND THE PERIMETER EDGES

THE BLUE AND WHITE POLY LINED INNER SLEEVE IS IN MAGNIFICENT UNMOLESTED CONDITION. FLAT AND UNSPLIT WITH JUST A TRACE OF BROWNING WHERE THE GLUE HAS AGED

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

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

GARRY