Wishbone Ash PILGRIMAGE UK LP 1ST RED/BROWN NEAR MINT

	£		36
	$		48

WISHBONE ASH - PILGRIMAGE

IN MAGNIFICENT BARELY PLAYED CONDITION

CORRECT 1ST ISSUE LABELS

• CATALOGUE:MDKS8004
• MATRIX: 7-LNMG-244 3L / 7-245 1L
• MOTHERS/STAMPERS: H 1/ 1G 1

JUST A QUICK WORD ABOUT FIRST ISSUE MCA RECORDINGS OF THIS ERA

THE FIRST TWO ASH ALBUMS MUST HAVE THE DOGBONE LABEL TO BE A FIRST PRESS. THIS LABEL CAME IN NUMEROUS 2 TONE PATTERNS.

RED AND BROWN, RED AND YELLOW, RED AND PINK ARE THE THREE MOST COMMON BUT THERE ARE OTHERS.

BY THE TIME ARGUS WAS RELEASED THIS HAD CHANGED TO THE BLUE AND BLACK LABELS. SO IF YOU COME ACROSS EITHER OF THE FIRST TWO ALBUMS WITH THE BLACK AND BLUE LABELS, THEN IT IS NOT!! A FIRST PRESS

VOLUME FOUR HAD YET ANOTHER CHANGE TO THE LABEL. THIS TIME IT WAS COMPLETELY BLACK WITH SILVER TYPEFACE

AFTER THIS CAME THE RAINBOW LABEL AND SO ON......

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

FIRST PRESS LABELS ON EARLY MCA LP'S CAME IN THREE TWO TONE COLOURS, AND EACH ONE IS A VALID FIRST PRESS AS THEY WERE PRODUCING ALL THREE AT THE SAME TIME. THERE IS PINK AND RED, YELLOW AND RED, AND BROWN AND RED.

THIS IS THE BROWN AND RED 'DOGBONE' FIRST ISSUE LABEL IN SUPERB CONDITION. BOTH COLOURS ARE RICH AND VIBRANT AND THE RED BAND FULLY STRETCHES INTO THE UNWORN SPINDLE HOLE. THE SILVER TYPEFACE REMAINS UNRUBBED AND PERFECTLY LEGIBLE.

THERE ARE JUST 2-3 SMALL SPIDER LINES CLOSE TO THE SPINDLE HOLE INDICATING JUST HOW LITTLE THIS ALBUM HAS BEEN PLAYED SINCE  1971

THE VINYL

THIS HEAVYWEIGHT VINYL GLEAMS LIKE NEW AND HAS LOST NONE OF IT'S ORIGINAL LUSTRE.IN DAYLIGHT IT LOOKS FLAWLESS. UNDER INTENSE ILLUMINATION THERE ARE SOME SWIRLY PATTERNS OF VERY VERY WISPY STUFF. THIS IS JUST WHERE IT HAS BEEN CLEANED WITH SOMETHING THAT HAS LEFT THIS NEAR INVISIBLE TRAIL. IT CERTAINLY DOESN'T SOUND. IT'S NOT THE FIRST TIME I HAVE SEEN WHERE A CLEANER HAS LEFT THESE WISPS

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 DO NOW WITH ALL MY LISTINGS BECAUSE I AM CONVINCED THAT BIDDERS WOULD LOVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO HEAR THE RECORD BEFORE LAYING A BID. THIS IS A SERVICE I AM DELIGHTED TO BE ABLE TO GIVE 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 THIS LP SOUNDS.

THERE IS NO DISTORTION TO THE SOUND AT ANY POINT MEANING WHAT LITTLE PLAY THE RECORD HAS RECEIVED WAS COMPLETED ON A SYSTEM WITH A CORRECTLY TRACKED, WEIGHTED AND UNWORN STYLUS

THE SOLO GUITAR WORK IS JUST MAGNIFICENTLY REPRODUCED

THIS VINYL PLAYS WITHOUT ANY BACKGROUND CRACKLE WHATSOEVER, AND NO LOUD CLICKS EITHER

THERE IS THE ODD RANDOM SECOND OF LIGHT STATIC, AND 2-3 TINY DUST POPS THROUGH THE ENTIRE PLAY.

THE SILENT PASSAGES ARE SILENT, AS ARE THE LINKING GROOVES

AN OUTSTANDING FIRST PRESS, THAT I AM VERY HAPPY TO GRADE NEAR MINT!!!

PLEASE TAKE A GOOD LISTEN FOR YOURSELF AND BE THE JUDGE

THE SLEEVE

THIS NON LAMINATED GATEFOLD SLEEVE IS RARELY FOUND IN ANYTHING OTHER THAN 'WORN OUT' CONDITION. THIS ONE HOWEVER IS IN EXCELLENT PLUS CONDITION.

THIS IS THE CORRECT FIRST ISSUE 'ROBERT STACE PRINTED IN ENGLAND' SLEEVE

THE FRONT SURFACE IS FLAT AND CLEAN AND HAS RETAINED ALL OF THE ORIGINAL COLOURS WHICH ARE OFTEN FOUND RUBBED AWAY ON MOST COPIES. THERE IS ALSO NO EVIDENCE OF ANY RING WEAR, WHICH IS ANOTHER PROBLEM THIS SLEEVE SUFFERS WITH.

THIS FRONT SURFACE IS NEAR PERFECT SHOWING NO HEAVY CREASES, NO FOLD, BENDS OR ANY OBVIOUS BLEMISH. THERE ARE FOUR BARELY VISIBLE TINY LINES CLOSE TO THE SPINE, BUT THATS IT. NO COLOUR LOSS AND NO PAPER SNAGS  OR STICKER MARKS

INCREDIBLY NO RING WEAR, AND NOT EVEN A HINT OF RECORD SHAPE EITHER

THE TOP EDGE IS PRISTINE AND UNWORN,APART FROM THE RIGHT CORNER TIP, WHILST THE BOTTOM EDGE DOES HAVE MILD SHELF WEAR RUBBING

THE OPENING EDGE VERY VERY  SHARP WITH JUST A COUPLE OF TINY THUMB NAIL NICKS.A LITTLE BURRING CAUSED ONLY BECAUSE THE BOTTOM HALF OF THE SLEEVE OVERHANGS A MILLIMETRE.

THE SPINE IS UNUSUALLY  FLAT. MOST COPIES HAVE A FLATTENED SPINE.

ALL OF THE TYPEFACE IS PERFECTLY LEGIBLE. THERE IS A VERY VERY TINY TRACE OF RUBBING ON THE TOP AND BOTTOM TIPS

THE REAR SURFACE IS IN THE SAME SUPERB CONDITON AS THE FRONT, AGAIN NO COLOUR LOSS AND NO HEAVY CREASES, JUST A FEW TINY LITTLE LINES NEAR THE SPINE. AND ONE LIGHT LINE RUNNING PARALLEL WITH THE OPENING EDGE ABOUT A HALF INCH INSIDE THE OENING FOR ABOUT 3 INCHES

AGAIN NO RING WEAR OR RECORD SHAPE

OPENING THE GATEFOLD REVEALS A TOTALLY PRISTINE  INNER SURFACE .

THIS IS THE FIRST PRESS UK SLEEVE AS NOTED BY THE HIPGNOSIS CREDITATION ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE TYPEFACE.ALSO THE ROBERT STACE INFO ON THE REAR SURFACE

THE BLUE AND WHITE POLY LINED INNER SLEEVE IS IN CLEAN CONDITION JUST A SMALL CREASE IN THE CORNER WHERE IT HAS BEEN TUCKED INTO THE SLEEVE BADLY. ONE TINY NICK TO THE TOP EDGE, BUT TOTALLY UNSPLIT AND NO DAMAGE TO THE DIE CUT HOLE

I AM MORE THAN HAPPY TO GRADE THIS SLEEVE EXCELLENT PLUS

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

GARRY