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WE CURRENTLY HAVE  MORE  THAN 300 LISTED ITEMS

 

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·       DIRE STRAITS – LOVE OVER GOLD - ORIGINAL 1981 WARNER BROTHERS RECORDS STEREO LP 1-23728

 

·       ORIGINAL U.S. PRESSING

 

·       PROMO-ONLY AUDIOPHILE ALBUM, PRESSED ON "QUIEX-II" HIGH-QUALITY VIRGIN VINYL - NEVER COMMERCIALLY RELEASED IN THIS FORM.

 

·       *** PROMOTIONAL COPY; THE RECORD HAS STOCK LABELS, HOWEVER, THE PROMO-ONLY QUIEX II STICKER AND GOLD PROMO STAMP ON THE COVER CLEARLY IDENTIFY THE ITEM AS PROMOTIONAL ***

 

·       Quiex II pressings are easy to recognize: they have a non-opaque (translucent) vinyl; the regular pressing of this album has a regular black, opaque, non-transparent vinyl.

 

·       ORIGINAL BEIGE (PALE GRAY) WARNER BROTHERS LABEL WITH SMALL MULTICOLORED “WB” LOGO ON TOP OF THE LABEL (LATE 70’s STYLE)

 

·       THIS IS THE ORIGINAL, AUTHENTIC, FIRST U.S. PRESSING; THIS IS NOT A REISSUE, AN IMPORT, OR A COUNTERFEIT PRESSING.

 

·       ORIGINAL, THIN CARDBOARD COVER (NO THICK CARDBOARD COVERS WERE EVER PRODUCED FOR THIS TITLE)

 

·       COVER HAS A NIFTY QUIEX 2 STICKER ON THE FRONT PANEL

 

·       CLEAN, WEAR-FREE LABELS

 

·       THE RECORD HAS A 'MASTERDISK' MACHINE STAMP IN THE TRAIL-OFF VINYL (DEAD WAX) AREA, WHICH IS GENERALLY CONSIDERED A PROOF OF AUTHENTICITY OF THE FIRST PRESSING.

 

·       THICK, HEAVY VINYL PRESSING

 

(►PLEASE SEE THE IMAGE OF THE COVER, LABEL OR BOTH, SHOWN BELOW)

(Note: this is a REAL image of the ACTUAL item you are bidding on. This is NOT a "recycled" image from our previous auction. What you see is what you’ll get.  GUARANTEED!)

 

 

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Contrary to the blasé buying habits of the general listening public, Brothers in Arms is not, in any way, shape or form, Dire Strait's best album. It is commercially detestable, aurally indigestible and critically contestable. But hey, if you enjoy such annoyingly overplayed bits of MTV tripe like "Money for Nothing" or "Walk of Life", then avert your eyes, as this review aint for you. If, however, you enjoy moving songs played elegantly and some genuinely gorgeous riffs plucked by guitar-picker extraordinaire Mark Knopfler, then there's hope for you yet!

 

Love Over Gold is an album that was very ambitious, but was successful in achieving an incredibly evocative sound and an impeccable clarity, even over the 14+ minute composition "Telegraph Road", the stellar centerpiece of the album. Then there is one of my favorite songs of the 80s, "Industrial Disease", one of the funniest takes on technology overload ever written (with a wonderfully infectious organ line and sly Dylanesque lyrics and rhyme scheme). There is also the dark "Private Investigations", and jazzy stylings of the title track.

 

Private Investigations' seems like it must have been inspired by Polanski's Chinatown. The opening is a lonely guitar with mopey background piano. Some atmospheric marimba kicks in later. In his usual not-quite-singing-not-quite-talking voice, Knopfler tells of the life of a private eye, possibly one who's even more down and out and sick and tired than Jake Gittes. Just over halfway through, the song moves into an instrumental section, in which the quiet guitar and marimba play a duet that's then torn apart by sudden, fierce guitar and piano chords. The whole song has an aura of palpable dead-end despair and disquiet. I love, love, love this song.

 

Then a change of pace -- well, in pacing but not entirely in mood. 'Industrial Disease' is an up-tempo pop track, not unlike 'Walk of Life' from their next album, but it is extremely dark (like 'Investigations') and side-splittingly funny (not at all like 'Investigations', which is about as funny as a gunshot wound). I really can't think of another song with lyrics as clever and hilarious as this. The verse in which Knopfler impersonates a doctor having the time of his life diagnosing people with 'industrial disease' is just priceless: "Come back and see me later / Next patient please! / Send in another victim of Industrial Disease." And the song is full of classic lines, like "Two men say they're Jesus / One of them must be wrong...", and (my favorite) "Philosophy is useless / Theology is worse".

 

Love Over Gold is arguably the Dire Straits' best album (far less poppy than Brothers In Arms). Love Over Gold is also, in my opinion, Mark Knopfler's greatest album as a guitarist. It's also an album with more strong songs per capita than any other album Dire Straits ever did. Side one is nearly flawless.. In my opinion, if you only own one Dire Straits album, it should be Love Over Gold.

 

This is a rare opportunity to acquire this great album in its finest audio format, no longer in print, and no longer easily obtainable.

 

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The PROMOTIONAL, RADIO STATION-, AUDITION OR DEMONSTRATION COPIES AND RELEASES (such as the one we have here) were routinely distributed among the radio stations before the LP was released to the public, sometimes as much as 4 months ahead. These records are generally considered to be the "first among equals", which is to say the VERY FIRST generation and the VERY FIRST pressings of the particular title.

 

TO SEE IF WE HAVE OTHER LISTED ITEMS BY THIS GROUP OR ARTIST ► 

 

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·       CONDITION:

 

·       THE RECORD

 

(IMPORTANT NOTE: unless otherwise noted, ALL records are graded visually, and NOT play-graded!; we  grade records under the strong, diffuse room light or discrete sunlight)

 

(a)          WE GRADE THE VINYL AS EXCELLENT. This is one of those albums that are somewhat difficult to grade. It is somewhere between VG++ and NEAR MINT, just a notch below NEAR MINT. A few light abrasions ARE visible, but they are extremely shallow, superficial  and only moderately visually distracting (nothing significant).For the most part, the vinyl looks impeccable without any MAJOR visual flaws or imperfections. Much of the original luster is intact, and the vinyl shines and sparkles almost like new.

 

(b)          The record comes in its original, custom, inner sleeve, which is UNIQUE to this album.

 

(c)           The record is pressed on a beautiful, high-quality, virgin-grade vinyl, which is usually used for audiophile, extended-dynamic-range, half-speed mastered and connoisseur pressings.

 

(d)          The record is pressed on a beautiful, thick, inflexible vinyl, which was usually used for the first or very early pressings. Usually, the sound on such thick vinyl pressings is full-bodied, vivid, and even dramatic. Do not expect to obtain such a majestic analog sound from a digital recording!

 

(e)           Promo-only audiophile version of this title is much rarer that a regular, commercially released, version of this title. We estimate that stock copies of this album outnumber audiophile promo copies by a ratio of at least 20:1.

 

(f)            Of course, this is a full-bodied ANALOG recording, and not an inferior, digital recording!!!

 

 

·                               THE COVER

 

THE COVER IS ABOUT VERY GOOD+(+)

 

The following flaws or imperfections are noted on the cover:

 

-        Cover has some light ring wear (nothing significant); On the scale from 1 to 10 (1 being the least, and  10 being the most severe), we assess the severity of ring wear as 4

 

-        Cover has a few tiny wrinkles along the spine  (BARELY VISIBLE)

 

-         Visible shelf wear noted on the seams

 

-         Cover has two corners slightly worn (nothing significant)

 

-         The cover has a few tiny scratch marks on the front side

 

 

NO OTHER VISIBLE FLAWS OR IMPERFECTIONS ON THE  COVER

 

 

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POSTAGE & SHIPPING:

 

We offer THREE postage rates for both Domestic and International Mail: Media Mail, Priority Mail and Express Mail for domestic, and First Class, Priority International Mail, and Express International Mail for international orders. INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS PLEASE NOTE: WE RECOMMEND (BUT DO NOT INSIST) that you select USPS International Priority Mail OR International Express mail when making a payment.

 

INTERNATIONAL POSTAGE rates vary from one region of  the world to another. For SPECIFIC international and domestic postage rates ►. While you can be rest assured that our packaging is careful, sturdy and impact-proof, please note that damage, loss or theft in transit is always possible, and in the case of some countries even PROBABLE. To discuss this potential problem and ensure flawless delivery, please contact us thru eBay BEFORE placing a bid.

 

 

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OUR REFUND POLICY :

 

WE OFFER UNCONDITIONAL MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE WITHIN 30 DAYS FROM THE RECEIPT OF THE MERCHANDISE, NO QUESTIONS ASKED; Still sealed items MUST be returned sealed in order to be eligible for a refund Some restrictions apply. Please read our complete refund policy before placing a bid. ►  for the full text of our policy

 

 

FINE (BUT IMPORTANT!) PRINT

 

(1) The year indicated in the title bar is the year of the original release,  NOT necessarily the year of the actual pressing; for the actual generation of the pressing, please see our item description (top section, text in red letters). (2) Please do NOT bid based on the title bar, subtitle bar or item specifics box alone; instead, please read the entire description and grading before bidding; (3) Absolutely NO order cancellations after the auction closes. ever, under any circumstances. We can ONLY cancel bids before the item closes. (4) We are unable to cancel bids in the final 12 hours of the auction; if you need to do so, please contact eBay for help (5) We are unable to provide matrix-, stamper- or other pressing  information in the final 24 hours of the auction. If you require this information, please contact us well before the final day of the auction. (6) Yes, we DO combine shipments. Please click on "Shipping and Payment" tab on top of the auction page for additional details. (7)  All Paypal payments must be made from confirmed Paypal shipping addresses. NO third party shipping addresses will be honored (8) Absolutely NO partial refunds: if you are unhappy with the merchandise you received, please return it for a full refund, postage included (9). Civilized people can disagree without accusing each other of being indecent or dishonest; if you need proof of this seller's personal integrity, please check our eBay feedback, which speaks for itself  (10) All disagreements and miscommunications can be - and will only be - solved in a civil and mutually respectful manner;  please avoid puerile, offensive, abrasive or menacing language (attempted humor is fine and usually appreciated, although overused-to-death sarcasms can be really, really tedious. (11) This seller will accommodate all reasonable requests and is generally a flexible and agreeable person (12) Our love & appreciation for your trust, loyalty and business, always and forever; Thank You & Good Night!

 

 

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