A Day At The Races 1U/1U First Pressing

This first pressing has only been very lightly played judging by the lack of spindle wear and the clarity on both sides is very impressive.  There is minimal 'background' on S1 and S2 is quite simply stunning.

The gatefold is the best I have seen in a long time and has only very minor shelf wear.  Hardly touched!  It is notoriously found in poor condition but this one has been so carefully preserved and is mega impressive!  The original inner is in perfect condition.

EMTC 104 // YAX 5245 - 1U / YAX 5246 - 1U // TT 3 / GGT 2

The audio on S1 is Ex+ (Near Mint in many sections / track 2 Ex to Ex+) 

The audio on S2 is Mint- (track 5 Near Mint-)

 The gatefold is Ex+

The picture inner is Mint

The labels are Mint-
Visual grading

This is visually the 'cleanest' first pressing I have seen in many a year and to say it has an impressive glossy sheen is an understatement!  It is a superb example and all I could detect was a couple of very faint hairlines on S1 and one tiny 'speck' on S2.  It is very nearly perfect and has no scratches either.  Not only that but I would say it has been hardly played as there are only two small wispy spindle trails on each side.  The labels and run out grooves could not look any better.

Play grading

The opening grooves on 'Tie Your Mother Down' do have 4/5 faint crackle sounds but the remainder of the orchestral guitar piece followed by the 'organ' section plays with great clarity and no other 'background'.  Once the track reaches full decibel level the power and depth is superb!  From this point on to the very end it plays 'as new' with not one iota of interference.  Rarely have I heard I heard this rocker play with such definition and with no distortion on the top end at all.  This is a sublime version that would be hard to beat.

It's so difficult finding a 'clean' version of 'You Take My Breath Away' on a genuine first pressing but this one I am pleased to say does not disappoint.  There is only minimal static on the intro (and I mean minimal!) and then plays with wonderful clarity and precision.  The opening piano section plays so clearly and there is just one light click and a couple of static sounds just prior to the vocal.  The first two verses then play nigh on perfectly and whilst the third has a few seconds of light crackle towards the end the music still plays very clearly.  There is also a little crackle at the end but overall this is a very impressive version and easily deserves an Ex grading with the vast majority playing better then that.

'Long Away' is superb from the very first note.  It plays with stunning clarity and has no interference, just a couple of static ticks in one of the quieter sections near the end.  A fantastic version.

The quiet piano intro on the classic 'The Millionaire Waltz' has barely any static and the first two verses are of the same impressive standard and play beautifully well.  The third verse has a little more static but it is very much in the background and is not intrusive.  The 'louder' section plays with stunning power, 'as new' in fact and the remainder plays with great clarity and very little 'background'.  The super quiet 'My fine friend...' section for example is superb and has next to no static.  The end section plays without fault and is 'high end' without question, it is a fantastic listen.

'You And I' ends the side with Mint- audio from start to finish and there is no sign of any distortion which is a rarity.  There are no clicks or pops and the fade out also plays with great precision.

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The classic 'Somebody To Love' is stunning from the very first groove.  Rarely is there no interference on the opening grooves but there is no interference here!  As it continues the more you are impressed by the superb quality of the audio.  There is no 'background' at all and it plays with such dynamic power you would think you were listening to a recently pressed vinyl!  Even the quiet 'Find me somebody to love...' section plays with immaculate clarity.  There are just a couple of static ticks at the end but apart from that this is audio perfection from the first note to the last.  Mint- without question.

'White Man' is another track that often suffers with some interference on the quiet intro.  That is certainly not the case here and the clarity could not be any better.  There is not even a single dust tick let alone anything worse!  It continues to play with immaculate quality and the power and definition of the sound is Mint- it is that good!  The bass is so strong on this track and it really is a 'high end' version, you can hear note with perfect precision.  The quiet end section has only one light static tick and a couple of dust ticks and ends the side with fantastic quality.

I am pleased to say 'Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy' is of exactly the same standard.  This side in my opinion has been barely played such is clarity and strength of the audio on offer.  This great track has no 'background' of any kind and again grades as Mint- it could not play any better.

'Drowse' again plays with incredible precision and...no interference.  It is 'as new' and this is truly sensational audio for a genuine first pressing.  The fade out has no 'background' at all, how rare is that?!

'Let Us Cling Together' plays so 'cleanly' from the very first groove and indeed this quiet intro has barely any static.  It is a fantastic start to this classic, the clarity is superb and of course there are no clicks or pops.  The first chorus plays impeccably well and from then on the audio does not disappoint.  A handful of very minor light ticks but this is a wonderful version of this emotive song without doubt.  It continues with great clarity and depth and barely any distortion.  Just a minimal amount on the choral section but it remains a superb listen.  I may even be too harsh here!  There is some minor static on the end section but again it does not detract from the quality of the audio.  For a 1U/1U press this is a very impressive version, perhaps not quite as perfect as the previous four tracks but still Near Mint- I am confident in saying.

In summary this first pressing plays extremely well and S2 in particular is stunning.  It is becoming increasingly difficult to find a 'decent' first pressing but this will definitely not disappoint.  The clarity and sonic quality on offer is so impressive and the other thing that makes this first press 'stand out from the crowd' is the superb gatefold.  So rarely seen as good as this, just look at the photos!

The Gatefold

This has to be the most impressive genuine 'first press' G&L gatefold I have seen in many a year.  As any Queen fan knows this is arguably the hardest cover to find from their catalogue in excellent condition.  It is so prone to wear and the edges and 'black' nature of it is so often marked etc.  This one has been so well preserved and has only very minor shelf wear.  The edges are so clean and have hardly any wear and the wide spine is the same.  It is 100% legible and it only has the usual two 'line' running down it caused by the opening of the gatefold which is unavoidable obviously!  Even the corners of the spine are in lovely condition with no wear.  The bottom right hand corners again have no obvious wear and the top right ones have just a minimal touch of rubbing, very minimal I hasten to add!  The opening edge is super clean with barely any handling wear.  The front cover is just so good!  It still has its original deep black colour and it is practically unmarked.  There are only a very small number of white specks and just 3/4 small creases around the edges.  The cover is very similar although there are a few more edge creases and a couple are a little more obvious.  The inside of the gatefold is one of the cleanest I have ever seen and has very little of the spotting and fading that is so often prevalent around the edges.  It is in superb condition.  You expect a little creasing around the edges so bearing that in mind this cover is deserving of an Ex+ grade it is that good.  It is another example of a cover/record that has hardly ever been handled and stored very carefully.  It would be very difficult to find a better one and hopefully the photos do it justice!  

Picture inner

The original picture inner is in superb condition and with no splits, marks or creases and is 'as new'.  Superb!   It has the rounded corners as per all the first and early pressings.

The labels

They are in wonderful condition with no marking or writing and hardly any spindle wear either.  Absolutely stunning!

Play tested on my Pro-Ject Essential III Turntable / B&W 684 Speakers

This record has been professionally cleaned on a Pro-Ject VC-S machine

EMTC 104 // YAX 5245 - 1U / YAX 5246 - 1U // TT 3 / GGT 2

I grade according to "Record Collector" guidelines.

Any questions please feel free to ask

Please pay within 4 days of auction end

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