Vinyl: NM Play Graded. Plays Like New! Chrysalis Labels are clean and bright. This is the Original 1983 Chrysalis Records 1ST PRESSING! FV 41412. This is the audiophile acclaimed pressing, Mastered at Sterling Sound, NYC! Huey & The News' Finest Hour!!!...allmusic gives it 4 1/2 stars!!!! See Review Below!
In the Dead Wax: Both sides have matrices etched and STERLING stamped ((Sterling Sound, NYC)). Complete Dead Wax details cheerfully given upon request.
Cover: NM (see photos) Includes the lyrics/photo/credits inner sleeve. Nice high gloss on cover. Front and back of cover artwork and text are rich, clear and bright. Seams and spine are solid and clean. No splits. No writing. Spine print is crystal clear.
PLUS! The following 8 45s are included. The exciting thing about 45s is that they often have RARE songs on the B-sides that are not otherwise available on vinyl. The 45s here have some of these rarities, making this a very special Lot. They all come in their Original Sleeves. Here they are:
The Power of Love / Bad Is Bad NM- MASTERDISK in Dead Wax
Hip To Be Square / Some Of My Lies Are True NM- MASTERDISK in the Dead Wax
If This Is It / Change Of Heart NM- STERLING in the dead wax.
I Want A New Drug / Finally Found A Home VG+ STERLING in the dead wax. Includes Jukebox strip.
I Know What I Like / Forest For The Trees NM- MASTERDISK in the dead wax.
The Heart of Rock 'N Roll / Workin' For A Livin' (LIVE!) VG+ STERLING in the dead wax.
Walking On A Thin Line / The Only One VG+ STERLING in the dead wax.
Perfect World / Slammin' NM- MASTERDISK in the dead wax. Includes the jukebox strip.
Goldmine Standards. I play grade every record that I sell on eBay as I have found you can't rate a record accurately by just visually inspecting it. I wipe the dust off of every cover with clean, unscented baby wipes. I professionally clean the vinyl. (I also operate a Vinyl Record Cleaning business for your dusty/dirty records--if interested, send me a message).
First or early pressings nearly always have more immediacy, presence and dynamics. The sound staging is wider. Subtle instrument nuances are better placed with more spacious textures. Balances are firmer in the bottom end with a far-tighter bass. Upper-mid ranges shine without harshness, and the overall depth is more immersive. Inner details are clearer.
On first and early pressings, the music tends to sound more ‘alive’ and vibrant. The physics of sound energy is hard to clarify and write about from a listening perspective, but the best we can describe it is to say that you can 'hear' what the mixing and mastering engineers wanted you to hear when they first recorded the music.
Picture This found Huey Lewis and the News developing a signature sound, but they truly came into their own on their third album, Sports. It's true that the record holds together better than its predecessors because it has a clear, professional production, but the real key is the songs. Where their previous albums were cluttered with generic filler, nearly every song on Sports has a huge hook. And even if the News aren't bothered by breaking new ground, there's no denying that the craftmanship on Sports is pretty infectious. There's a reason why well over half of the album ("The Heart of Rock & Roll," "Heart and Soul," "I Want a New Drug," "Walking on a Thin Line," "If This Is It") were huge American hit singles -- they have instantly memorable hooks, driven home with economical precision by a tight bar band, who are given just enough polish to make them sound like superstars. And that's just what Sports made them.