A Night At The Opera 2/3 Very Early Pressing

First and foremost this is a stunning vinyl.  The playback is near perfect and there is not one click or pop at all!  It is so rare to find such an early pressing play with such immaculate quality.  All tracks impress but 'Bohemian Rhapsody' in particular is superb.  The embossed gatefold is also in excellent condition with only very minor wear and the original inner has only the one split. 

Many would say this is a genuine first pressing but I prefer to classify it as a second pressing.  The 2/2 was manufactured first although it could be argued that due to the high demand the 2/3 was more than likely pressed at the same time?  So perhaps it could also be said that this is a first press?  The world of what is a first, second, third etc press is a complicated one and has involved many heated debates over the decades!  Regardless of that this is a stunning vinyl!

This has Blair's (not 'Blairs cut') etched onto the run out grooves as per all the first/early pressings.

EMTC 103 // YAX 5063 - 2 / YAX 5064 - 3 // GPR / GOT 1

The audio on S1 is Near Mint (Mint- for the vast majority) 

The audio on S2 is Near Mint (Mint- for the vast majority)

 The gatefold is Ex+

The picture inner is VG++

The labels are Ex+
Visual grading

This vinyl is in exemplary condition and has been so well looked after down the years.  There is some spindle wear but there are no scratches and it retains a very healthy glossy sheen.  There are a few very faint hairlines and a couple on each side that are a little more obvious but they have no affect on the stunning audio whatsoever.  The labels are also very clean as are the run out grooves.

Play grading

The piano sections on the 'Death On Two Legs' intro have minimal light static only and is not intrusive in any way, the clarity is very impressive.  The lead in guitar section then plays superbly well and from then the audio is stunning and plays with faultless precision.  The definition of the sound is so good and there is no distortion on the top end either.  Not one single click or pops!

With complete silence in the dead wax the intro on 'Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon' is then 'as new' and this superb quality prevails throughout and grades as Mint- as there is no just interference of any kind.  There is not even a single dust tick!

'I'm In Love With My Car' also plays with immaculate audio from the first note to the last.  An absolutely stunning version that displays incredible power and a clarity that cannot be improved upon.  Even the fade out plays perfectly.

The same can be said for 'You're My Best Friend' also as it quite simply plays as 'cleanly' as it did when first released back in '75.  Probably cleaner in fact on my stereo!  This is audio of an impeccable standard that is for certain.

'39' continues in the same way with a clarity that you so rarely hear on this acoustic number.  There is no 'background' and it impresses with Mint- audio from start to finish.  It is stunning and the quiet ending has just one barely audible dust tick, that is all and thus far on this classic album there have been no clicks or pops and you could not wish for 'cleaner' audio.

'Sweet Lady' plays with incredibly strong audio from the word go.  The audio has such depth and that is in no small part due to the strong bass that is so high in the mix.  It may not be a favourite but the power and clarity here is highly impressive and is another Mint- track for sure.

As any Queen fan knows 'Seaside Rendezvous' always has some distortion and it is just a matter of how much.  There is some here but it is kept to a minimum and is not intrusive at all.  Rarely the entire side has no clicks or pops and is a superb listen.

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'The Prophet's Song' always has some interference on the opening grooves but I am delighted to say this intro plays with wonderful clarity and there is only a hint of mega light background static.  A superb start.  As the vocal begins the audio is of an exceptional standard and the opening verses play 'as new'.  The power and depth is 'high end' and rarely have I heard this prog classic play with such stunning quality.  No interference at all, not even a dust tick!  The 'now I know...' acapella section then plays beautifully and again has no 'background' of any kind.  Plus the 'la la' section is Mint!  This is audio of the highest calibre possible.  As the guitar resumes there is no decrease in quality and to the end it plays with breathtaking strength and clarity.  You can turn it up to loud without fear of distortion which is a rarity.  The acoustic end section has no obvious static or worse (!) and that is practically unheard of.  Its is incredibly good and could not play any more clearly.

The segue into 'Love Of My Life' is nigh on perfect with only a couple of barely audible dust ticks and again I am just blown away by the quality on offer here.  These early pressings were so often heavily played/taken to parties and it is so rare to find one as 'clean' as this.  This classic ballad continues in exactly the same way with no interference at all.  I did hear the odd mega light dust tick but this is hardly worth mentioning as the clarity is just stunning.  I only mention for the sake of completeness but to all intents and purposes this is as near to Mint as you will find and you cannot often say that about such a quiet track from the mid 70s!

'Good Company' is of the same standard and is without fault.  There is no interference and again grades as Mint- it could not play any better.

  The iconic 'Bohemian Rhapsody' performs with stunning clarity from the very first groove and continues in the same way.  With only a handful of mega quiet dust ticks (most would not enough notice them!) the clarity on the opening verses is of a superlative standard.  It sent shivers down my spine if you'll forgive the pun!!  This just has to be heard to be believed and it is so rare for such an early pressing to play as well as this.  There is quite simply nothing to detract from the sensational audio!  The guitar solo then plays 'as new' and the 'operatic/rock' section?  Wow what a section!  It plays with immense power and barely any distortion on the 'top end' and has no interference.  It is nigh on perfect.  The quiet emotive end section has only a minimal amount of light static and brings this classic to a very satisfying close.

'God Save The Queen' ends the side with wonderful audio and only a little crackle literally at the end.

In summary whilst this album has obviously been played a number of times in my opinion it is still a final upgrade archive copy as it has been so incredibly well preserved.  As stated there are no clicks or pops, basically no intrusive interference at all.  The audio is ''high end' for certain and there cannot be many 2/3 pressings that play as well as this today.  The embossed gatefold is also in lovely condition and the picture inner just has the usual split on the bottom edge.

The Gatefold

This is a very impressive embossed G&L gatefold and one of the cleanest you will find today.  It has retained its 'whiteness' incredibly well and has only minor shelf wear.  The edges are in superb shape with and the only 'rubbing' is on the bottom corner of the back cover, very minor though.  The wide spine has only a couple of very small and faint stain marks but is otherwise in perfect condition.  The opening edge has barely any handling wear, just very minor 'crimping' towards the top.  The front cover is so clean and hopefully the photos do it justice and all you can see are a small number of mega faint spots near the bottom edge.  The back cover is also extremely clean with just one mark top left and another small stain mark far right.  The inside of the gatefold is in beautiful condition and has no marking of any kind.  As we all know this 'white' cover is so difficult to keep clean but at 44 years old it is a great example and deserving of an Ex+ grading in my opinion.

Picture inner

This has the three cropped corners as per all the first and early pressings and is in great condition apart from the obligatory split on the bottom edge.  It is very clean with no marking and the edges remain very clean.

The labels

They are lovely condition with no marking or writing and whilst there is some spindle wear either they both retain their 'white' colouring extremely well.

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 103 // YAX 5063 - 2 / YAX 5064 - 3 // GPR / GOT 1

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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