Queen : The Game A6 / B10 Very Early Pressing

This early pressing is absolutely stunning!  It plays to such a high standard and has only one light click on S2.  The clarity and definition of the audio is incredible and it has lost none of the original bass heavy sound that this album is so famous for.  The silver 'foil' cover is also in fantastic condition and I cannot remember when I saw one as good as this.  the lyric inner is also in perfect condition.

The 'silver foil' cover is one of the finest I have seen in a long time and has only minor wear and the lyric inner is also in fantastic condition.

'Pressing' wise it is difficult to say.  Discogs have A4/B10 as a first press and it does not actually list an A6/B10 one.  I would say it is either a third or fourth pressing - it is a very early done for sure and rarely found as immaculate as this!  It is 40+ years old now let's not forget!  There is barely any spindle wear and it has clearly hardly ever been on a turntable in my opinion.  The audio and stunning visual quality more or less confirms that!

EMA 795 // A-6U / B-10U // MASTERED AT ALLEN ZENTZ L.A., CALIF. etched on both run out grooves

The audio on S1 is Mint(-)

The audio on S2 is Mint(-) (T1 Near Mint / T3 intro Near Mint-)

The cover is Ex+

The lyric inner is Mint

The labels are Mint-

Visual grading

This vinyl is in beautiful condition and still has an immaculate jet-black glossy sheen.  It looks 'as new' I can pay it no higher compliment!  There are no marks or scratches and I cannot detect any hairlines either.  S2 just has a couple of very small faint blemishes but they have no affect on the stunning audio.  Most would not even mention them as they are so small!  The run out grooves are pristine as are the labels - the S1 label just has one tiny spindle trace and S2 just two.  This record is as near to visually perfect as is possible.
Play grading

The synth intro on 'Play The Game' plays with stunning precision and that is rare for these early pressings!  For some reason the opening grooves on this album often play with a lot of 'background' but there is zero here!  The first vocal plays perfectly and there is just a barely audible touch of mega light static into the second verse.  Thereafter it plays with breathtaking clarity and depth and you could not wish for a better start.  Mint-

With complete silence in the dead wax 'Dragon Attack' then plays with remarkable quality from the get go and proceeds in the same way.  The audio is so strong and deep and it has lost none of its original sonic quality.  The depth of sound is so impressive but in a sense that is what you would expect with such a clean vinyl.  I have no hesitation in grading this as Mint as it plays faultlessly from beginning to end.

The iconic intro on 'Another One Bites The Dust' is 'as new' as is the rest!  As I always I have listened to every second and there is no 'background' at all, not even a dust tick.  Pure unadulterated Mint audio!

The underrated 'Need Your Loving Tonight' plays with stunning power and clarity throughout and for once has none of the distortion that you so often find.  Mint

The acoustic intro on 'Crazy Little Thing Called Love' is perfect and it continues to impress with exceptional clarity to the final note.  There are no ticks, clicks or pops and once more this track demonstrates just how well this record has been preserved down the years.  The 'hand clapping' sequence has no 'background' and I cannot praise this version highly enough.  It is so obvious this record has hardly ever been played!  Even the fade out has no interference and this is a stunning Mint end to the side and what a side it is!

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The quiet intro on 'Rock It' is often beset with problems but this one is superb!  It is so close to perfect with just a little light static towards the end.  As the track 'kicks into gear' the audio is so strong and the only interference is one light click on the '...Saturday night' line.  The remainder plays with great quality and I still think a Near Mint grade is deserved.

'Don't Try Suicide' of course has a number of quiet sections and yet they all play with sublime clarity.  The more up tempo sections also play with fantastic quality and this is easily one of the finest versions I have ever heard.  There are no ticks, clicks or pops and no underlying static either.  A Mint version if ever there was one!  Another perfect fade out also.

The quiet intro on 'Sail Away Sweet Sister' just has one tick but otherwise plays perfectly.  The first verse is 'as new' and it continues to play with a clarity and definition that would be hard to beat.  Every section plays with such 'clean' audio and that includes the closing 'wave' section.  I will grade the intro as Near Mint- but the remainder is Mint for sure.

The thumping percussive intro on 'Coming Soon' is flawless and it continues in the same precise way with no interference of any kind.  This is such a powerful version and there is no distortion on the top end.  Mint

For once the quiet intro on 'Save Me' plays beautifully with no intrusion and the first chorus is equally as good.  From then on it plays with a quality that defies its 40+ years which is all the more impressive when you consider is is the final track.  There is literally no interference - no distortion and even the final piano refrain at the end has no static.  A STUNNING Mint end to this amazing album!

In summary this early pressing plays to a fantastic standard with barely any interference, just one light click in fact.  The clarity, depth and warmth of the audio is so impressive and I can confidently say this has only been on a turntable 3 or 4 times at most.  This is certainly up there with the best I have ever heard and together with a superb 'foil' cover this is a stunning 'package'.  I'm sure any avid collector would be as equally as impressed as I am.

The Cover & Lyric Inner

I may say 'best ever / most impressive' a fair amount (!) but this 'silver foil' cover is in exceptional condition and I hope the photos do it justice.  It has retained it shape so well and has clearly not been handled very much at all.  It has hardly any of the creasing/marking/fading/scratching of the surface that you so often see and the edges and spine are in perfect condition.  Just look at the corners - only the one bottom left has a tiny crease and the others are superb!  The opening edge is also in pristine condition.  The front cover is absolutely stunning with no marking and the back is almost as good with only a couple of faint 'lines' and a faint scrape type mark just to the right of the production credits near the bottom.  This really is the only negative and this is unquestionably the finest example of this cover I have seen in many a year.  There I said it!

The thick card inner (with rounded edges) is in perfect condition with no side splits or marking and no creasing either.

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

EMA 795 // A-6U / B-10U // MASTERED AT ALLEN ZENTZ L.A., CALIF. etched on both run out grooves

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