The Beatles / 1967 - 1970 'The Blue Album' 2LP 2nd Press 1978 w/Sticker

This second pressing is in fantastic condition and as per the 'Red Album' that I am also selling it has hardly ever been on a turntable.  Judging by the audio and visual quality I would say it has only been played once or twice at most.  Indeed there are only two barely visible spindle traces on the S1 label, nothing on the others, lending further weight to that theory.

Pressed on bright swirly blue vinyl the records are visually stunning and as you can see from my grading below the audio is quite simply exceptional.  The sonic quality is stunning and there are no clicks or pops and barely any static.

The laminated gatefold is in superb condition and still has the original sticker on the front.  At first glance the cover appears to be 'as new' and has no real wear at all.  The blue inners are also in excellent condition with only very minimal wear.

This pressing was cut by Harry T Moss who of course is known as one of the finest mastering/cutting engineers of his day.  HTM is etched into each run out groove.  His 'records' are always known to have a greater sonic quality and this one is no exception!

PCS 718 // YEX 909-6 / YEX 910-5 / YEX 911-2 / YEX 912-3 // OR 3 / ROR 3 / GMA 6 / HLA 3

The audio on S1 is Mint(-) (T1 intro Ex+ / T6 fade out Near Mint-)

The audio on S2 is Mint(-)

The audio on S3 is Mint(-)

The audio on S4 is Mint(-)

The laminated gatefold is Near Mint

The labels are Mint

The blue lyric inners are Ex+
Visual grading

The vinyls are in superb condition and there are no obvious marks or scratches to be seen.  I could only detect 3/4 very faint hairlines and some very minor 'mottling' which has no affect on the audio.  It is very faint and you have to look very closely in order to see it!  There is no groove wear but this is not surprising as the vinyls have hardly been played.  There are only a couple of tiny spindle traces on S1 and there is no spindle wear on the other labels.  The labels look as good as they did in the 70s!

Play grading

S1 plays with stunning clarity and definition from the first track to the last.  The classic 'Strawberry Fields Forever' has only three light static sounds on the intro and then plays with perfect precision.  'A Day In The Life' has a small number of light static ticks on the long fade out but that is the only other track on the side that has a little 'background' albeit extremely minimal.  'All You Need Is Love' has a little inner groove distortion but in a way that is to be expected being the final track on the side...this is vinyl after all!

'I Am The Walrus' on S2 easily qualifies as Mint with a sonic quality that is just exceptional, never heard better!  From the intro to the 'fade out' there are just no faults.  The remaining tracks play to the same standard with no intrusion and 'The Fool On The Hill' is a fine example of that - relatively quiet and yet there is no 'background', just pure Mint audio in all its glory!  Honestly I cannot stress enough just how stunning the audio is on this side and 'as new' is an honest appraisal.  Each and every note is so clean and precise and the playback is equal to that of an un-played record.  'Magical Mystery Tour' is Mint - 'Lady Madonna' is Mint, you get the idea!  And words cannot express just how incredible 'Hey Jude' is!  The clarity and depth here is just STUNNING and again there is just no interference at all.  Wow what a version!

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S3 begins with a stunning version of 'Back In The U.S.S.R.' and this standard is kept up with each track that follows.  The classic 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' is practically 'as new' with only 3/4 very light ticks right at the end of the fade out but as per S2 there are no negatives across the entire side.  It plays with a CD aesthetic quality but without the warmth and depth that only vinyl can bring.

'Here Comes The Sun' on S4 plays beautifully from the first groove and continues in the same precise way to the very end.  An immaculate Mint version for sure.  The same applies to 'Come Together' and 'Something' - every track here plays with sublime quality and the only 'background' (not interference!) is one barely audible tick on 'Let It Be'.  The rest of the side is of the same 'high end' standard with no intrusion of any kind.  'The Long And Winding Road' ends the album as it began...with stunning audio and barely any inner groove distortion.

In summary this double album plays with outstanding clarity and definition throughout and not one single click or pop!  I have owned a few of these down the years and this is by far the most impressive I have listened to.  As per the 'Red' album that I am also selling this has hardly been played and that is certainly reflected in the audio quality.  A stunning album.

The Gatefold & Blue Lyric Inners

The laminated G & L cover is in superb condition but that is surprising as it is from the same previous home as 'The Red Album'!  This one also has sticker in the top right corner.  The edges and wide spine are in perfect order and there is barely any corner wear either.  The opening edges are super clean with only a couple of minor 'crimps' and there is no real handling wear.  The front and back cover are immaculate with no marking or creasing at all and the inside of the gatefold is also in beautiful condition with no marking.  This cover is also very strong and robust like it has hardly been handled.  A stunning example overall.

The blue lyric inners are near perfect with only a very small 1cm split on the bottom edge of the first one and a 2cm split on the second.  In fact it looks more like an area of 'rubbing' rather than an actual split.  The first one also has some white 'specks' in the lower right corner.

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

The records have been cleaned on a Pro-Ject VC-S machine

PCS 718 // YEX 909-6 / YEX 910-5 / YEX 911-2 / YEX 912-3 // OR 3 / ROR 3 / GMA 6 / HLA 3

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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Postage & Packaging

I NOW ONLY SEND ITEMS WORLDWIDE VIA TRACKED SHIPPING. THIS PROVIDES 'PEACE OF MIND' IN CASE OF LOSS OR DAMAGE. ALL COSTS ARE SHOWN BELOW AND COMBINED POSTAGE IS ALWAYS OFFERED. ANY OVER-PAYMENT WILL ALWAYS BE REFUNDED BACK TO THE BUYER.

THE ROYAL MAIL ONLY INSURE ITEMS UP TO THE VALUE OF £250 SO IF AN ITEM SELLS FOR MORE A COURIER SERVICE WILL BE USED (e.g. Parcelforce, DPD).  AN EXTRA INSURANCE PREMIUM WILL BE REQUIRED BUT I WILL NOT KNOW THE EXACT AMOUNT UNTIL THE FINAL SALE PRICE IS KNOWN.  HOWEVER, SOMETIMES I WILL ESTIMATE A COST AND THIS WILL BE STATED IN THE LISTING.  PLEASE WAIT FOR THE INVOICE BEFORE MAKING ANY PAYMENT BUT IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE FEEL FREE TO GET IN TOUCH.  MANY THANKS.

ALL VINYLS ARE PACKAGED IN STRONG CUSTOM MADE OVER-SIZED MAILERS WITH EXTRA CARDBOARD PROTECTION. THEY ARE PUT IN SEPARATE POLY-LINED INNERS OUTSIDE OF THE COVER SO AS TO AVOID SEAM SPLITS. THEY ARE ALSO PLACED INSIDE A PVC SLEEVE TO PROVIDE EXTRA PROTECTION. I PRIDE MYSELF ON MY HIGH QUALITY PACKAGING AS MY FEEDBACK TESTIFIES AND IF ANY CUSTOMER HAS ANY SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS I WILL ALWAYS ENDEAVOUR TO HELP.

I ONLY USE HIGH QUALITY MAILERS AND THESE COST ME £1.00 EACH. I WILL OFTEN USE 3 OR 4 CARDBOARD STIFFENERS AND THESE COST AT LEAST £0.15 EACH AND THEN THERE IS THE COST OF THE POLY-LINED INNER AND PVC SLEEVE TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT. IT ALL ADDS UP! NOT FORGETTING EBAY TAKING 10% OF THE SHIPPING FEE ALSO!!

UK Postage Rates (First Class Recorded - Max 2kg)

LPs/12" singles : £5.75 up to 1kg then £1.00 per extra item 

EUROPE (Tracked - Max 2kg)

LPs/12" singles : £17.45 then £1.50 per extra 

REST OF WORLD (Tracked - Max 2kg)  

LPs/12" singles : £23.95 then £2.00 per extra

I AM MORE THAN HAPPY TO LEAVE FEEDBACK AFTER PAYMENT HAS BEEN MADE, NONE OF THIS WAITING BEFORE I RECEIVE FEEDBACK FROM YOU - I HAVE CONFIDENCE IN MY LISTINGS!  IF YOU ARE NOT ENTIRELY HAPPY WITH YOUR PURCHASE PLEASE CONTACT ME BEFORE LEAVING FEEDBACK AND I WILL ALWAYS RESOLVE ANY PROBLEM, 100% GUARANTEED.  IF YOU WOULD PREFER TO SEND THE ITEM BACK I WILL OF COURSE OF COURSE PAY THE RETURN SHIPPING COST IF I AM AT FAULT.  I AM ONLY HUMAN AFTER ALL!