Uriah Heep : The Magician's Birthday A1 / B1 1st Press

This has to be the finest example of this first pressing that I have listened to in many a year.  The clarity and depth of the audio on both sides could not be any stronger and this is a FINAL UPGRADE album for sure.  There are no ticks, clicks or pops and no obvious static either, even the very quiet 'Rain' on S1 plays beautifully.  A stunning album.

The gatefold is in excellent condition with only very minor shelf wear and the lyric inner is also very clean with only a couple of small faint marks and a little creasing.

With international shipping (including Europe now) I will declare a lower amount so as to decrease/avoid any Customs' fees.

ILPS 9213 // A - 1U / B - 1U // GH 1 / RR 1 // G. KONG etched on both sides

The audio on S1 is Mint(-)

The audio S2 is Mint(-)

The gatefold is Ex+

The labels are Mint-
The lyric inner is Ex
Visual grading

The vinyl is in fantastic condition and still has a lovely glossy sheen.  There are no marks or scratches and I can only locate a handful of very faint hairlines that obviously have no affect on the stunning audio.  The run out grooves are immaculate and the Bronze labels are also super clean with barely any spindle wear.

Play grading

The quiet intro on 'Sunrise' has no interference and as the volume ramps up the playback is stunning!  There is also no intrusion on Byron's first vocal and this standard is maintained as the track progresses.  There is such power and depth here and already you can tell the record has hardly been played.  The quieter vocals play with sublime clarity and the more powerful sections have no distortion on the top end.  This is a Mint start for sure.

'Spider Woman' is equally as impressive with no ticks, clicks, pops or static.  Even the drawn out final note has no 'background'.  Another Mint track.

The intro on 'Blind Eye' plays perfectly and indeed from start to finish there is no interference of any kind.  So far this album is playing rather well!  The audio here is so clean and each note plays with such precision.  Mint

The long intro on 'Echoes In The Dark' again plays so well with no intrusion.  The brief quiet passage prior to the first verse has no 'background' which gives you a good idea of the clarity on offer here.  From then on there are no negatives, just pure 'clean' audio with a delicate touch when required and stunning power during the 'high octane' moments.  The end section section in particular is STUNNING!  I often think Heep have that Broadway Show 'feel' to some of their tracks and nowhere is that more obvious than here.  A superb Mint version I am pleased to say.

The gentle piano intro on 'Rain' plays beautifully with barely any static and the first verse is of the same standard.  It continues in the same way and for a final track that is so quiet to play with such clarity is a rarity especially when you think it is fast approaching 50 years of age!  There is just an almost imperceptible amount of mega quiet background static here and there but I think I am doing myself a disservice by even mentioning it.  It is sooo quiet!  There are no ticks, clicks or pops and in essence there is no intrusion at all.  I am still confident in grading this as Mint- it really is a STUNNING version.

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'Sweet Lorraine' begins S2 in fine style with no interference once more.  From start to finish you cannot fault the audio and Mint is again very much deserved.

The acoustic intro on 'Tales' plays so clearly and Byron's opening vocal is as good as it would've sounded back in '72.  This track is of course very much driven by the vocals and melody and I have never heard a stronger more cohesive version.  The clarity and definition throughout is sublime.  You know the grade...

The title track 'The Magician's Birthday' plays with superb audio from the get go and as always I have listened to every second so as to give a 'complete' appraisal.  There is no need to detail each section as they all play to the same 'high end' standard.  The mid instrumental is a little experimental but it nonetheless plays with Mint quality with a power and depth that has no distortion on the top end.  The final vocal sections are faultless and whilst you may think it unlikely that a 10 minute epic can be graded as Mint then I can categorically state that there is no intrusion on the audio whatsoever, not even a solitary light tick let alone anything more.  The clarity is akin to that of an un-played record and I cannot emphasise enough just how impressive the playback is.  A stunning finale to the album.

In summary this first pressing plays with sensational audio from the first note to the last with no intrusion of any kind.  This is undoubtedly the finest version of this album that I have ever listened to and easily qualifies as a FINAL UPGRADE time-warp classic.  It's good that there are still some collectors out there that preserved their albums in such immaculate condition!  This is of course 50 next year and I suspect I will never find another like it!  The clarity, definition and warmth of the audio on both sides is so impressive.

The Gatefold & Lyric Inner

The cover is in great condition with only very minimal wear and has maintained its original shape so has clearly not been handled too much.  The edges have barely any rubbing and the wide spine is near perfect with only a couple of small faint white 'marks' in the centre.  All corners are in superb shape with very little wear and the opening edge is as close to perfect as could be.  The front cover is incredibly clean with only a very minor hint of fading on the top half of the right side but I am being very picky there really!  The back cover does have a small number of faint spots and some light marking near the opening edge but again this is not immediately obvious.  The inside of the gatefold is immaculate and overall this is a very impressive cover, printed by Robor of course.

The lyric inner has no side splits or tears which is quite impressive when you consider it is made of paper!  It only has some creasing and 3/4 faint spots/marks.

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

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

ILPS 9213 // A - 1U / B - 1U // GH 1 / RR 1 // G. KONG etched on both sides

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.

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