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Deep Purple : The Book Of Taliesyn A-1G / B-1G 1st Press
This very collectable first pressing plays with a clarity, depth and power that is so rarely found today.  It is unequivocally the best version of this LP that I have ever encountered and that is perhaps not surprising when you consider the visual quality of the record, it is incredibly clean.  S1 is superb with just a little static on 'Exposition/We Can Work It Out' but S2 is absolutely breathtaking.  There are of course so many quiet sections and yet the clarity is on another level.
The laminated cover is also the best I have ever seen it is practically 'as new' and the original EMI inner is also in excellent condition.
This first pressing has no EMI box on the label and the cover is dated 6905 on the back.
SHVL 751 // A - 1G / B - 1G // GD 2 / GO 1
The audio on S1 is Mint(-) (T4 Ex+ but Ex- on final section)
The audio on S2 is Near Mint to Mint(-) (99% grading as Mint!)
The gatefold is Near Mint-
The inner sleeve is Ex+
The labels are Near Mint
Visual grading
The vinyl is a thing of beauty!  It has a superb glossy sheen with just one small area of dulling on S1 that is only very faint, you can only see it under a certain light.  There are no other marks or scratches and I cannot see any obvious hairlines either.  There is not that much spindle wear at all and this is clearly a vinyl that has been incredibly well preserved., it really is visually stunning.  The he majority of the side is actually very clean.  The yellow/green Harvest labels are unmarked and remain in superb condition.
Play grading
The intro on 'Listen, Learn, Read On' plays to perfection and the first vocal is just as impressive.  There is no 'muddiness' to the sound here which you so often find on this record.  I would say this is because it has only been lightly played and only on 'high end' equipment.  It continues to play with fantastic sonic quality and the first brief quiet section pays testament to that with no background at all.  Blackmore's first excursion is faultless as is the remainder.  I do not think I have ever heard a better version of this track.  There are no ticks, clicks or pops and no static either.  Each note plays with such sharp precision and I have no hesitation in grading it as Mint- the playback is STUNNING!
'Wring That Neck' plays with a clarity and power that is second to none.  Once again there is no background and you can turn this up to max with no sign of any distortion.  So far this is one incredible album!  It plays with such quality and that includes the 'quieter' Blackmore sections towards the end, just one/two seconds of mega light static.  Mint- is again deserved.
'Kentucky Woman' provides further evidence of a vinyl so well preserved and plays with sublime quality from start to finish with...no interference.  No ticks, clicks etc and just a hint of barely audible static - so quiet it doesn't even warrant a mention if I'm honest.  It's hard to believe this album is close to 53 years of age.  Another Mint- track.
The intro on 'Exposition' has only minimal static but then has just a little more before the volume increases.  It then plays with great power and depth with only a minimal amount of background static here and there.  An Ex+ version.  'We Can Work It Out' has only 4/5 seconds of background static at the very start and then plays with superb quality for the vast majority.  Evans' vocal is very strong and very high in the mix also.  The final third does have a static sound once per revolution but you often do not hear due to the volume of the audio and the actual music still plays very clearly.  I think this is Ex+ and then Ex- on that final section.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------   The quiet intro on 'Shield' is stunning with only a couple of dust ticks and the first vocal then plays with a wonderful clarity of sound.  It proceeds to play with a quality that defies the age of the album and there is basically no interference.  Audio does not get much better than this!  The mid instrumental section plays so well and I detected only a couple of very light static 'moments'.  Paice's percussion here is superb and as the volume decreases there is no let up in quality.  The final vocal plays perfectly as does the end percussive section.  'As new' it is a correct description - the clarity here is phenomenal.  I will say this ranges between Near Mint and Mint- but is a lot more of the latter!
If you happen to win this album just pay special attention to the classic 'Anthem' - you would be mistaken for thinking for thinking you were listening to a vinyl pressed only yesterday not in 1968!  A relatively quiet track and yet the clarity is just on another level.  From the very first note, through every vocal and instrumental section the sonic quality STUNNING!  Admittedly there is a static click in the middle section but that does not detract from the audio in my opinion.  I cannot see what is causing it, just one of the vagaries of vinyl!  The following 'classical 'section plays beautifully with no interference and I mean NO interference not even a dust tick!  The silent section is perfectly silent and the final section also plays with breathtaking clarity.  I cannot overstate just how STUNNING this track is.  With only one millisecond of interference this is audio of the highest calibre and whilst I will grade it as ranging between Near Mint and then Mint- about 99% is Mint!!
The intro on 'River Deep, Mountain High' plays with 100% precision and then the quiet section that follows just has to be heard to be believed!  The clarity is again out of this world and I heard just one static tick this time.  As the volume builds the playback is so strong and dynamic and the quiet passage that follows has only a couple of very light static ticks.  The first vocal section has no background whatsoever and it continues to play with incredible clarity, power and depth.  The rest of this classic is faultless and I will grade as per the other two tracks - Near Mint but the vast majority playing as Mint it really does play with exceptional quality.
In summary this first pressing is quite simply the finest example that I have ever heard.  There is a little intermittent static on the final track of S1 but as for the other tracks - wow!  The clarity, depth and power of the audio is sensational and S2 is just incredible.  You know when mere words are not enough, this is one of the moments!  A couple of static ticks/clicks yes but the aside from that there is no other background not even a dust tick and to think this record was pressed in '68!  There is no distortion either and I am confident any collector would be so impressed by the sonic quality on offer here.
The Gatefold & Inner Sleeve
The laminated E.J. Day cover is in superb condition and again I have never seen better.  It has kept its original shape and structure so well and one clear sign of that is the wide spine which is as wide and as strong as when first produced.  99/100 you find them compressed but not this one!  The edges and spine are in perfect condition with no rubbing, there is barely any corner wear and the opening edge is pristine.  The front cover is as close to perfect as you will find with just one tiny laminate crease and the back cover is as impressive with only a couple of tiny spots.  The inside of the gatefold is unmarked and has one of those usual raised crease lines running down the right side of the spine, a minor thing only.  This cover is STUNNING, you could hardly wish to find a better one.
The original EMI Harvest inner is in excellent condition with no side splits, just one tiny 'nick' on the top edge.  There is no marking and only minimal creasing.
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

SHVL 751 // A - 1G / B - 1G // GD 2 / GO 1

I grade according to "Record Collector" guidelines.

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