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The Beatles : Rubber Soul 1/1 1st Mono Press Loud Cut Edition 1965

This first Loud Cut pressing plays to a superb standard with basically no interference.  The clarity, depth, power and warmth of the audio is exceptional and I detected only four light ticks - they hardly qualify as interference!  There are no clicks, pops or static and for once there is barely any inner groove distortion as you approach the end of each side.  The vinyl (and cover) have been so well preserved and in my opinion has hardly been played.  I am basing this on the overall sonic quality and that there is hardly any spindle wear on the labels i.e. almost zero!  You sill not be surprised to hear that the vinyl is visually stunning with just one smallish hairline that is slightly more obvious, just slightly!  It does not get much better than this and is easily one of the finest, if not THE finest Loud Cut edition I have ever encountered.

The Patents pending cover is in great condition with no obvious, it really is so clean, and the original Emitex inner is also in excellent shape with only minimal wear.

This first Loud Cut press of course has a 1/1 matrix and there is a space between the song titles and the * credit indicator on the labels.

PMC 1267 // XEX 579 - 1 / XEX 580 - 1 // HD 2 / HR 1

The audio on S1 is Mint(-) (T7 Near Mint-)

The audio on S2 is Mint(-) (T5 & T7 Near Mint)

The cover is Ex+

The labels are Near Mint

The original inner is Ex
Visual description

The vinyl is in lovely condition and still has a superb glossy look with no obvious marks or scratches.  All I can see under a strong bright light are some light sleeve removal hairlines and just one relatively short hairline on S1 that is a little more obvious, still quite faint though.  Under a more forgiving light the vinyl looks pristine!  There is no mottling or groove wear and the run out grooves are also very clean.  The yellow / black Parlophone labels have no marking / writing and barely any spindle wear, how rare is that!  The KT tax stamp can easily be seen on the S1 label.

Play grading  

'Drive My Car' plays with superb audio from start to finish with no interference.  A minor amount of distortion on Harrison's intro but so minor and not really worth a mention!  There are no ticks, clicks, pops or static and it is the clarity of sound that really stands out.  A Mint- start to S1.

The acoustic intro on the classic 'Norwegian Wood' plays to perfection and Lennon's opening vocal is just as clear.  It continues to play with stunning precision and again there is no background not even on the fade out.  This grades as Mint no doubt about that.

In my opinion 'You Won't See Me' is the first track where the so called 'muddy' bass sound is a little obvious.  Once again though it plays with great clarity with only a couple of mega quiet ticks.  Mint-

And the 'aggressive' vocal sound and 'muddy' bass are more evident during 'Nowhere Man' but of course should not be downgraded as a result.  It plays with sublime quality throughout with not so much a dust tick and Mint is easily deserved.

'Think For Yourself' plays to the same standard with no intrusion.  You can't help but be impressed by the clarity on offer here and this album clearly hasn't been played very much.  A more powerful track and yet there is no inner groove distortion and again I have no hesitation in grading this as Mint as the playback is stunning.

'The Word' also plays with phenomenal sonic quality with zero interference.  To be honest I'm not sure I've been been praising the audio enough so far!  Needless to say there is just nothing that detracts from the overall sound and again there is no distortion.  For a track to play this clearly this 'far in' is a genuine rarity and let's not forget it is 57 years old!  A superb Mint version.

The final track track 'Michelle' so often plays with a fair amount of static distortion but it really is kept to a minimum here and is one of the 'cleanest' versions I have heard in many a year.  With just one barely audible tick on the intro it then plays with great clarity and no real intrusion.  Just a hint of minor static but like I say so minor and I am sure the audio could be enhanced when played as a true mono record - I am playing it through my stereo set up.  I think Near Mint- is a fair assessment of the audio.  A STUNNING side of music!

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As per S1 the run in on S2 is so clean and then 'What Goes On' plays with impeccable quality and... no interference.  I do not wish to repeat myself but how often do you find a Loud Cut like this?  Once again the clarity is quite simply on another level and Mint is again deserved.

'Girl' plays with sensational clarity from the first note to the last with no intrusion.  Each note is so clean and precise including all the hissing sounds as Lennon draws breath!  A couple of mega light ticks so I will grade as Mint- accordingly.

'I'm Looking Through You' plays with great distinction and for once there is no distortion on any of Harrison's notes a genuine rarity I would say.  Heavy on the bass sound again and a slightly aggressive vocal there is still no denying the quality of the audio.  A superb Mint version it just could not play any better.

The intro on 'In My Life' plays with great clarity and this standard is kept up as it progresses.  A relatively quiet track and yet there is no background and the clarity is 10/10!  George Martin's piano solo is flawless and the remainder is almost as impressive.  Just a couple of very light ticks on the final sequence.  Mint-

'Wait' certainly has a more 'aggressive' vocal sound but it still plays extremely well.  There are three light ticks on the second vocal but they are not intrusive.  Light ticks not clicks!  The rest of the track plays perfectly.  Near Mint is fair.

'If I Needed Someone' plays with stunning quality throughout with no sign of any interference.  Track number 6 but again there is no inner groove distortion.  Easily one of the finest versions I have ever heard on any pressing let alone a first Loud Cut pressing and grades as Mint- at the very least.

The intro on 'Run For Your Life' is faultless and Lennon's first vocal is equally as strong.  From then on it plays so clearly for a final track with barely any distortion.  Perhaps just a little more right at the end but really not that obvious.  Overall a stunning end to a stunning album!  Near Mint

In summary this first pressing plays with superb audio and as stated it is patently obvious it has not been played very much.  You can tell that based on the visual quality and of course the unbelievable sonic quality!  There are no clicks or pops and no static either - just a minimal touch of distortion (very very minimal!) and three light ticks on 'Wait'.  If you want Loud Cut edition where the sound 'issues' are obvious then this is the one to own!  I cannot stress enough just how STUNNING the playback is and together with a very clean cover this will add to any high end collection.

The Cover & Inner Sleeve

The Patents pending G & L cover is in lovely condition with hardly any shelf wear.  The edges and thin pinched spine have no marking / rubbing and the corners are also extremely clean with barely any wear.  The opening edge has only the bare minimum of handling wear and the laminated front is near perfect with just one minor crease in the lower right corner.  For once there is no laminate lift / splitting.  The back cover is so impressive when you consider it isn't laminated and has no obvious marking at all.  It has just very light feathering next to the opening edge and the flipbacks are still firmly attached to the cover with none of the marking / staining that you so often find on the edges.  They have just some very light marks / fades here and there.  Overall this is a stunning example of this iconic cover - not bad for a piece of card that is 58 years old this year!

The poly-lined Emitex inner is in excellent condition with no side splits or tears, very little marking and just a little creasing here and there.

Play tested on my Rega P2 Turntable / Denon PMA-520AE Amp / B&W 684 Speakers

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

PMC 1267 // XEX 579 - 1 / XEX 580 - 1 // HD 2 / HR 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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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 MAY 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!!

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LPs/12" singles : £5.95 up to 1kg then £1.00 per extra item 

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LPs/12" singles : £15.95 then £2.00 per extra

USA (Tracked - Max 2kg)

LPs/12" singles : £24.95 then £2.50 per extra 

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LPs/12" singles : £21.95 then £2.50 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!