Description "CYMBALINE" (Roger Waters, 1969) The path you tread is narrow And the drop is shear and very high, The ravens all are watching, From a vantage point nearby. Apprehension creeping, Like a tube-train up your spine, Will the tightrope reach the end? Will the final couplet rhyme? And it's high time, Cymbaline. t's high time, Cymbaline. Please wake me. A butterfly with broken wings Is falling by your side, The ravens all are closing in, And there's nowhere you can hide. Your manager and agent Are both busy on the phone, Selling coloured photographs To magazines back home. And it's high time, Cymbaline. It's high time, Cymbaline. Please wake me. The lines converging where you stand, They must have moved the picture plane, The leaves are heavy around your feet, You hear the thunder of the train. And suddenly it strikes you, That they're moving into range, Doctor Strange is always changing size. And it's high time, Cymbaline. It's high time, Cymbaline. Please wake me. Pink Floyd."Soundtrack From The Film More." "Played & Composed By The Pink Floyd" UK LP. ORIGINALLY ISSUED IN 1969 ON THE ONE BOXED EMI LOGO, SILVER & BLACK COLUMBIA LABEL. THIS WAS ISSUED ON THE TWO BOXED EMI LOGO'S, SILVER & BLACK COLUMBIA LABEL AND PRESSED IN 1973. IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO GET ANY CLOSER TO THAT YEAR, EXCEPT IT WAS AFTER MARCH IN 1973. AN EARLY 1970's PRESSING, WITH THE MAITRIX ENDING WITH 'G' ON BOTH SIDES LIKE THE 1969 RECORDS, I WILL CONFIDENTLY STATE LATE 1973 IS THE MOST LIKELY PRESSING DATE. COLUMBIA LABEL WITH TWO BOXED EMI LOGO LABELS: SCX 6346. MAITRIX: YAX 3868 - 2 G / YAX 3869 - 1G Just the one digit rise on Side 1 only, from the 1969 first pressing, which had,'YAX 3868 - 1 G / YAX 3869 - 1G.' EMI STAMPING CODES: GP 1 / ML 3 THE SILVER AND BLACK LABEL RIMS HAVE 'EM Records Ltd. ' NOT THE 'Gramophone Co. Ltd.' TEXT FOUND ON COPIES PRESSED BETWEEN MID-1969 AND MARCH, 1973. ORIGINAL 1973, EMI, "Care Of Your Record" INNER SLEEVE, THEY WERE INTRODUCED IN 1973 AND THE FIRST MADE DID NOT HAVE THE DATE IT WAS PRINTED ON THE BOTTOM RIM OF THE FRONT. AS AN UNPLAYED RECORD I CAN SAY THIS IS THE ACTUAL SLEEVE IT WAS FIRST PLACED INSIDE AT EMI'S PRESSING PLANT. THE ACTUAL SHAPE OF THE SLEEVE HAD SUBTLE CHANGES TO THE CURVED EDGES AND THE TOP OPENING, THIS IS POSITIVELY A 1973 INNER SLEEVE. Unused, unsplit and unworn with a record impression and a few related light creases, but hardly aged even after 45 years. THE INNER SLEEVE IS IN UNUSED, NEAR MINT CONDITION. LAMINATED FRONT 'Garrod & Lofthouse' PRINTED COVER, THE BACK IS PRINTED IN BLACK & WHITE WITH THE MOUNTAIN TOP COUPLE FACING TOWARDS THE EAST, NOT THE WEST. UNUSED AND STORED PERFECTLY, THERE ARE NO NEGATIVE COMMENTS TO MAKE, THE COVER IS MINT- CONDITION. This second printed cover has the picture reversed on the back, like the 1969 cover the front has the same deeply glossy laminate over richly vivid and totally unfaded colours. Any heavy record unremoved for 45 years, inevitably leaves a circular impression with a few related minor laminate edge lines. Mostly as tiny lines next to the spine, they were naturally formed and unconnected to wear, nothing to spoil the appearance of a beautiful front cover. All the edges and the corners are unworn and in near perfect condition, 'near' allows for standing or storage only. The same applies to the spine, the very thick laminate is unscuffed leaving the protected album titles in superb condition. Once again the factory folding positioned the spine at a slight angle, I include the trivial for accuracy only, a factory finish cannot be part of grading. The back of the cover is superbly clean unscuffed and unfaded, just the slightest hint of the record impression but there are no stains, ageing or discolouration to the light grey background. THE IMMACULATE LABELS DO NOT HAVE ANY SPINDLE ALIGNMENT TRACES, THESE ARE TEXTURED LABELS AND SHOW THE SLIGHTEST CONTACT, BUT THERE ARE NONE . I HOPED TO FIND ONE BECAUSE I WAS IN THE MOOD TO HEAR THIS STUNNING ALBUM, AS UNPLAYED PINK FLOYD ALBUMS FROM 1973 IN SHRINK WRAPPING, ARE EXTREMELY RARE, I WILL RESIST THE TEMPTATION. ANY FACTORY HANDLING IS NEAR INVISIBLE / INVISIBLE, A REALLY BEAUTIFUL LOOKING DEEPLY GLOSSY RECORD, IN UNPLAYED MINT CONDITION. SIDE 1 "Cirrus Minor" (Roger Waters) "The Nile Song" (Roger Waters) "Crying Song" (Roger Waters) "Up the Khyber" (Nick Mason / Richard Wright) "Green Is The Colour" (Roger Waters) "Cymbaline" (Roger Waters) "Party Sequence" (Dave Gilmour / Nick Mason / Roger Waters / Richard Wright) SIDE 2 "Main Theme" (Dave Gilmour /Nick Mason / Roger Waters / Richard Wright) "Ibiza Bar" (Dave Gilmour / Nick Mason / Roger Waters / Richard Wright) "More Blues" (Dave Gilmour / Nick Mason / Roger Waters / Richard Wright) "Quicksilver" (Dave Gilmour / Nick Mason / Roger Waters / Richard Wright) "A Spanish Piece" (Dave Gilmour) "Dramatic Theme" (Dave Gilmour / Nick Mason/Roger Waters / Richard Wright) David Gilmour - vocals, acoustic, electric guitar & slide guitars, tape effects, flamenco guitars & bongos Roger Waters - vocals, bass, guitar, tape and bird-song effects, bongos & gong Richard Wright - Hammond & Farfisa organs, piano, vibraphone & bongos Nick Mason - drums , percussion & bongos Recorded In March 1969, At Pye Studios, Marble Arch, London. Produced By The Pink Floyd As much as I understand how the main attention is always being focused on Pink Floyd's first two 60's Columbia label LPs, it does seem rather strange how little heard their third album "More" is today. For those around during the astounding era of their 1960's ground breaking music, buying the three in the consecutive years of 1967, 1968 and 1969, was just the logical way to follow the progression of an extraordinary band. Logical following of true great artists included attending their live concerts, Pink Floyd nearly always took freshly written songs on the road to iron out lyrics and arrangements, so you were given advance, tantalising tasters of what to eagerly look forward to hearing as studio versions. Their final Coulmbia album before signing to Harvest was written and recorded as a soundtrack for the film "More," it still has yet to be fully appreciated as being a purely 60's Pink Floyd album. As my listings and credits above detailed, they wrote every note, produced the album and performed all the tracks just as inspiredly as they had on the two previous albums, "The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn" (1967) and "Saucerful Of Secrets" (1968). Such advancements had happened since "Piper", by the band no longer relying on record producers, any sound effects required like the birds singing on the deeply beautiful Roger Waters composition, "Cirrus Minor", they were competent enough to provide them. When first issued Pink Floyd fans eagerly accepted this as the next in line and follow up to "Saucerful," which should also apply now, not overlooked by moving straight to "Umma Gumma," but as the successor to the amazing first Coumbia LP's. While having a moan, I will also point out "More" is unique because apart from the compilation LP, "Relics" appearing on a budget label, this is the only Pink Floyd LP with Roger Waters involved that was not released on the Harvest label, because "Piper" & "Saucerful" were issued together as a double album,"A Nice Pair". The 1969 issue of "More" came in a flippback cover with the back showing the couple on the mountain top facing towards the west. This early 1970's pressing, on the two EMI boxed logo, silver and black Columbia label, featured the cover artwork reversed, with the same picture but showing the couple facing towards the east. I can only conclude that had to be a printer's error because there was not a valid reason for EMI to order reversing the direction of the couple from the film, I am certain they never even noticed or it would not have been sanctioned or released. This record was purpose bought as a collector's item only, without any intention of playing it, a rare event during the 70's but a superb collection contained several albums bought with posterity in mind. Often I deliberate about taking one play through to check the sound, well, I rather enjoy hearing mint records, especially Pink Floyd ones! This time it would be unfair to do that because I have to respect such a fantastic idea to preserve an unplayed records, I will offer it for someone else to make the difficult decision about playing it or preserving such incredible virgin condition, for an amazing fourty five years now. I cannot give an exact month of the pressing, there are several positive clues to originating in late 1973. In 1973 Pink Floyd attracted a whole new audience and record buyers with "The Dark Side Of The Moon" album and EMI were pressing the back catalogue for them. The favoured period before Christmas with presents in mind was always the most busy buying period, my main pressing clues are in the original EMI inner sleeve, the stamping codes and the maitrix. With so many mood intensive pieces, beautiful and dreamy acoustic tracks, the condition of the vinyl becomes imperative, if anything the two box logo silver and black Columbia label pressings had meticulous attention paid to the mastering. Then the staggering power of Roger's "Nile Song" was also superbly pressed to present Pink Floyd's heaviest ever recording with thunderous sound but just stunningly clear and clean audio. Without playing the record and describing the tracks I was determined to avoid discussing them in detail, that can wait for a Mint- record, "More" has always been a very special and magical album to me, so just one comment! "The Nile Song" not only has a tremendous impact but I am certain these early two box pressings had an extra boost to the volume just after Dave's incredible guitar solo. The volume seems to double there,if the rest of the track failed to flatten the senses, it rocks out with extraordinary power for the last minutes! It's been a while since I described the 1971 first presing "Relics" version and as great as that was, the volume levels were not at such incredible force near the end. While on that subject, check out the almighty boost to the sound as "Up the Khyber" comes in sensationally extra powerful sound, it is unfair to get into the volume variations without being able to play the album. Instead I will add my usual reminder that often unplayed vinyl can take several plays before the true sound is realised, in terms of static, the pressing process leaves microscopic 'pips' in the grooves and it is also common to see them on the top of the grooves. Caused when the stamping metal disc lifts from the molten vinyl, a needle will dislodge them after several plays and any initial static goes with them, it was a fallacy about recording a record on the first ever play through, but thank goodness that did happen to the rarer records. Personally, I had discovered in the late 1960's that playing a record through several times before recording it gave maximum results, what might even be a click can be endered into silence once the stylus has forged a route through the virgin grooves. Patience with true mint records is rewarded, it is frustrating for me not playing this record because on the other hand, the stamping discs also left the molten vinyl really cleanly and then there is 'instant' audio clarity. Even individual sides of the same record differ because they were pressed by individual plates, I just love records! Both labels are like new, without the usual heavy use it's great to see them without the almost obligatory multiple spindle scuffs, both sides of the record are also ion pristine condition. With the glossy sheen of mint vinyl, there are no surface marks and any handling signs are near invisible to invisible! It is totally unrealistic to consider any record untouched by human hands, because that happened at the pressing plant and at record shops, let alone a curious one original owner on purchase. Stating the obvious is necessary in view of how CD's and DVD's are packaged by automated machinery and then sealed immediately, I have opened up many, many sealed records and in spite of the shrink wrapping, the records indeed have factory handling and often the record has split the inner sleeve. I try my best to give balanced views of the era because I was buying records I the same periods discussed in my descriptions, but just by constantly producing this ultimate condition I earn the right to express the reality of factories and record shops. Being an EMI pressing I am content to offer it without the need to check the sound, firstly because this remarkable condition is exactly how it was first bought, I know the audio standards well enough to be confident the sound will be perfectio. Secondly I cannot possibly offer better than precisely how it left EMI's pressing plant after being mastered in Abbey Road Studio from the master tapes. On a technical note the maitrix of the very first UK record pressed in 1969 was 'YAX 3868 - 1G / YAX 3869 - 1G', June 1969 was the release date and that was not very far away from this pressing being made. Indeed, this record has a really close connection to that 1969 first pressing, retaining the '1G' on the second side and the first side only rising 1 digits to '2G'. Demonstrating the time period between them was comparatively short, an accurate pressing month cannot be established but as I said before, late 1973 fits the EMI design inner sleeve and the maitrix speaks for itself: 'YAX 3868 - 2G / YAX 3869 - 1G.' Plus one side has a 1' digit and that first 'mother' makes this one of the first made with an east facing couple on the back cover. {Roy} R & M RECORDS. My lifetime's love of music and records began at a very young age, the arrival of the Beatles and the 1960's decade in general had a very profound effect. It was only natural to bring all my first hand experience of collecting vinyl into becoming a professional record seller. Nearly thirty years ago we entered into the wonderful atmosphere of record fairs with the highest possible standards set. When the Internet became the world's new market place for vinyl, in 2001 it was time to join ebay. Those standards were rigidly adhered to as they will always continue to be, the basics of honesty and integrity were very much part of the era the music I love originated in, so here is our friendly and very efficient service we are proud to provide; EVERY RECORD IS FULLY PLAYED AND COMES WITH A 'NO ARGUMENT' MONEY BACK GUARANTEE. I USE GOOD OLD COMMON SENSE AS WELL AS A GLOBALLY ACCEPTED GRADING TERMINOLOGY FROM THE U.K. "RECORD COLLECTOR PRICE GUIDE" BOOK. THERE IT CLEARLY STATES "Sound Quality" AFFECTS EVERY GRADING LEVEL AND THAT IS THE ONE AND ONLY POSSIBLE WAY TO ACCURATELY GRADE RECORDS. i.e. COMBINING A STRICT VISUAL INSPECTION WITH VERY CLOSELY LISTENING TO EVERY SECOND, UNLESS PERHAPS IN THE CASE OF GENUINELY UNPLAYED VINYL. EVEN THEN WE STILL TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR A RECORD WHEN A CUSTOMER RECEIVES EITHER A SEALED OR AN UNPLAYED RECORD. 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