The Beatles
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
'70s UK Press

This is a British Parlophone '70s stereo pressing with -1 / -2 stampers. In my experience, these copies with earlier stampers have a different sound from what I hear on many of the later copies -- very rich and full-bodied but not quite as smooth or refined. It really comes down to a matter of taste, but there's definitely a lot to like here and the vinyl plays quietly.

There are no shortage of strong opinions about where to find the ultimate Beatles sound. I make no claims to possess the ultimate answer, but since I've played literally hundreds of copies of every Beatles album over the course of my career I feel qualified to say this is a solid copy. With so many records to play I never feel like I need to put Sgt. Pepper's on, but every time I do it's a great reminder of why this album is so beloved. And enjoying a copy this impressive is always a treat, no matter how many times you've heard this music.

5 stars Allmusic (shocking, right?): "It's possible to argue that there are better Beatles albums, yet no album is as historically important as this."

Vinyl: EX (one or two superficial scuffs, plays great)
Cover: VG+ (lt. wear, a little ragged at opening)
Play notes: Very rich and full sound, plays quietly

We prefer to overdeliver and therefore grade conservatively. Our scale runs Near Mint (NM), Excellent (EX), Very Good Plus (VG+), Very Good (VG), Good Plus (G+), Good (G).