Here we are looking at a first, mono pressing of the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds.
One of the main things we are looking at here, is what they call foxing on the cover. Foxing refers to small discolored spots, like age spots on your grandma’s arm. Foxing might be caused by some kind of fungus – there are differing opinions on it.
I have always personally associated it with some degree of exposure to moisture somewhere along the way. It depends on how deeply the foxing has got into to paper and cardboard as to whether or not it matters – it is sometimes like a precursor to mildew, to me. Sometimes it is just discoloring/spotting, sometimes it goes closer to actual moisture damage.
All that said, if it is caught and the record is not in a place where moisture/dampness can continue, it can be simply another thing in the life history of a record. It has zero effect on playback – it only affects the cover. It can’t be reversed as far as I have ever known.
On this one, first, let’s say that mono is the BEST way to hear this record. I love it, and the mono mix is awesome – this one, and Sgt. Pepper’s by the Beatles are 2 outstanding mono mixes that I really love.
The cover here has foxing on both sides – it is more pronounced on the back than on the front. It is only really on the top edge on the front…and I did not notice any mustiness in it (but admittedly, I don’t notice it as much as other people do anymore). The cover is in really good shape (beyond the foxing), both sides, and the inner is the original factory-issued one. I didn’t spin it, but it looks like it’ll play near perfectly – there are no needle marks, and any storage scuffing is super minimal at best…I saw nothing that made me think this will have any noise in playback.
Click on any image to see it zoomed – using the browser to return here. If you need a clip to hear the playback, let me know.
