Dark - "Round the Edges" 1972

From Rockesteria: "According to Steven Smith (who produced a much more affordable re-issue in the U.S. than the English Swank version which at release was priced no less than $150), there will never be another private press British L.P. of the same stature as Dark - Round the Edges. This may be true, and it certainly is one of the rarest, but then rarity doesn't account for anything, and in terms of quality, there is nothing exceptional about it. It is a (damn) good L.P. with a number of flaws of varying degrees.

The opening "Darkside" track is perhaps the best underground guitarpsych track to come out of England, a piece of pure perfection, jamming, loose, beckoning, un-hardrocking anything. The rest of side 1 is in the same vein, just slightly less "there." Side 2 opens wit the album's weakest track, tracks 5 and 6 are better, but the lack of a "Darkside" make the second half of the L.P. a rather pedestrian experience. On a more fundamental side, The Dark is that of a bunch of unknown guys who have been rehearsing in their basement for a long time, building an extensive understanding of each others musical ideas and honing their craft. The playing is superb -- the drummer most of all -- and isn't quite hard rock, or blues rock, but a classic jam outfit of the late 60's U.S. west coast style. almost jazzy in the playing, but never pretentious or "show-offy."

The original print runs were never more than 99 copies (to avoid purchase tax) put original pressings of this album in the $10.000 range (!!!)
Formed by guitarist Steve Giles in 1968, The Dark built up a loyal fanbase in Shoesville, U.K., but thet had to wait until 1972 to record their one and only L.P.
According to Steve Giles states: "Nobody, but nobody knows exactly how many copies were made from each printrun. For sure, there were 2 pressings of 30 albums each, with 2 test pressings for each run, meaning there were 64 originals in existence. 12 of the first run were color gatefolds, the rest were single sleeve or gatefold B&W, but the ratios are unknown. At a guess, (a guess, mind you) he puts 20 in a single sleeve in B&W on the first run, and on the 2nd, 12 B&W gatefold, and 20 B&W single sleeve. Again, Giles states that is only a guess, but not a far off one. Expense was a governing factor on why there weren't more color sleeves.