Grail watch: the Australian 'Hounds of Love' nobody talks about

Every collector has a list. 'Hounds of Love' has been near the top of mine since I first heard 'Cloudbusting' on a Sunday morning with coffee going cold next to the turntable. The UK first press on EMI — KAB 1 — is the one everyone chases, and the prices show it: clean copies have been trading north of $150 all year.

Here's the thing the price guides won't tell you. The Australian EMI pressing from the same year was cut with excellent care, pressed on quiet vinyl, and — because nobody outside Australia thinks to look for it — it sits at a third of the price. I A/B'd one against a friend's UK copy last month. On 'And Dream of Sheep' the Australian cut gives up almost nothing. The soundstage on side two, the 'Ninth Wave' suite, is genuinely beautiful.

The trick to buying from Australian sellers is shipping patience. Records take three to five weeks to reach Texas, and you want a seller who ships in a proper mailer with the record outside the jacket. Ask. The good ones do it without being asked.

Condition notes to watch for: Australian jackets from this era used a slightly thinner stock, so look for ring wear in the listing photos. The vinyl itself tends to grade honestly — Australian sellers on Discogs are, in my experience, some of the most conservative graders in the hobby.

If the grail is the music and not the catalog number, this is the copy to own. Put the difference toward your next record.