BLACK SABBATH (DEBUT) 1Y1/2Y2 VERTIGO SWIRL VO6 *Stunning* AUDIO NEAR MINT
£
129
$
171
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Description
Black Sabbath (Debut) : Original Pressing 1Y1 / 2Y1
This UK Vertigo pressing plays with immaculate 'as new' audio for the vast majority and a comprehensive grading is given below. The gatefold is in excellent condition with only very minor wear and it also includes the original Swirl inner.
This is known as a third pressing as Vertigo is written above the spindle hole and there is a smaller Swirl logo above that.
VO 6 // 1Y 1 / 1 9 2 2
VO 6 // 2Y 2 / 1 1 1
The audio on S1 is Near Mint (Mint- for the majority / track 1 intro Ex / track 3 Ex on bass end section)
The audio on S2 is Near Mint (Mint- for the majority / track 3 VG- for one second!)
The gatefold is Ex+
The original Vertigo inner is VG
The Side A label is Near Mint and the Side B label is Ex+
Visual grading
The vinyl is in excellent condition and there are no scratches to be seen. There are a few faint hairlines and a little 'mottling' on each side but this has no affect on the stunning audio whatsoever. There is only a small amount of spindle wear on each side and it is obvious this vinyl has only ever been lightly played.
Play grading
The 'thunder' and 'tolling bell' intro on 'Black Sabbath' can be heard very clearly, the clarity is superb. There are a couple of soft clicks but aside from that there is no other 'background'. Once the guitar comes in the audio is stunning and the same applies to the following quiet vocal section. There are no clicks or pops and you could not wish for better sound quality. Thereafter the audio continues to play in much the same way and the next vocal is sublime with no interference. This really is a superb start to this classic album. The 'heavier' sections play with a breathtaking depth and resonance and the end section in particular is absolutely stunning! Aside from 2/3 seconds on the intro it plays as Mint- and that is no exaggeration. Rarely have I heard this classic play with such power and there is no distortion at all.
The harmonica intro on 'The Wizard' is 'as new' and from then on the audio plays to an immaculate standard with only one light click. The sonic quality here is so good and there is just no 'muddiness' to the sound whatsoever. This is obviously a vinyl that has been rarely played.
'Behind The Wall Of Sleep' is stunning from the very first groove and continues in the same fashion. The definition could not be any clearer and the sound is so rich and deep and the bass so strong. There is barely any 'background' - just 3/4 seconds of static clicks on the final bass section at the end. The drum section preceding this is incredible and is 'as new', easily the 'cleanest' I have heard.
'N.I.B' ends the side with a clarity and power that is so rarely found today. From the first note the playback is superb and there is no lessening in quality as it progresses. The mid guitar solo is so powerful and there is no distortion on the top end. The vocals 'play' perfectly and the end solo is as impressive as you are ever likely to hear. With only a couple of very faint 'ticks' this is Near Mint and the vast majority is better than that! A stunning end to the side.
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With only a couple of barely audible dust ticks at the very start the intro on 'Evil Woman...' is so impressive and rarely do the first few grooves play as 'cleanly' as this. The strong bass is particularly obvious on this track and yet the stunning sonic quality of the other instruments cannot be forgotten. Each note can be heard with perfect precision and again there is no deterioration of the clarity in any way at all. You can turn it up loud without fear of distortion! With just one very faint tick literally at the end of the fade this again grades as Mint- the playback is immaculate.
So often the quiet intro on 'Sleeping Village' will have some interference and yet there are no clicks or pops here and no obvious static either. With only a quiet 'hiss' (and I do mean very quiet!) this is a mega impressive start in anyone's book! I'm sure this minor background 'hiss' is only there due to the recording process and it is totally non-intrusive, you have my word on that! As the guitar comes the audio is 'high end' with no interference of any kind. There is just one background click a little further in but aside from that the entire track plays with audio that cannot be faulted. I am quite simply blown away by the quality on offer here! From the quickfire bass section to Iommi's following solo this is audio of the highest calibre and even the quiet end section has no static or worse! Even with that one click this is Near Mint and 98 to 99% is Mint- if I'm honest! I do not over-grade as it is just not in my interests to do so and my feedback pays testament to that.
'Warning' begins with a super strong bass intro that has no interference and from then on it plays loud and true with only the one click. The mid instrumental section is the 'cleanest' and most impressive I have ever heard. Even the first brief quiet section has only a couple of mega quiet dust ticks! Thereafter it plays with such a deep rich sound and with such amazing clarity you would be forgiven for thinking you were listening to a vinyl only pressed yesterday! I cannot emphasise enough just how superbly this plays! The second 'silent' section is perfect and that gives you a great example of the clarity on offer here. To the end it plays to a standard that is second to none and again it is so rare to find this early Vertigo pressing playing with such astounding quality. With only 2/3 seconds of barely audible static audio does not get better than this! The end section is just sublime and again there is no 'background'. A stunning end to this classic and any Sabbath fan would be hugely impressed with this near perfect audio.
In summary this is without doubt the finest early pressing of Sabbath's debut I have heard. Admittedly there are a couple of clicks but that aside the quality of the audio is 'high end' indeed and will not disappoint. The clarity and definition is superb and there is no distortion at all. As stated there is barely any spindle wear and this lack of 'play' goes a long way to explaining why the audio is so good. Understandably they were over-played in the 70s - but not this one! Not only that but the record has been incredibly well preserved and it is rare to find one in this condition today.
The Gatefold
At first glance the gatefold is in superb condition and indeed the edges and wide spine have no rubbing and there is very little corner wear also. The opening edge is also very clean and has hardly any handling wear. The front cover is in beautiful condition and has no marking at all, it looks 'as new'. The back cover is almost as good with only one mega faint scratch line, hardly worth a mention really! The only 'negative' if you can call it that is a tape type mark on the inside of the gatefold running down the left and right hand sides. A common feature on 70s albums! Apart from that the inside is in great shape with no other marking. The back cover has the VO catalogue number top right. Overall a very impressive Vertigo cover.
Vertigo Inner sleeve
The poly-lined large swirl Vertigo inner has no side splits but there are two tears on one side of the window. Aside from that it is very clean with only some creasing and a little age related fading on the top edges.
The labels
The Vertigo swirl labels have no marking or writing and as stated there is very little spindle wear. The Side B label has only 4/5 tiny spot marks but is otherwise very clean.
Play tested on my Pro-Ject Essential III Turntable // B & W 684 Speakers
This record has been professionally cleaned on a Pro-Ject VC-S machine
VO 6 // 1Y 1 / 1 9 2 2
VO 6 // 2Y 2 / 1 1 1
I grade according to "Record Collector" guidelines.
Any questions please feel free to ask
Please pay within 4 days of auction end
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