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Black Sabbath : Paranoid 1Y2 / 2Y1 1st Press Vertigo Big Bear Credit

This second pressing plays to a superb standard with a clarity, depth and power that is so close to perfect on every track.  Only 'Planet Caravan' has a little interference and this is described in detail below but as you will see the vast majority of this quiet track still plays with stunning clarity.  It is so much 'cleaner' than so many versions I have heard and aside from the two very brief sections of 'background' it plays beautifully.  The rest of the album is just spectacular, even 'Hand Of Doom'!  Rarely have I heard such an early pressing plays with a sonic quality such as this and in a sense it is not surprising when you see how visually stunning the vinyl is.  It is one of the finest second pressings I have listened to.  

The matt textured cover has some shelf wear but not an excessive amount and the inside is actually very clean for once.  It comes complete with the original swirl inner which doesn't have too much wear.

This second first press has a 1Y2 / 2Y1 matrix but no Big Bear management credit on the inside.  It has a large swirl on the S2 label and VERTIGO is near the foot of the label.  The Roger Bain production credit is written one line (still Rodger inside the cover) and there is no break between 'Hand Of Doom' and 'Rat Salad' so it looks as if there are just three tracks on S2.

6360011 1Y // 2 ▽ 420  1 2  1

6360011 2Y // 1 ▽ 420  1 2  2 1

The audio on S1 is Mint(-) (T3 Ex)

The audio S2 is Mint(-) (T2 Near Mint+)

The matt textured gatefold is VG++

The labels are Near Mint

The original Swirl inner is Ex-

Visual description

The vinyl is in superb condition and still has a lovely glossy sheen with no marks or scratches.  Only under a bright light can I see a few faint hairlines but these are purely superficial as they have no affect on the audio.  Under a more forgiving light it looks immaculate!  There is obviously no groove wear or 'clouding' and it looks very clean indeed.  The iconic Vertigo labels are unmarked and have only minimal spindle wear.  A stunning example!

Play grading  

The intro on the classic 'War Pigs' plays with stunning clarity, depth and power with only a couple of very minor static ticks that are very much in the background.  The air-raid siren section is 'as new' and first quiet percussive section is just as impressive.  Osbourne's opening vocal and following instrumental keep up this fine start with zero intrusion on the audio.  The first up-tempo vocal section is perfect with a depth and resonance that is just STUNNING, I cannot emphasise enough just how clear and strong the audio is.  The mid instrumental then plays with phenomenal quality with just one easily missed static tick at the start i.e. it is very quiet.  The next quiet 'percussive' section is close to perfect with only a couple of minor static moments each lasting a millisecond!  The final vocal is faultless is perfect and the closing instrumental keeps once again demonstrates how well this vinyl has been preserved.  The clarity is 10/10 and this grades as Mint- overall.  A superb start to the album.

'Paranoid' plays with outstanding quality from the very first note.  The power and definition of the audio is out of this world!  You could not wish to hear a more 'complete' version such is the sonic quality on offer here.  Sabbath are of course renown for their deep doom sound but when you find a vinyl as clean as this the audio is enhanced somehow.  Every vocal and instrumental section play like the record has never been played before and Mint is definitely a fair assessment of the audio.

'Planet Caravan' is so often affected by interference because it is so quiet but this is one of the cleanest version I have heard in a long time with only minimal intrusion.  The quiet intro is flawless and the opening three verses then play with sublime clarity and warmth.  Admittedly there are three static ticks / clicks at the beginning of the final verse but that is the only intrusion across the entire vocal.  The delicate guitar section then plays with great clarity overall with only a couple of static click sounds.  Ok this track is not perfect but the majority is!  Aside from the interference mentioned what is most impressive about this quiet track is the lack of background static, there isn't any basically.  So yes the majority is Near Mint if not better but I still think Ex is deserved in spite of the static clicks. 

The percussive opening on 'Iron Man' is 'as new' and the rest of the intro is equally as strong.  Osbourne's first vocal is of the same high end standard and it continues to play with stunning quality from then on.  Once again the clarity and power of the audio is phenomenal and I cannot find fault with this classic.  The mid instrumental is spectacular and the final vocal is on a par with that.  Butler's heavy bass section combined with Ward and Iommi's work ends the side with stunning precision.  A Mint version for sure and no inner groove distortion either.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The intro on 'Electric Funeral' has no background and during the opening vocal section I only noticed a couple of very minor background ticks.  The mid instrumental is stunning and the high octane 'chorus' has zero interference.  The remainder plays with the same power and intensity and again the clarity of sound is up there with the best I have ever heard.  The long fade out has just one minor static at the start and as it gets quieter it gets better!  Mint-

The quiet intro on 'Hand Of Doom' plays beautifully with only a handful of barely audible dust ticks and Osbourne's is almost as impressive with only a couple of very minor ticks.  The first powerful vocal is perfect and the next quiet is again so clean with barely any static.  The very quiet bass section is equal to that and the mid 'heavy' section plays with phenomenal power and depth and... no interference.  Wow it plays well!  It is Mint all the way and the next quiet passage has only a couple of quiet statics, as close to perfect as is possible.  The remainder plays to the same high end standard with only some light static for a couple of seconds right at the end.  If not for that I would say Mint- but it definitely deserves a Near Mint+ grade and rarely does it grade so highly.  As we all know this classic is often beset with sound issues because of the many quiet passages but the clarity of sound here is superb!

'Rat Salad' plays with exceptional quality throughout with no sign of any interference.  No ticks, clicks, pops or static and Ward's solo is 'as new' from start to finish.  A Mint instrumental.

The entire intro on 'Fairies Wear Boots' has crystal clear audio and the first classic riff from Iommi is 'as new' without a doubt.  Osbourne's opening vocal is on a par with that and it continues to play with that typical deep Sabbath sound.  All the more impressive when you consider this is the final track on the album.  There is no interference and the sonic quality is comparable to how it would have sounded back in '70.  The mid instrumental is STUNNING and the final vocal section plays with sublime quality also.  If there is any vocal distortion on the vocal it is so minimal and totally non-intrusive, it hardly deserves a mention to be honest.  The closing instrumental and fade out are faultless and this is Mint- in every way.  A stunning finish.

In summary this very early Vertigo pressing plays to an unbelievable standard with barely any intrusion.  The only 'real' intrusion is during 'Planet Caravan' but even then it is kept to a minimum and as stated the vast majority of this track plays with wonderful quality.  The rest of the album is about as good as it gets!  The clarity, depth, power and resonance of the audio is fantastic and even 'Hand Of Doom' plays beautifully with barely any static.  This truly is an exceptional album and as stated it has been so well preserved down the years and only lightly played.  It is without doubt one of the finest examples I have ever listened to and is very very close to a final upgrade!

The Gatefold & Swirl Inner

The matt textured cover is in excellent condition with not too much shelf wear and there is nothing that really stands out.  The bottom edges have some rubbing and the top edge of the front cover is very clean with only minimal wear towards the corners.  The top edge of the back cover does have a rub in the centre but it has not resulted in an actual split which is good.  The wide spine remains very strong and clean with only a handful of minor specks and has minimal wear on the corners.  The right hand corners have a little wear, with just a bit more bottom right.  The front cover is very clean overall and just has some faint abrasions which is common but can only be seen when you hold the cover at a certain angle.  A couple of faint creases next to the spine also.  The back cover has three scratch type lines in the centre and 3/4 faint creases but is otherwise in excellent shape.  For once the inside of the gatefold is very clean with hardly any of the marking that you so often see.  It has just a couple of small 'spots' on each panel.  One of the cleanest interiors I have seen in a long time.  As stated there is no Big Bear credit on this one - a very respectable cover overall.

The original poly-lined Swirl inner (dated 0171) has no side splits and only a couple of tiny tears on the central aperture.  It has some age related fading around the edges and some light creasing also.

Play tested on my Rega P2 with Rega Carbon Cart / Denon PMA-520AE Amp / B&W 684 Speakers

This record has been cleaned on a Pro-Ject VC-S machine

6360011 1Y // 2 ▽ 420  1 2  1

6360011 2Y // 1 ▽ 420  1 2  2 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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Postage & Packaging

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