BLACK SABBATH "PARANOID" FIRST PRESS LP - PLAYTESTED EXC++

$

25

NO NEED TO BE PARANOID ABOUT PURCHASING THIS CLASSIC SABBATH LP - IT'S A QUALITY PLAYER - VERY NICE LISTENING EXPERIENCE THAT WILL PLEASE ALL BUT THE MOST STRINGENT AUDIOPHILE. 

BLACK SABBATH "PARANOID" ON 1ST PRESS GREEN WB LABEL (BS1887). 

Special Note:  I take my vinyl collecting and selling very seriously - see my feedback for albums I've sold.  Accordingly, I believe you should know exactly what you're buying before you put money down - that's why I go the the lengths I do to detail how an album plays and sounds.  I do not merely offer a grade like many do or describe the albums I offer up for sale as "PLAYS DECENT" or "SOUNDS GOOD".   I do not rely on visual inspection to guess how an album will/should play nor do I casually listen to an album or merely spot check it.  Each and every album I list has been thoroughly listened to from beginning to end (both sides - and usually more than once) in order to identify any issues and detail any distractions to the overall listening quality/experience.  When you purchase an album from me that I've gone to the extent I do to describe (like below) you can do so in confidence - you know exactly what to expect and what you are buying, no guessing or hoping you got lucky with your purchase - that's no way to buy an album. 

THIS LP HAS BEEN CLEANED USING MY SPECIAL METHOD OF CLEANING THAT DOES A VERY EFFECTIVE JOB OF REMOVING THE VAST MAJORITY OF DIRT/DEBRIS HIDING DEEP DOWN IN THE GROOVES.  THE RESULT IS THAT AFTER THIS CLEANING, VIRTUALLY THE ONLY THING YOU'LL HEAR OTHER THAN MUSIC WILL BE THE EFFECTS OF ANY SCRATCHES OR NICKS THAT ARE DEEP ENOUGH TO CREATE POPS OR CLICKS (YOU CAN'T CLEAN THE SCRATCHES AWAY).

THIS IS A VERY NICE SOUNDING/QUALITY PLAYING COPY OF THIS CLASSIC SABBATH ALBUM THAT SHOULD BE PERFECTLY SATISFACTORY TO ALL BUT THE MOST STRINGENT AUDIOPHILE.  VERY LITTLE SURFACE NOISE - VIRTUALLY NO BACKGROUND NOISE (HISS OR CRACKLE).  ANY POPS/TICKS ARE MOSTLY RANDOM IN NATURE AND VERY LOW ON AUDIBLE SCALE.


SIDE 1: OVERALL PLAY GRADE IS EXC+++

WAR PIGS: OVERALL PLAY QUALITY FOR THIS TRACK IS EXC
LEAD IN (BEFORE ACTUAL SONG BEGINS) TO "WAR PIGS" IS VERY QUIET WITH JUST A COUPLE OF VERY LIGHT CLICKS HEARD BEFORE ACTUAL MUSIC STARTS.  A FEW RANDOM LOW AUDIBLE CLICKS ARE HEARD DURING THE INSTRUMENTAL INTRODUCTION (BEFORE OZZIE BEGINS HIS SINGING).  THE NUMEROUS HI-HAT AND GUITAR PARTS THAT START OUT IN VIRTUAL SILENCE BEFORE OZZIE SINGS HAVE A FEW RANDOM CLICKS DISPERSED THROUGHOUT - NOTHING OVERLY OBTRUSIVE (2 - 3 ON SCALE OF 10).  THE VOCAL SECTIONS/BREAKS WHICH FOLLOW AT BEGINNING (WHERE ONLY OZZIE SINGS) ARE FREE OF SURFACE NOISE - NO POPS, TICKS OR CLICKS - NICE AND QUIET.  THE MIDDLE BREAK WHERE ALL YOU HEAR IS BUTLER'S SYMBOL/HI-HATS GOING, PLAYS PERFECTLY FREE OF ANY BACKGROUND NOISE - AWESOME.  LAST THIRD OF THIS TRACK PLAYS NEAR MINT WITH NO ISSUES.  IT FINISHES PERFECTLY QUIET AS IT LEADS INTO "PARANOID". 

PARANOID: PLAYS NEAR MINT - IF NOT ACTUALLY MINT
LEAD IN TO "PARANOID" STARTS PERFECT WITH NO SURFACE NOISE (HISS OR CRACKLE).  PLAYS FANTASTIC - VERY CLEAN SOUND - NO DISCERNIBLE POPS, TICKS OR CLICKS HEARD.  .

PLANET CARAVAN: TRACK PLAYS EXC+
LEAD IN TO " PLANET CARAVAN" HAS SOME VERY LOW AUDIBLE SURFACE NOISE - COUPLE OF TICKS ARE HEARD (2 TO 3 ON A SCALE OF 10).  PLAYS VIRTUALLY SILENT IN BACKGROUND (NO HISS OR CRACKLE) WITH JUST A FEW RANDOM CLICKS HEARD - NOTHING SERIOUS.  INSTRUMENTAL BREAK HALFWAY THRU PLAYS VERY CLEAN WITH A VERY QUIET BACKGROUND - AGAIN JUST SOME LIMITED AND RANDOM STATIC TYPE CLICKS.  THE TRACK FINISHES VERY NICE AS IT LEADS INTO "IRONMAN".

IRONMAN:  TRACK PLAYS MINT
LEAD IN TO "IRONMAN" IS FREE OF ANY SURFACE NOISE (HISS OR CRACKLE).   THE BREAK BEFORE FINAL LEAD (LAST THIRD OF SONG) WHERE YOU HEAR WARD BUTLER'S HI-HATS IS PERFECTLY QUIET IN BACKGROUND!!!!  FINISHES OFF IN FINE FORM.  PLAYS VERY CLOSE TO (IF NOT) NEAR MINT.


SIDE 2:  OVERALL PLAY QUALITY IS EXC+ WITH ONE MINOR EXCEPTION (HAND OF DOOM)

ELECTRIC FUNERAL:  PLAYS EXC++
"ELECTRIC FUNERAL" BEGINS WITH NO SURFACE/BACKGROUND NOISE (HISS OR CRACKLE) - HEARD ONE TO TWO SLIGHT (BARELY AUDIBLE) POPS/TICKS DURING PLAYBACK.

HAND OF DOOM: OVERALL PLAY QUALITY EXC- (CONSERVATIVE)
LEAD IN TO "HAND OF DOOM" BEGINS WITH SOME BACKGROUND NOISE (CLICKS/TICKS) WHICH CONTINUE AS SONG BEGINS.  ON SCALE OF 1 TO 10 - THEY RATE A 3 OR 4 - NOT OBTRUSIVE, BUT THERE.  BY TIME THE LOUDER PART OF SONG KICKS IN YOU CAN'T HEAR ANYTHING.  THE SOFT BREAK IN MIDDLE OF SONG PLAYS PERFECTLY QUIET WITH NO BACKGROUND NOISE.  FINISHES QUIET AS IT LEADS INTO "RAT SALAD". 

RAT SALAD: PLAYS EXC+++
THE LEAD IN TO "RAT SALAD" PLAYS PERFECTLY QUIET WITH NO SURFACE NOISE.  NO DISCERNABLE POPS,TICKS OR CLICKS HEARD.  FINISHES NICE AND QUIET AS IT LEADS INTO "FAIRIES WEAR BOOTS".

FAIRIES WEAR BOOTS: PLAYS EXC+++
LEAD IN TO "FAIRIES" PLAYS WITH NO SURFACE NOISE WHATSOEVER.  PLAYS AS GOOD AS IT GETS - NO DISRUPTION TO PLAY WHATSOEVER - NO HISS, SNAP, CRACKLE OR POPS HEARD.  FINISHES OFF IN EXCELLENT FASHION WITH PERFECT SILENCE.

ALBUM JACKET APPEARANCE IS VERY GOOD - (NOTE THE SIGNIFICANTLY RICHER/BOLDER COLOR ON THIS COVER'S LETTERING AS WELL AS THE PICTURE ON THIS JACKET COMPARED TO ANOTHER I HAVE).  THE FRONT REFLECTS NORMAL WEAR WITH USUAL SCUFFING/COLOR LOSS FROM REPEATED FILING THAT CREATES ALBUM IMPRESSION AND WEAR ALONG BOTTOM EDGE FROM RUBBING.  SPINE IS SOLID (NICE) - NO SEAM SPLITS - ALL LETTERING IS COMPLETELY VISIBLE - IMPACT BUMPS ON BOTH TOP CORNERS.  EXCELLENT INSIDE GATEFOLD - CLEAN - NO MARKS.  BACK OF GATEFOLD HAS NO SEAM SPLITS ALONG EITHER TOP OR BOTTOM EDGES.  OUTER CORNERS HAVE RUB WEAR BUT ARE NOT SPLITTING DUE TO RECKLESS ALBUM INSERTION. COMES WITH THE ORIGINAL INNER SLEEVE.

LP LABELS IN NM CONDITION - VERY CLEAN.  VISUALLY, THE LP LOOKS NICE (VG+) WITH NORMAL MARKS (HAIRLINES/PAPER SCUFFS) FROM PLAY AND INSERTION/REMOVAL FROM JACKET.

THIS IS A QUALITY PLAYER AT A REASONABLE PRICE CONSIDERING IT'S BEEN CLEANED FOR YOUR IMMEDIATE LISTENING PLEASURE AND YOU KNOW PRECISELY WHAT YOU'RE BUYING - NO GUESSWORK HERE!!!