Black Sabbath MASTER OF REALITY UK LP SWIRL W/POSTER M-

	£		232
	$		307

BLACK SABBATH - MASTER OF REALITY

IN MAGNIFICENT 'FINAL UPGRADE' CONDITION

LAMINATED BOX SLEEVE, WITH UK ISSUE POSTER

• CATALOGUE:VERTIGO 6360 050
• MATRIX:6360050 1Y // 1 420 / 2Y // 1 420 
• PLAYED 2-3 TIMES

THIS IS WITHOUT A DOUBT ONE OF THE BEST EXAMPLES OF THIS LP SET YOU ARE EVER LIKELY TO COME ACROSS. IT IS IN MAGNIFICENT CONDITION ALL ROUND AND INCLUDES THE SMALLER TYPE UK POSTER (I'LL EXPLAIN BELOW)

AN ABSOLUTELY VAULT COPY OF THIS LP THAT HAS BEEN PLAYED AT MOST 1-2 TIMES, AND HAS A SLEEVE THAT JUST BEGGARS BELIEF

THIS WHOLE SET IS JUST IMMACULATE

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

THE BLACK AND WHITE SWIRL LABEL IS IN PRISTINE CONDITION. THE BLACK SIDE JUST COULD NOT BE BLACKER EITHER, AND THE BASE COLOUR FULLY STRETCHES INTO THE UNWORN SPINDLE HOLE. IT IS TOTALLY CLEAN AND IN MINT CONDITION.

THE WHITE TYPEFACE IS ALSO IN PRISTINE, UNRUBBED , AND PERFECTLY LEGIBLE CONDITION.

I CAN'T EVEN SEE ANY SPIDER LINES SURROUNDING THE SPINDLE HOLE, AND I SUPPOSE IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE LP HAS IN FACT REMAINED UNPLAYED UNTIL TODAY. IT IS THAT GOOD

THE VINYL

THE VINYL GLEAMS LIKE NEW AND HAS LOST NONE OF ITS LUSTRE OR SHEEN. LOOKING AT THE VINYL IN DAYLIGHT THERE IS NO A MARK ON IT ANYWHERE. IN FACT IT IS FLAWLESS, AND EVEN WHEN VIEWED UNDER INTENSE ILLUMINATION THERE ARE JUST THE USUAL NEAR INVISIBLE FINE HAIRLINES THAT MOST WOULD ASSOCIATE WITH REMOVAL FROM THE SLEEVE.

PLAYING THE RECORD

I BELIEVE THAT IF YOU ARE GOING TO SPEND YOUR MONEY ON A FANTASTIC COLLECTIBLE VINYL, THAT YOU SHOULD BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR WHAT YOU ARE BUYING. I HAVE THEREFORE INVESTED IN THE SOFTWARE THAT ALLOWS YOU TO DO JUST THAT.

I HAVE RECORDED THE ENTIRE ALBUM FROM START TO FINISH AS I NOW DO WITH ALL MY LISTINGS, BECAUSE I AM CONVINCED THAT BIDDERS WOULD LOVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO HEAR THE RECORD BEFORE LAYING A BID. THIS IS A SERVICE I AM DELIGHTED TO BE ABLE TO OFFER MY CUSTOMERS.

GENTLY LOWERING THE SYTYLUS ONTO THE RUN IN GROOVE ON SIDE ONE THE FIRST THING TO SAY IS THET THERE IS SILENCE DURING THE BUILD UP TO THE COUGHING WHICH INTRODUCES THE SUPERB 'SWEAT LEAF'

THIS VINYL PLAYS ABSOLUTELY PERFECTLY ALL THE WAY THROUGH SIDE ONE, WITH NO DISTORTION TO THE SOUND WHATSOEVER, AND NO BACKGROUND CRACKLES OR CLICKS, BARELY A SECOND OF STATIC IF AT ALL. SIMPLY SUPERB!!

SIDE TWO HAS THE TWO MOST VULNERABLE TRACKS ORCHID AND SOLITUDE WHICH ARE BOTH VERY SILENT AND USUALLY SOUND AWFUL DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE SLIGHTEST ISSUE WITH THE VINYL WILL CAUSE THE SOUND TO DEGENERATE.

STARTING WITH ORCHID, THIS PLAYS TO NEAR PERFECTION. TOTALLY BACKGROUND FREE AND AS CLEAR AND CRISP AS YOU COULD WANT. I HEARD ONE SMALL DUST POP ABOUT HALF WAY IN, BUT THAT IS THE ONLY THING.

SOLITUDE ALSO PLAYS MAGNIFICENTLY, AGAIN CLEAR AND CLEAN WITH EVERY NOTE BEING HEARD PERFECTLY. THERE ARE A COUPLE OF RANDOM SECONDS OF BARELY AUDIBLE STATIC, AND TWO MORE TINY DUST POPS

SIDE TWO PLAYS THROUGH PERFECTLY AND COMPLETES A SIMPLY SUPERB FIRST PRESS PLAYTHOUGH

I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO HESITATION IN GRADING THIS MAGNIFICENT VINYL MINT MINUS

PLEASE TAKE A GOOD LISTEN AND JUDGE IT FOR YOURSELF

THE SLEEVE

THIS IS ANOTHER OF THOSE IMPOSSIBLE TO GET MINT SLEEVES. HERE HOWEVER IS ONE THAT SURELY RANKS UP THERE WITH THE BEST AVAILABLE.

STARTING WITH THE SHAPE: MOST YOU WILL SEE WILL BE DESCRIBED AS SQUASHED AND THIS MEANS THAT THE TWO SPINES HAVE BEEN FLATTENED WHICH EASILY HAPPENS BECAUSE OF THE DESIGN.WHEN THE LP WAS REMOVED THE SLEEVE THEN BECAME VULNERABLE TO ANYTHING PLACED ON TOP OF IT, WHICH IMMDIATELY FLATTED THE BOX AND WOULD NEVER LOOK AS GOOD AGAIN. IN ADDITION BECAUSE IT IS A BOX STYLE THERE ARE TWO TUCK IN FLAPS TOP AND BOTTOM AND THESE ARE ALWATS SPLIT OR TORN FROM ROUGH HANDLING USUALLY. THE FINAL SET OF PROBLEMS THAT MOST OF THESE SLEEVES HAVE IS SEVERE LAMINATE LIFT DOWN THE TWO SPINE EDGES, AND HEAVY CREASING WHEN THE SLEEVE WAS LAYING FLAT. THEREFORE FINDING AN IMMACULATE SLEEVE IS NIGH ON IMPOSSIBLE, TAKE LOOK AT SOME OTHER AUCTIONS TO SEE WHAT I MEAN.

THIS SLEEVE HAS REMAINED IN IT'S ORIGINAL SQUARE SHAPE DUE TO THE ORIGINAL OWNER REALISING VERY QUICKLY THAT THE BOX WAS LIABLE TO THE DAMAGE I MENTIONED ABOVE AND PLACED ENOUGH CARD INSIDE THE SLEEVE TO KEEP IT SQUARE. FROM THAT MOMENT ON THE VINYL AND POSTER WAS HOUSED SEPERATELY FROM THE SLEEVE, WHICH WAS ALSO PLACED INSIDE A PLASTIC OUTER SLEEVE FOR FURTHER PROTECTION.

SO APART FROM THE GLEAMING LAMINATE, THERE ARE NO HEAVY CREASES OR CREASELINES ANYWHERE, JUST TWO SMALL LAMINATE LINES NEAR THE LEFT SPINE. I BELIEVE IT WAS THIS THAT PROMPTED THE ORIGINAL OWENR TO TAKE THE REMEDIAL ACTION THAT HE OR SHE DID. THERE IS THE BAREST SLIVER OF LAMINATE LIFT ALONG A SMALL PORTION OF THIS SPINAL EDGE, FAR FAR SMALLER THAN ANYTHING I HAVE SEEN ON ANY OTHER SLEEVE.

THE RIGHT HAND SIDE HAS NO LINES WHATSOEVER, AND THUS NO LAMINATE LIFT . THE TOP EDGE IS JUST IMMACULATE WITH ALL OF THE LAMINATE INTACT ACROSS THE VULNERABLE OPENING FLAP, WHILST THE BOTTOM EDGE HAS A SMAMM SECTION OF LAMINATE THAT HAS SPLIT ALONG THE SEAM

THE LEFT SPINE IS TOTALLY FLAT AND UNSQUASHED, AND EVERY LETTER OF THE TYPEFACE IS PERFECTLY LEGIBLE, ALSO ALL OF THE LAMINATE IS INTACT, SHOWING JUST FOUR SMALL LINES ACROSS IT.

THE RIGHT SPINE IS EVERY BIT AS IMMACULATE, AND IN FACT ONLY HAS ONE NEAR INVISIBLE LINE NEAR THE BOTTOM

THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES ARE TUCK IN BOX FLAPS, AND SUCEPTIBLE TO TEARING AS OWNERS ATTEMPTED TO REMOVE OR REPLACE THE RECORD INSIDE THE SLEEVE. IT IS HERE THAT THE ORIGINAL OWNER'S DECISION TO KEEP THE RECORD SEPERATE TO THE SLEEVE HAS PAYED DIVIDENDS. FIRSTLY THE TWO FLAPS ARE BOTH VERY VERY STIFF AND NOT LIMP AT THE HINGED AREA LIKE MOST, AND SECONDLY THERE ARE NO TEARS TO EITHER TOP OR BOTTOM FLAP.THESE ARE THE BEST EXAMPLES OF THE FLAPS I HAVE SEEN AS MOST ARE AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED VERY WORN AND MAYBE EVEN TORN. ALL WE HAVE HERE IS A COUPLE OF TINY LAMINATE LINES ON EACH ONE

THE REAR OF THE SLEEVE AGAIN IS HIGHLY GLOSSY AND LOOKS SUPERB. EVERY BIT AS SPECIAL AS THE REST OF THE SLEEVE WITH JUST ONE MINISCULE LINE NEAR THE RIGHT EDHE AND A FINGERNAIL OF LIFT IN THE BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER

THE ORIGINAL SWIRL INNER SLEEVE IS THE LOWEST GRADE OF ALL OF THE COMPONENT PARTS. AS I MENTIONED IT HAS BEEN KEPT OUTSIDE OF THE SLEEVE AND HAS THUS SUFFERED SOME LIGHT BROWNING TO THE GLUED AREAS, AND SOME LIGHT CREASING. HOWEVER THERE ARE NO SPLITS TO ANY OF THE SEAMS, AND IT IS THE CORRECT BLACK ON WHITE SWIRL INNER

THE POSTER WHICH WAS ONLY EVER INCLUDED WITH THE VERY FIRST BATCH OF FIRST PRESS RELEASES IS IN PRISTINE CONDITION AND HAS CLEARLY REMAINED IN THIS STATE FROM NEW. IT WAS KEPT SEPERATE FROM THE SLEEVE AND HAS A COUPLE OF LIGHT MARKS TO THE WHITE REAR SURFACE , BUT AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE FRONT SIDE, IT DOESN'T LAY FLAT AND THATS BECAUSE IT HAS NEVER BEEN FULLY OPENED. IT IS IN IMMACULATE CONDITION

I MENTIONED AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE THAT THE POSTER IS THE SMALL UK ORIGINAL. I POINT THIS OUT BECAUSE I HAVE SEEN SOME COPIES WHICH HAVE A LARGER POSTER INCLUDED WHICH IS A EUROPEAN ONE PROBABLY COMING FROM A GERMAN PRESSING AND THISE ARE FAR EASIER TO COLLECT.

SO JUST SOMETHING TO BE AWARE OF WHEN LOOKING TO GET ONE OF THESE SETS

THE LP HAS BEEN PLACED INTO A NEW POLY LINED INNER AND THE ORIGINAL SWIRL INNER IS NOW INSIDE A SEPERATE LP HOLDER

COMPARED TO HOW THIS SLEEVE USUALLY LOOKS, I AM VERY COMFORTABLE WITH A MINT MINUS GRADE FOR THIS SLEEVE

TO ME THIS IS THE FINAL UPGRADE TO ANYONE'S COLLECTION

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR BID IF YOU CHOSE TO GO FOR IT

GARRY