Black Sabbath - Master Of Reality JAPAN LP w/ obi 1st Issue 2,000 Yen

$

330

 Vertigo ?SFX-7400

COVER: VG+

LP: NM

w/original obi (VG+)

By 1971 the race was over. Nobody was going to catch Tony Iommi when it came to defining the burgeoning sound of Heavy Metal.  Again an album that has aged remarkably well (#2 on RYM for 1971), by this point Sabbath had so clearly defined their brand that subsequent albums went into different directions as they progressed and evolved. There was no further this sound could go, and I'd argue with all respect to the tens of thousands of metal bands who followed in their wake, this has never been equaled as the ultimate blueprint statement of the sub-genres' possibilities. Sabbath somehow not only took discussing that the world can be a mess to even further realms, but came up with music to match, and offered that hippie idealism actually wasn't that far off in terms of its answer. Love and peace, baby. Love and peace. The difference is that Sabbath were so completely dialed in when it came to expressing the state of the world via rock ensemble power; plugged in and tuned down to barely chugging along the tracks one minute, then storming down the tracks like a freight train the next. I'd argue that "Lord Of The World" was a track that nobody from the era could have even played correctly, let alone composed. It's so uniquely Sabbath with its tempo shifts and groove. So "in your face." One of my favorite moments is during Tony's solowhere he just hits this note and pushes it right into your noggin by repeatedly bending and picking it. It's the greatest one note trick in the history of ever, double-tracked for maximum impact. He repeats it in the outro solo because it had to happen twice for you to know it actually happened once. Henry Rollins has often cited Geezer Butler and Bill Ward as the greatest rhythm section of all time. I tend not to think of music as sport, but I would not argue this point. The middle section of "Sweet Leaf" could give the Mahavishnu Orchestra a run for their money, and Bill Ward is flat-out slippery good. This was the first issue in Japan and it was cut in interesting fashion to further bring the Sabbath sound to the now well established fan base there. The sound is opened up a bit with some high end gain, and the bass gets heavier. Not saying I'd take it over the UK orig. but it's a great and different way to hear this mix. Has a tubey warmth to it but sounds really dialed up a couple of notches at the same time.  Can you believe I haven't even talked about most of the songs? But then you know I could wax on about all of them. Even the brief "Orchid" is positively fab and "Embryo" is so short I think it doesn't get discussed enough. Is that Tony making guitars sound closer to cellos? Wild. Look, it's a masterwork. And radio didn't beat it to death like Who's Next or Zep IV, which in a way I think has worked in its favor. It sounds more removed from the mainstream. More rebellious. An uncompromising trip through a sonic world never equaled, though ironically attempted by legions.





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Below you will find the grading standards to which we do our best to adhere. Unsure who to credit for this but aside from the mention of tape repairs on VG covers (which we do not do), it sums up our approach beautifully!


DISC (VINYL) GRADES SS
(STILL SEALED) Sealed at factory and never opened. Disc is assumed to be undamaged and mint, but this cannot be proven until the album is actually opened and the disc examined. M
(MINT) Perfection, no flaws, defects, marks or otherwise indications of being handled or played. Any scuffs, hairline scratches or other marks disqualify discs from this category. I do not use this grade, as even the act of inserting the disc or removing it from the paper sleeve may cause scuff marks on the vinyl. NM or M-
(NEAR MINT or MINT MINUS) This is highest grade that I will assign to opened, handled records. The vinyl is virtually flawless, bright and shiny. A very minor, barely visible scuff or two may be permitted, but no scratches. The disc should play with no audible noise. The label is bright, clean and unmarked. E or VG++
(EXCELLENT or VERY GOOD ++) Disc plays near perfectly, but may have minor paper scuffs that do not interfere with the sound quality. There can possibly be a hairline scratch or two but nothing that is obvious or affects play. Vinyl is bright and shiny; label is clean and unmarked. VG+
(VERY GOOD PLUS) Some visible surface wear, very minor scratches and scuffs, but minimal impact on the sound quality. Vinyl will still have good luster; labels may have minor imperfections (small labels or initials, etc.) but otherwise clean. VG
(VERY GOOD) Vinyl will have noticeable scratches or scuffs that cause minor surface noise, but do not overpower the music. There will be no skips. Vinyl may appear somewhat dull and grayish. Labels may have small tears, tape marks, larger writing, etc. but still easily legible. There may be wear or deformation of the spindle hole. G
(GOOD) Well-played, dull, grayish vinyl with deeper scratches and wear causing distracting surface noise (hisses, pops, cracks and other nasties). The record will still play through without any skips. Labels may be significantly defaced or damaged. F
(FAIR)
P
(POOR) Unless the record is particularly rare, I would not try to sell a record in this condition. There will be major noise, surface damage, deep scratches, and skips. Attempting to listen to these discs will be painful. These discs are basically trash unless a collector desires one to fill a space in a collection until a better one comes along. ALBUM COVER GRADES SS
(STILL SEALED) Album is still in the factory-applied shrink-wrapping. M
(MINT) Absolutely perfect; no corner dings, marks, tears, dents, impressions from the disc, or other flaws. Cover should appear as if a record has never been inside. NM or M-
(NEAR MINT or MINT MINUS) Very minor signs of wear or cover impressions. Artwork is as close to perfection as possible. E or VG++
(EXCELLENT or VERY GOOD ++) Minor disc impression or slight corner creases, no wrinkles, puckers, seam splits or writing on the cover. Artwork is clean and unworn and there is no ink wear. VG+
(VERY GOOD PLUS) Cover is clean but may have minor writing or marks and may show slight wear. There may be just the start of ring wear, where the disc has created a raised area on the cover that resulted in the ink wearing off the paper. There may be slight discoloration or staining, minor seam wear, but no splits or tears. Corners may have small creases or fraying. VG
(VERY GOOD) Covers are worn and used. Seams may be starting to split or may have been unobtrusively repaired with clear tape. (I use special archival-quality, non-yellowing, clear tape for all repairs.) There is moderate ringwear, but the artwork is still attractive. There may be yellowing or discoloration and there may be larger writing, labels, or marks. Corners may have damage or creases and there may be scratches or gouges that otherwise damage the artwork. G
(GOOD) Several (but not all of the following flaws will apply: Seam splits, large marker writing, major seam splits, significant ring wear, damaged corners, tears, cuts, gouges, masking or duct tape seam repairs, or other flaws and damage. Again, probably only useful to fill a collection niche until something better can be found. F
(FAIR)
P
(POOR) Trash







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