Black Sabbath : Black Sabbath (Vertigo Swirl Label 1Y/2Y)

This third pressing plays to a standard that is rarely heard today.  There are no clicks or pops and it is practically 'as new' from start to finish and I have played every second of this classic and I am not prone to exaggerating my gradings either!  The clarity and depth of the audio is just sensational.

The cover is one of the finest I have seen with only minor wear and remains very strong and robust.  As it such an early press it has 'Ossie' on the credits rather than the correct 'Ozzy' of course.  The original swirl inner is also in excellent condition.

VO 6 // 1Y * 1 // 420 1 3  9

VO 6 // 2Y * 1 // 420 1 9  3 4

The audio on S1 is Mint-

The audio on S2 is Mint- (track 3 intro Near Mint)

The gatefold is Ex++

The labels are Near Mint

The original swirl inner is Ex+

Visual grading

This is a visually stunning vinyl retains a fantastic mirror-like glossy sheen.  It is so clean and at first glance it looks 'as new'!  It is only on closer inspection that you can detect a hairline on S2 and a very small hairline mark also.  They have no affect on the immaculate quality of the audio.  There are no marks or scratches and it really is sublime example of its kind and you would be hard pressed to find a better one!  The run out grooves are incredibly clean and there is not too much spindle wear either providing further evidence that the record has only been lightly played.

Play grading  

The 'thunder' intro on 'Black Sabbath' plays with stunning clarity and has no clicks, pops, static or crackle.  In fact all I heard was one very brief and very quiet swish sound.  Thereafter the audio is of a standard that you rarely find on these early Vertigo pressings.  The clarity is sensational and that is all the more impressive when you consider there are many quiet sections on this classic opening track.  Having played every second I can confidently grade this as Mint- the depth and power could not be any better.  The up tempo end sections quite simply plays 'as new' with no distortion - the audio is so clear is 100% absolutely stunning.

The harmonica intro on 'The Wizard' plays beautifully with only a couple of minor dust ticks.  It continues to play to a sublime standard with no interference at all, just pure unadulterated Mint- audio.  The clarity of the sound is again one thing that really stands out here.  There is no loss in quality since the day it was released and it is obvious this record has only been lightly played over the intervening years.

'Behind The Wall Of Sleep' and 'N.I.B.' again play with a power and clarity that is second to none.  Even the percussive/bass section at the end of the former has no 'background' of any kind.  This is remarkable audio without question!  Wow!!  As I often say with a beautifully clean vinyl there is no 'muddiness' to the sound and you can hear each note so clearly.  Incredibly strong clean bass also - another indication of a well preserved vinyl. 

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'Evil Woman...' on S2 again plays to a breathtaking standard.  There are 3/4 mega soft ticks but I may only be hearing them as I sit so close to the speakers!  There are certainly no clicks or pops and no distortion either.  The fade out is nigh on perfect with only one static tick.

There is then complete silence in the the dead wax prior to the next track and this gives a prime example of just how 'clean' this record is.The quiet intro on 'Sleeping Village' then plays with impeccable clarity i.e. no 'background' whatsoever, not even a dust tick.  Iommi's guitar then plays 'as new' there is no other way to describe it and as this quality continues as the vocal starts.  This is an astounding version - I know I have been extolling the virtues of every track so far but this track is quite simply Mint from start to finish.  The instrumental sections are unbelievable!  There is not so much as a dust tick and the thumping bass is so impressive.  To the end it plays with remarkable clarity.  In a word, stunning!

'Warning' plays superbly from the outset.  There are a some light static ticks on the intro but they are so quiet as to be totally non-intrusive.  I would still class it as Near Mint it is still a superb opening!  Once the volume increases normal service is resumed and the remainder of this track plays with superb Mint quality.

In summary this is another FINAL UPGRADE ARCHIVE album that I am selling.  Admittedly it is not a first pressing but it is extremely rare for a Vertigo Swirl third pressing to play with such precision and definition.  There is not one single click or pop and no obvious static or crackle either!  It is without question the 'cleanest' pressing I have heard of this classic debut and would grace any collection.  As stated the vinyl is in beautiful condition and the gatefold is also in great order, the most impressive I have seen in many a year.  A stunning album for certain.

The Gatefold

The 'Keef' gatefold has the matt finish as per all the early pressings and has only very minor shelf wear.  The top edges are 'as new' and the bottom edges do have some rubbing but not excessive and no splits.  The wide spine has no wear at all and the right hand corners have only a little rubbing.  The opening edge has barely any handling wear lending more evidence that the vinyl has only been lightly played.  The front cover is very clean with only a small number of indents but these are not easy to spot!  The back cover is mega clean with just a couple of small scratch lines but again these are difficult to see.  The inside of the gatefold is in lovely condition with only minimal fading around the edges, not marked and stained like so many.  An excellent example of this cover that is fast approaching 50 years old!

Inner Sleeve

The original swirl inner is in great condition with no side splits and just one very small tear on the central 'window'.  There is hardly any creasing or age related fading.  A very clean swirl inner for sure.

The Labels

The famous Vertigo labels are in beautiful condition and have lost none of their original black and white colour at all.  They are in superb shape!  The white label is so...white!  There is no marking or writing and only a little spindle wear.

Play tested on my Pro-Ject Essential III Turntable / B&W 684 Speakers

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

VO 6 // 1Y * 1 // 420 1 3  9

VO 6 // 2Y * 1 // 420 1 9  3 4

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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