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Black Sabbath : Master Of Reality 1Y / 2Y 1st Vertigo Press 1971 (Germany) Embossed Cover

This first German pressing plays with stunning quality and with barely any intrusion.  There are no clicks or pops and no persistent background static.  S1 is stunning through every track and even the brief 'Embryo' plays with incredible clarity.  S2 is so impressive and the quieter numbers 'Orchid' and 'Solitude' plays so clearly with no interference.  A small number of minor statics that is all, nothing intrusive.  On any first pressing it is rare for 'Solitude' especially to play with a clarity such as this.  The more typical Sabbath track play with a power and definition that cannot be faulted.  Sonically this classic album is stunning in every way - no 'muddiness' to the sound and no distortion either.  The vinyl is visually in lovely condition also and it's clear to see it has hardly been played.

The laminated embossed cover has been so well preserved also.  It has only minimal wear and as can be seen it has a price sticker in the top right corner although it can't be the original.  The original poster is in fantastic condition with very little wear and the original Vertigo inner (cat no in each top right corner) is in excellent shape also.

This first pressing has the 1Y / 2Y matrix and 'Embryo' is not listed on the label.  The title is incorrectly spelled as 'Masters Of Reality' on the label also.  Each panel on the large poster is LP sized. 

10 AA 6360050 1Y 320   R1   ---   10 AA 6360050 2Y 320   M C1

The audio on S1 is Mint(-)

The audio on Mint(-) (T1 & T3 Near Mint)

The embossed cover is Ex+

The original large poster is Near Mint-

The poly-lined black inner sleeve is Ex

The Vertigo labels are Mint-

Visual description

The vinyl is in lovely condition and still has a superb glossy sheen with no marks or scratches.  Under a bright light I can only see a very small number of ultra faint hairlines and there is nothing that stands out.  There is no groove or surface wear, no 'bag-rash', and the Vertigo labels are practically 'as new' with barely any spindle wear.

Play grading

The initial cough on 'Sweet Leaf' has one minor static and then the intro and Ozzy's opening vocal section plays with superb clarity and depth with no background whatsoever.  The instrumental bridge is just as impressive and the second verse again plays with perfect clarity etc.  This classic album has the most down-tuned sound of all the Sabbath records and whilst this may be the first German press I have listened to it compares favourably to the UK first pressing.  The audio is just as deep and resonant here and the mid instrumental is a fine example of that.  Is it just me or is Ward higher in the mix here?  Regardless the drum 'sound' is stunning and the final vocal / fade out have no intrusion.  An exceptional Mint start to the album.

The quiet build up intro on 'After Forever' is flawless and as Iommi comes in the audio is again so deep and clear.  That first classic riff is 'as new' and the opening vocal is equally as strong.  From then on it plays with that familiar deep, rich sound and there is no background at all.  The staccato third verse is outstanding and you really notice how clean and precise Ozzy's vocals are on this album.  Every section here plays with infinite quality and the final verse / high octane finish round off this classic with audio of the highest calibre also.  There is no distortion.  Mint all the way.

The brief 'Embryo' is often impacted by static distortion, at least on the UK versions, but not here!  The clarity is 10/10 and Mint is again deserved.

The entire intro on 'Children Of The Grave' plays with stunning precision and the first verse is equally as strong.  The instrumental bridge has no intrusion and the next vocal is as good as the first.  It continues in the same way and you just have to turn it up to max.  Despite being the final track on the side there is no inner groove distortion and in essence it just could not play any better.  Ward's unique percussion adds so much to the track and Butler's bass sound is as deep as ever.  And wherever Iommi is the playback is STUNNING!  That's no exaggeration as every note plays with impeccable clarity and power.  Even the quiet 'whisper' end section plays with incredible clarity and that is rare!  I am confident again in grading this as Mint such is the sonic quality on offer here.

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'Orchid' plays beautifully for such a quiet instrumental.  There are a small number of quiet statics and I do mean very very quiet!  I'll say Near Mint just to err on the side of caution.

The intro on 'Lord Of This World' has a couple of minor statics right at the start and the remainder is perfect.  The first verse is 'as new' and again Ozzy's vocal sounds so clean and is certainly high in the mix.  The instrumental bridge / next vocal section are exceptional and the mid instrumental is stunning also.  The 'chorus' is 'as new', a rare event you could say, and the final verse plays like it has never seen a turntable before... much like the rest of the album!  The closing instrumental is so well defined and Butler's bass really comes through strong and deep here.  Another perfect fade out by the way.  Mint-

The intro on 'Solitude' plays with STUNNING clarity and Ozzy's first delicate vocal is so close to that with only minor static tick at the end.  This is the one track that is so often impacted by static (or worse!) but so far so good.  The brief instrumental bridge is nigh on perfect with only a couple of barely audible statics and the next verse plays very clearly with only a handful of minor statics.  It continues to play with phenomenal clarity for such a quiet number and there is no background static to contend with.  The closing instrumental plays with wonderful clarity and warmth as does the fade out / very gentle 'percussive' piece.  I think Near Mint is deserved here because it is such a clean version and so much better than the vast majority you find today.

The long intro on 'Into The Void' plays with superb clarity and definition once more and as Iommi gets intro his stride the audio is outstanding.  The opening vocal section is stunning and the faster paced Freedom fighters... vocal section is just as strong and clear.  For once there is no static distortion on the top end and it continues in the same manner.  In fact the more I listen to it the more I am impressed!  The following instrumental is perfect and the final vocal / closing instrumental is in keeping with the rest of the album i.e. stunning power and depth with a clarity to match.  This classic has to grade as Mint- at the very least and I did not detect any inner groove distortion.

The Embossed Laminated Cover, Original Poster & Vertigo Inner Sleeve

The embossed cover is in excellent condition with only minimal wear.  The edges and spine are in superb order with no marking and all the corners are extremely clean with just one minor rub bottom right.  The opening edge has only a little handling wear and the front cover remains in great condition with just one small 'spot' on the B and minor rubbing next to the right edge.  The back cover is stunning with no obvious wear at all.  A fine example overall.

The original large poster is in superb condition with no pinholes or marking.  If I had to mention anything there is just one small tear at the bottom of the crease that 'connects' the two panels.  Hardly any issue.  The original poly-lined black inner sleeve is unmarked and has barely any creasing.  It has just one small tear on the central aperture.

10 AA 6360050 1Y 320   R1   ---   10 AA 6360050 2Y 320   M C1

Play tested on my Rega P2 with AT-VM95EN Cart / Denon PMA-520AE Amp / B&W 684 Speakers

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

I grade according to "Record Collector" guidelines.

Any questions please feel free to ask

Please pay within 4 days of auction end

Recent Feedback

Postage & Packaging

I will only send items items worldwide via tracked shipping.  This provides 'peace of mind' in case of loss or damage.  The shipping costs are shown below and combined shipping is always offered.  Any over-payment will always be refunded.

The Royal Mail only insure up to a value of £250 so if an item sells for more it may be wise to use a courier service (e.g. Parcelforce or DPD).  An extra insurance premium will be required but I will not know the exact amount until the final sale price is known.  Because of this I will sometimes have to estimate the cost and this will be shown in the listing.  Please wait for the invoice before making payment and if you have any questions please feel free to ask.  Many thanks.

All vinyls are packaged in strong over-sized custom made mailers with plenty of extra cardboard protection.  They are placed inside separate poly-lined inners outside the cover so as to avoid seam splits in transit and then placed inside a PVC sleeve to provide even more protection.  I pride myself on my high quality packaging as my feed confirms and if any customer has any specific requirements I am more than happy to help.

The mailers I use cost £1.00 each and I will use anything between 3-5 cardboard stiffeners which cost approx £0.18 each.  There is also the cost of the poly-lined inner and PVC sleeve to consider, it all adds up!  Not forgetting that eBay take 10% of the shipping fee also!!

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