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Black Sabbath : Paranoid 1Y1 / 2Y1 2nd Vertigo Press Matt Cover 1970

This has to be the finest second Vertigo pressing I have sold in many a year, it is absolutely stunning!  The clarity, depth and power of the audio is phenomenal and it is obvious it has only been sparingly played over the last 56 years.  The only intrusion is one light dull click during 'Planet Caravan' but aside from that this very quiet track plays beautifully and we all know how rare that is!  The quieter passages during 'Hand Of Doom' also play with unbelievable clarity and as for all the other tracks?  In all honesty they could not play any better.  There is no background and sonically they are out of this world.  There is no inner groove distortion, no 'muddiness' to the sound - I could hardly believe what I was listening to!  It's so rare to find a genuine second pressing playing to such a high level and visually it is stunning also.

The cover is so prone to wear because of its matt texture but this one has been so well cared for with only some rubbing on the bottom edges as is common.  That is the only obvious wear!  It still holds its original shape and structure perfectly and is easily one of best copies I have ever seen.  The original Vertigo inner (dated 1070) is in fantastic condition also with very little wear.

This second press has the same 1Y1 / 2Y1 matrix as the first press and still has the large Swirl on the label.  The only difference is that it does not have the Big Bear credit on the inside of the gatefold.  There is still no break between 'Hand Of Doom' and 'Rat Salad' on S2.

6360011   1Y//1▽ 420  1 5  2   ---   6360011   2Y//1▽ 420  1 1  2 2

The audio on S1 is Mint(-) (T3 Near Mint-)

The audio on S2 is Mint(-)

The matt textured gatefold is Ex+

The Vertigo inner sleeve is Near Mint-

The Vertigo labels are Mint-

Visual description

The vinyl is in lovely condition and still has a fine glossy sheen with no marks or scratches.  Looking under a bright light I can only find some very faint hairlines but there is nothing that stands out.  There is no groove or surface wear, no 'bag rash', and the iconic Vertigo labels are near perfect with very little spindle wear.

Play grading

The intro on 'War Pigs' has no background and the audio is sublime - deep and rich with that strong resonant tone and the 'air-raid' siren is just as impressive.  Ward's first quiet percussive section is equally as clean as is Ozzy's opening vocal section and the instrumental again plays with stunning clarity and definition.  The following powerful vocal is of the same exact standard and it continues in the same precise way.  I really cannot overstate how clean and well defined the music is here - each note is so sharp and precise and there is literally nothing to detract from the audio.  The mid instrumental is a classic example of that and the next quiet percussive piece again has no intrusion.  There is one quiet tick on the final vocal and then the end instrumental with Iommi at the helm can only be described 'as new'.  The sonic quality from start to finish is STUNNING and Mint- is very much deserved.

'Paranoid' plays with phenomenal power and depth through every section.  Ozzy's vocal is as strong as ever and the classic rhythm section of Ward and Butler's drive this classic with imperious quality.  There is no distortion, no 'muddiness' to the sound and the clarity and definition is of the highest calibre.  This is Mint as it just could not play any better.

The gentle intro on 'Planet Caravan' begins beautifully without any background and the opening three 'delicate' verses are of the same standard.  The instrumental bridge is equal to that and the next verse is nigh on perfect with has only a couple of minor statics.  The final verse does have one quiet dull click followed by a light tick but that is the only intrusion across the entire track.  Iommi's gentle end section plays with exceptional clarity and warmth and you really notice the piano 'sound' here, that's how clean the audio is.  This closing instrumental plays with a rare clarity of sound and I only noticed a couple of minor statics and then the long fade out plays without fault.  This is undeniably one of the finest versions of this track that I have ever heard and Near Mint- is fair although the vast majority is stronger than that.  We all know how susceptible this track is to static, crackle or worse but there is barely any background here.

The percussive intro on 'Iron Man' is flawless and the 'first' vocal is just as strong and clear.  The instrumental bridge is perfect and Ozzy's opening vocal is on the same level.  It continues in the same way and what strikes you is the complete lack of any inner groove distortion.  This is clearly a record that has only been lightly played but not only that, it has also been so well preserved.  The mid instrumental is STUNNING and the final vocal again exudes clarity and power.  The closing instrumental that begins with Butler's deep driving bass is phenomenal and to the end Iommi's sound could not be any stronger.  Another flawless Mint version - wow... just wow!

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'Electric Funeral' plays with supreme quality from the get go.  The intro and opening vocal section has no background whatsoever and the instrumental bridge / next vocal passage is on the same level.  The mid instrumental keeps up the standard and again it's the power and depth of the audio that really stands out as well as the clarity of course.  The 'louder' vocal section is sonically as strong as ever and the remainder is of the same high end standard.  It has a long fade out and yet the clarity of sound is 'as new' - this is easily a Mint start to S2.

There is complete silence in the dead wax and then the 'bass' intro on 'Hand Of Doom' plays with sensational clarity!  The opening vocal is the same and as we all know this opening section is soooo quiet!  The first high octane passage plays with tremendous power and definition and it continues to play with clarity and power that belies the age of the album, I mean it has to be 56 years old!  The high powered mid section plays with a sonic quality that is second to none and the rest of this classic is of the same high end standard.  The louder passages are faultless but in a way it's the quiet section sections that stand out as the clarity of sound is STUNNING!  Yes there is one light static on one of the quieter bass sections but that does not take away from what is an unbelievable version.  It has to grade as Mint- and there cannot be many of them around on a genuine second pressing!

'Rat Salad' is superb from start to finish.  Every note is so clean and clinical - every beat from Ward is perfect and Iommi guitar sound is just as impressive.  Mint

The entire intro on 'Fairies Wear Boots' is 'as new' and the first 'heavy' section is equally as good.  I love how high Ward is in the mix, Butler's deep also.  The opening vocal section has literally no background and from then it plays with immense power and resonance.  Once again I cannot emphasise enough just how pristine the audio is and rarely there is no inner groove distortion, another sign this record has only been very lightly played.  The mid instrumental for example - sublime!    The final vocal section / instrumental passages more than keep up the standard and I have to say that sonically from the first note to the last this classic could not play with any greater precision.  The long fade out - not one single dust tick.  This is without doubt a Mint finish to the album.

The Gatefold & Vertigo Inner Sleeve

The gatefold is in excellent condition which is all the more impressive considering it is matt textured.  The only obvious wear is some rubbing / surface wear on the bottom edges but the top edges have hardly any wear.  The wide spine is very clean with only some wear on the corners and a very small section of light rubbing in the centre.  The right hand corners are in superb shape, just very minor rubbing bottom right, and the opening edge has only the bare minimum of handling wear.  The front cover is stunning, you can see a little of the wear on the bottom edges and for once there are only 2/3 minor edges creases next to the spine.  The back cover is on the same level and the inside of the gatefold is beautiful!  It's rarely seen as clean as this and there is nothing to report really!  A couple of tiny specks maybe!  This iconic cover has been so well preserved down the years and well worth an Ex+ grade in my opinion.

The Vertigo inner is in lovely condition with no side splits or tears and hardly any little creasing.  It has no 'obvious' marking, just a little of the usual glue residue showing through on the top edges and even less on the bottom edges.

6360011   1Y//1▽ 420  1 5  2   ---   6360011   2Y//1▽ 420  1 1  2 2

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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