I will declare a lower amount on the customs form for all countries so as to avoid / decrease high import charges.  However, in the case of the EU all purchases are subject to VAT which eBay generally collect at point of sale.  No shipping to Russia currently.

Black Sabbath : Vol. 4 1Y1 / 2Y1 1st Press Vertigo 1972

This first pressing is so so close to perfect and I am not sure I have ever heard a more 'complete' one.  There are no clicks, pops or static on either side and the clarity, depth and power of the audio is sensational.  Please take a read below, you will see exactly what I mean!  The only background is two very light ticks right at the end of 'Changes' and one other light tick on 'Snowblind'.  Sometimes words are not enough!  Sometimes you just have to listen to the record to understand the sonic quality that I am talking about.  For example, aside from the two very quiet ticks 'Changes' has to be be cleanest version I have ever heard because there is no static distortion at all which is such rarity.  'FX' would you believe plays to perfection, the clarity is incredible.  There are so many highlight, too numerous to mention really, but the other stand outs are 'Wheels Of Confusion' and all of S2 basically.  Audio does not get much better than this!  You will not be surprised to hear that the vinyl is visually stunning and has clearly hardly been played.

The cover is excellent for the most part and the front and back cover are actually very clean which makes a change.  The inside has a little wear which is described below.  As per this release it either came with a Vertigo inner or a Plastic Bags... one and this has the latter (dated 0972) and it is excellent condition with only minimal wear.

The first pressing has a 1Y1 / 2Y1 matrix, no Made in England on the Side B label, the gatefold is matt textured and inside reads 'We wish to thank the great COKE-Cola Company...'.  The track listing has no timings either.

6360071  1Y//1  1  2 1  8  PORKY (etched)

6360071  2Y//1  1 1  2  PECKO (etched)

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

The audio S2 is Mint(-)

The gatefold is a very strong VG++

The photo booklet is Ex-

The original inner sleeve is Ex+

The Vertigo labels are Mint-

Visual description

The vinyl is in beautiful condition and still has an immaculate jet-black glossy sheen with no marks or scratches.  Under a strong bright light I can only see one faint hairline on S1 and there is no 'bag-rash', groove or surface wear, it truly is a stunning vinyl!  The run out grooves are pristine and the iconic Vertigo labels are near perfect with very little spindle wear.

Play grading

The intro on 'Wheels Of Confusion' plays with phenomenal clarity and depth, there is not even a single dust tick, and Ozzy's opening vocal section is just as strong and clear.  The instrumental bridge is flawless and the second vocal is of the same high end standard.  The audio separation is key here - each note is so clean and precise and Iommi's classic down-tuned sound has lost none of its original sonic quality.  The first lengthy instrumental plays with STUNNING quality with Ward and Butler adding so much to the overall sound.  As Ozzy bursts back in there is no distortion on the top end, remember this is a powerful vocal!  It continues in the same precise way, the final vocal section is perfect, and the classic closing instrumental is STUNNING once more!  Firstly the quiet segue into this instrumental has no background and it then plays with incredible power and depth with such a 'clean' sound and the long fade out has no background either.  This is a perfect Mint start to the album.  It is quite possibly the most 'complete' version I have ever heard.

With complete silence in the dead wax 'Tomorrow's Dream' then plays without fault from the word go.  The intro and opening vocal have no intrusion and it continues to play with a clarity, depth and resonance that is second to none.  Already it is patently obvious this vinyl has hardly been played.  Every vocal and instrumental play with infinite precision and Mint is again 100% deserved.

This is without doubt one of the cleanest most impressive versions of 'Changes' that I have ever listened to and I'll explain why.  How often does it play with some static / distortion?  Very often!  It's almost obligatory with this track BUT when you find a vinyl as well preserved as this one there is none of that 'interference' here.  The gentle piano intro has just one barely audible static and Ozzy's first verse and chorus could not play with any greater clarity.  This level is kept up as it progresses - the mid instrumental is often a section that has some intrusion but not here!  I cannot recommend this version highly enough, an emotional listen in light of current events.  I can get a little 'wordy' when confronted with audio of this quality but first and foremost I am a fan so can be forgiven!  The vocals are so clean here and that is a genuine rarity.  There are a couple of very quiet ticks after the final vocal but that is the only 'intrusion' across the entire track.  The quiet end piano section plays to perfection as does the fade out.  So close to Mint- but I guess Near Mint+ is a fairer grade because of the two minor ticks but 99.9% does indeed play with pristine precision.

Now the even quieter 'FX' is easily the finest example I have ever heard!  Seriously the clarity of sound is absolutely incredible and from start to finish it just could not play any better.  There is literally no background and I have no hesitation in grading it as Mint wow... just wow!

The percussive intro on 'Supernaut' has no background and Iommi's section is equal to that.  Ozzy's opening vocal is just as strong.  This classic is often impacted by inner groove distortion but it is kept to an absolute minimum here and in fact the more I play it the more I am impressed by it!  Ward's work so powerful and frenetic style and that is very much in evidence during the mid instrumental.  His 'stand alone' solo is perfect and the final vocal has only minimal distortion.  The closing instrumental is faultless and the fade out has no background either.  In a sense I don't think you can downgrade due to inner groove distortion because it is always found here, that's the nature of vinyl, but like I say it is kept to a minimum so I will grade as Mint- accordingly.  What a side!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The intro on 'Snowblind' plays deep and strong with no intrusion and the opening vocal is just as impressive.  There is one light tick in the instrumental bridge and the second vocal displays perfect clarity once more.  Iommi's familiar deep, rich sound aided by the rhythm section of Butler and Ward in the next instrumental and the first chorus plays with impeccable quality.  From then on there is no let up in quality - the instrumental is 'as new' and the powerful section incorporating Ozzy's 'Right' vocal is superb as is the next vocal and the closing instrumental is so good, outstanding power, depth and warmth.  A Mint- version of this classic.

The 'doom' laden intro on 'Cornucopia' plays to perfection and the opening vocal again has no background.  It continues in the same way with that now familiar deep and powerful audio.  Once again I cannot over-emphasise just how strong and clear the playback is.  Every vocal and instrumental passage playing to the highest standard possible and it is without question a perfect Mint rendition.

'Laguna Sunrise', much like Changes often plays with some interference but the clarity and definition of the sound here is STUNNING.  You can tell I am running out of adjectives now!  It plays with such precision and warmth and once again you can hear every note how they were meant to be heard.  It plays like it has never been played before, I can pay it no higher compliment.  Mint

The intro on 'St. Vitus Dance' is as clean as the day it was first pressed and the opening vocal is the same.  This relatively short number continues to play with exceptional accuracy, there is no intrusion at all not even a solitary tick.  Mint

The intro on 'Under The Sun' is strong, deep and menacing!  No interference either!  The opening vocal section is just as clear and there is no distortion on the top end.  From then on it plays with immense quality - it's such a dynamic track and Ward is really in his element here.  The entire mid section led by Iommi could not play any better and Ozzy's final vocal is of the same standard.  The classic closing section plays with phenomenal power and definition - Iommi, Butler and Ward working in perfect harmony and this section just demands to be played loud!  You lose nothing, the sonic quality is amazing, and there is literally no distortion.  I think they turned the recording levels up here because it just seems to get louder!  This is another definitive version, easily the strongest I have heard in a long time, and Mint is richly deserved. 

The Gatefold & Vertigo Inner Sleeve

This iconic cover for the large part is in excellent condition with only a little wear here and there.  What you first notice is how clean the front and back cover are because they so often have a lot of spotting / surface rub but there is barely any of that here.  There is a small scuff on the back top left but aside from that it is very clean with only a small number of specks / rubs, nothing too obvious.  The edges are in great shape with only very minimal rubbing and the wide spine remains strong and very clean with only minor wear on the bottom corner.  The other corners have barely any wear and the opening edge is pristine.  The 4 page photo booklet on the inside is still perfectly attached but has some sticking scuffs on the bottom of the left panel and on the corresponding side, the Ozzy live photo.  There is a just a little on Bill's photo and even less on Tony's.  The inside of the booklet is in perfect condition.  A strong example overall.

The poly-lined inner inner sleeve (dated 0972) is very clean with no side splits or tears and barely any marking.  It has only a little creasing mainly in one corner.

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

6360071  1Y//1  1  2 1  8  PORKY (etched)

6360071  2Y//1  1 1  2  PECKO (etched)

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!!

UK Postage Rates (First Class Recorded - Max 2kg)

LPs/12" singles : £6.50 up to 1kg then £1.00 per extra item 

EUROPE (Tracked - Max 2kg)

LPs/12" singles : £13.95 then £2.00 per extra

USA (Tracked - Max 2kg)

LPs/12" singles : £22.95 then £2.50 per extra 

REST OF WORLD (Tracked - Max 2kg)  

LPs/12" singles : £21.95 then £2.50 per extra

If you are not entirely happy with your purchase please contact me before leaving feedback and I will always resolve any issue, 100% guaranteed.  If you would prefer to send the item back I will also pay the return shipping cost if I am at fault, I am only human after all!!