Black Sabbath MASTER OF REALITY UK LP 1ST SWIRL 1Y1/2Y1 W/POSTER NEAR MINT AUDIO

	£		311
	$		412

BLACK SABBATH - MASTER OF REALITY

PLAYS TO A NEAR MINT GRADE

LAMINATED BOX SLEEVE, IN NEAR MINT  CONDITION

A GENUINE VERY FIRST PRESS!!!!!!!

COMPLETE WITH THE VERY RARE UK POSTER

• CATALOGUE:VERTIGO 6360 050
• MATRIX:6360050 1Y // 1 420 1 1  / 2Y // 1 420 1 2

A WORD ABOUT THE POSTER!. TO BE CONSIDERED A TRUE UK ISSUE, THE POSTER HAS TO BE A GENUINE UK MADE ONE. YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT THE POSTER WAS ONLY EVER ISSUED WITH THE VERY FIRST BATCH OF RECORDS PRESSED, AND FINDING A COMPLETE UK COPY IS ACTUALLY VERY HARD TO DO. tHE POSTER HAS BEEN REPLICATED MANY TIMES AND IT IS HARD FOR THE BUYER TO TRULY KNOW WHAT THEY ARE GETTING JUST BY LOOKING AT A PICTURE. ALSO ADDED TO THE MIX IS THE FACT THAT GERMAN COPIES FOR EXAMPLE WERE ALSO ISSUED WITH A POSTER BUT THEY ARE NOT THE SAME AS THE UK ONES. SO HOW DO YOU TELL IF YOU HAVE A GENUINE FIRST ISSUE UK POSTER.

1. MOST OBVIOUS IS THE FOLD LINES. A UK POSTER WILL HAVE THE FOLD LINES SO THAT WHEN THE POSTER IS FOLDED UP IT IS THE WHITE SIDE THAT IS VISIBLE. GERMAN COPIES ARE FOLDED SO THAT THE PICTURE FACES OUTWARDS

2. THE SIZE OF THE PICTURE: AMERICAN AND EUROPEANS SIZES ARE MUCH DIFFERENT TO THE UK POSTERS. UK POSTERS MEASURE 68.5CM X 45CM

3. THE PAPER: THE UK COPIES WERE PRINTED ON A HEAVY MATT PAPER. NOT TEXTURED AND CERTAINLY NOT GLOSSY

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

THE BLACK AND WHITE SWIRL LABEL IS IN PRISTINE CONDITION. THE BLACK SIDE JUST COULD NOT BE BLACKER EITHER, AND THE BASE COLOUR FULLY STRETCHES INTO THE UNWORN SPINDLE HOLE. IT IS TOTALLY CLEAN AND IN MINT CONDITION.

THE WHITE TYPEFACE IS ALSO IN PRISTINE, UNRUBBED , AND PERFECTLY LEGIBLE CONDITION.

THERE ARE JUST TWO SMALL SPIDER LINES SURROUNDING THE SPINDLE HOLE ON EACH SIDE, SHOWING THE LIMITED PLAY THIS LP HAS RECEIVED

THE VINYL

THE VINYL GLEAMS LIKE NEW AND HAS LOST NONE OF ITS LUSTRE OR SHEEN. LOOKING AT THE VINYL IN DAYLIGHT THERE IS NOT A MARK ON IT ANYWHERE. IT LOOKS FLAWLESS, WHEN VIEWED UNDER INTENSE ILLUMINATION YOU WILL SEE NUMEROUS TINY AND VERY SUPERFICIAL WISPY HAIRLINES, PLUS A COUPLE OF EQUALLY NON SOUNDING HANDLING LINES

PLAYING THE RECORD

I BELIEVE THAT IF YOU ARE GOING TO SPEND YOUR MONEY ON A FANTASTIC COLLECTIBLE VINYL, THAT YOU SHOULD BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR WHAT YOU ARE BUYING. I HAVE THEREFORE INVESTED IN THE SOFTWARE THAT ALLOWS YOU TO DO JUST THAT.

I HAVE RECORDED THE ENTIRE ALBUM FROM START TO FINISH AS I NOW DO WITH ALL MY LISTINGS, BECAUSE I AM CONVINCED THAT BIDDERS WOULD LOVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO HEAR THE RECORD BEFORE LAYING A BID. THIS IS A SERVICE I AM DELIGHTED TO BE ABLE TO OFFER MY CUSTOMERS.

GENTLY LOWERING THE STYLUS ONTO THE RUN IN GROOVE ON SIDE ONE THE FIRST THING TO SAY IS THAT THERE IS SILENCE DURING THE BUILD UP TO THE COUGHING WHICH INTRODUCES THE SUPERB 'SWEAT LEAF'

THIS VINYL PLAYS ABSOLUTELY PERFECTLY ALL THE WAY THROUGH SIDE ONE, WITH NO DISTORTION TO THE SOUND WHATSOEVER, AND NO BACKGROUND HEAVY CRACKLES OR CLICKS,

THERE IS SOME VERY VERY LIGHT STATIC LIKE BACKGROUND HEARD ONLY IN THE QUIETEST MOMENTS

TAKE A LISTEN TO THE ULTRA SILENT 'SOLITUDE' WHICH PERFORMS JUST SUPERBLY ALL THE WAY THROUGH. A TRULY INCREDIBLE FIRST PRESS PERFORMANCE , AND THIS WILL GIVE A TRUE GUIDE AS TO THE QUALITY OF THIS GREAT VINYL, JUST A LITTLE LIGHT STATIC LIKE BACKGROUND

YOU WILL ALSO HEAR APPROX 5-6 TINY LITTLE STATIC TICS THOUGH THE WHOLE PLAYTHROUGH AND ONE DUST POP

I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO HESITATION IN GRADING THIS MAGNIFICENT VINYL NEAR MINT

PLEASE TAKE A GOOD LISTEN TO THE WHOLE LP AND JUDGE IT FOR YOURSELF AGAINST YOUR OWN PERSONAL STANDARDS

THE SLEEVE

THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE EXAMPLE OF THIS BOX SLEEVE

STARTING WITH THE SHAPE: MOST YOU WILL SEE WILL BE  SQUASHED ON THE SPINES AND THIS MEANS THAT THE TWO SPINES HAVE BEEN FLATTENED WHICH EASILY HAPPENS BECAUSE OF THE DESIGN.WHEN THE LP WAS REMOVED THE SLEEVE THEN BECAME VULNERABLE TO ANYTHING PLACED ON TOP OF IT, WHICH IMMEDIATELY FLATTED THE BOX AND WOULD NEVER LOOK AS GOOD AGAIN.

IN ADDITION BECAUSE IT IS A BOX STYLE THERE ARE TWO TUCK IN FLAPS TOP AND BOTTOM AND THESE ARE ALWAYS SPLIT OR TORN FROM ROUGH HANDLING USUALLY. THE FINAL SET OF PROBLEMS THAT MOST OF THESE SLEEVES HAVE IS SEVERE LAMINATE LIFT DOWN THE TWO SPINE EDGES, AND HEAVY CREASING WHEN THE SLEEVE WAS LAYING FLAT. THEREFORE FINDING AN IMMACULATE SLEEVE IS NIGH ON IMPOSSIBLE, TAKE LOOK AT SOME OTHER AUCTIONS TO SEE WHAT I MEAN.

THIS SLEEVE HAS REMAINED IN IT'S ORIGINAL SQUARE SHAPE DUE TO THE ORIGINAL OWNER REALISING VERY QUICKLY THAT THE BOX WAS LIABLE TO THE DAMAGE I MENTIONED ABOVE AND HOUSED THE VINYL SEPARATELY FROM THE SLEEVE WHICH HAS PROTECTED THE SLEEVE FROM MOST OF THE USUAL PROBLEMS.PLUS ADDED A CARD STIFFNER INTO THE BOX TO KEEP IT'S ORIGINAL SHAPE

THE FRONT SURFACE ABSOLUTELY SPARKLES LIKE A POLISHED MIRROR, THERE ARE NO HEAVY CREASES OR CREASELINES ANYWHERE, JUST FOUR SMALL LAMINATE LINES NEAR THE LEFT SPINE. AND ONE ON THE RIGHT ONE. AND ONLY A REALLY SMALL A MOUNT OF LAMINATE LIFT ON THE TOP EDGE

THERE ARE ALSO TWO SMALL LAMINATE LINES ON EACH OF THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES

ALL FOUR EDGES ARE 100% LAMINATED AND ONLY THE TOP EDGE SHOWS THREE LAMINATE LINES AND THE RIGHT EDGE JUST ONE

THE TOP FLAP HAS BEEN KEPT OUTSIDE OF THE SLEEVE AND NOT TUCKED IN LIKE MOST WOULD HAVE BEEN, AND THE ONLY BLEMISHES TO IT ARE FOUR LAMINATE LINES

THE LEFT SPINE IS TOTALLY FLAT AND UNSQUASHED, AND EVERY LETTER OF THE TYPEFACE IS PERFECTLY LEGIBLE, ALSO ALL OF THE LAMINATE IS INTACT, WITH ONE TINY LITTLE CHIP ON THE TOP TIP. THERE ARE NO LAMINATE LINES ON THIS SPINE AT ALL

THE RIGHT SPINE IS ALSO IMMACULATE , JUST ONE SMALL LAMINATE LINE AND MINUSCULE SPECK OF RUB TO THE TOP TIP

THE BOTTOM EDGE HAS TWO NEAR INVISIBLE LINES ACROSS IT

THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES ARE TUCK IN BOX FLAPS, AND SUSCEPTIBLE TO TEARING AS OWNERS ATTEMPTED TO REMOVE OR REPLACE THE RECORD INSIDE THE SLEEVE. IT IS HERE THAT THE ORIGINAL OWNER'S DECISION TO KEEP THE RECORD SEPARATE TO THE SLEEVE HAS PAYED DIVIDENDS. FIRSTLY THE TWO FLAPS ARE BOTH VERY VERY STIFF AND NOT LIMP AT THE HINGED AREA LIKE MOST, AND SECONDLY THERE ARE NO TEARS TO EITHER TOP OR BOTTOM FLAP. ALL WE HAVE HERE IS FOUR TINY LAMINATE LINES ON THE TOP ONE AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED AND TWO ON THE BOTTOM ONE

THE REAR OF THE SLEEVE AGAIN IS HIGHLY GLOSSY AND LOOKS SUPERB. EVERY BIT AS SPECIAL AS THE REST OF THE SLEEVE WITH JUST ONE MINUSCULE LINE ON THE BOTTOM , AND ONE ON THE RIGHT EDGE. WHICH ALSO HAS A SMALL SLIVER OF LAMINATE LIFT.

THE ORIGINAL SWIRL INNER SLEEVE IS ALSO IN IMMACULATE CONDITION. TOTALLY FLAT AND 100% UNSPLIT AND FREE FROM ANY CREASES. HAS THE CORRECT 0671 (JUNE 1971) DATE STAMP ON THE BOTTOM OF ONE SIDE. NO DAMAGE WHATSOEVER TO THE DIE CUT HOLES, JUST A LITTLE NATURAL AGEING TO THE EDGES

THE POSTER WHICH WAS ONLY EVER INCLUDED WITH THE VERY FIRST BATCH OF FIRST PRESS RELEASES IS IN NEAR PRISTINE CONDITION AND HAS CLEARLY REMAINED IN THIS STATE FROM NEW. IT WAS KEPT INSIDE THE SLEEVE AND PROBABLY HASN'T EVER BEEN OPENED MORE THAN A COUPLE OF TIMES. THE FOLD LINES ARE SHARP AND THE COLOURS ARE RICH AND VIBRANT. THERE IS A TINY LITTLE NICK TO THE BOTTOM EDGE NEAR THE RIGHT CORNER AND THATS ALL

IT IS WITHOUT A DOUBT IN MINT MINUS CONDITION FRONT AND BACK!!!

I MENTIONED AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE THAT THE POSTER IS THE SMALL UK ORIGINAL. I POINT THIS OUT BECAUSE I HAVE SEEN SOME COPIES WHICH HAVE A LARGER POSTER INCLUDED WHICH IS A EUROPEAN ONE PROBABLY COMING FROM A GERMAN PRESSING AND THESE ARE FAR EASIER TO COLLECT.

SO JUST SOMETHING TO BE AWARE OF WHEN LOOKING TO GET ONE OF THESE SETS

THE LP HAS BEEN PLACED INTO A NEW POLY LINED INNER AND THE ORIGINAL SWIRL INNER IS NOW INSIDE A SEPARATE LP HOLDER

THIS SLEEVE EASILY GRADES NEAR MINT..  IT IS THAT GOOD

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR BID IF YOU CHOSE TO GO FOR IT

GARRY