BLACK SABBATH Master Of Reality w/poster spiral MINT-

	£		113
	$		150

BLACK SABBATH - MASTER OF REALITY

• VERTIGO
• 6360050 1-1 / 2-1
• GENUINE FIRST PRESSING
• PLAYED NO MORE THAN TWICE EVER!!!!
•  

THE THIRD SABBATH ALBUM, AND ARGUABLY THE HARDEST ON TO COLLECT IN MINT CONDITION. DUE TO THE DESIGN OF THE SLEEVE IT IS VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND ONE THAT DEFIES THE PASSAGES OF TIME. MOST YOU WILL FIND WILL HAVE LARGE CREASES ALL OVER THEM, AND THE SLEEVE WILL HAVE BEEN FLATTENED FROM ITS ORIGINAL BOX LIKE STATE. THE FLAPS WILL ALSO BE TORN IN MOST CASES, AND LASTLY LAMINATE LIFT PLAGUES THIS SLEEVE.

I WANT TO START WITH THE SLEEVE  BECAUSE THIS IS ONE OF THOSE RARE MOMENTS WHEN A PRISTINE EXAMPLE COMES ALONG THAT BEGGARS BELIEF. STARTING WITH THE FRONT SURFACE, AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE PICTURES IT GLEAMS LIKE NEW. IT IS TOTALLY FLAT AND CLEAN, AND THERE ARE NO CREASES ON IT ANYWHERE AT ALL. THERE ARE TWO TINY LAMINATE LINES RIGHT AT THE TOP OF THE SLEEVE, AND THE SLIGHTEST BIT OF LAMINATE LIFT ALONG THE LEFT EDGE. THOSE ARE THE ONLY TWO MINOR FAULT ON THIS INCREDIBLE FRONT SURFACE. I CANNOT REMEMBER EVER HAVING SEEN ONE IN SUCH FANTASTIC CONDITION. THE SHAPE OF THE SLEEVE HAS BEEN MAINTAINED AND IT HAS NOT BEEN SQUASHED, AND THIS IS BECAUSE THE PREVIOUS OWNER HAD THE FORESIGHT TO REMOVE THE ALBUM FROM THE SLEEVE AND KEEP IT SEPARATE FROM THE SLEEVE, BUT IN ADDITION THEY PUT A SQUARE PIECE OF CARDBOARD INSIDE THE SLEEVE TO ALLOW OT TO REMAIN BOXLIKE, AND NOT GET SQUASHED. THIS WAS A REMARKABLE BIT OF FORESIGHT INDEED AS IT HAS MEANT THAT THE SLEEVE NOT ONLY LOOKS PERFECT, BUT IN REMOVING THE ALBUM FROM THE SLEEVE, IT HAS ALSO MEANT THAT THE TOP AND BOTTOM FLAPS HAVE REMAINED AS GOOD AS THEY WERE WHEN THEY WERE NEW. LIKE I PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED THERE ARE ONLY 2 SMALL LINES WHICH TRAVERSE FROM THE TOP OF THE SLEEVE ROUND ONTO THE TOP FLAP. AND THAT'S ALL.

THE TWO SPINES ARE IMMACULATE, NO PEELING LAMINATE AT ALL, WHICH IS ANOTHER THING THAT USUALLY PLAGUES THIS SLEEVE.

I HAVE NO DOUBT IN MY MINT THAT THIS SLEEVE FULLY WARRANTS A MINT MINUS GRADE CONSIDERING HOW IT USUALLY TURNS UP. IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR THE BEST THAT MONEY CAN BUY, THEN LOOK NO FURTHER THAN THIS.

THE INNER SLEEVE IS THE ORIGINAL VERTIGO SWIRL POLY LINED INNER, AND IS IN EXCELLENT UNSPLIT CONDITION, ONLY THE BAREST TRACE OF BROWNING AROUND THE EDGES.

FINALLY THE VERY VERY RARE POSTER WHICH WAS ONLY INCLUDED IN THE FIRST FEW PRESSINGS. THIS IS IN EXCEPTIONAL UNTORN CONDITION. IT HAS AT SOME POINT BEEN ON A WALL AS THERE ARE 4 SMALL PIN HOLES IN THE CORNERS, BUT THE FOLDS ARE SHARP, AND THIS WOULD SUGGEST THAT IT WASN'T THERE FOR VERY LONG BEFORE IT WAS PLACED BACK INSIDE THE SLEEVE

THE RECORD

THE LABELS ARE IMMACULATE. I LOOK ALWAYS FOR SIGNS O HOW MUCH PLAY THE RECORD HAS HAD DUE TO THE NUMBER OF SPIDER LINES I CAN COUNT, AND I CANNOT SEE ANY AT ALL, WHICH INDICATES NOT ONLY WAS THE ALBUM VERY CAREFULLY HANDLED, BUT THAT IT WAS BARELY PLAYED. I WOULD SAY NO MORE THAN TWO VERY VERY CAREFUL PLAYS EVER!!

GENTLY LOWERING THE STYLUS ONTO THE RECORD

SILENCE!!!

THE RUN IN GROOVE HAS NO BACKGROUND NOISE WHATSOEVER !

SIDE ONE STARTS WITH THE COUGHING INTRO TO THE BRILLIANT SWEET LEAF, AND INSTANTLY I AM ABLE TO SAY THAT THERE  IS NOT DISTORTION TO THE SOUND WHATSOEVER. IT PLAYS AS GOOD AS IT LOOKS WHICH IS PERFECTLY. EVEN THE QUIET "ORCHID" DOESN'T HAVE ANY BACKGROUND NOISES.

AN ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE RARITY IN IMMACULATE CONDITION.

THIS SET LOOKS AND PLAYS AS GOOD AS THE DAY IT WAS RELEASED BACK IN 1971

I DON'T BELIEVE THIS COULD EVER BE UPGRADED

REGARDS

GARRY