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 collect at point of sale.  No shipping to Russia currently.

Black Sabbath : Paranoid 1Y2 / 2Y2 3rd Vertigo Press 1971

This early Vertigo pressing plays with stunning quality with no interference.  Ok there are two light ticks at the end of one fade out but to all intents and purposes this classic album practically plays 'as new' no exaggeration.  A bold statement to make I know but having played every track in full I am confident in saying that.  The clarity, depth, power and resonance of the audio is phenomenal and it is quite possibly the finest Paranoid I have ever heard.  I mean a little background can sometimes be masked during the louder sections but not on 'Planet Caravan' and the quieter passages during 'Hand Of Doom'.  They both play with a clarity and warmth that is absolutely STUNNING!  The other tracks play to such a high standard also and I am 100% confident is classifying this as a FINAL UPGRADE archive pressing.  Not surprisingly the vinyl is in great condition and has been so well preserved over the last 55 years.

The laminated cover is in superb condition also and has to be the finest example I have ever found, Near Mint is a fair assessment.  The original Vertigo inner has no side splits but does have various tape marks.

This early pressing has the small Swirl on the label and VERTIGO is above the spindle hole.  The production credit is written on two lines on the S2 label and there is of course no Big Bear credit on the inside of the gatefold.  On this pressing there is a break between 'Hand Of Doom' and 'Rat Salad' on S2.

6360011 1Y//2▽ 420 1 2  1 5

6360011 2Y//2▽ 420 1 2  1 1

The audio on S1 is Mint(-)

The audio on S2 is Mint(-)

The laminated gatefold is Near Mint

The Vertigo inner sleeve is VG-

The labels are Mint-

Visual description

The vinyl is in excellent condition and still has a strong glossy sheen with no marks or scratches.  Under a bright light I can see some very faint hairlines but they are purely superficial and there is nothing that stands out.  There is no groove or surface wear, no 'bag rash', and under 'normal' lighting the vinyl is pristine.  The Vertigo labels are super clean with no marking and hardly any spindle wear.

Play grading

The intro on 'War Pigs' is superb!  So often it is impacted by static on the early pressings but not here!  There is no intrusion and Iommi's down-tuned sound is as rich and deep as ever, it has lost nothing sonically.  The air-raid siren could not play any better and Ward's first quiet percussive section plays with sublime clarity also, I only heard one extremely quiet dull tick and even 'tick' seems too harsh a word for it.  Ozzy's opening vocal section is just as clean and 'fresh' sounding and the instrumental bridge is indeed perfect.  The next high octane vocal passage plays with great depth and power and it continues in the same precise way.  It's during the next instrumental that you notice how vital Butler and Ward were to their overall sound.  The drums are so high in the mix and the bass so deep and strong.  The second quiet percussive is flawless and the final vocal has just one very quiet tick, it is not intrusive and the clarity is again exceptional.  The classic end section is of the same high end standard - tremendous depth and resonance and literally no intrusion, perfect in other words.  This classic opening track easily deserves a Mint- grade, it is a stunning version.

'Paranoid' then powers the speakers every which way!  From the word go the audio is 'as new' and the opening vocal keeps up the good work.  From then on the sonic quality is second to none - Butler's thudding deep bass leads the track (along with Iommi!) and from start to finish there is no interference - no 'muddiness' to the sound and no distortion either.  This has to grade as Mint as it just could not play with any greater precision.

This is without doubt one of the finest versions of 'Planet Caravan' that I have ever heard.  Renown for it's static / crackle etc this plays with impeccable clarity through every vocal and instrumental section.  Ozzy's delicate vocal is so clean and precise and the instrumentation behind it is just as impressive.  You know you're onto a winner when you hear things you haven't noticed before!  And that is especially true on the percussive front.  Iommi's gentle end section plays beautifully with no interference and again you really notice the piano 'sound' here.  Bizarrely I've not paid it any attention before but it really stands out.  The long fade out has a couple of minor dull ticks right at the end but I still think this is worthy of a Mint- grade and I will in fact change my earlier statement - this actually is the best version of this track I have EVER heard on a Vertigo pressing!

The percussive intro on 'Iron Man' is perfect as is the 'first' vocal.  The following instrumental is faultless and the opening vocal section has no background either.  It continues in the same way and the lack of inner groove distortion is tangible.  The playback is so clean and succinct and the mid instrumental is a fine example of that - wonderful depth, power and resonance with a clarity to match.  The final vocal has no intrusion and the closing instrumental that begins with Butler's driving deep bass plays with stunning precision right through to the final note.  Another Mint- track at the very least.

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The intro on 'Electric Funeral' plays without fault and Ozzy's opening vocal is on the same level.  The first instrumental bridge again has no intrusion and the second vocal section has not one dust tick let alone anything more.  The mid instrumental is perfect and the section incorporating Ozzy's more powerful vocal is stunning - sonically it is so strong with zero distortion on the top end.  The remainder is of the same high end standard and the long fade out plays with incredible clarity.  Mint is an honest appraisal of the audio, no minus is required.

The quiet intro on 'Hand Of Doom' plays with outstanding clarity - I mean I don't want to repeat myself but there is literally no background not even a solitary dust tick.  How rare is that?!  Ozzy's opening vocal section is just as clean and the first louder vocal passage is 'as new'.  From then on it plays with a clarity and power you hardly ever find - if you win this just listen intently to Butler's quiet bass section - it's a prime example of what I mean.  The high octane mid section is STUNNING and the sonic quality does not let up!  It has lost none of its original power and definition and I cannot emphasise enough just how well this classic plays.  Every note is so clean and sharp and for once every quiet passage plays with a rare clarity and warmth.  Ok there is one minor static towards the end but that is only background worth noting!  Much like Planet Caravan it plays with remarkable precision throughout and that includes the fade out.  I'll say Mint- but really you could not wish to find a stronger version.

'Rat Salad' more than keeps up this fine standard with a clarity and depth straight out of the 'as new' playbook.  Iommi and Ward being the main protagonists here and the 'sound' is incredible.  Mint

The entire intro on 'Fairies Wear Boots' plays with stunning quality - the first 'heavy' section is superb, Butler's bass so deep and resonant, and the opening vocal section has no interference.  A hint of inner groove distortion perhaps but only on a couple of words and so so minimal anyway.  The next vocal passage is perfect and the mid instrumental is just as impressive with zero intrusion.  The sonic quality for a final track is STUNNING and the final vocal section is clean with no noticeable distortion.  I played this classic loud and the audio definition and power is out of this world!  The closing section is flawless and again Mint- is a fair assessment.  What an album!

The Gatefold & Vertigo Inner Sleeve

The laminated cover is in fantastic condition with no obvious wear, arguably no wear at all!  The edges have no marking / rubbing and the wide spine is close to perfect with only one tiny rub on the top corner.  The other corners are in superb shape and the opening edge has no handling wear, just a couple of very minor 'crimps'.  The front cover is incredibly clean with no marking or laminate wear and there are only a couple of tiny creases next to the bottom edge.  There are no edge creases next to the spine which is a genuine rarity showing the gatefold has hardly been opened.  The back cover is just as impressive and the inside of the gatefold is stunning!  It isn't laminated of course and yet there is no marking or spotting, it's kind of 'as new' really!  This iconic cover is so rarely found in this condition and Near Mint is very much deserved.

The Vertigo inner is not on the same level because the previous owner did have some newspaper inserts stuck on both sides, perhaps I should have left them on!  As you can see it has left some tape marks but the good news is that there are no side splits and only minimal marking besides.  Only minor creasing also.

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

6360011 1Y//2▽ 420 1 2  1 5

6360011 2Y//2▽ 420 1 2  1 1

I grade according to "Record Collector" guidelines.

Any questions please feel free to ask

Please pay within 4 days of auction end

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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 : £20.95 then £2.50 per extra 

REST OF WORLD (Tracked - Max 2kg)  

LPs/12" singles : £19.95 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!!