BLACK SABBATH VOL 4 RARE UK VERTIGO SPACESHIP LABEL

	£		60
	$		80

 Black Sabbath’s fourth powerhouse album on the VERY RARE VERTIGO SPACESHIP label, catalogue number 6360 071. According to some there were only 200 copies pressed with this label. It's unlikely that it was that low a number but it is probably less than a thousand copies. It's become increasingly rare as most of the few copies that do exist end up in the hands of collectors. Volume 4 in many people’s view was the last ‘Great’ Sabbath album. It has all the trademarks of the three before it, all honed to perfection in this one epoch defining album. Kicking off with ‘Wheels Of Confusion’, the deceptively languid intro quickly leading into another classic, bludgeoning Tony Iommi riff. Ozzie once more lamenting the state of his mind, this track features several musical twists and turns that could easily have lead the band down the ‘Prog Rock’ path. Thankfully, this doesn’t happen, and with ‘Tommorow’s Dream’ we’re back on familiar ground. Here the STUNNING AUDIO QUALITY of this VERTIGO UK PRESSING is really apparent. It has so much more POWER and PRESENCE than cuts from other parts of the globe. The weak sounding re-issues are no match for the shuddering bass, punchy mid range and crystal clear highs this pressing possesses. The Iommi penned ‘Changes’ needs no introduction, suffice to say that what a pleasure it is to hear it with this kind of clarity. Ozzie’s baleful melody over a gorgeous piano and mellotron arrangement. WONDERFUL !! The chemical fuelled live favourite ‘Supernaut’, features surely one of the truly great rock riffs of all time and a fantastic percussive section that showcases Bill Ward’s thunderous drumming. The bands use of certain substances was legendary around the time this album was recorded and ‘Snowblind’, lyrically, leaves nothing to the imagination. Another stomping riff and arrangement in the mould of ‘Wheels Of Confusion’, with a stinging Iommi solo on the outro. The beautiful acoustic ‘Laguna Sunrise’, with another lovely string arrangement leads into the frantic riffing of ‘St. Vitus Dance’. Its fantastic to hear it with this kind of clarity ! The last song ‘Under The Sun’ is classic Sabbath doing what they do best. A stomping detuned riff workout that would pave the way for a million ‘Metal’ bands that followed, all indebted to this fantastic band and their wonderful legacy. This record is in audibly EXCELLENT CONDITION ! There are NO CLICKS OR POPS and only the faintest surface noise in a few of the very quietest sections. 'Changes' is thankfully mostly crackle free. As I said, the audio reproduction is just AMAZINGLY CLEAR and POWERFUL, as only these FIRST UK PRESSING’S are !! The vinyl has a LUSTROUS, MIRROR LIKE APPEARANCE. In strong sunlight there are some hairlines visible. The fabulous SPACESHIP labels are as clean and bright as the day they were printed. The sleeve is in VG+ condition with some wear to the edges and a little scuffing. There is a stain on the rear if you look hard enough. The inside with the fully intact booklet is again, as good as the day it was first printed. There are NO TEARS OR RIPS to ANY part of this sleeve. So often the booklet has come away from the sleeve and has tears where it has been badly attached. NOT THIS ONE !! The ORIGINAL 'SWIRL' is still white apart from some discolouration to the top. It has NO RIPS, WRITING or other defacements. It would grade as excellent+ if not for the aforementioned. So overall, an EXCELLENT EXAMPLE of this VERY RARE and hard to find classic album !

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