Black Sabbath VOLUME 4 UK LP SWIRL LABEL MINT -

	£		114
	$		151

BLACK SABBATH - VOLUME 4

1ST PRESS VERTIGO SPIRAL LABEL 

• CAT:6360 071
• MATRIX: 6360 071 1-Y1 / 6360 071 2-Y1
• PORKY & PECKO ETCHED INTO THE RUN OFF
• VERTIGO SPIRAL LABEL 1ST PRESS

AND ABSOLUTEY SUPERB VOLUME 4 DISC IN MAGNIFICENT MINT MINUS CONDITION

THE RECORD LABELS

THE FAMOUS VERTIGO SWIRL LABELS WHICH ARE IN ABSOLUTELY MAGNIFICENT PRISTINE CONDITION. THE A SIDE HAS THE FULL BLACK SWIRL AND THERE IS NOT A MARK ON IT. SPINNING THE DISC OVER REVEALS THE VERY VULNERABLE WHITE SIDE. VULNERABLE BECAUSE SO MANY OF THESE LABELS ARE IN FACT ANYTHING BUT WHITE. THIS LABEL HOWEVER IS COMPLETELY AS NEW. THE WHITE SURFACE IS BRILLIANT WHITE AND THERE ARE NO MARKS WHATSOEVER EVEN AROUND THE SPINDLE HOLE WHERE GRIME USUALLY HAS DISCOLOURED THE SURFACE. THE BLACK LETTERING ON THE WHITE BACKGROUND IS VERY CLEAR AND SHARP. THE SPINDLE HOLE HAS JUST A FEW SPIDER LINES CLOSE TO THE HOLE WHERE THE ORIGINAL OWNER PLACED THE LP CAREFULLY ONTO THE TURNTABLE . THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THIS IS A BARELY PLAYED ALBUM FROM 1972

THE VINYL

ABSOLUTELY PRISTINE GLOSSY BLACK HEAVYWEIGHT VINYL. REMOVING IT FROM THE SLEEVE AND GENTLY AND CAREFULLY EXAMINING THE DISC REVEALS A SPOTLESS SURFACE. THIS VINYL APPEARS EXACTLY HOW A NEW VINYL WOULD HAVE LOOKED BACK IN 1972 WHEN THIS DISC WAS ORIGINALLY PRESSED. ETCHED INTO THE RUN OFF WAX ARE THE DIGITS THAT IDENTIFY THIS ALBUM AS A VERY FIRST PRESS. NAMELY THE CATALOGUE NUMBER 6360 071 1-Y1 / 2-Y1 AND PORKY AND PECKO. THE HIGH GLOSS AND VIRTUALLY MARK FREE DISC IS WITHOUT A DOUBT ONE OF THE CLEANEST I HAVE EVER SEEN. EVEN WHEN OFFERED UP TO A SPOTLIGHT THERE IS BUT ONE REALLY SMALL AND BARELY VISIBLE HAIRLINE ON EITHER SIDE. DEFINITELY NON-SOUNDING

PLAYING THE RECORD

I BELIEVE THAT LISTENING TO WHAT THIS SOUNDS LIKE IS BETTER THAN ANY WORDS THAT I MIGHT USE IN DESCRIBING THE QUALITY OF THE PRESS, AND THEREFORE I HAVE INVESTED IN THE SOFTWARE TO ALLOW YOU TO LISTEN BEFORE YOU BUY.

I HAVE INCLUDED 4 LARGE SEGMENTS OF THIS ALBUM TO HOPEFULLY DEMONSTRATE THE QUALITY OF THIS PRESS, AND   HOW GREAT THIS RECORD SOUNDS. PLEASE CLICK ON THE MEDIA PLAYER ABOVE TO HEAR THEM. I ALWAYS BELIEVE THAT THE INTRODUCTION (RUN IN GROOVE) IS A REALLY GOOD REFLECTION OF THE OVERALL QUALITY OF THE DISC. SO I HAVE STARTED THE RECORDING FROM THE RUN IN GROOVE, HENCE A FEW SECONDS BEFORE THE MUSIC STARTS. HOWEVER YOU WILL BE ABLE TO CLEARLY HEAR WHAT THAT RUN IN SOUNDS LIKE, WHETHER IT HAS ANY NOISE ETC.

I HAVE CHOSE N TO RECORD ALL OF THE TRACK "CHANGES" AS THIS IS ONE OF THE TWO MOST PROBLEMATIC TRACKS FOR NOISE ON THIS ALBUM. I HOPE YOU AGREE WITH ME WHEN YOU LISTEN TO IT, THAT IT IS FAULTLESS. THE WHOLE ALBUM PLAYS TO THIS MINT MINUS SPEC. I HAVE ALSO RECORDED THE WHOLE OF CORNUCOPIA WHICH IS THE OTHER VERY QUIET TRACK

THE RUN IN IS SILENT, AND AS THE RECORD STARTS TO PLAY "WHEELS OF CONFUSION" IT IS VERY OBVIOUS THAT YOU ARE LISTENING TO SOMETHING SPECIAL. THE FIRST THING THAT IS CLEAR IS THAT THE SOUND IS DISTORTION FREE. ALMOST POINTLESS STATING THIS IN LIGHT OF HOW LITTLE THE ALBUM HAS BEEN PLAYED, BUT IT DOES MEAN THAT THE PLAY THAT THE RECORD HAS HAD WAS DONE WITH A GOOD QUALITY STYLUS AND NOT ONE THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE GROOVE SUCH AS A WORN, CHIPPED STYLUS, OR INDEED ONE THAT WAS TRACKING TOO HEAVILY.

EACH TRACK PLAYS THROUGH WITH UTMOST CLARITY. THE PERFORMANCE ALL THE WAY THROUGH BOTH SIDES IS JUST OUTSTANDING. THERE IS NO BACKGROUND NOISE ANYWHERE ON EITHER SIDE, AND EACH LINKING GROOVE IS AS SILENT AS THE RUN IN THAT YOU HAVE ALREADY HEARD BY NOW. EVEN THE RUN OUT WHICH HISTORICALLY HAS NOISE ON MOST ALBUMS IS AS CLEAR AS A BELL. THERE IS PERHAPS THE VERY ODD LITTLE DUST POP IN ONE OR TWO PLACES, BUT THAT IT IS

I HAVE NO HESITATION IN GRADING THIS DISC MINT MINUS

THE SLEEVE

THE OVERALL GRADING OF THE SLEEVE IS EXCELLENT

THIS PRECIOUS NON LAMINATED GATEFOLD WAS NOTORIOUS FOR LOSING ITS POWDER STYLE MATT BLACK SURFACE. IT SEEMED THAT YOU ONLY HAD TO PUT IT UP AGAINST ANOTHER SLEEVE AND YOU WOULD LOSE SOME OF THE COLOUR. IT IS THEREFORE VERY HARD TO FIND A PERFECT ONE. THIS ONE I BELIEVE IS IN EXCELLENT ALL ROUND CONDITION

THE FRONT SURFACE OF THE DELICATE NON LAMINATED SLEEVE IS  CLEAN. USUALLY SUFFERING FROM SEVERE COLOUR RUBBING THIS ONE HAS RETAINED VIRTUALLY ALL OF THE ORIGINAL BLACK SURFACE WITH THE ONLY LIGHT LOSS BEIONG ON THE PERIMETER EDGES. THERE IS SOME LIGHT AGING MOTTLING WHICH SHOWS UP AS A LITTLE GRUBINESS IN THE WHITE WORDING, AND THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES SHOW MODERATE SHELF WEAR. THE SPINE AGAIN HAS LIGHT WEAR, AND THE OPENING EDGE IS SHARP WITH MILD FINGERNAIL NICKS TO SHOW LIMITED USE. THE REAR SURFACE IS IN THE SAME EXCELLENT CONDITION AS THE FRONT.

I STRESS AGAIN THAT FINDING A NEAR MINT ONE OF THESE SLEEVES IS NEAR IMPOSSIBLE. I HAVE ONLY EVER HAD TWO IN THE LAST 10 YEARS.

OPENING THE GATEFOLD REVEALS A PROPERLY STUCK DOWN INNER 4 PAGE BOOKLET. THERE IS ONE CREASELINE ON THE TOP LEFT CORNER, BUT OTHER THAN THIS IS IS WITHOUT ANY PEN OR OTHER MARKS

THE RECORD HAS BEEN PRESERVED IN A NEW POLY LINED INNER SLEEVE, THE ORIGINAL IS INCLUDED AND LEFT INSIDE THE SLEEVE. THE LP WILL BE SENT VERY CAREFULLY PACKAGED AND I WILL PLACE THE LP OUTSIDE OF THE SLEEVE FOR MAXIMUM PROTECTION. YOUR NEW PURCHASE WILL ALSO COME HOUSED IN A NEW STIFF PLASTIC OUTER SLEEVE.

SO ONCE AGAIN THIS IS A VERY VERY HIGH GRADE COLLECTIBLE ALBUM IN THE MOST SUPERB CONDITION IMAGINABLE, SO BID WITH CONFIDENCE, AND GOOD LUCK IF YOU DECIDE TO GO FOR IT

GARRY