BLACK SABBATH Heaven And Hell A3/B2 1st PRESS Ex+ COVER & Superb NM/MINT- AUDIO
£
50
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Description
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 : Heaven And Hell A3 / B2 1st Press 1980
This first pressing plays with stunning quality and with zero interference. In essence it could hardly play any better and I have only graded the final track on S1, 'Heaven And Hell', as Near Mint due to a minimal amount of distortion towards the end - very minimal and I am just being 100% honest. All other tracks grade as either Mint- or Mint. The clarity, depth and resonance here is outstanding and it is patently obvious it has hardly ever been on a turntable before. There are no ticks, clicks, pops or static and not surprisingly the vinyl is visually stunning also.
The cover is in excellent condition, one of the best I have seen, and the original poly-lined Plastic Bags inner sleeve is also in great condition.
This first pressing has the 'Essex Music / Muggins Music' credit on both labels.
9102752 A//3 ▽ ETH 1 1 4 --- 9102752 B//2 ▽ ETH 1 1 3
The audio on S1 is Mint(-) (T4 Near Mint)
The audio on S2 is Mint(-)
The cover is Ex+ The original inner sleeve is Ex+
The labels are Mint-
Visual description
The vinyl is in superb condition and still has a stunning jet-black glossy sheen with no marks or scratches. Under a bright light I can only see a handful of very faint hairlines and of course nothing stands out. It can hardly have been played based on the visual quality and that there is barely any spindle wear on the Vertigo labels, just one very faint trace on each.
Play Grading
The run in on S1 has no background and then the powerful intro on 'Neon Knights' plays perfectly. Dio's opening vocal section has no intrusion and it continues to play with superb definition and power. Iommi's mid instrumental is a fine example of this and the remainder is of the same calibre including the fade out. Easily a Mint start to the album.
The acoustic intro on 'Children Of The Sea' is 'as new' and the first vocal section is just as impressive. Clearly bringing a different 'sound' to Sabbath, Dio's vocal is so clean and he does enunciate very well! Every vocal and instrumental section play like the record has never seen a turntable before because from start to finish there is no background at all. Mint
The 'heavy' intro on 'Lady Evil' plays perfectly and the opening vocal is on a par with that. Butler's bass is so strong on deep on this track and it continues in the same precise way. Iommi's mid solo is flawless and Dio's next vocal has no intrusion. To the end it plays with impeccable quality and Mint is again deserved.
'Heaven And Hell' ends the side with stunning precision once more. Every vocal and instrumental section plays with a rare quality for a final track. It's heavy on Butler's bass once more and it sounds fantastic! If I'm being superb critical there is perhaps just a hint of inner groove distortion on the fast paced final section but it still plays so well and then the acoustic end section plays without even a dust tick. I'll say Near Mint
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The first track on S2 'Wishing Well' once again plays to the highest standard possible and as always I played every second so as to provide a 'complete' grade. It is Mint from the first note to the last.
The quiet intro on 'Die Young' plays with stunning clarity i.e. not background whatsoever. As the volume increases the playback is deep and powerful and again not so much as a dust tick. The opening vocal is 'as new' and this level is maintained as it progresses. Dio's vocal is high in the mix (as per the other tracks) and then the quieter mid vocal section plays without fault. From then onwards the audio is 'as new' - I know that's a bold statement but I'm not one of those graders who says a record only plays as Mint if it was sealed beforehand. Why? If there is no background and the sonic quality is basically as good as news why not grade it as such. I mean even the long fade out here has no background. Mint
And the same applies to 'Walk Away' because once again there is no intrusion. That now familiar depth and power and perfect clarity from start to finish. Mint
'Lonely Is The Word' ends the album with unrivalled quality once more. Put simply it could not play any better. The clarity, depth and definition is STUNNING and there is no inner groove distortion either. The quieter section plays with 100% clarity and Iommi's following solo is strong and clear with zero intrusion. The synth outro plays beautifully and this has to grade as Mint- as a bare minimum. Not sure the minus is necessary truth be told.
The Cover & Inner Sleeve
The cover is in excellent condition with only minimal shelf wear. The top edge edge is perfect and the bottom edge has only minor rubbing. The spine is super clean with only a handful of tiny rubs - some of the print actually overlaps onto the back cover so was clearly caused during the production. All the corners are in superb shape with barely any wear and the opening edge looks practically untouched. The matt textured front cover is for once very clean with only a small number of minor edge creases next to the spine as is common and the back cover has only a little fading / surface rub around the edges. It is very clean though when you consider how 'white' it is. A very strong example overall.
The original poly-lined Plastic Bags inner sleeve has no side splits or tears, barely any marking and only a little creasing.
9102752 A//3 ▽ ETH 1 1 4 --- 9102752 B//2 ▽ ETH 1 1 3
Play tested on my Rega P2 with AT VM-95EN Cart / Denon PMA-520AE Amp / B&W 684 Speakers
This record has been professionally cleaned on my Pro-Ject VC-S machine
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
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LPs/12" singles : £14.95 then £2.00 per extra
USA (Tracked - Max 2kg)
LPs/12" singles : £22.95 then £2.50 per extra
REST OF WORLD (Tracked - Max 2kg)
LPs/12" singles : £21.95 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!!
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