BLACK SABBATH Master Of Reality 1971 UK Box Cover 1st press Swirl + poster EX+

	£		231
	$		306

BLACK SABBATH - MASTER OF REALITY

A rare and increasingly sought after copy (especially in condition as beautiful as this, including the original sought after poster) of this 1971 UK 1st pressing heavy metal classic, on the coveted VERTIGO SWIRL label, 6360 050

The dead wax matrix numbers are :

Side 1  6360050  1Y//1 420 with stampers "11 25" and "04" at 2.30 o'clock and 8 o'clock respectively

Side 2   6360050  2Y//1 420 with stampers "12 21" and "04" at 11.30 o'clock and 4.30 o'clock respectively

The appearance of the vinyl is truly near mint. Completely flat and still retaining it's original beautiful glossy and jet black lacquered sheen. And even under a bright light I am struggling to detect even the usual few wispy hairlines - a real gleamer and all pointing to the fact that this vinyl has obviously been played only a few times. Outstanding, especially considering it's 47 year old antiquity - there can't be many 1st pressing copies of this masterpiece in better condition than this.

The labels are pristine. No blemishes whatsoever, not even the usual few very faint spindle trails adjacent to the centre holes. The coveted Vertigo spiral artwork, on both sides, remains perfect with all the white text on the black background on side B just perfect. Again, I just can't fault this!

The laminated, boxed outer sleeve with top and bottom opening flaps is excellent.  All edges remain firm with just some infrequent and mild laminate creasing - I count six - adjacent to the edges (nothing really) and some mild, sporadic vertical laminate lifting adjacent to the left edge and top edges. All writing on the left edge/spine is wonderfully intact as are the top and bottom opening flaps with the only blemishes being some intermittent and very light laminate surface creasing on the flaps themselves but this is again very minor. The reverse side is excellent - there is a small area of laminate lifting towards the bottom right hand corner and what I believe to be a light residue mark located at the top left corner from where a label has been previously removed (see photos). The box as a whole has been slightly flattened though I am sure that this could be remedied. A solid excellent (and you won't find many that are).

Finally, the quality of the audio is superb! There is wonderful tone and clarity throughout and with no distortion, even on the higher frequencies and at higher volume. No skips or clicks and no background crackle just the occasional nano-second of static during some of the quieter moments/interludes on side 2 (I put this down to perhaps a little dust in the grooves through decades of storage)...this static is little different to what you would hear on a brand new record when first placed on the turntable. Each and every track makes for a great listen.

The tracks are :

Side 1 :

1. SWEET LEAF

2. AFTER FOREVER

3. EMBRYO

4. CHILDREN OF THE GRAVE

Side 2 :

1. ORCHID

2. LORD OF THIS WORLD

3. SOLITUDE

4. INTO THE VOID

The original coveted Black Sabbath poster is also included and comes with no tears or splits, no blue tac residue or pin holes. In fact the poster is in truly pristine condition with perfect folds and retains it's original rich, vibrant colouring - spine tingling!!

Comes with original iconic Vertigo swirl poly lined inner sleeve with no splits or tears and in excellent+ condition, with barely any creasing at all and just the hint of some very mild fraying on the top front opening edge - an insignificant blemish! The correct "British Patent" text is correctly in place at the bottom of the sleeve. Note that I always post the record in a new plain white inner sleeve in order to protect the original.

In summary an overall excellent+ copy of this increasingly rare and highly sought after 1971 UK 1st pressing heavy metal masterpiece, stunning condition vinyl and utterly superb audio - if it wasn't for the couple of minor blemishes on the outer box sleeve this would be a "near mint" offering - a wonderful addition to any vinyl collection and only continuing to gain in value.

 If you require any further information, including photos, then let me know and I'll do my best to oblige. 

If this record interests you then take a look at my other 60's & 70's classic vinyl listings.

A bit about myself : I have been collecting vinyl for more than 48 years and have amassed a huge collection covering a varied genre, but mostly of 1960's and 70's origin. Most of my records were originally bought by myself for my own collection, but during the past 30 years I have embellished my collection by buying records from a variety of sources : friends/acquaintances, car boot sales, auctions, and even through putting up a "vinyl wanted" notice in my wife's shop! I am now retired and take great delight in being able to spend more time scouring the country and attending boot sales and auctions in the hope of unearthing more vinyl gems...I am 63 years of age now and am still discovering bands and music of the 60's and 70's that I have never come across before. Wonderful! Richard

My ebay feedback speaks for itself so rest assured that you are buying from a trusted seller and in the very unlikely event that you are unhappy with your purchase just e-mail me and I'll sort out the problem. I offer a "no quibble" refund policy. 

On the subject of postage, I take great care in the packaging of all items, using a proper vinyl cardboard mailer along with at least two cardboard stiffeners. I take great care in separating the record from the outer sleeve in order to help prevent sleeve damage in transit and I always insert the vinyl, outer sleeve and inner into a clear plastic sleeve, thus adding further protection. 

For this item postage & packaging will be :

for the UK, Royal Mail 1st class, tracked & signed for  : £6.00, 

for continental Europe international tracked & signed for : £12.00

and for Rest of the World international tracked & signed for £16.00

 I do discount post & packaging costs for multiple purchases. I do NOT profit from postage.

Good luck with your bidding! Richard

NOTE : My vinyl descriptions comply with the official Record Collector vinyl grading guidelines :

Mint

The records itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. The cover and any extra items, such as the lyric sheet, booklet or poster are in perfect condition. Records advertised as Sealed or Unplayed should be Mint.

Excellent

The record shows some signs of having been played, but there is very little lessening in sound quality. The cover and packaging might have slight wear and /or creasing.

Very Good

The record has obviously been played many times, but displays no major deterioration in sound quality, despite noticeable surface marks and the occasional light scratch. Normal wear and tear on the cover or extra items, without any major defects, is acceptable.

Good

The record has been played so much that the sound quality has noticeably deteriorated, perhaps with some distortion and mild scratches. The cover and contents suffer from folding, scuffing of edges, spine splits, discolouration, etc.

Fair

The record is still just playable but has not been cared for properly and displays considerable surface noise; it may even jump. The cover and contents are torn, stained and/or defaced

Poor

The record will not play properly due to scratches, bad surface noise, etc. The cover and contents are badly damaged or partly missing.

Bad

The record is unplayable or might even be broken, and is only of use as a collection-filler