BLACK SABBATH Master of Reality ORIG UK 71 VERTIGO SPIRAL EX++ LP + N/M POSTER.

	£		440
	$		583

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Postage: UK £4.75 (£1 per extra record). Europe (including Russia) £12.50 (£2 per extra record). Rest of World (including ALL parts of the USA) £16.50 (£3 per extra record). All boxes signed for in quality, safe packaging – I NEVER use mailing envelopes that offer virtually no protection at all – in fact I think these things should be banned as records WILL arrive damaged in them at some time. Here, you get what you pay for – SAFE PACKING in BOXES using 7mm DOUBLE-WALL STIFFENERS. Full details nearer the end of the listing.

Posting to Russia: Yes, I do post to Russia. But delivery can take up to 4 to 6 weeks from the UK. So please be patient. I will submit a tracking number to the winning bidder, and when the packet arrives there it can be followed online using the Russian post website.

ALSO: I now apply the Ebay ‘2-day’ rule for non-payment to keep things moving – cash-flow is important for any small business. I will always keep my P&P prices as low as possible, and even after yet another Royal Mail price hike from April this year, I have NOT raised my prices and will never compromise on solid, safe packing that is invariably heavier than most you will get. My P&P offers probably the best value-for-money for vinyl records available, and I even will pay for full insurance on any record that sells for over £100 at NO extra cost – that is UK and abroad. Also I aim to post the very same day after payment is received. You WILL see the difference when my packet arrives.

FINALLY: Late payers, non-payers and ‘0’ bidders will now be blocked or cancelled at my discretion. As will any bidder who cancels a bid. I do not like this practice as it is most often used to phish out the price to beat. Ebay does not approve and neither do I – so only bid on my items if you want them.

Artist or Band: BLACK SABBATH

Album Title: Master of Reality

Producer(s): Rodger (Roger) Bain

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Sweet Leaf; After Forever; Embryo; Children of the Grave.

Side 2: Orchid; Lord of This World; Solitude; Into the Void.

Label/Format: Vertigo – original Spiral label with matt, smooth surfaces. This one unique in the famous Swirl run as side two is black instead of the usual white.

Label Conditions: Both very clean, fresh and attractive with minimal handling traces to the revealing black surface that has barely any traces of spindle marks as seen in the picture. Any of the very few spindle marks on side one are very fine and light.

Catalogue Number: 6360050

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Warps: Assume all records I offer have no warping of any significance and all tracking is easy and effortless and should play on all turntables and even ‘budget’ decks.

Weight of this Record: 117 grams. A typical weight for this album.

Country of Manufacture: England

Rarity and Contents: The album itself is moderate, being one of the better selling Vertigo Spiral albums – that said, it is now becoming scarce, even without the poster – but this one DOES include it – and what a beauty. Conditions are an important factor, and the inclusion of a stunning, little short of Mint poster is a massive plus for fans and collectors. Unmounted, with crisp paper and intense unfaded colour, I doubt if this has been unfolded many times, and certainly never displayed. Even the back is unaged and impressive as seen in my picture. The record itself is in superb condition as well, it appears hardly played – and is a contender for the very best ever pressing I have ever heard. An album I have heard many times over time – I actually bought a copy myself brand new in Colchester in 1972, and truly, this copy plays practically as new as well. This arguably, the most difficult of their Swirl-label four. It has some very quiet songs, none more so than the long and very delicate ‘Solitude’, which here plays beautifully throughout with hardly anything unwanted. Indeed the entire album is superbly pressed with no inherent pressing noises or distortions – so good in fact, I had to put this to disc for my own personal use once it goes. It has incredibly sound, detail, dynamics – a real power-house album that quite frankly, blew-me-away. Not all records are the same – fact – this has that extra X-factor that makes is special. The box cover is very nice and still equally fresh and attractive. It has moderate tilt to the edges and the usual lifting of the laminate on the spine edge with ultra fine cracking on the top fold that is difficult to avoid on a cover like this. Few will avoid laminate issues, and overall, this has fared well. I photographed the cover against a window for maximum detail – I have nothing to hide. Lastly, this album included the ‘black’ reversed-out style inner sleeve, again this is impressive and only very gently aged with little else to fault. Overall, a superb example with truly magnificent sound, complete copies in this condition are now rare and very elusive. I can think of no better way to celebrate the band’s final concert on 4th February 2017 than playing this magnificent album at high volume and treasuring this metal masterpiece forever. A copy that is unlikely to require upgrading.

Original Year of Release: 1971

Matrix/Stamper Nos: 6360050 1Y//1 420 1 1 2 & 6360050 2Y//1 420 1 2 3

Brief Artist & Album Info: ‘ALRIGHT NOW, WONT YOU LISTEN!!’ Ozzy bellows out after the repeated cough at the start of this metal classic. A smoked drug reference on the classic ‘Sweet Leaf’ and then the band kick in – HARD with a massive floor-shaking heavy riff – the classic Black Sabbath trademark. Ozzy is in blistering form on this their third album. Heavy power chords and riffs largely dominate with very dark lyrics. Side one’s unnerving ‘Children of the Grave’, warning of the horrors of nuclear conflict and destruction – Bill Ward’s drums dominating in the mix, culminating with the very eerie whispered Children of the Grave line that shimmers from speaker to speaker with spooky guitar effect – the Sabbs at their most chilling. My personal favourite Black Sabbath album, real heavy rock, no-one did it better. Eight songs of the very best – but not all is heavy…, it includes a trio of less typical quieter numbers proving this band were more versatile than many suggest. Side two opens with ‘Orchid’, a very short but beautiful instrumental with Iommi playing Spanish guitar. The delicate and haunting ‘Solitude’, one of the band’s most difficult tracks on vinyl, often has groove-wear and loud crackle, and even distortion. Here it plays beautifully throughout with hardly anything unwanted – I do not think I have it better. Total silence is near impossible, even on a lesser-played record, it really depends on the pressing quality and what it has been played on (and how many times). Well this passed every test, any blemishes were minuscule, and the pressing itself is magnificent. ‘Solitude’ even has flute and a lovely delicate bell in the background that can be heard with distinct clarity, I can imagine this subtle detail could even be lost on a worn copy or missed on a less revealing system – it’s the fine details that sets the quality albums apart. This is a powerful sounding copy with thunderous dynamics and warmth ready to explode from the speakers – again I state – not all records or pressings are the same. This is one of the few copies I have had that plays ‘Orchid’, with its deep bass strings without any distortion or issues. Not only is the record one of the very best I have had in years – if not ever – the poster is the same, it simply reminds of new – both could prove an ultimate upgrade. Few bands thrilled me live like these four legends – take yourself back to 1971 with this blistering lesson in metal gloom.

Musicians: Ozzy Osbourne – Lead vocals; Tony Iommi – Guitar, synthesiser, flute, piano, acoustic guitar; Geezer Butler – Bass guitar; Bill Ward – Drums, percussion.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT: and arguably better, most will know this unforgiving cover well. This is constructed like a thin box with opening flaps top and bottom. The surfaces are laminated. On the front only, the large band name and title are embossed which makes laminate adhesion difficult. Printed and made in England by Howards Printers (Slough) Ltd, includes the ‘black’ later style reversed Spiral inner sleeve. And the magnificent – almost legendary poster which is guaranteed 100% genuine.

Cover Front & Back: Another idiosyncratic and famous Vertigo cover design which never proved popular with collectors because of it fragility and difficulty in storing and removing the record. Access was usually made from the top opening flap, but too many times or carelessness meant damage or creasing to the opening and flap itself. Most collectors stored their albums in racks or cases, which invariably meant this box cover became crushed and even flattened. Folds can become weak and ‘floppy’, especially if anyone tries to ram the box back into shape – it never works, any tilt is simply best left alone.

Firstly, the laminate both sides retains superb shine, freshness and clarity. There is only minimal lifting around the front embossed letters which is neat and light. Almost impossible to avoid totally for obvious reasons and most had a little even from day one. There is a lift against the spine edge which again is so hard to avoid, certainly not as wide as some I have seen, and compared to some, this is relatively narrow. It is clearly seen on my picture, so judge for yourself. Along the top fold, the laminate has neatly cracked, this hardly even registers, but can be seen against revealing light like my window picture. Both front and back have very little creasing, any present being few, fine edge types. The actual box has a consistent 45 degree tilt to the edges, so not flattened by any means, this I would say is the most common form these are seen in these days, very few indeed can hope to be fully erect without any tilt at all. All the edge folds are very rigid, not floppy at all, there has been no vain attempts to trying to straighten this cover up – it is much better not to attempt the near impossible. Overall, this is an attractive front with the laminate and graphic beneath magnificent, just the lift on the spine edge being the issue for purists.

The back is largely the same, but has no embossing – the song lyrics are included here with all the credits. Only a fine sliver of spine edge lifting on this side and just one tiny peel on the left fold that hardly registers. The lack of dulling, marks or scuffs on both surfaces make both look fantastic, this back sets a very high standard as seen.

Edges: The two closed edges (left and right) are very neat, crisp and retain full laminate cover with any hairline creases fine and light. As stated, 45 degree tilt to all, and importantly, the edges are strong and rigid with no weakening or floppiness. All spine text is pristine, totally unworn and strong, there is no lifting to any edge. Both top and bottom edges can be opened as they are unglued flaps for access. Few used the bottom for access, so this is still very neat and quite flush to its opening. The critical edge is usually the top, to access or store the record inside – and most did so – this has to be pulled out of the storage area which means maximum stress to the flap, edges and hinges. So this still being practically as neat as the bottom edge is somewhat unusual.

Corners: All are very neat, a tiny chip to the top left, but little else. No bashes or dinks, excellent shape retained. These are standard corner ends of course, and certainly difficult to maintain this neat overall.

Cover Summary: A difficult cover, the only box type in the Spiral catalogue and one rarely seen without often major issues or damage. For attractiveness and lack of real wear, it really is near exceptional – but not perfect of course with the fine laminate cracking on the left edge. I almost consider spine lifting to be normal, and not really wear as such. For shine and freshness, this is superb and will please many collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT(+): the later black reversed Swirl inner that is correct for this album. This a very fine example with only mild ageing with the usual darkening of the seam areas and paper. Two neat, untorn window circles and the polylining clear and quite. The lack of creasing and all edges being unsplit are two more positive factors, there are no repairs. These ‘black’ inners are more elusive than the standard format ones, but only this version is correct for ‘Master of Reality’, it is date-coded 0671 (June 1971).

The Poster: PRACTICALLY MINT: a truly stunning example of this classic dark poster that has almost legendary status. An integral part of this album that most-all collectors want to own. I have rarely, if ever seen a better one since my brand new one back in 1972. This is unmounted e.g. no pin-hole or tape marks, this retains supreme dark colour with barely a blemish to be seen on the front. The paper has a matt finish that has a very gentle hint of surface texturing – in other words, the paper is not absolutely smooth which is perfectly correct. It retains genuine freshness and as clean as they are likely to be found. The back is white as seen, this has only the merest hint or faint traces of toning near the manufactured folds – look very hard – just to give polite reminder of vintage, the way connoisseur collectors like them. All folds are strong and totally unweakened or thinned, all edges crisp with no thickening or tears. No creasing, and even avoiding crinkle or curl, this has totally defied its age and probably not seen light-of-day for decades. For extra good measure, it is neatly folded as well, some were folded off-centre and never look as nice, this being close to perfect in this respect as well. Appearing hardly handled and certainly never displayed, this fantastic poster will go beyond difficult to find better – a magnificent specimen copy that most-all fans and collectors will cherish. Indeed it could prove a massive upgrade for some.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(++): a very fine copy appearing hardly played, and then with appropriate care. One very fine hairline seen on side one and then wispy and faint surface traces seen under bright angled light, purely superficial non-sounding blemishes, possibly from a cleaning cloth from way back. There are NO penetrating stylus marks at all. Very clean with lovely shine and fairly solidly pressed at typical weight for this album. Clearly little played, and on a quality system, a lovely example of this real metal masterpiece, it should please many, if not most collectors – and for sound, probably all.

Album Played For Grading: Yes. [I play ALL records I?offer before submitting to Ebay, also the record is played in its entirety unless clearly stated otherwise. I do NOT play snippets or joining grooves to check for sound quality and quietness – I play from the beginning to end via clinically revealing B&W speakers that include the legendary tweeter from their awesome Nautilus range that reveals every blemish or minuscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This third Black Sabbath album plays even above its high visual grading with hardly anything to fault. I do realise that is a bold statement, the two shorter instrumental pieces are difficult and challenging enough, but the longer ‘Solitude’ goes beyond difficult. This gentle, atmosphere song, hitherto, a little out-of-character for early Black Sabbath, seldom plays well throughout as mentioned already, I know to be a fact from several copies I have in the past. There is nowhere for blemishes to hide, but this copy plays all the quieter songs superbly – the loud heavy ones the same – this is an outstanding copy for audio quality. It seems to offer more punch and sonic impact than some others, probably due to the fact it has not been abused or played much, also avoiding low budget record players. Massively powerful sound that is clear and devoid of distortion or tracking issues*. Total ‘silence’ is a near impossible task on 45+-year-old originals, but this one gives it a very good go, any surface sound minimal, the odd gentle tick, but little else. Quite possibly the best and cleanest pressing of this Swirl album I have heard – these were pressed in greater numbers than most-all others on this label, thus some were better than others. If anyone owns a better sounding copy, I would love to hear it. The music and vocals sharp and clear – sound quality is immense with a deep and bass-heavy production. A dynamic and powerful rock classic with grinding bass-lines, classic power-riffs, awesome drumming and of course Ozzy sounding young and fresh – this famous vocalist in his early Sabbath years was fantastic – and still is. Analogue for heavy rock still excels beyond other formats, the warmth and drive of the music will not be beaten. Ozzy’s charismatic doom-laden vocal style was never bettered as much as others tried. The trademark heavy tracks sound amazing, the mix of the percussion on ‘Children of the Grave’ is particularly impressive. When played on a quality system, the guitar and bass can be heard clearly apart instead of just a wall of sound – that is what hi-fi is all about, and why fans and collectors spend vast sums on quality systems. How long can you hear that gentle bell at the end of ‘Solitude’ as it gently fades away as the song ends? A record clearly well looked after, and generally well stored, this classic lesson in gloom was rarely bettered, even by them. In rock music terms, Ozzy was, and still is – Lord of this World – Oh Lord Yeah! My highest recommendation applies – there is no better tribute to these classic inventors of British heavy metal music than this – DO NOT LOSE THIS COPY.

* As played-graded on a high-end Linn LP12 Sondek turntable with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Quintet Black moving coil cartridge tracking at 2.2 grams.

Now one of the most established sellers on Ebay and still offering the finest and most accurately described and graded records I can find. I pride myself on offering a variety of genres to keep my site as interesting as possible. I will rarely offer any record that falls below a true Excellent grading, unless its of a certain rarity which will justify offering a lesser grade. I try, to the best of my ability to describe as accurately and as honesty as I can all items I offer for sale with all the relevant information I can think of to help any potential bidder and collector. You may notice I only submit records sparingly on Ebay as I Play-Grade every record I offer in their entirety – also on higher-end equipment – not just bits to guess a grade - visuals alone do not always tell a true or full story. I will mention any defects or flaws no matter how small that I notice to be fair as possible to any interested collector – I am very fussy and my buyers have the right to be too. Every record I offer, whether it be a common or rare item deserves the same respect as far as I am concerned and will be treated the same - just because an item is rare does not always mean it’s good. I get just as much pleasure offering a relatively common record in stunning near mint condition as the real rare items. All the pictures I use for your guidance are taken with a digital camera or scanned - they are NOT improved, cleaned-up or made better looking than they are with camera trickery or enhancing with digital programs. Room light factors can make things vary sometimes, that is hard to control, especially in winter. If any picture I take looks more flattering than the actual item for any reason, I will clearly state the fact in the advert and vice-versa. I hope the item below is to your liking - any questions can be emailed and I will do my very best to answer you. I am enthusiastic, and have a fair degree of knowledge about many genres and I promise quality items - bid with confidence - excellence comes as standard and so does Near Mint regularly. Please assume all records I offer have NO jumps, sticks, warps or writing on covers or labels unless clearly stated to the contrary. Thanks for your interest and Good luck – MIKE.

Deck: Linn LP12/Hercules/Cirkus with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Quintet Black moving coil cartridge (tracks at 2.2 grams). Amps: Naim Supernait 2 with Project USB phono stage and Tellerium Black interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired with Tellurium Black terminated cable). All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional VPI-17 vacuum machine before play-grading for the cleanest and best possible sound and will include a brand new lined inner and protective cover too. Pictures taken with a Nikon D5000 SLR Digital Camera.

PACKING - THIS IS WHAT YOU GET.

What You Get: To confirm to the strict Ebay rules on shipping, I must now send ALL my packets ‘Signed-For’ with NO exceptions. Both buyers and sellers want their packets to have a safer journey and this is not a bad thing.

I now offer the fastest possible posting, often the very next day after payment is received or within two to three days maximum (unless on holiday). I only use FIRST-CLASS Mail. The record’s cover will be placed within a BRAND NEW soft protective sleeve and the actual record will be professionally cleaned on my new VPI-17 Pro vacuum system to give ultimate clean grooves and playing surfaces and the best possible looks and ultimate sound quality. You will NOT get tired, dull looking, dust infested records inside worn and foggy covers with tatty inners from this seller and that’s a promise and guarantee. All records are posted in professional boxes (NOT Mailers, these do not offer any real protection). The record(s) are REMOVED from their main cover to avoid edge splits and placed within a brand new polylined inner. The record’s original inner will be included if available. The boxes are then reinforced with at least TWO, ULTRA THICK stiffeners for maximum extra protection – these are FOUR TIMES thicker than commercial stiffeners and are custom-made for oneadayrecords. Really rare and expensive albums will even be Double Boxed if deemed necessary and possible. When larger boxes are used, the thick record and stiffener ‘sandwich’ is then thickly embedded into bubble-wrap to bulk out the record inside the box to centre the item inside to reduce the risk of damage still further. Printed address labels are used for clarity as well as a sender label. Customers requests or special needs for P&P will be respected if at all possible but ‘Signed-For’ posting is NOT an option anymore. I do not profit on posting, better quality packaging costs, I offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible for ultimate confidence. The boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffeners make a near impregnable fortress for safe shipping and this is used inland and overseas for ALL my records, not just the rare and expensive. I will invoice any winning bidder as soon as possible after the auction ends. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is minuscule in over 14­ years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional. The only damage rate acceptable for this seller is ZERO and I think my packets will offer just that. It would take a vicious postman or postal service to damage these for sure. Oneadayrecords is a MAILER-FREE ZONE – they offer next-to-no-protection, and should be banned, no ‘professional’ should consider using them in my opinion. I discount of course for multiple purchases with a maximum of FIVE records per box (one double can sometimes be included subject to total weight). All postage costs are below and at the top of the listing.

NOTE: First Time Bidders: Please ask me first.

PLEASE NOTE: I now exercise my right to open a dispute after the Ebay rule of TWO days if no payment is received. I will then cancel the dispute to end the bid, again after the mandatory FOUR days and then offer the item to the runner-up or relist. The non-payer will also be blocked from my Ebay site as will any suspicious bids or bid withdrawals. Small businesses need prompt payment to trade and these strict rules WILL be applied.

SHIPPING COSTS & CONDITIONS – THESE comply with EBAY’S RULES - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY:

Posting & Packing: UK & CHANNEL ISLANDS all now sent via Recorded Delivery:

1 LP (FIRST-CLASS Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £4.75

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7.50. (this includes insurance of £500). Add £1 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA. (Airmail Only):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£50 maximum]) = £12.50 (enhanced Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3). Add £2 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (ANY PART OF); South America; New Zealand; Australia; Canada; Japan and other Far East; (Airmail Only: I NEVER use Surface Mail):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£50 maximum]) = £16.50 (£17.50 for double sets). Add £3 per extra LP. (enhanced Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3)

Payment Conditions:

I prefer PayPal or cheque from UK winning bidders. I can accept PayPal from overseas bidders or direct payment into my bank account.

Potential Bidders: I will cancel any bids I feel are time-wasters. A maximum 3 days for communication and 7 days for payment to arrive - if not I will relist the item or offer to the runner-up. Fast deals get great feedback from me. Any questions - please ask and thanks for looking.

My Guarantee: If any winning bidder is not satisfied with their purchase I will offer a complete refund. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer, so read the item description carefully. If any overseas collector does not understand anything in my listing, please email and ask me to help. Thank You.

SOME GENERAL GUIDES TO WEAR AND CONDITIONS TO HELP YOU DECIDE

My Use of Description Terminology: Surface Marks = Superficial, usually light marks, hairlines or light scuffs that rarely sound. Scratch = a needle mark that goes below the record’s surface, some will sound, some will not, my play-grade will inform. Original = a record that has been pressed with the first label design which does NOT necessarily mean a very first pressed record. First Pressing = A record that I believe or know to be a genuine very first pressed record. I do not claim to always know for sure, and that’s why I state the stamper and matrix numbers if at all possible, for those who claim to know what they all mean, the information is there for the collector to decide. I prefer to use terms like ‘Early Copy’ rather than ‘First Pressing’ if I am not totally sure. Surface Sound = Mild, light sound, usually light crackle or similar. Distortion = Break up of the actual sound caused by groove wear or damage from a chipped stylus – the most undesirable form of unwanted sound, vintage mono records were the most prone to this happening but not exclusively so. The symptoms of distortion are high frequency clipping, moderate constant crackle or an echo type sound quality. Violin, piano and vocals are most prone to groove-wear distortion. Feathering = Fraying or softening of the entry edge of a cover. Covers with feathered entrance edges are more likely to have had the actual record inserted and removed more than a non-feathered, sharp-edged cover which are always far more attractive. Set Off, actually a printer’s term for dark ink leaving mild residue on pale or white ink when rested upon. e.g. when a gatefold cover has black ink closed against white, this can leave some black residue on the pale area – this is mostly unavoidable or course.

The Argument for Vinyl Original sound and mix (mono mixes are rarely available on CD), high quality sound on clean copies (played on a hi-end dedicated analogue system – breathtaking sound!), beautiful, large format covers, artwork, inserts and even full size posters etc; huge investment potential, and the pleasure of owning ‘the real thing’.