Black Sabbath PARANOID UK 1st Vertigo Swirl NMINT

	£		125
	$		166

Black Sabbath - Paranoid

Vertigo Records: catalogue 6360 011

Matrix Numbers: 6360 011-1Y / 6360 011-2Y

The superb 1970 second Sabbath LP. 8 incredible tracks including War Pigs, Iron Man, and Paranoid.

Many copies of this are available, but only a few meet the criteria that collectors would want to part with their money for.

If you are looking for a spectacular copy of this LP, then look no further.

The Sleeve

I want to spend a bit of time talking about this cover as I believe it is important to tell interested parties about the differences.

There are two types of this sleeve that are common to first pressings. these are the filly laminated gatefold, and the non laminated gatefold. I really don't know if one was issued before the other, but in my 34 years collecting both have cropped up with the same first press vinyl inside them. I therefore conclude that both were issued at the same time. What is also true is that the non laminated sleeves are far harder to find in anything like accepatble condition, beacuse of the way the blackness rubbed and most are faded, mottled and tatty looking.

This one is a Non laminated sleeve in superb condition. It retains 99% of all of its colour, and has clearly been immaculately looked after from new. The front cover has only two really small crease lines near the spine and one near the top edge, but they are unobtrusive. the spine is perfect and clearly legible. the edges are all unworn, and the opening edge is also perfect. the inside gatefold is like opening a brand new album. it cannot be better. no wear, or fading. the back of the sleeve usually suffers the most from wear and ring wear. There is not a mark on it. I have no hesitation in grading this very vunerable cover NEAR MINT.

the original swirl, poly-lined  inner sleeve is included and is is excellent condition. No splits, just a little staining on the bottom edge. but flat and uncreased

The Labels

The famous Vertigo spiral label was associated with new bands from the prog rock era assigned to it rather than the parent company. It is now very collectible in its own right of course, and many collectors try to obatin all 80 odd issues.

the side A label is the hypnotic spiral label whilst the flip side has the white label detailing the track listing for both sides. The spindle hole is totally unworn, and whilst there is a little darkening of the surface around the hole on the white side, it is clear that the LP has been vary carefully handled. I have examined the spindle hole for spider lines, and can say that there are a couple of light lines, but no more than that. this clearly tells me two things. Firstly the LP has been handled with extreem care in ensuring the record was placed over the spindle, rather than rubbed accros it until it dropped into place. It also means that the LP has had no more than a few plays in its 35 years

The Vinyl

Absolutely Stunning!! Looks like a new disc. Retains all of the original glossy sheen, and only under intense illumination are there any whispy hairlines noticable. A vastly superior example to most that are available on Ebay

The Sound

The three tests I always run on any LP I list should give the buyer a great insight into the reproduction of the record.

Distortion Test:

Pushing the volume up when playing any LP will tell you a lot about the use the LP has had. For example it will show immediately if the groove has suffered any wear through having been subjected to a worn or damaged stylus, or indeed one that was too heavy and caused wear. many people confuse background noise from scratches, and lines with distortion from groove wear. they are very different, and in my opinion I can put up with the odd bit of crackle or light pop, but the sound of a worn record is unacceptable to me. The loud volume ensures that all this is detected because the vibration of the stylus is more pronounced at higher volumes.

Difficult to say there is no distortion on an Lp that is famous for Tommy Iommi's Fuzz Box enhanced guitar sound, which distorts the natural sound of the electric guitar. However that is the only distortion, and there is nothing else to report other than a clean unworn sound

Production Test:

Not so much of a test, but a report on the quality of the recording and the clarity of the sound.

Progressive/Heavy rock at it's best with a superb reproduction that really isn't too obvious until you listen to the quiet track "Planet Caravan" Only then can you really tell the effort gone into making the stereo split work. Having said that War pigs has some tremendous moments where the clarity of thesound is just magnificent. Paranoid too is a perfect recording. Iron man should always be heard with huge amounts of Volume, and is just superb.

Unwanted Noise Test:

This concentrates on the noise in the run in groove, the linking groove between the tracks, background crackle, hisses, and pops. I wont mention jumps or sticking as I wouldn't list a record that did either. This is what you can expect to hear on your system, and along with the distortion test form the basis of my overall sound grading.

The silent run in groove to side one is a perfect lead in to the classic War Pigs. Linking grooves are also silent or at worst near silent. There is no background crackle to suffer anywhere on the LP. The odd tiny bit of static and I mean tiny and odd, and the very occasional light pop do not in any way detract from what is a magnificent example of this Classic LP.

There are many many poorer copies of this available, but if you are looking for a high grade collectible copy in Near Mint Condition, then this is one worth going after

I have been selling vinyl on Ebay now for 7 years and have built up a good reputation for offering quality vinyl, and in the main this has always been Classic and Prog Rock and Pop from the early 60's through the mid 70's. I would ask that you look at my feedback if in any doubt. I always conduct 3 vital tests on any vinyl that I list, which includes Distortion, Production, and Background Noise. All of which you will find detailed in the listing. I also always offer a full refund if the purchaser is not happy.