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    Black Sabbath - Paranoid   A rare original pressing on the VERTIGO labels.    Cat No: 6360 011   Label Press Details   Original UK Press Black and white VERTIGO label with Large Vertigo swirl on side B. All rights reserved text around the rim.   Matrix Nos. On Run-Out Groove   Side A - 1 Y // 1   V 420 Side B - 2 Y // 1   V 420   Mother Stampers   Side 1. '' 1 2 1 1''  Side 2. '' 1 1 1 0" (extremely early pressing)     Track Listing    Side One: War Pigs - Paranoid - Planet Caravan - Iron Man   Side Two: Electric Funeral - Hand of Doom - Rat Salad - Fairies Wear Boots      

 

History   Paranoid is the second studio album by Black Sabbath. Released in September 1970, the album was the only one by the band to top the UK Albums Chart, and as a result, is commonly identified as the band's magnum opus. Paranoid has been made four times platinum by the RIAA and contains some of the band's best-known signature songs, including the title track, "Iron Man" and "War Pigs".    After the release of their debut album in February 1970, Black Sabbath returned to the studio in June of that year, again with producer Rodger Bain, to record their second album. The album was recorded at Regent Sound Studios and Island Studios in London, England. The album's eponymous single "Paranoid" was written in the studio at the last minute to fulfil the record label's request for a single.   The original UK vinyl release was in a gatefold sleeve. The inner of the gatefold had a black and white photo of the band, posed outdoors on a grassy hill, and was their first appearance on an album artwork. To spread the original picture over the gatefold, Ozzy Osbourne was separated from the other members of the band and a section of the grass was copied and dropped into the gap.   The album was originally titled War Pigs, but the record company was said to have changed it to Paranoid, fearing backlash from supporters of the ongoing Vietnam War. Additionally, the band's label felt the title track was more marketable as a single.  The "Paranoid" single, released before the album, reached number four in the UK. Pushed by its success, the album hit number one in the UK, and is the only Black Sabbath album to have done so. The US release was held until January 1971, as the Black Sabbath album was still on the charts at the time of Paranoid's UK release. The album broke into the top twenty in the US in March 1971 and would go on to sell four million copies in the US alone. Paranoid's chart success in the US allowed the band to tour there for the first time in December 1970, and spawned the release of the album's second single "Iron Man".   In the decades succeeding its initial distribution, Paranoid has been regarded by many as Black Sabbath's greatest album, heralded as; "one of the greatest and most influential heavy metal albums of all time", which "defined the sound and style of metal, more than any other record in history".   Sound Grading   This is a great example of this rare pressing, with strong, undistorted sound, and a minimum of static or surface sound, the channels are clean and unstressed. This really is an extremely bright example.    No loud clicks or pops or continuous unwanted sounds. This great record plays up to the visual and audio grading and beyond. This is a complex and varied collection of music, and hard to find in clear audio condition. Worn copies can have a lot of surface sound even on musically complex and busy tracks like 'Electric Funeral.' This pressing has strong undistorted audio, with super clear sound and absolutely minimal background static. There is certainly no dominant interference or distortion. It sounds great and plays with great sound separation and clarity! The sound is clear and bright and mostly flawless, other than 15 light tics in the middle of the quiet 'Planet Caravan'.  I will give a detailed description below:   Every track has been tested and I really enjoyed this rare UK pressing. 'War Pigs' (with that ultra-faint two-second sound delay) bursts in with amazing clear sound. The minimum surface sound in the run-in and the quiet echo, which is usually lost before the music starts, is very clear. I heard a light bit of static in the quiet sections as the lead vocal starts and in the middle of the track, for a few seconds, but mostly it plays with near silence in the quiet areas and it plays superbly, with super clear sound. There are two clicks near the start.    'Paranoid' again starts with super clear sound and plays with incredible clarity and definition. Very light static and one or two very light static tics and that's about as close as this vinyl comes to any obvious surface sound.    'Planet Caravan', the first of the delicate tracks on the album, plays with great audio, and clear sound. Just some light, barely audible occasional static and then about fifteen tics in the middle.  Not a single loud pop and certainly not a hint of distortion.    'Iron Man' again bursts in with great clear audio, and crystal clear sound, the track plays with perfect sound separation and amazing clarity, and just some light and occasional background static. A superb bright clear audio performance.    Side 2. begins with the complex 'Electric Funeral', and it plays beautifully, with just some very light static in the intro and one or two light occasional tics. Still no loud pops or clicks.    'Hand Of Doom' ranges from very quiet to very heavy sections, a complex heavily layered track, and all the layering here is heard crystal clear. Only the very lightest background static to be found in the intro and very quiet sections, the kind you would find on any vinyl, and a couple of light tics and a couple of random tics during the outro.    'Rat Salad' is so clear and bright, and this is such a hard track to find with even halfway decent audio. It just plays superbly with just a couple of light tics near the start, then no pops, no clicks, no hissing, very little static, or any that is there is virtually inaudible.    A low level of light static between the tracks, and then the final classic, 'Fairies Wear Boots', again it plays with great sound, the vocal echo effect is crystal clear and usually very hard to spot. Just one pop near the end of the track, this record plays with an extremely clear, fantastic bright sound.    This is a great audio performance, hardly any obvious static, (that is found on all vinyls, even unplayed examples) anywhere on this record, and needless to say, no distortion, no sticks or jumps whatsoever. Certainly no loud pop or clicks anywhere. The whole album plays with amazing power and clarity.    Superb sound, every track has been tested and I could find no obvious sound blemishes. Some light occasional static, and it is light and occasional. Wonderful top audio, there is no distortion, NO sticks or jumps whatsoever, and only light static between the tracks.   Even the quiet 'Planet Caravan' sings out with silence in the run-ins and quiet areas. Great music with great clarity, and so hard to find with this type of sound. The tonal quality makes this a sensational pressing. With the clear and extra loud First cut engineering gives the audio a vibrant sound which cannot be beaten. A great all-round example of this classic vinyl. Due to that one scratch on the track 'Planet Caravan', I would grade it down, even though the audio clarity is superb.   Graded at VERY GOOD PLUS to NEAR MINT.     The Record - Graded at EXCELLENT to NEAR MINT   A superb piece of glossy vinyl, and a thick pressing. Deep clear grooves that can only be found on the original early pressings, this vinyl looks barely played. In daylight, it looks largely unmarked.   There are a few faint handling marks, in the form of whispy sleeve removal marks, but even they are hard to make out. This vinyl has been played a couple of times and certainly shows no obvious marks or groove wear. Unbelievable to think this vinyl is over 40 years old, this is a great pressing.      The Labels - Graded at NEAR MINT   Famous VERTIGO labels are in SUPERB Condition, with no marks or writing, and no discernible spindle wear.  Great all round examples, with barely a single spindle trace to be found.     The Cover - Graded at EXCELLENT   This is a great example of this ultra-rare cover. Original pressings of Paranoid came with an UNLAMINATED gatefold cover, soon to be replaced by the far more common laminated version. These unlaminated covers were released in very small quantities, and nearly always faired badly, usually being ripped, torn and stained with heavy colour loss and wear to the edges, corners and surfaces.    The cover shows some light handling wear only, with very light creasing and barely any corner wear, it certainly has no tears or serious defects and very little loss of colour. There is no feathering to the side openings, which is rare, and no staining or loss of colour on the inside gatefold. Just a couple of small marks on the inside gatefold. All round this is a great example.      The Inner - Graded at VERY GOOD PLUS    Original poly-lined Vertigo Swirl inner sleeve with the white background design. Lightly creased there is no writing and no tears.  There are no splits to the sides and some light discolouration as these 40 year-old inners always have, and on the whole, it's a great example of these increasingly rare inner sleeves.     Rarity   Finding an original UK Vertigo Stereo Pressing of ‘Paranoid’ in great all-round condition is very rare.  One in this great all-round condition, with the original unlaminated cover and stunning vinyl is extremely rare indeed. An original pressing with 1st ever matrix numbers and a vinyl that looks little played, making this a fantastic opportunity to own an extremely rare piece of musical history.   Complete Vertigo UK originals with great sound are getting rarer by the day.       Terms And Conditions   Vinyl   All our records are play-tested to give an accurate description of the sound. If you are not completely happy with the item description, we offer a full refund on return.    Vinyl Sound - Important Information   Attaining the highest quality vinyl with crystal-clear sound is a rarity, yet it remains our constant pursuit. We exclusively offer records that deliver a great audio performance – an experience characterized by super clear sound without interruption from continuos hiss or other obvious interference. It's important to note that, even with the cleanest pressing, you may encounter occasional static or light tics during playback, typically caused by dust accumulation in the grooves. This is markedly different from the distortion, loud pops, repeating tics, or clicks often present in heavily played and worn vinyl pieces. Any static buildup tends to diminish during playback, and we recommend a light clean between plays for optimal performance.   Images and Information   We aim to capture clear and accurate photographs of all our items for sale. Our goal is to provide you with the most accurate representation possible. If you have any questions or need further information, feel free to ask.   Easy Returns    We offer a no-quibble return policy. Items must be returned within 12 days of receipt and in the same condition as when they were sent out. Return postage is the responsibility of the buyer, unless there is a specific fault with the item; in such cases, we will cover the full postage costs.   Record Grading System - (Based On Record Collector Magazine UK)   MINT: Virtually unplayed. The record itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. Cover is pristine.   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.   V.G PLUS: The record will still be nice and shiny, but may have a few light marks, and will play well. Slight wear and tear on the cover.   V.G: The record has obviously been played many times, but displays no major deterioration in sound quality, despite noticeable surface marks and occasional light scratch. Normal wear and tear on the cover or extra items.   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, etc.   FAIR: Fair. It is noticeable that the record has been played so much that the sound quality has deteriorated very noticeably. The cover and contents are showing signs of folding, scuffing of edges etc.   Postage And Payment Details   All items will be meticulously sealed and securely wrapped. If you desire extra-fast delivery, records can be sent via Express Courier. Our commitment is to provide top-quality rare records to our buyers, keep postage costs reasonable and offer a premium service. Ensuring your records arrive in perfect condition is our absolute priority. Each record is removed from its main cover, placed in a new inner sleeve, and secured in extra-thick plastic sleeves. It is then further safeguarded with multiple layers of reinforced cardboard and padding, double-boxed in extra-strong, professional record containers to ensure a safe arrival.   UK - First Class Signed For Recorded Delivery with Insurance: - £9.00 Europe - International Airmail Signed For Recorded Delivery with Insurance: - £9.95 International (non-Europe) e.g., USA, Japan, Russia, Australia etc., International Airmail Signed For Recorded Delivery with Insurance: - £18.95   Multiple Purchase Reduction   Reduced postage for multiple records - up to 30% off extra items.   Postage will be first class or the fastest and safest possible alternative - recorded with tracking and insurance. All items are fully insured and covered for the safest delivery possible at no extra cost to you. 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