Black Sabbath : Sabbath Bloody Sabbath 1Y1 / 2Y1 1st Press

This first pressing plays with stunning quality and as always I have played every second of the album.  There is no obvious interference and barely any static - the playback is so good believe me!

The cover is in lovely condition with only very minor fading around the edges and the lyric inner (for once!) has no side splits or tears, a fine example.

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WWA 005  1 Y ? 1   1 1 1

WWA 005  2 Y * 1   1 1 2 8

The audio on S1 is Mint- (Tracks 1 & 3 Near Mint)

The audio S2 is Mint- (T2 Near Mint- / T4 intro Ex+)

The gatefold is Ex

The labels are Mint-

The original swirl inner is Near Mint

Visual grading

This vinyl is in beautiful condition and has hardly ever been on a turntable!  I can only see a couple of minor spindle traces on the S1 label and nothing on S2.  There are no marks or scratches and I can only detect a handful of barely visible sleeve removal hairlines.  This is quite possibly the finest first pressing I have seen or played!  The run out grooves have only light marking around the inner ring and the labels are super clean with no marking.  There is just a very minor lift on one edge but is definitely not a warp and does not affect the playback in any way.  It is so minor!

Play grading  

'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath' has a superb intro with no 'background' and it continues to play with great clarity and depth.  In fact the only minor intrusion is one light click on the first quiet verse.  Aside from that there is no interference and that deep strong Sabbath is prevalent throughout - a stunning Near Mint version.

The intro on 'A National Acrobat' again provides further evidence of a vinyl so well preserved down the years.  From that point on it plays with very impressive audio and there is no interference.  There are only a small number of barely audible dust ticks but obviously do not qualify as interference, this is vinyl!  The clarity is outstanding and the power of the audio just envelops the room especially on the deafening end section!  With no distortion this is Mint- from start to finish.

The quiet instrumental 'Fluff' has barely any static on the first section and as it progresses there is no let up in quality.  Yes you can hear a minor amount of mega light static in the quieter sections but it is so minimal and does not intrude on the quality of the listen.  You can hear each note with perfect precision.  A highly creditable Near Mint grade is deserved here.

'Sabbra Cadabra' plays superbly from the get go with no obvious 'background' and as Osbourne's vocal comes in the playback is is just awesome!  Again the clarity and sharp definition of the audio is clearly from a vinyl that has been hardly played and the remainder of the track is equally as good.  It has no interference and I am more than happy to grade this immaculate version as Mint- and it provides a mesmeric end to the side.

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'Killing Yourself To Live' has only the quietest of static on the intro, barely audible really, and as the vocal comes in the audio cannot be faulted.  The mid instrumental section is 'as new' and it continues to play with impeccable strength and definition.  With no clicks or pops and only minimal static at the beginning (and I mean minimal!) this is Mint- I am confident in saying.  A fantastic powerhouse of a track, the playback is stunning right to the final note!

'Who Are You' has barely any static on the intro and then plays very clearly with no obvious interference.  Again it's the clarity that really stands out here.  The quieter mid instrumental section has a couple of light static ticks and plays very clearly indeed and the remainder is nigh on perfect with only minor static on the final note.  Near Mint- I would say.

'Looking For Today' is stunning from the very first groove and I have no hesitation in grading this as Mint- as the audio is so strong.  The only 'background' is a couple of static ticks at the end of the fade out and then one click in the dead wax prior to the next track.

The acoustic intro on 'Spiral Architect' is very impressive when you consider this first pressing is now 47 years old!  There are no clicks or pops and only the bare minimum of light static - lovely 'clean' sound.  From then on it plays with superb definition and that iconic Butler bass is so deep here.  I always go on about clarity but that is how any vinyl should be judged of course and the clarity here is absolutely stunning!  The 'strings' play beautifully and there is no inner groove distortion at all.  A sublime version to end the album with.  So this is Ex+ on the intro - even that might be a little harsh - and Mint for the remainder.

In summary this first pressing plays superbly with no intrusion.  The clarity is exceptional and with only very light click during the music it could hardly play any better.  As I said this record has clearly only been played a handful of times at most and that is reflected in the audio quality.  A stunning version.

The Gatefold

The gatefold is in excellent condition and infinitely better than so many today.  The matt texture is so prone to wear and yet this one has withstood the test of time very well.  The top edges have no rubbing and the bottom edge of the back cover has only a minimal amount.  The bottom edge of the back cover does have a couple of small obvious rubs but this has not resulted in a split.  The wide spine is in superb shape with no wear and all corners are also super clean with hardly any rubbing.  The opening edge again has only the bare minimum of handling wear.  The front cover is very clean with only a little fading along the bottom and the back cover if anything is even better with only light marking in a couple of places.  The inside of the gatefold is pristine.  A very respectable version of this first press cover.

The Lyric Inner

The inner has no side splits or tears which is so rare when you consider it is made with paper!  It has no marking and only very minor creasing.

The Labels

The WWA labels are so close to perfect with barely any spindle wear and no marking or writing either.

Play tested on my Pro-Ject Essential III Turntable / B&W 684 Speakers

This record has been cleaned on a Pro-Ject VC-S machine

WWA 005  1 Y ? 1   1 1 1

WWA 005  2 Y * 1   1 1 2 8

I grade according to "Record Collector" guidelines.

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