BID WITH TOTAL CONFIDENCE . YOUR SATISFACTION IS GUARANTEED: COMPLETE MONEY BACK GUARANTEE IF NOT TOTALLY SATISFIED SERVICE YOU CAN TRUST, QUALITY ASSURED. WE HAVE A 100% POSITIVE FEEDBACK RATING AND A 100% TRACK RECORD OF OFFERING GREAT PRODUCTS, SERVICE, COMMUNICATION AND DELIVERY – GUARANTEED!! BLACK SABBATH - VOLUME IV STUNNING 1st Ever UK pressing of BLACK SABBATH VOLUME IV, on the VERTIGO labels with TRULY INCREDIBLE ARCHIVE CLEAR AUDIO and Superb Cover, BOOKLET and ORIGINAL Inner. This is a great opportunity to own a classic rare piece of musical history, in stunning condition throughout! All COMPLETELY original, making this a true collectors item. From my own personal collection. THE BEST AUDIO QUALITY! CAT NO:.... 6360 071 LABEL PRESS DETAILS: FIRST PRESS UK Black and white VERTIGO label with full size Vertigo swirl on side B. MATRIX NOs. ON RUN-OUT GROOVE SIDE A - 6360071 - 1 Y // 1 SIDE B - 6360071 - 2 Y // 1 MOTHER STAMPERS: Side 1. '' 1 2 1 2 1 '' (ultra rare low stampers ) PORKY (at 10 o'clock) Side 2. '' 1 1 2 5 " (PECKO at 1 o'clock) TRACK LISTING… Wheels Of Confusion . Tomorrow's Dream . Changes . FX . Supernaut Snowblind . Cornucopia . Laguna Sunrise . St. Vitus Dance . Under The Sun THIS IS A GENUINE RARE UK ORIGINAL, AND IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO BUY AN EXTREMELY RARE EXAMPLE OF ONE OF THE MOST HIGHLY COLLECTIBLE VINYL ALBUMS OF ALL TIME, in STUNNING CONDITION with truly REMARKABLE AUDIO! Black Sabbath Vol. 4 is the fourth album by Black Sabbath, released in September 1972. The album was originally to be titled Snowblind, after one of several songs referring to cocaine use, and features several Sabbath classics, such as "Wheels Of Confusion", "Tomorrow's Dream", "Supernaut", "Snowblind" and "Under The Sun". In June 1972, Black Sabbath reconvened in Los Angeles, California to begin work on their fourth album at the Record Plant Studios. The recording process was plagued with problems, many due to substance abuse issues. While struggling to record the song "Cornucopia" after "sitting in the middle of the room, just doing drugs", Bill Ward feared that he was about to be fired from the band. Vol. 4 demonstrates Black Sabbath beginning to experiment with the heavy sound they had become known for. Although some songs are in their trademark style, others demonstrate a more complex, orchestral approach. This is exemplified by the song "Changes". Written by Tony Iommi, it is entirely in the form of a piano ballad with mellotron. Although the band had used piano on some songs previously, it had played only a minor role in the songs. ALBUM PLAYED FOR GRADING: It is incredibly hard to find original pressings of VOLUME IV with this type of audio. So many vinyls, even visually clean examples, can play with distortion and repetitive clicks. For such a raucous album that is not surprising, but the mastering also meant that these vinyls were prone to dust penetration and surface noise, and there are a lot of quiet areas that can just sound terrible on worn copies. To give an example of how unusual this pressing is, there is a faint vocal echo on Ozzy's voice on the quiet 'Changes' track. Not the echo on the primary vocal, but a very faint second vocal. This can usually never be heard, it is so faint and the slightest vinyl wear will cover it up. On this amazing press the vocal definition is crystal clear. This is a great VAULT AUDIO 1st press example, with incredible strong, undistorted sound, and a minimum of any static or surface sound. The channels are clean and unstressed. The music jumps out with definition and clarity, particularly on the percussion instruments, and vocals which come through with tremendous power. All the instruments and every breath of Ozzy's singing is bright and clear. As is the bass and drums, whilst the guitars come through crisp and precise. I will give a detailed account below: Even for Black Sabbath Volume IV 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 ' Supernaut .' This pressing has unbelievably strong undistorted audio, with super clear strong sound. NO interference, and NO loud pops or clicks or distortion. Any static is extremely low level, almost undetectable, and that is unusual for any vinyl. It really sounds great and plays with great sound separation and clarity! The album starts with a few seconds of ultra faint music, that is usually inaudible. Here it is very faint and very clear as its supposed to be in the 1st recording mix. 'Wheels of Confusion' bursts in with amazing power and clarity, a complex track with extremely complex audio layering, all crystal clear. A wonderful 'Tomorrows Dream' sounds like it has only ever been played twice, its so clear. It sounds like the vinyl looks as a matter of fact. Archive Audio! 'Changes' so delicate and poignant plays beautifully, with that echo on Ozzy's voice in the chorus, nearly always lost, sounds superb. I can hear virtually no static at all on this quiet track, and not a single loud pop or click. Unbelievable perfect audio. The abstract instrumental 'FX' plays superbly with minimal static for a track that is largely silent. Its so quiet, there are a few very light static tics only, and that is amazing for this track. Rounding off side 1. with the unbelievable riffy deep sound of 'Supernaut', the audio is perfect. 'Snowblind' powers in side 2. again with crystal clear, perfect audio, as with 'Cornucopia, which plays with great, clear sound, perfect separation and clarity. I heard a couple of ultra light tics and just a touch of very occasional, distant surface static. And I mean you have to have your head with next to the speaker to hear any static at all. The last quiet instrumental, 'Laguna Sunrise' just sounds amazing. Virtually no static or surface sound detectable, just great clear audio. 'St. Vitus Dance' and 'Under the Sun' finishes off this great album, again with what can only be described as perfect audio, and I don't use that term lightly. I really enjoyed every second of this rare 1st pressing. There are NO repeat tics, NO distortion, No loud pops or clicks, NO sticks or jumps what so ever. This pressing plays with crisp clear audio throughout, with no loss of audio performance what so ever. Truly unbelievable audio experience. I would easily give this a grading of NEAR MINT condition. THE RECORD A superb piece of glossy vinyl, and a really thick pressing. Deep clear grooves that can only be found on the original early pressings, this vinyl has clearly only been played a couple of times. On first inspection in strong daylight this vinyl looks completely unmarked and even when inspected under a powerful spot light, it still looks largely unmarked, with only the faintest of sleeve removal marks, but these are very, very light. This vinyl is stunning and graded at NEAR MINT . A great all round Complete and Rare example of this EARLY ROCK MASTERPIECE At least two songs on the album reference the use of cocaine. The song "Snowblind" had to be re-recorded because the original version features Osbourne yelling the word "cocaine!" after each verse. On the officially released version, "cocaine" is whispered quite audibly after the first verse, approximately 41 seconds into the song (During live performances Osbourne would again scream the word at the top of his lungs). Vol. 4 was released in September 1972, and while critics of the era were again dismissive of the album, it achieved gold status in less than a month, and was the band's fourth consecutive release to sell one million copies in the United States. It reached number 13 on Billboard's pop album chart and number 8 on the UK Albums Chart. Following an extensive tour of the US, the band toured Australia for the first time in 1973, and later Europe. In an interview with Q magazine, Beck Hansen named the "Supernaut" riff as his all time favourite, equal with Neil Young's "Cinnamon Girl." Frank Zappa had also identified that song as one of his all time favourites. Supernaut was also one of Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham's favourite songs by Sabbath. Vol. 4 would later be considered a defining album of the era and one of Sabbaths greatest moments. THE LABELS Famous 1st Press VERTIGO labels are in SUPERB Condition, no obvious marks or writing, no discernible spindle wear. Great all round examples, with a no spindle traces, these are superb labels. Labels grade at NEAR MINT . VINYL TESTED FOR ANY SIGNS OF WARPING: Yes, NONE visible what so ever, when tested be sight and on a moving turntable. THE COVER The unlaminated covers of Volume IV are almost impossible to find in great condition. They are nearly always scuffed and creased to a large extent, if not heavily worn, with white specs where the colour has been worn off across the flat surfaces. I don't need to tell you how rare it is to have a pressing that is has a solid square spine and un worn edges. This great complete 1st press Comes with the original booklet and unlaminated cover , which is a great example. The cover shows light handling wear, minimal creasing and corner wear, and has certainly no tears or serious defects. There is no feathering to the openings, which is very unusual, and virtually no indentations on the front or rear panel. The cover is square and un flattened and has not lost any of its shape. The inside booklet is near perfect and neither the cover or booklet has any of the usual finger print smudges on the outside of the inside or the pages. I would have to grade this at EXCELLENT . THE INNER Great Original 1st Press Poly lined Vertigo Swirl inner sleeve in great condition. Nice example, with some light creases only, there are no tears to the die cut centres, and NO seem splits. There is some slight scuffing to the lower right cover on one side where it looks like the corner had become stuck to itself but it really is hard to notice. The sleeve is only very sightly yellowed as these nearly always are, and the original print is deep black, as they came at times. This is a great fully intact example complete with its original poly liner. Graded at EXCELLENT PLUS . RARITY Volume IV is a highly collectable vinyl, reaching increasingly high prices. And there are a number of good reasons. It is a classic, ground breaking piece of music, and has a number of brilliantly designed components, all if which are prone to wear. A matt cover, which is nearly always heavily marked and scuffed, an inner booklet that is usually unattached, torn and covered in finger prints, a black and white inner sleeve, that is usually stained and torn, and a great vinyl that was nearly always played into submission. THIS IS A GREAT ALL ROUND 1ST PRESSING. FINDING AN ORIGINAL UK VERTGO STEREO PRESS OF VOLUME IV IN STUNNING ALL ROUND CONDITION, a 1st PRESSINGS THAT IS EXMELY RARE. THIS IS A GREAT PLAYING VINYL WITH SUPER BRIGHT CLEAR AUDIO, A SUPERB COVER AND INNER. I DOUBT YOU WILL EVER HESR A BETTER PLAYING PRESSING. ALL MAKING THIS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO OWN AN EXTREMELY RARE PIECE OF MUSICAL HISTORY!