So fairly soon Black Sabbath are calling it a day, and for some reason this time I really do believe that this will be it. No more Sabbath. So to commemorate this, they are releasing the first 6 albums (the good stuff) along with a compilation (I think) as deluxe 180gm double LP's with bonus material. The first 3 and the compilation are already out, but I went with what I could get my hands on first.
These were made for the American market, and so they have the Warner Brother's label up top. As is the way with most records Black Sabbath release - there is no clue on pressing information. These are the most recent pressing, with this one having come out in 2016.
Close up of the sticker on the shrink. The colour of the font is different on all of the reissues so far which is pretty neat right?
The other sticker on the sleeve. And truly, this record sounds incredible. I've always had a lust for the first 4 Sabbath LP's on Vertigo due to everyone raving about their superior sound. When these came out however, quite a few people were mentioning that these are the closest you're going to get to that original press sound. Take the fact that you're looking at £120 minimum for a decent first press copy of Paranoid, and take away that a Vertigo press doesn't come with the bonus 12'', and at this stage in the game it was a definite no brainer for me.
Black poly-lined inner sleeves, sturdy gatefold jacket and those lush looking gold Warner labels. This is definitely a well put together package. Also, did anyone else think that the cover art was a pig years ago? With the original album title being 'War Pigs' I wonder if it was even an intentional move at the time. Who knows.
Back Cover and B/D sides. Although it has nothing on the debut, this album art still has a somewhat creepy overtone to it.
Here's a nice blurry close up of the back cover so you can see what the Bonus Tracks LP has to offer. Instrumentals don't appeal to a lot of people, and in a way I understand that. But it's Sabbath so all rules out the window right? And I can fuck heavily with an instrumental mix of War Pigs.
On to the gatefold. Nothing better than old Sabbath imagery, from album art to promo photos they always managed to stick out.
This panel contains all the credits. And Ozzy. I love how he's wearing a Crucifix in this photo; which was most likely a miserable attempt at trying to calm the rumours that they were Satanists. An inverted cross on the inside of your album cover will probably convey that kind of message sadly. I remember reading an interview with Fenriz from Darkthrone where he mentions how he wished Black Sabbath would just go all out on the Satanist thing; and how he found it funny that they would push it to a point but never quite over the edge after that debut record cause such a rift.
Alongside the poly-lined inners, you also got printed ones. I'll never use them as they'll most likely split; and the ones they're currently in seem to be doing a grand job of keeping them clean and dust free. The inner to the right tells quite a great story on the making of this record and I came away knowing some stuff I didn't before. Hopefully the rest of these reissues follow a similar pattern.
The other side of the inners.
Finally, the inside of the jackets are all on black, which just looks a little nicer than standard card stock.
I have at least one copy of each of the first 6 Sabbath full lengths, though they all seem to be different presses. From Vertigo Swirl Vol. 4 to UFO Vertigo label self titled, to a 2015 colour repress of Master of Reality and this press of Paranoid. For now I'll be quite happy chasing these reissues down as they come out. I hit it quite lucky on the price of this one, and over the next month or two I'll track down self titled and Master Of Reality. I just can't say no to that bonus LP each time!
I'll most likely never travel far past Sabotage, except maybe to pick up 13. I remember hearing Technical Ecstasy and Never Say Die and being underwhelmed; and as much as I love Dio - his era of Sabbath is just not for me. And we won't even talk about Born Again; aside from pointing out that the cover is probably the biggest abuse of technology. Photo negative demon baby pish.
