Black Sabbath/Paranoid Original UK LP Ver.

This is the highly popular reprint series of the first pressings of British LPs. Finally, the most popular masterpiece “PARANOID” has arrived. We have introduced the debut album “BLACK SABBATH”, “MASTER OF REALITY” and “SABBATH BLOODY SABBATH” so far, but this album is the most special of the special. This is a miraculous masterpiece that includes the iconic song “Paranoid” and the big three representative songs “War Pigs” and “Iron Man”. Although the first album is more important as the origin and the third album is more complete, it is a historic masterpiece that does not give up its position as a magnificent masterpiece. This work is the original document of such a definitive album. It is an album that was meticulously digitized by an overseas audio enthusiast from the first pressing LP “6360 011” released in 1970 by the Vertigo label in the UK. If you have been exposed to the previous series, you have probably already made up your mind, but just to be sure, I will repeat that this series is on a different level from just a simple analog transcription. We carefully selected many unopened mint quality records, and carefully played the best ones in a high-end environment specialized in “digitizing analog”. Not only is there not a single needle crack, but the quality is such that there is no distortion of the record or uneven rotation, and the “sound of the first playback” that was only played once has been digitized. The quality is exactly the same as the original master. More than 40 years have passed since the recording, and the “real sound” flows out more than the actual master tape that would have deteriorated over time. It is a miraculous sound that does not have even the slightest noise, despite not having been corrected or corrected at all after digitization. This process is consistent throughout the series, but the sound of this work is even more special. “PARANOID” is a masterpiece, so it is often reissued. For other albums, there are two versions, the SANCTUARY version from the UK and the RHINO version from the US, but for “PARANOID” there is even a separate remastered SUPER DELUXE version produced by RHINO. To briefly introduce the sound, the RHINO version is the flashiest and most digital-like. It is the version of the reissued masterpiece “BLACK BOX”. In contrast, the UK SANCTUARY version was well received by enthusiasts for its natural finish. And the SUPER DELUXE version released in 2016 is somewhere in between the two. Although it was produced by RHINO, it was put together with a neat sound close to the SANCTUARY version, perhaps as a reflection on the fact that “BLACK BOX” was too flashy. So, what about the sound of this work, which is an exact reproduction of the first UK LP? In one word, it is a “super natural SANCTUARY version”. Since no post-digital processing has been done, the sound pressure is lower than various current CDs, but the sound hidden there is the ultimate in neatness. For example, the high-pitched parts of the guitar sound. The current remasters emphasize the high-pitched edges, perhaps due to the image of “Sabbath = the origin of metal.” They create a very shrill and dazzling sound. In contrast, this work is simply a “rock sound.” There is no attempt to force the guitar to sound metallic, and the original sound is left as it is. Another key point is the bass drum. In fact, the recording of the bass drum on “PARANOID” sounds cheap, and the contours are not very clear. The current remastered CD sounds like the peak of the percussion has been forcibly raised in an attempt to make it clearer. Even on the relatively natural SANCTUARY version, the bass drum is pushed to the limiter with a powerful force. In contrast, this work is natural from start to finish. The percussion sounds as in the original recording draw a beautiful peak, and there is no sense of strain in every corner of each hit, and it harmonizes beautifully with the bass and guitar. If you factorize each element, the current remaster may seem more vivid, but this work is overwhelmingly more natural in terms of the overall “band sound”. This is the real pleasure of the first LP. No matter how much digital remastering technology evolves, the “view of Sabbath” of the person working on it will be mixed in. “This is what SABBATH should sound like” “They are the origin of heavy metal…” The consciousness works and “creates” it. However, there is not even a micron of room for such a follow-up artificiality in this work. It is simply the “real sound” of a super-fine unused LP that was simply played for the first time. You can enjoy the original SABBATH and the sound that the Vertigo label sent out to the world at that time exactly as it is. The synonymous “PARANOID” of BLACK SABBATH has finally been reprinted. “PARANOID” with the real sound… this is already more than enough. However, I would like to add one more thing to core SABBATH enthusiasts. This means that the “real” of the initial trilogy is complete with this album. Iommi, Ozzy, and Geezer all say that “the 5th album is the pinnacle,” but Bill Ward is the only one who is particular about the “first three albums.” After “VOL.4,” when they started experimenting with various instruments, there is a sense of satisfaction and workmanship from the people who created it, but the first three albums have the band feeling that the four of them drew together. This is the feeling that Bill loved. All three albums have that original sound. The first pressing of the UK LP realistically preserves the sense of fellowship and breathing that only existed at “Island Studios” in London. This is the highest quality version ever. Taken from the original UK LP (Vertigo 6360 011) (42:08) 1. War Pigs 2. Paranoid 3. Planet Caravan 4. Iron Man 5. Electric Funeral 6. Hand Of Doom 7. Rat Salad 8. Fairies Wear Boots