Sabbath Bloody Sabbath pressing questions

[deek]

I have an early (first maybe?) UK pressing of this LP on WWA, the matrix numbers appear to be variation 5 (going on the Discogs page).

https://www.discogs.com/Black-Sabbath-Sabbath-Bloody-Sabbath/release/2596401

It sounds very good until "Sabbra Cadabra" where the volume decreases a fair bit and becomes less exciting than the previous tracks, this annoys me! Side B isn't that much better to be honest.

I used to have an old NEMS pressing that also had this issue (the reason I bought the WWA one).

My question is - do other first pressing variations have this problem?

I have read the obvious http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/sabbath-bloody-sabbath-vinyl-q.225990/ but found nothing conclusive.

 

[moomaloo]

Hi Deek. That's the first uk pressing afaik. I'll check mine but I don't recall noticing the issue you mention... Don't think you'll find better to be honest...

 

[starbuck]

My question is - do other first pressing variations have this problem?

Sabbath Bloody Sabbath is a pretty murky sounding album in general, I think, and after the relative sparkle of 'Fluff', 'Sabbra Cadabra' sounds murkier still, so what you're hearing may well be normal. I would need to dig out my vinyl copies (I have a pretty much mint 1st UK WWA pressing as well as a more recent Rhino pressing cut from original tapes) to check, but I think they sound as you describe. I am sat here listening to the album on a Castle Communications CD release (1986 release which is unremastered and is a transfer to CD from early tapes, I believe), and the drop off in volume you mention after 'Fluff' seems to be there as well, though I hear it more as a change in the recording/production/instrumentation.

 

[datay]

Been listening to the Sanctuary 2009 CD remaster this week and funny this thread should come up because I was thinking it sounded a bit bloomy. I've just moved flat and was in a much brighter room before, smaller too, so less volume, perhaps why I hadn't noticed before.

Bugger because it's my favourite Sabbath album!

 

[deek]

Thanks guys. At least now I won't be on the lookout for another copy.

 

[datay]

Just on the subject of CDs, Paranoid is exceptional. Master of Reality is much duller but I've never heard the original vinyl so can't comment on original differences. Still as heavy as a sack of elephant shit though.

 

[FireMoon]

I remember at the time Geoff Barton hating the final release and saying how the masters her'd heard prior to release, were far superior. The band themselves never liked the mastering of it on the original album.