THE VERTIGO ANNUAL 1970 6499 407/8 (-70) UK

One of those indispensable samplers, with so much going for it - label design, musical quality, rare tracks, top audio and alluring cover pics - it has become a collectors item by own merits. One cut each from the sixteen first albums realeased by the label. Most represented here didn't sell a lot back then and the originals can sometimes be hard to find or afford. I haven't had or heard all of those so I can't compare, but get the impression they picked the better or best from each. Some compilations have at least one downer regarding track choice or audio. On here I can't find one thing less than marvelous. From the happy-go-luckys Fairfield Parlour "In My Box" and Magna Carta "Going My Way" over the heavy Sabbath, Juicy Lucy and Uriah Heep cuts to the jazzier Nucleus, Colosseum and May Blitz it's all tophole. Only bad thing is I can't use it as background music when doing chores at home. The beauty entices me and sooner or later I get stuck in front of the speakers, forgetting everything about cleaning or whatever. Contemporary issues on Vertigo in a couple of other countries. Spanish "Anual de Vertigo 1970" came with other cover design. To my knowledge not released in US. Early UK had labels as shown here, matt fold/out cover and dated swirl inners. (SÄM*)(ÖRHÄ*)(WLÖ*)