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Metal Box by Public Image Limited, album cover

Vinyl pressings

Metal Box

by Public Image Limited · 1979

39 pressings13 countriesPost-PunkDubAvantgardeExperimental

Metal Box was first pressed on vinyl in 1979. Every vinyl pressing is listed below with its label, catalog number and runout codes, so you can tell an original from a reissue.

How to spot a first pressing of Metal Box

1 pressing came out in 1979, the album's first year. Compare the label and catalog number on your copy, then the codes etched or stamped in the runout groove (the dead wax around the label): they are the surest sign of an early pressing.

UK

November 23, 1979
Label and catalog number
Virgin METAL 1
Format
12", 45 RPM, Special Cut, Box Set, Album, Limited Edition
Runout / matrix

METAL.1-A-1 TY-CBS A 3Runout side A, variant 1

·METAL.1- BA̶B-1 TY-CBS A 0Runout side B, variant 1

·METAL-1-C-2 tim-cbs ARunout side C, variant 1

·METAL-1-D-1 TY-CBS A 2Runout side D, variant 1

Full details of this pressing

Not sure how to read the runout? See matrix numbers, runout and dead wax and how to tell a first pressing.

All 39 vinyl pressings

By decade, oldest first. Open a pressing for its full label, barcode and runout details.

1970s1 pressing
YearCountryLabel and catalog numberFormat
1979UKVirgin METAL 1First year12", 45 RPM, Special Cut, Box Set, Album, Limited Edition · Limited12", 45 RPM, Special Cut, Box Set, Album, Limited Edition · Limited
1980s24 pressings
YearCountryLabel and catalog numberFormat
1980BeneluxVirgin 300 884LP, AlbumLP, Album
1980CanadaIsland Records 2WX 3288LP, AlbumLP, Album
1980CanadaIsland Records 2WX 3288LP, AlbumLP, Album
1980FranceVirgin 2676 720LP, AlbumLP, Album
1980FranceVirgin 300863LP, AlbumLP, Album
1980GermanyVirgin 300 863-420 / Virgin 300 861LP, AlbumLP, Album
1980ItalyVirgin AVIL 212512LP, AlbumLP, Album
1980JapanColumbia YB-7006~7-AXLP, AlbumLP, Album
1980JapanColumbia YB-7006~7-AXLP, Album, Promo, Stereo · PromoLP, Album, Promo, Stereo · Promo
1980USIsland Records 2WX 3288LP, AlbumLP, Album
1980USIsland Records 2WX 3288LP, AlbumLP, Album
1980USIsland Records 2WX 3288LP, AlbumLP, Album
1980New ZealandVirgin VD 2512LP, AlbumLP, Album
1980UKVirgin VD2512LP, AlbumLP, Album
1980UKVirgin VD2512LP, AlbumLP, Album
All 24 pressings from the 1980s
1990s1 pressing
YearCountryLabel and catalog numberFormat
1990GermanyVirgin 300 863-420 / Virgin 300 861LP, Album, ReissueLP, Album, Reissue
2000s3 pressings
YearCountryLabel and catalog numberFormat
2006US4 Men With Beards 4M 50012", 45 RPM, Album, Reissue, Box Set12", 45 RPM, Album, Reissue, Box Set
2006US4 Men With Beards 4M50012", 45 RPM, Reissue, Test Pressing · Test pressing12", 45 RPM, Reissue, Test Pressing · Test pressing
2009US4 Men With Beards 4M517LP, Album, ReissueLP, Album, Reissue
2010s3 pressings
YearCountryLabel and catalog numberFormat
2016US4 Men With Beards 4M517LP, Album, Reissue · Colored vinylLP, Album, Reissue · Colored vinyl
2016EuropeVirgin METAL02 / UMC METAL02LP, Album, Reissue, Remastered, LP, LP, Box Set, Deluxe EditionLP, Album, Reissue, Remastered, LP, LP, Box Set, Deluxe Edition
2016EuropeVirgin METAL02LP, Box Set, Album, Test Pressing · Test pressingLP, Box Set, Album, Test Pressing · Test pressing
Year unknown7 pressings
YearCountryLabel and catalog numberFormat
?AustraliaVirgin VD 2512LP, Album, Promo, Reissue · PromoLP, Album, Promo, Reissue · Promo
?CanadaWarner Bros. Records 2WX 3288 / Island Records 2WX 3288LP, Album, ReissueLP, Album, Reissue
?CanadaWarner Bros. Records 2WX 3288 / Island Records 2WX 3288LP, Album, ReissueLP, Album, Reissue
?New ZealandVirgin VD 2512LP, Album, ReissueLP, Album, Reissue
?USWarner Bros. Records 2WX 3288LP, Test Pressing · Test pressingLP, Test Pressing · Test pressing
?USIsland Records 2WX 3288LP, AlbumLP, Album
?USIsland Records 2WX 3288LP, AlbumLP, Album

Tracklist

  1. Metal 1.1
  2. AAlbatross10:32
  3. Metal 1.2
  4. B1Memories5:05
  5. B2Swan Lake4:19
  6. Metal 1.3
  7. C1Poptones7:45
  8. C2Careering4:32
  9. Metal 1.4
  10. D1No Birds4:43
  11. D2Graveyard3:07
  12. Metal 1.5
  13. E1The Suit3:29
  14. E2Bad Baby4:30
  15. Metal 1.6
  16. FSocialist/Chant/Radio 412:31

Questions

How many vinyl pressings of Metal Box are there?

39 vinyl pressings of Metal Box are listed here, from 13 countries, released between 1979 and 2016.

When was Metal Box first released on vinyl?

The earliest pressings are from 1979, in UK. One of them is Virgin METAL 1, released November 23, 1979.

How do I tell if my copy of Metal Box is a first pressing?

Check the catalog number on the label (first-year pressings use METAL 1) and the codes etched in the runout groove, then compare them with the pressings listed above; for example, METAL.1-A-1 TY-CBS A 3 and ·METAL.1- BA̶B-1 TY-CBS A 0. Later reissues often keep the catalog number but change the label design or the runout codes.

How much is Metal Box on vinyl worth?

It depends on which pressing you have and on the condition of the record and its sleeve. Early pressings from the album's home country in near mint condition are usually worth the most; common later reissues are worth far less. Scan your copy with VinylLens to see its value for every grade.

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