LED ZEPPELIN 2 SECOND ALBUM STONE MINT TEST PRESSING

$

1,850

 
<img src= http://pics

To display more than 500 of our featured Rock, Soul, Jazz & Blues auctions listed in alphabetical order (by artist's name)►CLICK HERE

►See our ROCK auctions ►See our JAZZ auctions ►See our BLUES auctions

►See our CLASSICAL auctions ► See our STILL SEALED ITEMS ►See our PROMO auctions

►See our SOUL auctions ►See our AUDIOPHILE auctions ►See our OTHER auctions

♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫

·       LED ZEPPELIN – LED ZEPPELIN II (LED ZEPPELIN`S SECOND ALBUM) – ORIGINAL 1969 ATLANTIC RECORDS STEREO LP SD-8236

·       *** COLOSSALLY RARE ORIGINAL 1969 TEST PRESSING – PROBABLY THE ONLY COPY THAT WILL EVER BE OFFERED ON EBAY (CERTAINLY THE ONLY MINT COPY OF THE TEST PRESSING OF `LED ZEPPELIN II` YOU WILL EVER SEE ***

·       ORIGINAL U.S. PRESSING

·       PLAIN, WHITE, GENERIC TEST PRESSING LABEL

·       CLEAN, WEAR-FREE LABELS

·       MATRIX STAMP IN TRAIL-OFF VINYL (DEAD WAX) OF THE RECORD:

-        SIDE 1: ST-A-691671-N (AT) (LW) (W)

-        SIDE 2: ST-A-691672-N (AT) (LW) (W)(GB)

(►PLEASE SEE THE IMAGE OF THE COVER, LABEL OR BOTH, SHOWN BELOW)

(Note: this is a REAL image of the ACTUAL item you are bidding on. This is NOT a "recycled" image from our previous auction. What you see is what you'll get. GUARANTEED!)

♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫

We proudly present one of the RAREST and MOST IMPORTANT Rock artifacts we have ever offered on eBay. What we have here is an unheard-of TEST PRESSING of this classic Led Zeppelin album – easily one of the top-10 greatest and most influential Rock albums ever made.

This album comes from a personal collection of a high-ranking Warner / Elektra / Atlantic executive who lovingly collected each and every complementary copy he`d received from the label (whether stock, promo or, in this case, test pressing). The album is in a truly AMAZING state of preservation – we doubt that the record was played more than 2-3 times in its entire 35-year history (and this includes our single playing to determine the condition). Please visit our other featured auctions for other incredible items from this same collection, such as the test pressing of The Doors` second album (Strange Days) and a white label promo of the Led Zeppelin`s third album in an immaculate condition.

When the album was released in November 1969, it marked – literally - the beginning of the new era and the new sound: Heavy Metal. And, while Heavy Metal existed as a genre even before Led Zeppelin II (Blue Cheer, Vanilla Fudge, Steppenwolf) it was heavily beholden to psychedelia and bore a heavy burden of debt to the previous era`s exaggerations and idiosyncracies.

Not so with Led Zeppelin II. From the opening blast of `Whola Lotta Love` to the final fade of `Bring it on Home`, the listener knows that he is not in Kansas anymore. This is a whole new, uncharted territory. In fact, the album makes a clean break even with the band`s first album: on their first album, one can easily hear remnants of British psychedelia (Black Mountain Top), progressive rock (Your time is gonna come) urban electric blues (You shook me; How many more times; I can`t quit you), folk music (Babe, I`m gonna leave you) and other styles the band members were into at a time. However, you won’t find such excursions on Led Zeppelin II: the album is a monolithic slab of primo metal: an all-out, in-your-face assault from start to finish. Even the ballads exude the spirit of burning Metal.

While many test pressings often have alternate or demo- versions of known, later released songs, and while it is possible that this particular test pressing contains demo or alternate versions of some of the tracks, please don’t take our word that it does: we were unable to determine that there is much of a difference between this test pressing and the officially released version: it seems to us that the sound on this test pressing is a little `brighter` and `cleaner` than the original, somewhat muddy, Atlantic pressing, but this may have been caused by the first stamper generation used to make this pressing. A careful Led Zep aficionado may be able to detect slight differences and subtle variations in the mix we were unable to locate.

We should note that this album – like all test pressings – originally came in a plain white, generic carboard cover (as a matter of fact, there was no mark anywhere on the album – not even on the label – we had to play it to determine what album it is and were floored to discover it is Led Zeppelin II. The generic white test pressing label is (almost) entirely blank and without any identifying details EXCEPT the matrix number and the date of release. To provide a complete set to the winning bidder (both original cover AND the test pressing of the record), we will ship this test pressing with the original stock cover of this album (taken from our personal collection). This way, the winner gets to have the best of both worlds: the mint TEST PRESSING as well as a beautiful original cover.

Finally, this test pressing is of extraordinary historical importance: it puts to rest, once and for all, any notion that the album was released in October 1969 as most discographies claim. The date on the label clearly shows the date of the pressing as October 31, 1969, making it all but impossible that the album was released in October of that year (it would have made absolutely no sense or compelling, logical reason to make a test pressing after the album had already been released). Most likely, the album was COPYRIGHTED in October 1969, but actually issued at some later point, probably in the mid-to-late November 1969. However, it is possible (although entirely unlikely) that the album appeared in the UK a few weeks before its official release in the United States.

For additional historical or discography information on this album, including track listing ►click here

Please contact us if you have any questions.

PLEASE NOTE THAT A REASONABLE RESERVE APPLIES TO THIS UNIQUE, ONE-OF-A-KIND LED ZEPPELIN ALBUM.

♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫

·       CONDITION:

·       RECORD

(IMPORTANT NOTE: unless otherwise noted, ALL records are graded visually, and NOT play-graded!; we grade records under the strong, diffuse room light or discrete sunlight)

(a)            THE VINYL IS ABSOLUTELY, PERFECTLY MINT, as if never played before. The original luster is totally intact, and the vinyl shines and sparkles like brand new. The labels look perfect, simply gorgeous, with absolutely no trace of wear around the spindle hole. The record is TOTAL PERFECTION - ABSOLUTE VISUAL NIRVANA! We are confident that, in this condition, the record we present here is truly once-in-a-lifetime find.

(b)            The record is STILL in its perforated plastic baggy, which has - apparently with success - shielded the record from the harmful impact of elements over many years!

(c)             The record is pressed on a beautiful, thick, inflexible vinyl, which was usually used for the first or very early pressings. Usually, the sound on such thick vinyl pressings is full-bodied, vivid, and even dramatic. Do not expect to obtain such a majestic analog sound from a digital recording!

(d)            Of course, this is a full-bodied ANALOG recording, and not an inferior, digital recording!!!

(e)             Stock (commercially released) mono copies of this album are NOT known to exist.

·       COVER

THE COVER IS NEAR MINT !

The following flaws or imperfections are noted on the cover:

-         Cover shows some light yellowing, apparently from aging (nothing significant)

-         Cover has some JUST A HINT of ring wear (nothing significant)

NO OTHER IMPERFECTIONS ON THE COVER:

-         No split seams

-         No cut-out (drill) holes.

-         No cut-out corners

-         No saw-marks or indents

-         No wrinkles or creases

-         No writing

-         No stamps

-         No tearing: no chips, dents or nicks on the seams

-         No peel-off marks

-         No stains

-         No mold or mildew spots

-         No stickers or labels

-         No water damage

-         No razor marks, scratches, pressure marks, lines, streaks, or cuts.

-         No warping

-         No wax, glue, paint or liquid drops on the cover

-         No bar codes

-         No RIAA stamps or stickers.

♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫

POSTAGE & SHIPPING:

Generally, US postage is $4.80 per item shipped via priority mail. International postage- and insurance rates vary from country to country. For SPECIFIC international and domestic postage and insurance rates ►click here. While you can be rest assured that our packaging is careful, sturdy and impact-proof, please note we are NOT responsible for uninsured items. Please do NOT send $1.00 for international insurance, as this rate applies to domestic (USA) shipments ONLY. As of August 2004, we will charge additional $1.00 per order (not per item) for shipping and handling, in order to offset increasing costs of labor and packaging material.

Media- and Surface Mail rates are available ONLY to orders of $200.00 or more. NO EXCEPTIONS.

WANT A DISCOUNT ?!?

IT’S EASY: CLICK ►HERE TO FIND OUT HOW.

FOR OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION, CLICK ON THE LINKS BELOW:

►VOLUME DISCOUNTS AND DISCOUNT RATES ►OUR GRADING POLICY ►ITEMS WE DO NOT GRADE ►HOW TO RESOLVE A DISPUTE ►ACKNOWLEDGING A WINNING BID ►OUR FEEDBACK POLICY ►ACCEPTABLE PAYMENT METHODS ►OUR REFUND POLICY ►POSTAGE AND INSURANCE RATES ►OUR MAILING LIST ►PAYMENT DEADLINES

♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫

OUR REFUND POLICY :

Cash refund will be granted only for ►DEFECTIVE items, but we are flexible and reasonable in reviewing the merits of each individual case. We do not play-grade records and can only make reasonable inference on the item's condition based on its visual appearance. Every bid carries a risk that purchased item might play worse than its visual grade may indicate. Still sealed items MUST be returned sealed in order to be eligible for a refund. Please read our complete refund policy before placing a bid. ►Click here for the full text of our policy .

To subscribe to our e-mail list or send us a message please ►Click here

© 2001,2004 MDJ. All rights reserved.

·