LED ZEPPELIN HOUSES OF THE HOLY A2/B2 1st PRESS OBI SUPERB COVER & AUDIO NM-/M-
£
394
$
522
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Description
I will declare a lower amount on the customs form for all countries so as to avoid/decrease high import charges. However, in the case of the EU all purchases are subject to VAT which eBay collect at point of sale. No shipping to Russia currently. Led Zeppelin : Houses Of The Holy A2 / B2 1st Press w / OBI 1973
This genuine first press plays with superb audio and barely any intrusion. Even the 'quieter' tracks 'The Rain Song' and 'No Quarter' play with stunning clarity which is a genuine rarity! This is an album that is often affected by static etc and these are the two tracks most often affected. I have graded the first as Mint- and the second as Near Mint- only due to three minor ticks as detailed below. There are no clicks or pops on either side and the sonic quality is STUNNING throughout. It's never been one of my favourites of theirs but because the sonic quality is enhanced / on a highly level it has certainly helped me appreciate it more. I cannot overstate just how well it plays! The vinyl is also visually stunning and has clearly not been played very much based on the audio and the minimal spindle wear.
The gatefold cover is one of the finest examples I have ever seen and as stated it comes complete with the original Obi which has only a little wear. It is still in one piece which makes a change! The lyric inner is in superb condition also and every aspect of this first pressing has been so well preserved over the last 50 years. This first pressing was of course mastered by the famous Robert Ludwig which is another reason why this record is so collectable. Sadly he has just announced his retirement and is closing his Gateway studio but fortunately two of the guys that worked there for are opening up a new Waygate studio!
K50014 A2 STERLING RL // K50014 B2 STERLING RL
The audio on S1 is Mint(-)
The audio on S2 is Mint(-) (T3 & T4 Near Mint- )
The gatefold is Ex+
The Obi is Ex-
The lyric inner is Ex+
The labels are Near Mint
Visual description
The vinyl is in superb condition and still has a lovely glossy sheen with no marks or scratches. All I can see under a bright light are a few very faint hairlines - there is one of the first track that is a little more obvious but it is still quite faint and can only be easily seen when you hold the vinyl at a certain angle. It is superficial and does not affect the audio. There is no groove wear and no fading / clouding to the surface and the run out grooves are very clean with no marking / writing and only very minimal spindle wear.
Play Grading
The run in on S1 has no static etc so you already know you're onto a winner, hopefully! The entire intro on 'The Song Remains The Same' is so strong and deep with no zero interference, 'as new' describes it perfectly. Plant's opening vocal is of the same standard and the following instrumental has no intrusion either. So far the sonic quality is superb! The next vocal section is faultless and the remainder is equal to that. From start to finish this is one superb version and Mint is the only grade I can give.
The quiet acoustic intro on 'The Rain Song' plays with wonderful clarity with only a handful of barely audible dust ticks that hardly deserve a mention. The first vocal is so close to perfect - there is no background static just one very quiet tick near the start. It continues to play with stunning clarity and the first mellotron section has no intrusion at all. This entire instrumental passage is so clean and 'fresh' and as the volume decreases there is no let up in quality. The next vocal once again demonstrates how well this vinyl has been preserved - you cannot fault the clarity - and the 'louder' vocal plays with stunning quality also, no distortion here. I noticed things here that I have never heard before that's a measure of the clarity on offer here. One example, the piano coming through so clearly. The final vocal / quiet instrumental has no interference just a handful of mega quiet dust ticks near the end but again so much in the background as to be negligible. This is one of the finest renditions of this classic that I have ever heard - it is a track that so often plays with a fair amount of static / crackle but that is not the case here and Mint- is very much deserved.
'Over The Hills And Far Away' is just STUNNING! From the acoustic intro through every vocal and instrumental section the playback is incredible! The opening section is flawless and as Bonham joins in the audio is so strong and deep - Jones' bass adding so much to the overall sound... as per usual. It continues in the same precise way and even the super quiet end section plays with stunning clarity, a genuine rarity! Just a hint of light static for half a second only! I will say Mint- but really I'm sure I would be forgiven if I didn't include the minus!
The spoken intro on 'The Crunge' has no background and as the music kicks in the audio is just as clean. The opening vocal keeps up this fine standard and thereafter plays with no interference. Plant's vocal often has a 'tinny' sound quality on this track but that is not the case here and is another indication of a vinyl rarely played. It plays with impeccable quality from start to finish and I will grade as Mint- just to err on the side of caution.
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'Dancing Days' plays with genuine precision from the word go and this standard is kept up throughout. Again what you notice is the depth and resonance of the audio, it has lost none of its original sonic quality. Great separation i.e. you can hear each note so clearly and there is no 'muddiness' to the sound either. With not one dust tick let alone anything else this is Mint from start to finish.
The intro on 'D'yer Mak'er' has no background and it continues in the same precise way. No negatives just pure Mint audio through every vocal, instrumental and 'reggae' section :-)
'No Quarter' is often affected by static more than The Rain Song on S1 and yet the long quiet intro here plays with stunning clarity. A few very light statics but they are so much in the background and so so quiet! As Bonham comes in the playback is 'as new' and the quiet passage before the first vocal has no intrusion as such, only a handful of mega quiet statics again. The vocal section then plays so clearly, I have never heard such clarity! The next classic 'riff' is flawless and then the following very quiet piano section just has three ticks at the start that are a little more obvious but in no way are they clicks! The rest of the instrumental plays with stunning precision and the second vocal is so clean, I cannot believe how clean! There is literally no background and the rest of this classic impresses on so many levels. It is the finest version I have heard in many a year and has very little of the static so often associated with it. The clarity of sound is just stunning and Plant's vocal on the fade out is a prime example of that. The majority is Mint but overall I will grade as Near Mint- I think that is fair.
The spoken intro on 'The Ocean' has no background not even a dust tick and as Page comes in the audio is just as strong. The opening vocal has no interference and only a minimal amount of inner groove distortion no doubt due to it being the final track on the album. It proceeds in the same way with no ticks, clicks, pops or static. The instrumental sections are superb and the quiet mid vocal has just 3/4 light ticks. The final verse is very clean with barely any distortion and the remainder plays with great quality also. Just a modicum of inner groove distortion that you kind of expect anyway with this track. In a way I shouldn't downgrade it but I will say Near Mint- but it certainly is a very strong version.
In summary this genuine first press plays to a fantastic standard with barely any intrusion. S1 is indeed outstanding and S2 is not far behind. It has quite possibly the finest 'No Quarter' I have ever listened to with no clicks or pops and only 3/4 light static ticks. The clarity, depth, power and warmth of the audio across both sides is so impressive and I cannot stress enough just how strong and clear the audio is - there cannot be many A2/B2 pressings around today as good as this one! In conjunction with a very clean cover and Obi this will add to any high end collection.
The Gatefold, Obi & Lyric Inner
The gatefold is in lovely condition with barely any wear. The edges are so close to perfect with only a couple of tiny rubs and the wide spine still has its original shape and remains very strong with just one barely visible indent in the centre. All the corners are very clean with hardly any rubbing / wear and the opening edge looks hardly touched. The front cover is in great order with a very faint mark bottom right and some light fading next to the spine and a little along the edge top left. The back cover is incredibly clean with just a little more fading running down the spine and the inside of the gatefold is immaculate with no marking and no damage to the inner spine. A stunning example overall.
The original UK edition Obi is in excellent condition with only a couple of minor edge tears on the front, one small corner split and a small faint mark on the back by the 'join' / glue area as is common. A little creasing on one edge also.
The lyric inner is superb! It is often found in poor condition with a fair amount of spotting / marking but this one has only a small number of very faint spots and barely any age related fading around the edges. There are no side splits or tears and no creasing either.
K50014 A2 STERLING RL // K50014 B2 STERLING RL
Play tested on my Rega P2 with Rega Carbon Cart / Denon PMA-520AE Amp / B&W 684 Speakers
This record has been professionally cleaned on a Pro-Ject VC-S machine
I grade according to "Record Collector" guidelines.
Any questions please feel free to ask
Please pay within 4 days of auction end
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Postage & Packaging
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