LED ZEPPELIN HOUSES OF THE HOLY A2/B2 1st PRESS w/OBI SUPERB AUDIO EX+/MINT-
£
255
$
338
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Description
Led Zeppelin Houses Of The Holy A2/B2 1st Press w/OBI
This genuine first press comes complete with the rare Obi which for once is in excellent condition with only a little wear.
The vinyl plays to a very high standard overall with only very minimal 'background' on a couple of tracks and there are no clicks or pops. The clarity and depth of the audio is equal to that of a hardly played record and indeed there is barely any spindle wear on the labels lending further weight to that theory.
The A2/B2 first pressings were mastered by Robert Ludwig and his cuts are very much favoured in the audiophile community. They seem to have a greater depth and warmth so when you find a vinyl as 'clean' as this that shines through even more. The vinyl visually is in lovely condition for sure.
The cover is also in great condition and is super clean with no real marking. I would grade it as Near Mint- but because there is a small name label on the inside I will call it Ex although Ex+ might be a closer to the mark. The lyric inner is in fantastic condition, 'as new' you could say.
With international shipping (including Europe now) I will declare a lower amount so as to decrease/avoid any Customs' fees.
K 50014 // A2 / B2 // STERLING RL on both run outs
The audio on S1 is Near Mint (Mint- for the majority / T2 ranges between Ex+ and Near Mint)
The audio on S2 is Mint(-) (T3 Near Mint)
The gatefold is Ex
The obi is Ex
The original inner is Mint-
The labels are Near Mint
Visual grading
The vinyl is in superb condition and still has a lovely jet-black glossy sheen. There are no scratches and only one minor 'blemish' and one small mottled/fade area on S2 which has no affect on the audio. There are only a couple of faint hairlines on each side and it would be difficult to find a better first pressing. The run out grooves are super clean and the labels are also in great shape with no marking and barely any spindle wear. One beautiful record!
Play grading
The entire opening instrumental on 'The Song Remains The Same' has no 'background' of any kind and plays with that familiar depth and authority that you only get on a Robert Ludwig cut. The first verse is equally as good and from then on plays with sensational clarity and power. The playback is so 'clean' and I only detected a couple of light ticks during the instrumental section towards the end. Regardless of that this is a superb start to the album and Near Mint is very much deserved.
The acoustic intro on 'The Rain Song' is close to perfect with only a small number of very light dust ticks and it continues to play with impressive clarity. There are no clicks or pops although during the mid instrumental there is the odd dust tick and some minor static in a couple of places plus one static tick. This is very much in the background and can hardly be called intrusive. As the volume build the audio is stunning and the remainder also plays to a very high standard. Overall I would say this ranges between Ex+ and Near Mint but more of the latter!
The intro on 'Over The Hills And Far Away' again plays with exceptional clarity and there are only a handful of barely audible static ticks during the first verse. From that point on the playback is so strong and it cannot be faulted in any way, it is stunning! The sonic quality is 'as new' and the very quiet end section has only a small number of insignificant dust ticks. This is easily Near Mint although as per the opening track the vast majority plays to a Mint standard.
'The Crunge' is superb from the very first groove and it continues in the same manner with no interference at all. Not their finest hour in my opinion but it does have an interesting quirky sort of charm I guess! Anyway...there is no inner groove distortion and the playback is sublime from start to finish and provides a Mint- end to the side.
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S2 begins with a stunning rendition of 'Dancing Days' that plays with wonderful clarity and depth from the first note to the last. It sounds like it has never been on a turntable before! The audio definition is up there with the best I have ever heard on a first pressing and Mint is an easy grade to give.
'D'yer Mak'er' is of the same 'high end' standard with a clarity, depth and power that can only be described 'as new'. Mint
The very quiet opening section on 'No Quarter' plays with STUNNING clarity and all I heard were a couple of mega light dust ticks. What a start to this classic! It continues in the same precise way with just a handful of barely audible dust ticks prior to the first vocal but why I mention this I do not know as they are so darn quiet! There is some very light static in the quiet mid section but it does not last long and the majority still plays with wonderful clarity - no clicks or pops at all. The second 'verse' again impresses with barely any 'background', just a couple of light ticks, and the remainder plays to a fantastic standard. The 'louder' sections throughout play with stunning power and depth so overall I would say Near Mint is fair.
The 'spoken' intro on 'The Ocean' is perfect and Page's introduction and Plant's first vocal are of the same immaculate standard. It continues to play with great quality and the quiet 'la la' section provides another example of the clarity on offer here, just a couple of dust ticks. The final verse is without fault and for once there is no discernible inner groove distortion on the end section. A stunning Mint- version to end the album.
In summary this first pressing plays to a superb standard with no obvious interference. Admittedly there is a little light static on 'Rain Song' and a small number of light ticks on 'No Quarter' but is only minor and does not intrude on the quality of the listen. I am very thorough in my gradings as my regulars know and will mention any 'imperfection' even if totally non-intrusive. This is without doubt one of the 'cleanest' HOTH that I have heard and the fact that it still has the all important Obi makes it a very collectable album indeed.
The Gatefold, Lyric Inner and Obi
The gatefold is in excellent condition with only very minimal shelf wear. The most irritating aspect in fact is that there is one of those plastic name labels on the inside. It could be removed (I'm told lighter fluid can help) but it would probably leave a mark. Aside from that the cover has retained its shape so well like it has hardly been handled and the edges are near perfect with only a couple of tiny rubs. The wide spine is in superb condition and there is barely any corner wear which is a genuine rarity. The opening edge is also near perfect with only minor feathering near the top. The front cover is unmarked apart from one very small area of ringwear near the top and the back cover is just the same, both sides really are incredibly clean. The inside of the gatefold is near perfect and has retained its vivid colouring so well. Just that darn name tag! Overall though this a fine example of this cover.
The lyric inner is so often found in poor condition but this is not one of them! It is in fantastic condition and with no side splits or marking and looks practically 'as new'. The original Obi is the all important UK one and is very clean with no marking and only a little creasing. The 'back' does have a couple of small tears but this in my opinion this is one of the best you will find today.
Play tested on my Pro-Ject Essential III Turntable // B & W 684 Speakers
This record has been professionally cleaned on a Pro-Ject VC-S machine
K 50014 // A2 / B2 // STERLING RL on both run outs
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
I NOW ONLY SEND ITEMS WORLDWIDE VIA TRACKED SHIPPING. THIS PROVIDES 'PEACE OF MIND' IN CASE OF LOSS OR DAMAGE. ALL COSTS ARE SHOWN BELOW AND COMBINED POSTAGE IS ALWAYS OFFERED. ANY OVER-PAYMENT WILL ALWAYS BE REFUNDED BACK TO THE BUYER.
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