LED ZEPPELIN I A1/B1 2nd PRESS RED/PLUM 1969 CLEAN COVER SUPERB AUDIO OVERALL
£
118
$
156
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Description
4I 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 I A1/B1 Red/Plum Label
This second pressing on the very collectable red/plum label plays to a wonderful standard with only minimal intrusion as detailed below, no loud clicks or pops though! The vast majority plays with stunning quality and the clarity, depth and power of the audio is outstanding. This is clearly an album that has not been played very much, there is only minimal spindle wear, and that is reflected in the sonic quality on offer here.
The cover with the silver band/stripe along the bottom has only minimal wear and the same applies to the original inner sleeve which remains very clean.
As this is a second pressing it has the 'Warner Bros/7 Arts...' publishing credit on one line and the label and cover incorrectly lists the playing time of 'How Many More Times' as 3:30. It has the corrected matrix number on the run out grooves where the stamped 8 is replaced with an etched 8. S2 on this copy has just '1' on the run out - a very early press!
588171 (2nd 8 corrected) A // 1 1 2 1 2
588171 ( 2nd 8 corrected) B // 1 1
The audio on S1 is Mint(-) (T2 final section VG+ / T3 intro VG+)
The audio on S2 is Mint(-) (T1 intro Near Mint)
The cover is Ex
The original 'plastic bags...' inner is Ex
The labels are Near Mint
Visual description
The vinyl is in lovely condition and still has a very impressive glossy sheen with scratches. There is no dulling of the surface and no 'bag rash' either. Under a strong light I can see some faint hairlines and on S1 there is a very small area of hairline/marking (still faint) that has some affect on the audio as detailed below. The run out grooves are very clean and you can easily read the matrix info. The red/plum labels have no marking/writing and have retained their original colour perfectly. S1 has only minimal spindle wear and S2 even less.
Play Grading
From the very first note 'Good Times Bad Times' plays with superb audio. The intro has a sublime clarity of sound with just one very quiet static tick and Plant's opening vocal is so 'clean' with no 'background' at all. It continues to impress and despite the intervening years there is no loss ion sonic quality. Page's work is of course legendary but Jones' bass adds so much to the overall sound here. The audio plays with such depth and definition and the clarity is stunning, the fade out has no 'background' either. A dynamic Mint- start to this classic album.
The acoustic intro on 'Babe I'm Gonna Leave You' plays perfectly and this carries on into the first vocal, a couple of barely audible dust ticks at most. The first 'up tempo' section is flawless and the following vocal can be described 'as new' without a doubt. You can easily hear the background 'baby cry' around the 1.40 minute mark! It continues to play with a clarity and power that belies the age of the album and already you know this is a record that has been so well preserved down the years. The powerful mid instrumental is absolutely STUNNING I have never heard it play with such distinction and only the quiet end section has some static once per revolution which can be heard as crackle on a handful of occasions. This is the only intrusion across the entire track so the vast majority grades as Mint but is VG+ on that final section.
'You Shook Me' has only minimal static on the intro and a small number of light static ticks/clicks on the opening vocal. This does not last long and really is not that intrusive as this 'background' is by no means loud. From then on it plays with great quality and the mid instrumental is a prime example of that. Every section plays with sublime quality with no interference to speak of and as you would expect Page's solo is stunning with no distortion on the top end. There is just one mega light tick on Plant's next vocal and his 'high octane' vocal at the end is amazing it could not 'play' any better. Let's say VG+ on the intro but the rest is Mint- for sure.
The iconic bass intro on 'Dazed And Confused' plays as it would have done on its first play back in '69 and the opening vocal is just as 'clean'. The first instrumental piece is 'as new' and it continues in the same precise way with breathtaking quality. There are no negatives here - ok a couple of minor ticks at the start of the quiet mid instrumental but so quiet you hardly notice them! The clarity here is sensational! You can hear each note so clearly and that also applies to the 'loud' frenetic section that follows this quieter passage. It is unbelievably strong and powerful and again that original sonic quality is there 100%! This is just one reason why the red//plum pressings are so collectable today - you do not get this depth and resonance of sound on any of the later pressings. I cannot emphasise enough just how STUNNING the audio is and the final vocal/instrumental is of the same standard also. What a version and it has to grade as Mint- at the very least!
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The classic intro on 'Your Time Is Gonna Come' always plays with some 'background' and it is just a matter of much. I am delighted to say this is one of the 'cleanest' I have ever heard! I turned the volume up loud and all I heard were a small number of very quiet static ticks, more like dust ticks really, the clarity is so impressive. A Near Mint start. As Bonham comes in the audio is faultless and thereafter plays with exceptional quality. Each note is so sharp and precise and there is no intrusion on the audio whatsoever. So a Near Mint intro and then Mint for the remainder.
'Black Mountain Side' then plays with perfect clarity i.e. not one dust tick let alone anything more. This is Mint from start to finish.
'Communication Breakdown' more than keeps up this 'high end' standard and plays with a power and precision that you rarely find on these early pressings. So often affected by being overplayed (this one isn't!) it often has a 'tinny' distorted sound but that is not the case here. There is no distortion and the power and definition of the audio is very strong indeed. Plant's vocals are so 'clean' and Page's solo near the end is another example of a vinyl that has only been lightly played. A sublime Mint version.
The vocal only intro on 'I Can't Quit You Baby' has no 'background' and it continues to play with outstanding clarity through every section. Again the clarity and depth of the audio is phenomenal. Page's first extended solo is 'as new' and Jones and Bonham as per usual add so much to the sonic 'landscapes'. The quieter moments play so clearly and nowhere is that more obvious than during the 'moaning and groaning...' verse towards the end. There is clarity and then there is clarity like this! You don't find many Mint eversions of this classic but we have one here...
Another classic bass intro on 'How Many More Times' and another intro that plays to perfection. Page's first classic riff soon followed by Plant first vocal play with no interference and it continues to play with superb audio for the remainder. For a powerful final track the overall sound quality is stunning. You might expect some inner groove distortion but there is barely any here and perhaps none if I'm honest. If there is any it is infinitesimal! It plays with great accuracy and...no interference. The 'I was a young man...' quiet section is nigh on perfect with only 4/5 barely audible dust ticks and as it build the playback is awesome! Not my favourite word but hey it explains it well! The 'Oh Rosie' section is 'as new' and the closing section then plays with imperious quality. This is a track that you can easily turn up to max without having to turn it down immediately, the sonics are fantastic! Plant's soaring vocal and Page's stunning work accompanied by the rhythm section of Bonham and Jones has never sounded better. Easily one of the best versions I have ever heard it is deserving of a Mint- grade - what a finish!
In summary this second red/plum pressing plays to a superb standard with very little interference - the end of one track and the beginning of another and even then it is kept to a minimum. Therer are no loud clicks or pops during this section and as for the rest of the album - in essence it plays 'as new' with a clarity, depth and power that is second to none. Even the 'Your Time Is Gonna Come' intro plays with sensational clarity and that is a rarity. As stated the vinyl has not been overplayed and that is reflected in the audio. A stunning album.
The Cover & Inner Sleeve
The laminated MacNeill cover is in excellent condition with minimal shelf wear. The edges and thin pinched spine are super clean with no marking and there is barely any corner wear which is rare. The opening edge is also in great shape with very little handling wear. The front cover has retained its original look extremely well with just one scratch line and 3/4 dotted indents on the Zeppelin being the only real flaw. There is minimal laminate lift either side of the spine but less than you usually see and a small area of lift just above the grey band/stripe bottom left. There are also 3/4 small laminate creases on the Zeppelin but they do not stand out - a lot less creasing overall! The back cover is in superb condition with no marking other than the common faint marking around the edges. A fine example overall.
The original poly-lined 'Plastic Bags...' inner sleeve is in great condition with just one very small side split on the right side (3cms), minimal creasing and very little age related fading around the edges.
588171 (2nd 8 corrected) A // 1 1 2 1 2
588171 ( 2nd 8 corrected) B // 1 1
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
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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ALL VINYLS ARE PACKAGED IN STRONG CUSTOM MADE OVER-SIZED MAILERS WITH EXTRA CARDBOARD PROTECTION. THEY ARE PUT IN SEPARATE POLY-LINED INNERS OUTSIDE OF THE COVER SO AS TO AVOID SEAM SPLITS. THEY ARE ALSO PLACED INSIDE A PVC SLEEVE TO PROVIDE EXTRA PROTECTION. I PRIDE MYSELF ON MY HIGH QUALITY PACKAGING AS MY FEEDBACK TESTIFIES AND IF ANY CUSTOMER HAS ANY SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS I WILL ALWAYS ENDEAVOUR TO HELP.
I ONLY USE HIGH QUALITY MAILERS AND THESE COST ME £1.00 EACH. I WILL OFTEN USE 3 OR 4 CARDBOARD STIFFENERS AND THESE COST AT LEAST £0.15 EACH AND THEN THERE IS THE COST OF THE POLY-LINED INNER AND PVC SLEEVE TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT. IT ALL ADDS UP! NOT FORGETTING EBAY TAKING 10% OF THE SHIPPING FEE ALSO!!
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