Led Zeppelin II A1 / B1 (2nd red/plum pressing)

This mega early pressing plays with stunning quality overall with only minimal interference, mainly on S1.  You would have to travel far and wide to find a visually more impressive red/plum press, it is beautifully clean!  There is also no spindle wear so I suspect it has only been played a small number of times and that is confirmed by the distinctive clarity on offer here.

This is the first pressing after the 'Turquoise' edition so is generally regarded as the second red/plum pressing and has the Warner Bros/Jewel Music publishing credit on the labels.

Identical to the Turquoise lettered cover it is fully laminated with orange lettering and has the silver band on the bottom edge.  It has the 'Printed and Made by MacNeill Press Ltd, London SE1' and 'Uptight an' Outasight' info on the back of the cover.  It is in superb condition also and rarely have I seen one as good as this.

588171 (2nd 8 crossed, replaced with etched 8) A // 1  1  2 8

588171 (2nd 8 crossed, replaced with etched 8) B // 1  1  3

The audio on S1 is Ex+ (Near Mint / Mint- for the majority / track 2 & 3 G+ for 3 seconds each)

The audio on S2 is Near Mint (Mint- in many sections / track 1 intro VG / track 4 Ex+ to Near Mint)

The laminated cover is Ex+

Visual grading

Rarely have I seen such an early pressing as visually stunning as this.  It has a beautiful glossy sheen and as stated has no spindle wear at all.  There are only a couple of faint hairlines on each side and there are no scratches.  There are a couple of tiny 'specks' on S1 that cause a little interference as described below but in all honesty this has to be the 'cleanest' LZ1 vinyl I have seen in a long time.  It really is in lovely condition for 50 years old!  The labels are incredibly clean also as are the run out grooves.

Play grading  

The opening chord sequence on 'Good Times Bad Times' plays with superb clarity and power, the playback is stunning and there is barely any static.  It continues to play to the same incredible standard and you would not think you were listening to a 50 year old record!  There is one faint 'tick' prior to the  the first 'chorus' but it is obvious this record has hardly ever been played, if at all!  The definition of the audio is so strong, each note plays so clearly and there is no distortion on Page's guitar at all.  What a version!  There is one light click on the fade out but this really is the only obvious interference and despite that I think a Near Mint- grading is fair.

The quiet acoustic intro on 'Babe I'm Gonna Leave You' has to be heard to be believed!  It is so 'clean' and has no interference, just a couple of inconsequential dust ticks.  I cannot stress how good it sounds!  Annoyingly there are three clicks after 50 seconds due to a tiny 'speck' on the vinyl and whilst I have tried to remove it it refuses to budge.  Thereafter it plays with wonderful depth and barely any 'background'.  The louder sections play with unrivalled power and the quieter sections have a clarity that is second to none.  I did hear a couple of faint ticks but there is nothing that intrudes on the quality of the audio.  The loud acoustic 'mid' section is stunning, 'as new' in fact and again there is no distortion on the top end.  There is a little static/crackle for a few seconds on the quiet end section but apart from three seconds of interference near the beginning this is a hugely impressive version.  That darn speck!

'You Shook Me' is fantastic from the very first groove.  With no obvious 'background' the intro plays so clearly and it continues in much the same way.  There are three clicks just before the organ section but that is the only interference.  The remainder of this long instrumental section is stunning and plays without fault.  The bass is so strong and the harmonica section followed by Page's solo is just breathtaking!  No distortion once more.  There are a couple of light clicks on the final 'vocal' and one crackle sound but nonetheless still plays very well indeed.

The bass intro on 'Dazed and Confused' is perfect!  It has no 'background' and this clarity of sound continues as the vocal comes in.  You cannot fail but be impressed by the quality of the audio here.  It plays loud and true where it needs to and yet the quieter sections plays with delicate precision and no interference.  The more you listen to this classic the more you are impressed by it and the quiet instrumental section plays beautifully with no intrusion whatsoever.  The crescendo section then plays with a power and definition that is so rarely heard on these early red/plum pressings and I cannot emphasise enough just how good the power and clarity is here, wow!  You can turn it up to loud without fear of distortion - this is quite simply one of the strongest versions of this classic that I have ever heard.  There is no interference and from start to finish it grades as Mint- it is that good.  What a version!

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There is always some 'background' on the 'Your Time is Gonna Come' organ intro but here there is no static distortion and this is such a rarity.  There is however the odd click sound and a little crackle but for actual clarity of sound I have rarely heard better.  Don't expect perfection though as there are some clicks as stated.  Once the drums and then vocals begin the audio is exceptional and there is no interference.  The remainder plays with great quality and I heard only one click.  It plays with wonderful definition i.e. there is no 'muddiness' to the sound at all, the clarity is superb.  The intro grades as VG but the rest easily grades as Near Mint the depth and precision of the audio is 'high end'.

The segue into 'Black Mountain Side' is 100% perfect and this applies to the entire track.  The clarity is astounding and there is no interference whatsoever.  We can dispense with the minus here, this is Mint audio at its very best.

'Communication Breakdown' has a couple of mega faint ticks on the intro and then 'rocks out' in sublime style with tremendous power and depth.  What is impressive is that there is no distortion, not even on the top end of Page's solo.  A super strong version for certain.  This is Near Mint although the vast majority is better than that!

The quiet intro on 'I Can't Quit You Baby' is stunning and has only one dull click.  Again it's the clarity that is so impressive here.  There is excellent clarity and then there is the clarity that we have on offer here!  This is another prime example of a vinyl hardly played.  Each note again plays with superb definition - there is just so much 'sound' if you get what I mean.  The long bluesy guitar section is immaculate and rarely have I heard it play with such extraordinary depth.  There is a crackle sound and one click in the middle section but aside from that it is near perfect.  As Plant comes back in there are 3/4 non-intrusive soft ticks and the remainder is faultless.  This is a wonderful version of this timeless classic, yes there are a couple of intrusions but the majority plays with immaculate mega 'clear' audio.  This deserves an Ex+ grading overall but the majority does play as Near Mint with many (and I do mean many!) sections playing above that!  

'How Many More Times' plays with stunning precision from the word go.  Rarely have I heard this bass intro play as well as this.  As Page and then Plant come in there is no decrease in quality.  The depth of the audio is so strong and the first guitar solo is so powerful with barely any distortion.  The quiet mid section so often has some 'background' but there is none here whatsoever, the playback is 100% stunning, wow!  I am running out of suitable adjectives in which to describe this!  The 'Rosie...' section also plays with sublime quality and as the volume increases the quality does not diminish.  As the classic riff comes back in the playback is again stunning but with a little inner groove distortion perhaps - nothing intrusive though.  The crescendo end section plays without fault.  A Near Mint version to end this classic album.

In summary this genuine second pressing plays with superb clarity and only minimal interference.  S2 in particular is stunning and whilst there are a small number of clicks on S1 the clarity and depth of the audio is still of a very high standard and it is patently obvious both sides of the record have hardly ever been played.  It has a remarkable visual quality and the iconic cover is also very impressive.

The Cover

This iconic 'MacNeill' cover is in superb condition with only very minor shelf wear.  It is of course fully laminated and has the silver band/strip along the bottom edge.  The edges are near perfect with only one tiny rub mark on the top edge, it is easily missed!  The thin pinched spine is in fantastic order with no wear and remains 100% legible.  There is barely any corner wear, rarely are they seen this clean and the opening edge is also in lovely condition with next to no handling wear.  The front cover is incredibly clean with no markings or laminate splits.  There are just three small creases on the right side and the usual laminate lift next to the spine on both sides and a few small creases.  This is a common feature on this cover but it is kept to a minimum here.  The back cover is similarly in great shape with only a few small laminate creases.

This is one of the finest examples I have seen of this cover in a long time and has been remarkably well preserved over the last 50 years.  It has hardly been handled and this provides further evidence of a vinyl only lightly played, if at all!  This is a very impressive 'silver strip' cover and will add to any collection.

Inner Sleeve

The original poly-lined 'Plastic Bags Can Be Dangerous' sleeve in in excellent condition with no side splits and only one very small tear on the 'window'.  It is very clean and has no age related fading/marking and only minimal creasing.

The Labels

You could not wish to find cleaner more impressive looking labels!  They have lost none of their original colour and have no markings or writing at all.  As stated there is no spindle wear and quite simply they look 'as new'.  Superb examples!

Play tested on a Pro-Ject Essential III Turntable / B&W 684 Speakers

This record has been professionally cleaned on a Pro-Ject VC-S machine

588171 (2nd 8 crossed, replaced with etched 8) A // 1  1  2 8

588171 (2nd 8 crossed, replaced with etched 8) B // 1  1  3

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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