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 generally collect at point of sale.  No shipping to Russia currently.

Led Zeppelin : Led Zeppelin II A2 / B2 1st Press Wreck / Lemon Song credits 1969

This genuine first press plays to very high standard with only minimal background.  The clarity is very impressive overall and there are no loud clicks or pops getting in the way.  Some light ticks here and there and a little static but as you can see from my audio grading below there is a lot to like here!  The power and depth of the audio is also very impressive.  Yes the vinyl has a number of hairlines and this is definitely a case of the audio grading higher than the visual quality of the vinyl but I know which I'd prefer!  It is by no means in poor condition and like I say the audio is superb for the vast majority.  I haven't heard many Wreck first pressings better than this one.

The light brown cover is another stand out feature.  It has no obvious wear really and only minimal fading.  The original inner sleeve is very clean also with only some creasing.

This first pressing has the A2/B2 matrix, the Wreck credit on S2 and of course The Lemon Song credit on S1.  The publishing credit is Copyright Control on both labels and the cover is always light brown in colour.

588 198  A ∇  2  1 5 5

588 198  B ∇  2  1 3

The audio on S1 is Ex+ (T1 VG first few seconds of 'psychedelic' section)

The audio S2 is Ex+ (T1 Near Mint / T3 Mint- / T4 VG+)

The gatefold is Ex-

The original inner is Ex

The labels are Ex+

Visual description

The vinyl is in very good condition and still has a glossy sheen with no actual scratches.  Under a bright light you can see a number of faint hairlines but in a sense this just shows how robust these early pressings were.  They are superficial as they have very little affect on the audio - a case of the audio certainly grading higher than the visual look.  Best to have it that way round I guess!  The iconic red / plum Atlantic labels still have their original deep colour and whilst there is a fair amount of spindle wear there is no other marking.

Play grading

The classic intro on 'Whole Lotta Love' is deep and strong with only a couple of minor statics and the opening vocal is very similar.  The first chorus has no intrusion and it continues in much the same way.  The first percussive part of the 'psychedelic' section has a few light ticks and it then plays with stunning clarity.  For an A2/B2 first pressing this section is phenomenal!  As Bonham / Page introduce the next section the sonic quality is just as strong as is Plant's following vocal.  The quiet Way down inside vocal is very clean with only 3/4 very minor ticks and the remainder is more or less perfect with only minimal static on the fade out.  This classic is Ex+ for the vast majority with only that brief section grading as VG

The quiet opening vocal on 'What Is And What Should Never Be' has no background and the louder section follows then plays with tremendous power and depth.  From then on it plays so clearly and there is no distortion on the top end.  The quieter verses play with sublime clarity and there is no intrusion on the more powerful sections.  There are no clicks or pops and I only noticed a couple of minor statics.  A little static on the fade out so I will grade as Ex+ overall but the main part of the track is definitely Near Mint.

'The Lemon Song' has only minimal static distortion on the intro, a common feature, but certainly less than usual.  The opening vocal then plays so clearly with only a couple of minor ticks and the high octane passage is stunning.  The power and depth of the audio is off the scale and the quieter vocal section with Jones' very much in evidence plays with great clarity, there is hardly any static.  Rarely have I heard it play as clearly as this on such an early pressing.  The powerful closing section is faultless and again Ex+ is a fair assessment of the audio.

The intro on 'Thank You' plays so clearly - a genuine rarity as it often has a fair amount of static distortion.  Not here!  The first vocal has only the lightest of static for 3/4 seconds and chorus then plays with great clarity.  The mid instrumental is the same as is the following vocal.  The very quiet If the sun refused to shine does have one static click type sound at the start but it is not loud and the overall playback is superb.  One other dull tick but there is certainly much less static than usual and the fade out / in / out is a fine example of that.  A couple of statics but nothing intrusive and this 'ending' is easily one of the cleanest I have heard on a Wreck pressing, on any pressing!  Again I believe Ex+ is deserved here.

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The classic riff intro on 'Heartbreaker' plays perfectly and Plant's opening vocal is equal to that.  It continues to play with incredible power and clarity and that is particularly obvious during the high powered section just prior to the mid instrumental.  Phenomenal audio with no distortion at all.  Page's stand alone section then plays so clearly with only 2/3 barely audible statics and the next section can only be described 'as new'.  Both Bonham and Jones going ballistic here!  The final vocal is faultless and this is Near Mint at the very least.

'Livin' Lovin' Wreck' then plays to the same high end standard with no interference.  Once again the sonic quality has not been affected by 'play' or the intervening 55 years!  Every note is so clean and precise and Mint- is fully deserved.

The acoustic intro on 'Ramble On' has no background and the first vocal and chorus are just as impressive.  It continues to play with exceptional quality - there is a little static just after the mid instrumental but this is very much in the background and totally non-intrusive.  The only intrusion really is some crackle on the long fade out so overall I would say Ex+ is fair.

The intro on 'Moby Dick' has no interference and then Bonham's solo plays very clearly but with a little static and some ticks here and there.  As the pace quickens the playback is superb and the next section has hardly any background.  Page's final section is superb and I will grade this as VG+ overall.

The opening section on 'Bring It On Home' for once plays with great clarity and there is barely any static, a rarity!  The first vocal is just as clean and the next section then plays with real power and depth and... no interference.  As it progresses there is perhaps just a minimal touch of inner groove distortion but nothing intrusive and the quiet end section plays beautifully with no interference, again a rare thing.  Easily an Ex+ finish to this classic album.

The Gatefold & Inner Sleeve

The light brown gatefold is in excellent order and sooo much cleaner than so many!  The top edges are superb and the bottom edges have only minimal rubbing.  The spine is incredibly clean also - it is slightly angled but is still wide and remains 100% legible with only light wear on the corners.  The right hand corners have very little wear also and the opening edge is super clean with barely any handling wear.  The front cover has no marking as such and only a minimal amount of fading mainly next to the spine.  The back cover is is often found discoloured but this one has only minimal fading / ringwear.  The inside of the gatefold is superb with no marking / wear of any kind.  This is a fine example of this iconic cover, it would be difficult to find better.  It's worth noting it does not have any of the green 'tinge' on the edges.  Contrary to popular belief this is not found on all the first pressings!

The original poly-lined Plastic Bags inner is in great condition with no side splits and just some creasing which is mainly on the corners.  It is unmarked and has no age related fading for once.

Play tested on my Rega P2 with AT-VM95EN Cart / Denon PMA-520AE Amp / B&W 684 Speakers

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

588 198  A ∇  2  1 5 5

588 198  B ∇  2  1 3

I grade according to "Record Collector" guidelines.

Any questions please feel free to ask

Please pay within 4 days of auction end

Recent Feedback

Postage & Packaging

I will only send items items worldwide via tracked shipping.  This provides 'peace of mind' in case of loss or damage.  The shipping costs are shown below and combined shipping is always offered.  Any over-payment will always be refunded.

The Royal Mail only insure up to a value of £250 so if an item sells for more it may be wise to use a courier service (e.g. Parcelforce or DPD).  An extra insurance premium will be required but I will not know the exact amount until the final sale price is known.  Because of this I will sometimes have to estimate the cost and this will be shown in the listing.  Please wait for the invoice before making payment and if you have any questions please feel free to ask.  Many thanks.

All vinyls are packaged in strong over-sized custom made mailers with plenty of extra cardboard protection.  They are placed inside separate poly-lined inners outside the cover so as to avoid seam splits in transit and then placed inside a PVC sleeve to provide even more protection.  I pride myself on my high quality packaging as my feed confirms and if any customer has any specific requirements I am more than happy to help.

The mailers I use cost £1.00 each and I will use anything between 3-5 cardboard stiffeners which cost approx £0.18 each.  There is also the cost of the poly-lined inner and PVC sleeve to consider, it all adds up!  Not forgetting that eBay take 10% of the shipping fee also!!

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