LED ZEPPELIN II A6/B4 Red/Plum EARLY PRESS *Stunning* AUDIO & Very Clean COVER
£
43
$
57
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Description
Led Zeppelin II A6/B4 UK Red/Plum Label
This early red/plum pressing plays to a superb standard for the vast majority and has very little interference. It has hardly been played down the years and the clarity and definition of the audio is stunning!
This is the later red/plum version with the 'Killing Floor' credit on the S1 label but it does the rare 'Baldwin' credit on the S2 label as opposed to 'Jones' which is seen on S1.
The original gatefold is in lovely condition with only minimal shelf wear and is one of the most impressive I have seen. The original inner is in excellent order also with no side splits.
588198 // A ? 6 // 1 1 1 5
588198 // B ? 4 // 1 1 1 5
The audio on S1 is Ex+ (Near Mint in many sections / Track 3 Ex mid section)
The audio on S2 is Near Mint (Mint- in many sections / T1 Ex to Ex+ / T5 intro & end section VG+)
The gatefold is a very strong Ex
The original inner sleeve is Ex
The labels are Near Mint
Visual grading
This is a beautiful vinyl and is up there with the best I have ever seen, it is stunning! It has that immaculate glossy sheen of a new vinyl with only a couple of very faint hairlines and even they are difficult to find! In all honesty it looks 'as new' at first glance and obviously there are no marks or scratches. There is only minimal spindle wear and the run out grooves and labels are also extremely clean with no marking. It would be near impossible to find a cleaner one.
Play grading
The classic 'Whole Lotta Love' begins superbly with audio that is so 'clean' and there is nothing that intrudes on the fantastic quality of the audio. It continues in much the same way and has no clicks or pops at all. There is just one faint tick about one minute in and the psychedelic instrumental is stunning! With only 4,5 super quiet dust ticks the clarity is very impressive and as Plant's vocal comes back in the audio is equally as good. The following 'quieter' section has only a small number of ticks and the remainder is nigh on perfect. The fade out is also super 'clean' giving another indication of the fine clarity on offer here. This is easily Ex+ although the vast majority is better than that!
'What Is And What Should Never Be' again plays with definition that is rarely found on these early red/plum pressings. From start to finish the only intrusion is one light click in the third quiet section. Aside from that the audio plays with sublime clarity and only a small number of dust ticks. There is no 'muddiness' to the sound and each note can be heard perfectly. This is clearly a vinyl that has not been played too much. Another Ex+ track without doubt.
'Killing Floor' is of the same exact quality and plays with great clarity throughout. The odd light dust tick as you expect on a 50 year old record but there are no loud clicks or pops of any kind. Page's first solo is so powerful and has no distortion and it plays nigh on perfectly. The quieter mid section does have a little static and a couple of crackle sounds but remains an excellent listen. This 'background' is quiet and non-intrusive in my opinion. This track really pays homage to Jones' bass work and it is so high in the mix here providing further evidence of a vinyl that has not been overplayed and has been so well preserved down the years. The end section plays superbly with no interference and the fade out is perfect. I would grade this as Ex+ but with an Ex mid section.
The version of 'Thank You' is one of the best I have heard in a long time. The intro plays with stunning clarity and as any collector knows this is rare as it so often has a fair amount of static. The first 'quiet' vocal section also plays beautifully with no interference and it progresses in exactly the same way. This really is a wonderful version! There are only a very small number of dust ticks and the mega quiet 'if the sun refused to shine...' vocal is...so quiet! It has no interference just a small number of very quiet dust ticks and let's be honest these can be found on new vinyl let alone one that is half a century old! The fade out/in/out section is very 'clean' and has only the bare minimum of static. This is a stunning Ex+ version but so much of this classic plays with Near Mint audio without doubt.
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'Heartbreaker' has very little static on the intro and then plays with great depth and power. About 1.5 minutes in there are a couple of light clicks (they are not loud!) and a small number of light ticks but the overall 'sound' is very impressive and obviously there are no skips of jumps. Each note of the 'quieter' Page solo can be heard very clearly and has only a little static. The remainder is just Mint- as there is no interference and no distortion on the top end, the playback is incredible! The 'high octane' rhythm section with Page going 'full out' is 100% stunning! The first half of the track grades as Ex+ in my opinion with only a few seconds just below that grading.
'Livin' Lovin' Wreck/Maid' plays with immaculate precision from the very first groove and with only one static tick this is as close to audio perfection that you will find. I am confident in grading this as Mint- it is that good. The sonic quality cannot be faulted. What a version!
The acoustic intro on 'Ramble On' is also very 'clean' with no obvious static at all. It continues to play with 'high end' audio and with no intrusion on the playback. I'm running out of suitable adjectives for this side! From start to finish this impresses on every level and even the long fade out is superb with only a couple of clicks literally at the end. Near Mint if not better in every other respect though.
'Moby Dick' has an intro that is nigh on perfect with only a couple of light ticks. The iconic drum solo begins in fine style with no 'background' and continues in much the same way with hardly any static. This whole section is again so 'clean' and the depth of the audio is sublime. The final section where Page is equally as good and plays with perfect precision. A Near Mint version for sure. This track rarely plays as well as this on the red/plum pressings.
The quiet intro on 'Bring It On Home' has a little static and an obvious click but still plays very clearly. As the volume increases the audio is very strong and for a change has no inner groove distortion. I cannot stress how rare that is and again shows how infrequently this record has been played. This 'louder' section is stunning and whilst there is some static on the intro this is definitely one of the 'cleanest' versions I have heard for quite some time. The quiet end section also plays very well with only minimal static.
In summary there is so much to admire about this early red/plum press. There is only minimal 'background' and whilst the playback on S1 is very impressive the audio on S2 for the vast majority is absolutely stunning! For a 50 year old record to have no distortion is very much a rarity and as stated there is very little spindle wear and it obviously has not been on a turntable that often. The fantastic visual quality of the vinyl lends further evidence to that theory. The audio is so 'clean' and the depth and resonance you get from these first red/plum pressings cannot be bettered.
The Gatefold
This is definitely one of the cleanest E.J. Day covers I have seen in quite some time and the only real negative is a written name on the inside of the gatefold next to the 'credits'. The edges have only a little rubbing and whilst there is some corner wear it is not excessive. The wide spine, so often found in poor condition, remains 100% legible and has only a little rubbing at either end. The opening edge has only minimal handling wear and is in excellent shape. The front cover is rarely seen this clean and has only one very small faint mark next to the spine. The back cover is also in superb condition with only a handful of faint creases. The inside of the gatefold is faultless apart from the written name of course. A very impressive version overall.
Inner Sleeve
The original poly-lined inner sleeve is in excellent condition with no side splits and only some light creasing. It has '0570' printed on one side which of course refers to the release date.
The Labels
The red/plum labels are in superb condition with no marking or writing and only minimal spindle wear.
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
588198 // A ? 6 // 1 1 1 5
588198 // B ? 4 // 1 1 1 5
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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