LED ZEPPELIN III A5/B5 1st PRESS 1970 PETER GRANT STUNNING COVER & AUDIO WOW
£
300
$
398
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Description
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 collect at point of sale. No shipping currently to Russia.
Led Zeppelin III A5/B5 1st Press w/Peter Grant credit
This genuine first press on the red/plum label plays to a spectacular standard with barely any interference. There are just two light clicks on S1 but apart from that audio is about as high end as you can get! The clarity, depth and power of the audio is absolutely stunning and there is NO background static intruding on the 'listen' either. I cannot overstate just how strong and clear the playback is - as stated below if S1 is stunning then S2 is that and more! This is unequivocally one of the finest first pressings I have ever heard and has been so well looked after over the last 52 years. The vinyl is also visually very impressive with just one small mark on S2 that has no bearing on the audio.
So not only is the audio superb but the iconic E.J. Day cover is quite possibly the best I have ever seen! There is no real shelf wear and is still so remarkably clean and fresh looking. It has retained its original shape and structure so well and obviously still has a fully functioning wheel. The original inner has only minimal wear also.
As this is a first pressing it has the Peter Grant credit on the labels and the A5/B5 matrix. The 2401002 catalogue number on the labels has no hyphen either.
2401002 // A - 5 1 4 3 // Do what thou wilt
2401002 // B - 5 1 5 3 // So mote it be
The audio on S1 is Mint(-) (T4 Near Mint-)
The audio on S2 is Mint(-)
The gatefold is Near Mint
The 'plastic bags' inner is Ex
The labels are Near Mint
Visual description
The vinyl is in excellent condition and still has a lovely glossy sheen with no actual scratches. S2 does have a small V shaped hairline scuff mark but it has literally no affect on the audio as all of S2 plays 'as new'! Aside from that it is visually stunning with only a few very faint sleeve removal hairlines and just one small one at the start of S1 that is a little more obvious but again has no impact on the audio. The red/plum labels are in superb order with no writing / spotting and they have retained all of their original deep colour. There is just some spindle wear but not an excessive amount.
Play grading
'Immigrant Song' plays with stunning quality from the very first groove and as soon as Jones' bass kicks in the depth of the audio is superb. Plant's vocals are so 'clean' throughout and through every section there is no interference to be heard. It plays with great power and definition and provides a dynamic Mint start to the album.
The 'spoken intro' on 'Friends' for once has no background at all and then the acoustic intro can also be described 'as new'. Plant's opening vocal is faultless and it continues to play with sublime audio from then on. There is none of that 'tinny' distorted sound you so often find and the sonic quality from start to finish cannot be faulted, the clarity of sound is stunning! Another Mint track.
The segue into 'Celebration Day' is perfect and then the moog intro has no background either. This standard is kept up as Page and then Plant join in and as the rhythm section come in the playback is phenomenal! A powerful track and a 'busy' one also and yet there is no distortion. Plant's vocal is very much on the higher register here and yet it sounds like it would have done when first released in '70. A stunning Mint version with no background on the long fade out either.
The entire intro on 'Since I've Been Loving You' plays so clearly with no background static and just the one light click - the first interference on the album! Every beat from Bonham is so sharp and precise here the clarity is stunning. Plant's opening vocal section is close to perfect although there is another click a little further in but is on a 'beat' so is not immediately obvious. Page's mid solo is so strong and I cannot overstate just how well it plays and the quiet section that follows has not even a single dust tick! The final high octane vocal has lost none of its original sonic quality either. As you can see the vast majority of this classic plays to a Mint standard and even though there are two clicks I still think Near Mint- is deserved because the rest of the track is just incredible including the fade out.
'Out On The Tiles' plays with exceptional power throughout and with barely any of the distortion that is synonymous with this track. It is easily one of the cleanest versions I have ever heard and it can be turned up to 'loud' without having to turn it down immediately! The 'heavier' section towards the end where Jones' bass is so high in the mix is fantastic! I cannot praise this version highly enough and I guess one reason why the playback is so clean is because it hasn't been overplayed. The sonic quality is stunning and again the fade out plays to perfection with not one dust tick. I haven't heard many Mint- versions of this classic but we certainly have one here!
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The acoustic intro on 'Gallows Pole' has no background and the opening vocal is equally as good. There is one very light tick just before the tempo increases and it then plays with impeccable quality from then onwards. Once again the audio demonstrates just how well the vinyl has been looked after and as Bonham joins the party the playback is even better! The quality does not drop and I cannot emphasise enough just how well it plays. It plays with remarkable power and depth and again the fade out plays to perfection. Mint- and even the minus is perhaps a little unfair.
The acoustic intro on 'Tangerine' has no interference and the 7 second 'silent' passage has only a couple of barely audible dust ticks. The next acoustic section is as good as the first and Plant's opening vocal section plays beautifully. The chorus is 'as new' and it continues to play with a clarity that is second to none. No ticks, clicks, pops or static the audio on this largely acoustic track is STUNNING - so precise and clean - this is Mint from start to finish.
'That's The Way' is of the same high end standard with no intrusion on the audio. Again being an acoustic track there would be no hiding place if there was any interference but there isn't any! I am running out of superlatives in which to describe this first pressing but needless to say this plays with tremendous Mint precision throughout with not even a solitary dust tick let alone anything more. The most 'complete' version I have perhaps ever heard, the playback is just INCREDIBLE all the way through!
'Bron-Y-Aur Stomp' keeps up the standard with zero interference. Has this side ever been played before?! With unrivalled sonic quality there are no negatives and Mint is again richly deserved.
No need to elaborate 'Hat's Off To (Roy) Harper' ends this very near perfect album with...perfect audio. There is nothing to detract from the stunning quality of the audio and it plays as clearly as the preceding tracks which is impressive for any final track and especially on a 52 year old album! It could not play any better and yep Mint is the only grade I can give.
In summary this very first pressing is as close to perfect that you will find. The power and definition of the audio is up there with the strongest I have ever listened to and with only two light clicks on S1 the clarity is outstanding. There is not even any static getting in the way of the audio, it really is a phenomenal album. I mean S1 is STUNNING but S2 is just STUNNING and then some! You can tell it has been played but surely only on high end equipment which has helped it immeasurably in retaining its original sonic sound. And remember this is an album with a many quiet and acoustic sections. When you find a red/plum pressing as clean and precise as this you know why they are so collectable - the sonic quality just cannot be beaten, the audio is so far ahead of any later pressing/reissue. In conjunction with a superb cover this is a genuine collectors' item that will impress on so many levels.
The Gatefold & Inner Sleeve
This laminated E.J. Day cover is in fantastic condition with no obvious wear and has to be the cleanest I have seen in many years perhaps ever! As stated the 'wheel' still works perfectly and as per the first/early pressings the top and bottom edge of the front cover is 'open' so as to allow free movement of the wheel. For once the top edges have barely any rubbing and the bottom edges are incredibly clean with no wear at all, a genuine rarity. The wide spine is in perfect shape with no corner wear and the right hand corners have no wear either! The opening edge has only very minimal handling wear and the front cover is a work of art! It is so clean, is unmarked and has no laminate damage either and the back cover is just as impressive. It has barely any of the yellowing/fading around the edges and I do mean barely any (!) and there are no laminate creases which is again another rarity for this first press cover. The inside of the gatefold is in immaculate condition and is still so 'white' with no marking and no inner spine damage. A STUNNING example in so many ways and very rarely found in this condition today.
Not surprisingly the original poly-lined 'Plastic Bags...' inner (date coded 0970) is unmarked with no age related fading and just has little creasing and a small tear on the central 'window'.
Play tested on my Rega P2 Turntable / Denon PMA-520AE Amp / B&W 684 Speakers
This record has been professionally cleaned on a Pro-Ject VC-S machine
2401002 // A - 5 1 4 3 // Do what thou wilt
2401002 // B - 5 1 5 3 // So mote it be
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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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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