Led Zeppelin 4 (SYMBOLS) RED/ PLUM UK LP 1ST EX+

	£		73
	$		97

LED ZEPPELIN - 4

IN GREAT CONDITION

ORIGINAL RED AND PLUM ATLANTIC PRESS

• CATALOGUE:ATLANTIC  2401012
• MATRIX: 2401012 ** A//3    2401012 B//4
• SIDE ONE DEAD WAX HAS 'PECKO DUCK' ETCHED INTO THE DEAD WAX, SIDE 2 HAS 'PORKY' ETCHED INTO THE DEAD WAX

I WANTED TO SPEND A LITTLE TIME ON THE SUBJECT OF AN ALL ORIGINAL PRESS. WHAT I MEAN BY THIS IS THAT OVER TIME SLEEVES AND INNER HAVE BEEN SWAPPED ON ZEPPELIN ALBUMS TO THE POINT THAT IF YOU DO NOT KNOW HOW TO IDENTIFY AN ORIGINAL ISSUE, YOU MAY WELL END UP WITH A HYBRID, NORMALLY A RED AND PLUM ALBUM IN A GREEN AND ORANGE LABEL'S SLEEVE. SO HOW TO TELL

WELL FIRSTLY THE SLEEVE ON THE ORIGINAL PRESS WAS MADE OF A SLIGHTLY THICKER CARD AND THEREFORE SOMEWHAT STRONGER. IF YOU LOOK ON THE INSIDE OF THE SLEEVE THE ORIGINAL CARD IS SLIGHTLY A LIGHTER SHADE OF BROWN THAN THAT OF THE LATER PRESSES, BUT MOST OBVIOUS IS THE FACT THAT ON THE ORIGINAL ISSUES THE SLEEVE WAS UNLAMINATED, WHEREAS THE LATERE SLEEVES WERE SLIGHTLY GLOSSY AND HAVE A SMOOTH FINISH TO THEM

IN ADDITION THE INNER SLEEVE OF THE ORIGINAL PRESS IS EASY TO TELL FROM LATER VERSIONS BY THE FACT THAT IT HAS FLIPBACKS,WHEREAS THE LATER ISSUES DO NOT. THERE IS ALSO A COLOUR VARIANCE WITH THE ORIGINALS BEING A DARKER GREY

THIS IS A PROPER FIRST ISSUE SET

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

THE RED AND PLUM LABELS ARE IN TOP CONDITION. BOTH BASE COLOURS ARE RICH AND VIBRANT, AND THE WHITEBAND IS STILL WHITE AND NOT SOILED AT ALL. THE BLACK TYPEFACE IS UNRUBBED AND PERFECTLY LEGIBLE. FINALLY THERE ARE BETWEEN 6-8 SMALL SPIDER LINES CLOSE TO THE HOLE SHOWING THAT THE LP HAS NOT HAD MANY PLAYS IN ITS 39 YEARS

THE VINYL

THE HEAVYWEIGHT VINYL IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. IT HAS RETAINED ALL OF IT'S ORIGINAL SHEEN. THERE IS ONE SMALL AND I DO MEAN SMALL SCRATCH ON SIDE ONE ON THE LINKING GROOVE TO TRACKS 2 AND 3. IT DOES MAKE A VERY LIGHT ROTATION CLICK FOR A FEW SECONDS. I HAVE RECORDED IT SO THAT YOU ARE ABLE TO GUAGE IF IT IS A PROBLEM. PERSONALLY I BELIEVE IT'S JUST A MINOR IRRITANT.

THE VINYL WHEN OFFERED UP TO INTESE ILLUMINATION DISPLAYS A FEW LIGHT TRACES OF HANDLING IN THE FORM OF A FEW WISPY HAIRLINES THAT ARE NOT VISIBLE IN DAYLIGHT

PLAYING THE RECORD

I BELIEVE THAT IF YOU ARE GOING TO SPEND YOUR MONEY ON A FANTASTIC COLLECTIBLE VINYL, THAT YOU SHOULD BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR WHAT YOU ARE BUYING. I HAVE THEREFORE INVESTED IN THE SOFTWARE THAT ALLOWS YOU TO DO JUST THAT.

I HAVE RECORDED FIVE THREE MINUTE EXCERPTS  FROM THIS  ALBUM,  I HAVE RECORDED THE FIRST TRACK FROM EACH SIDE WHICH INCLUDES THE DEAD WAX RUN IN, I HAVE ALSO RECORDED THE LINKING GROOVES TO THE START OF THE OTHER TRACKS THAT ON OFFER. IN A DDITION AS MENTIONED ABOVE I HAVE RECORDED THE VERY END OF 'ROCK AND ROLL', THE LINKING GROOVE AND THE BEGINNING OF 'THE BATTLE OF EVERMORE' THIS IS WHERE THE SMALL SCRATCH LIES AND YOU WILL BE ABLE TO HEAR THE LIGHT CLICKS THAT ARE MADE. IT SHOULD BE THE SECOND AUDIO BITE FROM THE LEFT.

THE CLARITY IS SUPERB.I PARTICULARLY WANTED TO DEMONSTRATE THE QUIET FIRST HALF OF 'STAIRWAY' WHICH IS THE THIRD TRACK IN THE SOUND BITS.IT IS CLEAR AS A BELL AND HAS A GREAT STEREO SPLIT.

I HEARD A COUPLE OF TINY DUST POPS THROUGHOUT THE PLAY, AND THE ODD BIT OF BARELY AUDIBLE STATIC AND A TRACE OF VERY LIGHT BACKGROUND ON GOING TO CALIFORNIA WHICH IS THE LAST SOUNDBITE

DIFFICULT TO GRADE THE VINYL BECAUSE SIDE ONE PLAYS TO A NEAR MINT STATUS APART FROM THE SMALL SCRATCH ON THE LINKING GROOVE, WHEREAS SIDE 2 IS MORE EXCELLENT DUE TO THE LIGHT BACKGROUND IN TRACK 3, SO OVERALL I AM HAPPY TO GRADE IT EXCELLENT PLUS

THE SLEEVE

 UNLAMINATED STRONG CARDED ORIGINAL ISSUE SLEEVE. THE FRONT SURFACE IS FLAT AND CLEAN AND HAS NO HEAVY CREASES OR CREASE LINES THERE ARE NO SMALL LINES DOWN THE SPINE OR ON THE PERIMETER EDHES EITHER. THERE IS SOME SHELF WEAR TO THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES IN THE FORM OF RUBBING, WHERE THE COLOUR HAS WORN AWAY FROM THE CARD IN SOME SPOTS. THE SPINE AS WELL HAS A SMALL AMOUNT AT EACH END OF IT WHILST THE VAST MAJOROTY OF THE SPINE IS PERFECT. THE OPENING EDGE IS STILL VERY SHARP, WITH JUST A FEW TINY THUMB NAIL NICKS WHERE THE ALBUM WAS REMOVED. THE REAR SURFACE WHILST AGAIN IS UNCREASED, DOES HAVE A VERY LIGHT TRACE OF RECORD SHAPE, SLIGHTLY MORE OBVIOUS ON THE TOP SECTION. THE INNER GATEFOLD IS A VERY GLOSSY BLACK WITH SOME SHELF WEAR IN THE FORM OF LIGHT COLOUR LOSS DOWN THE EDGES AND A SPRKINKLE IN THE CENTRE. THIS ALL RPOBALY SOUNDS FAR WORSE THAN IT ACTUALLY IS. THE SLEVE AHS NO SPLITS, OR TEARS AND NO STCICKER REMOVAL MARKS EITHER

THE ORIGINAL INNER SLEEVE IS INCLUDED, WITH THE FLIPBACKS. IT DOES HAVE SPLIT SEAMS, BUT IT IS THE ORIGINAL. THE RECORD NO LONGER RESIDES IN THIS INNER SLEEVE, AS I HAVE PLACED IT IN ANEW POLY LINED INNER

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR BID IF YOU CHOSE TO GO FOR IT

GARRY