Led Zeppelin HOUSES OF THE HOLY 1973 UK LP 1st Press A2 / B2 PLAYS MINT HEAR

	£		259
	$		344

LED ZEPPELIN - HOUSES OF THE HOLY

 MAGNIFICENT FINAL UPGRADE MINT AUDIO

ORIGINAL 1ST PRESS NO WARNER LOGO ON LABEL

A2/B2

ALL 1ST PRESS INDICATORS

MINT MINUS SLEEVE

• CATALOGUE:ATLANTIC  K 50014
• MATRIX: K5004 A2 / B2 (EARLIEST MATRIX NUMBERS)
• STERLING ETCHED INTO THE DEAD WAX ON BOTH SIDES

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 INNERS 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,

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 GREY THAN THAT OF THE LATER PRESSES, BUT MOST OBVIOUS IS THE FACT THAT ON THE ORIGINAL ISSUES THE SLEEVE WAS UNLAMINATED AND MATTE, WHEREAS THE LATER SLEEVES WERE SLIGHTLY GLOSSY AND HAVE A SMOOTH FINISH TO THEM

THE INNER SLEEVES ARE TEXTURED NOT SMOOTH LIKE LATER PRESSES AND THEY ARE MADE FROM STRONGER PAPER. 1ST ISSUES ARE ALSO PRESSED UP BY MACNEIL AND SONS

THE GREEN AND ORANGE LABEL IS THE DULLER LESS GOSSY FINISH AND HAS NO WARNER LOGO AT 3 O'CLOCK ON IT, AND THE MATRIX NUMBER MUST BE A2 / B2

THE RECORD

THE LABELS

THE GREEN AND ORANGE ARE IN MINT CONDITION. BOTH BASE COLOURS ARE RICH AND VIBRANT, AND THE WHITE BAND IS STILL WHITE AND NOT SOILED AT ALL. THE BLACK TYPEFACE IS UNRUBBED AND PERFECTLY LEGIBLE. 

FINALLY THERE ARE JUST 2-3 MINISCULE SPIDER LINES CLOSE TO THE SPINDLE HOLE 

THE VINYL

THE HEAVYWEIGHT VINYL IS IN MAGNIFICENT CONDITION. IT HAS RETAINED ALL OF IT'S ORIGINAL SHEEN. IT LOOKS AS GOOD AS THE DAY IT WAS PRESSED. THERE ARE NO MARKS OR BLEMISHES ON THE SURFACE, AND EVEN WHEN PLACED UNDER A MAGNIFYING LED HALO THERE IS NOTHING TO SEE

THE TEST PLAY

THE LP PLAYS JUST SUPERBLY ALL THE WAY THROUGH BOTH SIDES, 

NO EMBEDDED VINYL NOISES

NO GROOVE WEAR THUS NO DISTORTION TO THE AUDIO

NO BACKGROUND CRACKLE WHATSOEVER

THE LINKING GROOVES ARE SILENT

STUNNING THROUGH THE MANY QUIET PASSAGES.

THIS RECORD PLAYS TO PERFECTION ON BOTH SIDES. NO UNWANTED NOISES WHATSOEVER

I AM MORE THAN HAPPY TO GRADE THIS AUDIO MINT 

TAKE A LISTEN AND GRADE IT AGAINST YOUR STANDARDS

THE SLEEVE

 UNLAMINATED STRONG CARDED UNLAMINATED ORIGINAL ISSUE SLEEVE. 

THE FRONT SURFACE IS FLAT AND CLEAN AND HAS NO HEAVY CREASES OR CREASE LINES. THE SLEEVE HISTORICALLY SUFFERS FROM COLOUR LOSS DUE TO RUBBING, BUT THIS HAS BEEN TOTALLY AVOIDED BECAUSE THE DELICATE SLEEVE HAS SPENT IT'S LIFE INSIDE A PLASTIC  OUTER SLEEVE WHICH HAS PROTETCTED IT AGAINST EVERY ISSUE THAT USUALLY RAVAGES IT

THERE IS NO RING WEAR OR RECORD SHAPE

THE FOUR CORNERS ARE SHARP AND SQUARE

THE COLOURS ARE DEEP, RICH AND VIBRANT. NO RUBBING OR FADE AT ANY POINT

THERE ARE ABSOLUTELY ZERO PRESSURE LINES ON THE SPINE.NONE ON THE TOP EDGE, AND NONE ON THE BOTTOM EDGE. NO THUMB LINES NEAR THE SPINE

THE TOP EDGES ARE PERFECT. FULLY COLOURED WITH UNBLEMISHED CORNER TIPS

THE BOTTOM EDGES AGAIN ARE USUALLY RUBBED BARE, BUT AGAIN DUE TO THE PROTECTION AFFORDED TO IT, THERE IS ONLY A LITTLE VERY MILD SHELF RUB

THE SPINE IS ALSO JUST IMMACULATE. FLAT. AND TOTALLY UNRUBBED. AMZINGLY NO COLOUR LOSS WHATSOEVER

THE OPENING EDGE IS AS SHARP AS THE DAY IT WAS PUT TOGETHER. 

THE REAR SURFACE IS EVERY BIT AS MAGNIFICENT AS THE REST OF THE SLEEVE, AND IT'S WORTH POINTING OUT THAT THERE IS NOT ONE JOT OF RINGWEAR, OR EVEN RECORD SHAPE ON THIS SURFACE THAT USUALLY PLAGUES THIS DELICATE SLEEVE

OPENING THE GATEFOLD REVEALS TWO PRISTINE INNER PANELS

THE INNER SLEEVE HAS BEEN METICULOUSLY LOOKED AFTER FROM NEW.THE ORIGINAL OWNER DECIDED TO REMOVE THE LP FROM IT AND KEEP THAT SEPERATE IN A DIFFERENT INNERIT THEREFORE HAS NO SEAM SPLITS OR CREASES, JUST  A FEW VERY TINY AND VERY LIGHT FOXING MOTTLES

.

I CANNOT BEGIN TO TELL YOU HOW INCREDIBLE THIS WHOLE ORIGINAL FIRST PRESS SET IS AND WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE IN MY OPINION TO UPGRADE FROM

THE SLEEVE GRADES  MINT MINUS 

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