LED ZEPPELIN 1st DEBUT UK PRESS NEAR MiNt Audio ATLANTIC PROG ROCK MONSTER PSYCH

	£		51
	$		68

[zipedit] Led Zeppelin Debut  Album
Original UK Pressing Cat No K 40031
Orange/Green Labels
Stunning Very Near Mint Audio Archive!
Original Fully Laminated MackNeil Press Cover!


Here is an original UK pressing of Led Zeppelin Debut lp on the 2nd issue Orange and green Atlantic labels! Features A1 and B4 Matrix endings. The album is very tidy and the vinyls play back is stunning clear and very vibrant. These are becoming very collectable in this top condition!



Led Zeppelin is the debut album by English rock band Led Zeppelin. It was recorded in October 1968 at Olympic Studios in London and released on Atlantic Records on 12 January 1969 in the United States and 31 March in the United Kingdom. Featuring integral contributions from each of the group's four musicians, the album established their fusion of blues and rock. It also attracted a large and devoted following to the band; Zeppelin's take on the emerging heavy metal sound endeared them to parts of the counterculture on both sides of the Atlantic.






Although the album first received negative reviews, it was commercially very successful, and critics have come to view it in a much more positive light. In 2003, the album was ranked No. 29 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time





In August 1968, the English rock band The Yardbirds had completely disbanded. Guitarist Jimmy Page, The Yardbirds' sole remaining member, was left with rights to the group’s name and contractual obligations for a series of concerts in Scandinavia. For his new band, Page recruited bassist John Paul Jones, vocalist Robert Plant and drummer John Bonham.





During September 1968, the group toured Scandinavia as The New Yardbirds, performing some old Yardbirds material as well as new songs such as "Communication Breakdown", "I Can't Quit You Baby", "You Shook Me", "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You", and "How Many More Times". The month after they returned to England, October 1968, Page changed the band's name to Led Zeppelin, and the group entered Olympic Studios in London to record their debut album





In a 1990 interview, Page said that the album took only about 36 hours of studio time (over a span of a few weeks) to create (including mixing), adding that he knew this because of the amount charged on the studio bill. One of the primary reasons for the short recording time was that the material selected for the album had been well-rehearsed and pre-arranged by the band on Led Zeppelin's tour of Scandinavia in September 1968. As Page explained, "the band had begun developing the arrangements on the Scandinavian tour and I knew what sound I was looking for. It just came together incredibly quickly."







In addition, since the band had not yet signed their deal with Atlantic Records, Page and Zeppelin's manager Peter Grant paid for the sessions entirely themselves, meaning there was no record company money to waste on excessive studio time. In another interview, Page revealed that the self-funding was to ensure artistic freedom, "I wanted artistic control in a vice grip, because I knew exactly what I wanted to do with these fellows. In fact, I financed and completely recorded the first album before going to Atlantic... It wasn't your typical story where you get an advance to make an album—we arrived at Atlantic with tapes in hand... Atlantic's reaction was very positive – I mean they signed us, didn't they?






Led Zeppelin's front cover, which was chosen by Page, features a black-and-white image of the burning Hindenburg airship. The image refers to the origin of the band's name itself: when Page, Beck and The Who's Keith Moon and John Entwistle were discussing the idea of forming a group, Moon joked, "It would probably go over like a lead balloon", and Entwistle allegedly replied, "...a lead zeppelin!"





The album's back cover features a photograph of the band taken by former-Yardbird Chris Dreja. The entire design of the album's sleeve was coordinated by George Hardie, with whom the band would continue to collaborate for future sleeves.






Hardie recalled that he originally offered the band a design based on an old club sign in San Francisco—a multi-sequential image of a phallic zeppelin airship up in the clouds. Page declined but it was retained as the logo for the back cover of Led Zeppelin's first two albums and a number of early press advertisements. During the first few weeks of release in the UK, the sleeve featured the band's name and the Atlantic logo in turquoise. When this was switched to the now-common orange print later in the year, the turquoise-printed sleeve became a collector's item.





Side one
 1. "Good Times Bad Times"
2. "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You"
3. "You Shook Me"
4. "Dazed and Confused"



Side two
5. "Your Time Is Gonna Come"
6. "Black Mountain Side"
7. "Communication Breakdown"
8. "I Can't Quit You Baby"
9. "How Many More Times"





The Matrix
Side 1 "K40031 A-1"
Side 2 "K430031 B-3"





The Vinyl
The vinyl is clean and lays flat on the turntable it is free of any warping. On inspection I find it hard to see any scratches or marks that would cause any loud constant clicks or pops during the playback. Any other marks that could possibly be seen would be sleeve removal only!

The Audio
I have played the vinyl at very loud volume on a top system prior to this listing. The audio was absolutely superb through out without any loud constant clicks or pops and certainly no distortion from being over played at all! There was just two places worth to mention that I heard two light pops on side one, that's all. Any static crackle was isolated and a constant clean before each play will enhance the audio quality because this album has been stored laying dormant for over 40 years! I would grade the audio at least excellent plus to very near mint for the most part!
I have recorded the complete album so that you can hear this awesom album for yourself. Click play in the player above.

The Labels
These are the 2nd issue green/orange Atlantic labels very clean with just minimal spidering that can be seen when angled to the light only. No spindle wear the hole is perfectly round!

The Record Sleeve
This is the original plain white paper sleeve . Light creasing with age only no splits or tears.

The Cover
This is the original fully Laminate MacNeil Press Ltd. cover. Glossy laminated apearence. Only if looked for I notice slight stain at the front right hand corner and slight yellowing at the opening edge but not noticed unless looked for in my opinion. There are no edge splits or tears. Any creases are in the laminate onlt and very small thumb type. Minor creases at the edges. This is strong and straight. I would grade this cover at least excellent in my opinion.