LED ZEPPELIN. HOUSES OF THE HOLY . MINT. UN-PLAYED. FIRST PRESS. 1973. MIN

	£		52
	$		69

K50014 Stereo

Side One MATRIX K50014 - A2      Side Two MATRIX K50014 - B3

Superb. First Press. Rare. Mint/Near Mint. Un-Played. One Owner!

This is the iconic and first theme title Led Zepellin Album, being House of the Holy. Recorded in 1973 and Pressed in 1973, also being the First Led Zeppelin LP to be Released solely on the Orange & Green Atlantic Label. For those 'Plumb/Red label seekers: there wasn't one! This is the first! The only: Orange & Green. 1973. First Press!

This is superb and very rare for lots of reasons, but let's start with the fact it is as Mint or Near Mint as you will find. Okay, the terms are open to debate, as there is no such term as 'Mint' in a re-sale and some would argue that even in those heady days of the record shop, when a disc was played, it was no longer Mint. So, this is one of those rarities and I would say it is as close as you will get, but semantics aside, it is stunning!

As with all Atlantic recordings, it has the hidden matrices and Mother & Stamper Codes hidden within the run-off areas on both sides of the vinyl. Side One has K50014 - A2, with 'A' at 10 o'clock (using the label as a clock dial) and '2' '0' at 5 o'clock, with the usual and odd personalisation; this time 'STERLING RL' at 12 o'clock. On side Two we have K50014 - B3, with 'C' at 9 o'clock and 'STERLING RL' at 4 o'clock. The Mothers being A2 & B3 are classic First Mothers or Master Dyes, which the Stampers or Presses are hewed from and the Stampers here are '2' & '0'. 'Sterling RL' is probably the Pressing Engineer and with Led Zeppelin it is usual and unique for this kind of personalisation. I have Led Zeppelin II on the original Plumb/Crimson Label for sale and there we havd 'J P'! Was it Jimmy Page?!

The vinyl is Mint. Stunning heavy, black with its full lustre and sheen. No marks at all. I can't even see paper hair-lines from the heavy inner sleeve. The inner sleeve is with the Houses of the Holy logo and reveresed for the second side, with lyrics on both sides and credits. It is crisp, solid and heavy weight, which is unusual for an inner. The cover itself is unmarked, prestine and as Near Mint as you could get! It has been housed in a clear vinyl jacket since being bought in 1973. Over all as a package this is unbeatable and rare and stunning!

I base my observations and grading on eye and experience, as I worked as a Producer & Engineer at a number of London's recording studios in the 80's & 90's. I love and listen to vinyl and this is a record I know and am selling as un-played. Grading can be confusing and whilst I will quote, below, the Record Collector, there are numerous guides and many, I am afraid, over grade, as do many on Ebay! I believe this is as Near to Mint as can be, but, as I said, Mint may not be useable, as there are many who will argue that Mint or even Near Mint, cannot exist. However, if Near Mint means 'As good as you can get with a record over 40 years old, that has not been played or has been played maybe once or twice and without evidence and with not visible signs'', then this is it! That's all I can honestly say.

MINT: The record itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. The cover and any extra items such as the lyric sheet, booklet or poster are in perfect condition. Records advertised as Sealed or Unplayed should be Mint.

EXCELLENT: The record shows some signs of having been played, but there is very little lessening in sound quality. The cover and packaging might have slight wear and / or creasing.

VERY GOOD: The record has obviously been played many times, but displays no major deterioration in sound quality, despite noticeable surface marks and the occasional light scratch. Normal wear and tear on the cover or extra items, without any major defects, is acceptable.

GOOD: The record has been played so much that the sound quality has noticeably deteriorated, perhaps with some distortion and mild scratches. The cover and contents suffer from folding, scuffing of edges, spine splits, discolouration, etc.

FAIR: The record is still just playable but has not been cared for properly and displays considerable surface noise; it may even jump. The cover and contents will be torn, stained and / or defaced.

POOR: The record will not play properly due to scratches, bad surface noise, etc. The cover and contents will be badly damaged or partly missing.

BAD: The record is unplayable or might even be broken, and is only of use as a collection filler."

As well as the above grades, Near Mint is often used as well; this is really for a record that appears new but is known to have been played because the label has light spindle marks or because it has come from a previous owner and is assumed to have been played by them. For records which appear to fall between the accepted grades, + and - are also often added to the grading.

In addition to the basic grading, any individual faults should be noted separately such as if an otherwise Excellent cover has a name written on it, or a 7" single is missing its original centre etc.

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