LED ZEPPELIN I 1969 UK very early pressing on plum & red Atlantic, 588 171 EX
£
96
$
127
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Description
LED ZEPPELIN I
Rare and highly sought after 1969 UK early pressing rock classic in all round truly excellent condition, on the coveted Atlantic red&plum label, 588 171
Matrix Numbers :
Side 1 588171 A//1 1 2 11 Side 2 588171 B//1 1 3 44 (I think it's "44" - difficult to make out)
note that for each side the third digit has been hand etched out and replaced with a hand etched "8" - indicative of a very early pressing
The appearance of the vinyl is simply superb, bright and shiny and with a gorgeous gleam in normal light. Once held under a bright light, and even then at the right angle, there are a few paper thin scuffs and very wispy, very thin hairlines that come into evidence. And on side 2 there is a small "bubble", the size of a pinhead (obviously resulting from the original manufacturing/pressing process) which does not affect playback at all. A real "gleamer"!
Similarly, each label is pristine. All writing remains perfectly defined, as do the colours with no fading whatsoever. There are just a couple of very faint spindle traces adjacent to the centre hole on each side. Note the "Warner Bros." credits on each label - another indication of a very early pressing
The outer sleeve is excellent. The rich colour vibrancy of this very early pressing has been retained with no scuffing or rubbing at all on any of the edges. Similarly, each corner remains perfectly defined as does the coveted grey band at the bottom of the front cover and the "niiped" ends of the spine, yet other giveaways for a very early pressing. The laminate (both sides) remains in great shape with barely any lifting at all. There are five 1-2cm fine laminate creases along the left edge perpendicualr to the spine, two of which impinge upon the spine itself but not to the extent that there is a spine crease. There is also a minor but visible 3 cm laminate crease (in the form of a small arc) in the bottom right quadrant on the front side. For the reverse side it's a similar story...truly excellent condition. Just a little vertical laminate lifting adjacent to the spine with a few 1cm laminate creases perpendicualr to the spine. There is a single 4cm laminate crease perpendicular to the spine about 2cm up from the bottom right corner. All photos and writing and colouring remain in brilliant condition.
And finally there is the quality of the audio, which is mostly excellent and at times simply stunning. Beautiful tone with great clarity. I played this record in it's entirety on my Pioneer PL-X99 turntable with an almost new diamond stylus and the reproduction was brilliant. So, so, so much better than a CD!! Not quite perfect, however...there is some mild, rotational background interference during the organ intro to the first track on side 2 followed by 5 audible clicks, and then a minute later 3 mild background clicks. There is also the occasional hint of mild background crackle during some quieter moments/interludes, along with the occasional, sporadic click that I put down to static and/or dust in the grooves due to 4 decades of storage - the reason I say this is that I noted two clicks on side 1 during playback that disappeared after I cleaned the record and on close inspection of the vinyl, under a bright light, there is no obvious reason for any clicking. There is no distortion on the higher pitches. Just listen to "Dazed And Confused" to be completely blown away.
The tracks are :
Record 1 :
Side A :
1. GOOD TIMES BAD TIMES
2. BABE I'M GONNA LEAVE YOU
3. YOU SHOOK ME
4. DAZED AND CONFUSED
Side B :
1.YOUR TIME IS GONNA COME
2. BLACK MOUNTAIN SIDE
3. COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN
4. I CAN'T QUIT YOU BABY
5. HOW MANY MORE TIMES
In summary, a truly excellent very early pressing of this groundbreaking rock classic, and I can't imagine that there are too many such pressings still out there in better condition.
If you require any further information, including photos, then let me know and I'll do my best to oblige.
If this record interests you then take a look at my other listings for more 50's, 60's and 70's classic vinyl.
A bit about myself : I have been collecting vinyl for more than 45 years and have amassed a huge collection covering a varied genre, but mostly of 1960's and 70's origin. Most of my records were originally bought by myself for my own collection, but over the years I have embellished my collection by buying records from a variety of sources : friends/acquaintances, car boots, auctions, and even through putting up a "vinyl wanted" notice in my wife's shop! I never intended selling any of my records but now I am retired and a combination of space requirements (caused partly by duplication) and a need to help fund my retirement has prompted me to "rationalise" my record collection and sell many of my much loved gems. My ebay feedback speaks for itself so rest assured that you are buying from a trusted seller and in the very unlikely event that you are unhappy with your purchase just e-mail me and I'll sort out the problem. I offer a "no quibble" refund policy.
On the subject of postage, I take great care in the packaging of all items, using a proper vinyl cardboard mailer along with at least two cardboard stiffeners. I take great care in removing the record from the outer sleeve in order to prevent sleeve damage in transit. I do NOT profiteer from postage costs. I DO take great care in minimising all risk thereby ensuring, as far as possible, that your purchase reaches it's destination in exactly the same condition as when I post it. For this item postage & packaging will be Royal Mail 1st class tracked and signed for : UK £4.50, continental Europe £9, and Rest of the World £14. I do discount post & packaging costs for multiple purchases. Good luck with your bidding. Richard
Descriptions of any records I sell comply with the Rare Record Price Guide grading guidelines :
Mint
Description: 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
Description: 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
Description: 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
Description: 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, discoloration, etc.
Fair
Description: 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
Description: 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
Description: The record is unplayable or might even be broken, and is only of use as a collection-filler.
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