Led Zeppelin II A1 / B1 (2nd red/plum pressing)

This iconic album is the first pressing after the 'Turquoise' one so is generally regarded as the second red/plum pressing and has the Warner Bros/Jewel Music publishing credit on the labels.

Identical to the Turquoise lettered cover it is fully laminated with orange lettering and has the grey/silver band along the bottom edge.  It has the 'Printed and Made by MacNeill Press Ltd, London SE1' and 'Uptight an' Outasight' info on the back of the cover.

588171 (2nd 8 crossed, replaced with etched 8) A // 1 1 2  2 6

588171 (2nd 8 crossed, replaced with etched 8) B // 1 1  9

The audio on S1 is Ex+ (Near Mint in many sections / track 2 end section Ex-)

The audio on S2 is Ex+ (Near Mint in many sections / couple of short sections are VG+)

The laminated cover is VG+

The labels are Ex+

The 'Plastic Bags..' inner is Ex

Visual grading

The first thing to say is that the vinyl plays a lot better than it looks.  Don't get me wrong it is certainly not wrecked but there are numerous hairlines and 2/3 that are more obvious.  Many are sleeve removal hairlines.  There are also a couple of minor scuffs and a very small scratch on the final track on S2.  There is also a fair amount of spindle wear but mainly within the inner circle around the centre hole only.  So whilst there is some visual wear on the record the audio for the vast majority, as detailed below, plays in very impressive fashion.  For there to be only one small scratch on a vinyl of this age is not a bad result in my opinion.  In essence the hairlines have barely any affect on the high quality audio.

Play grading  

From the first note 'Good Times Bad Times' plays very clearly and with no 'background'.  With superb clarity there are no clicks or pops or jumps and for a loud track it plays with great definition and no distortion.  'Babe I'm Gonna Leave You' has 2/3 seconds of minor crackle on the intro but then impresses with excellent quality.  The quiet sections play extremely well with only a little light static here and there, nothing intrusive and the louder sections play with wonderful power and again no distortion.  However, there is a little more crackle on the quiet end section.  'You Shook Me' plays with stunning depth from the outset and such a strong bass line.  There is only a minor amount of intermittent static but it is very much in the background.  I did hear a couple of light clicks mid way through but overall for a relatively quiet track the audio the whole track is very impressive.  In fact the harmonica section is stunning and the more I listen to this track the better it gets!  It really is a fantastic listen and for a vinyl of nearly 50 years it has maintained its clarity and power incredibly well.  The vocal end section is breathtaking and there is no interference whatsoever.  The deep bass intro on 'Dazed and Confused' is another stunning listen with no 'background'.  This classic then proceeds to play with mind-blowing 'high end' audio and rarely have I heard better.  The quiet instrumental mid-section plays with incredible clarity, no static, clicks or pops and the guitar solo that follows is just so powerful, absolutely stunning!  In fact this is definitely one of the most impressive and 'cleanest' versions of this track I have ever heard and to think it's on a red/plum pressing!

As always there is a little interference on the 'Your Time is Gonna Come' organ but nothing too intrusive although there are 3/4 louder crackle type sounds at the end.  Thereafter the audio plays very clearly with just one dull pop.  So yes a little 'background' but an excellent listen nonetheless, the final two thirds especially plays in superb style.  'Black Mountain Side' from start to finish is Near Mint if not better the clarity and separation is that good, you won't hear better.  A touch of mega quiet static on the 'Communication Breakdown' intro and it then plays loud and true with fabulous power and no distortion.  A stunning foot stomper this is a high quality version and one of the best I have heard in a long time.  So rare for it to play without distortion.  'I Can't Quit You Baby' is very impressive from the very start.  The quiet intro has a handful of light dust ticks only and the clarity is quite simply stunning.  With so many quiet sections this bluesy classic plays with incredible quality throughout.  I keep on about clarity but that is how any record should be judged and here it is sublime, there is hardly any 'background' and you can listen to this track in all its original glory, it is a superb listen.  How do I describe the 'How Many More Times' intro?  I'm not sure I have any adjectives left!  It plays so clearly and this stunning quality continues although there are a small number of clicks towards the end of the quiet mid section.  This is the only interference of any note if I'm honest.  With very little distortion it plays with wonderful quality overall and the high octane end was a pleasure to listen to, a superb finale to this classic album.

Cover

The laminated 'MacNeill' cover has some general shelf wear but nothing major.  The edges are very clean and the spine only has a couple of crease marks and remains 100% legible.  There is a little corner wear also and the opening edge only has a little handling wear.  There are a few small laminate creases on the front cover and some minor lifting of the laminate around the spine area but there are no splits.  The back cover is in similar condition with a mark near the top also.  Of course it has the silver band running along the bottom edge.

Poly-lined inner sleeve

The poly-lined 'Plastic Bags Can Be Dangerous' sleeve in in excellent order with no has no splits, just some age related fading around the edges.  It has the Patent numbers 800518 & 973939 and Made in England 4913000 15801 4 21 printed on it.

The labels

Whilst there is some spindle wear on the red/plum labels there is no writing or any further marking and they remain in excellent condition.

Play tested on a Pro-Ject Essential III Turntable / B&W 684 Speakers

This record has been professionally cleaned on a Pro-Ject VC-S machine

588171 (2nd 8 crossed, replaced with etched 8) A // 1 1 2  2 6

588171 (2nd 8 crossed, replaced with etched 8) B // 1 1  9

I grade according to "Record Collector" guidelines.

Any questions please feel free to ask

Please pay within 4 days of auction end

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