LED ZEPPELIN II A2/B2 1st PRESS Red/Plum WRECK / GREEN TINGE IMPRESSIVE AUDIO
£
400
$
530
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Description
Led Zeppelin II A2 / B2 1st press w/Wreck credit
This first pressing with the very collectable 'Wreck' credit on S2 plays to a very impressive standard and S2 in particular is stunning. It is almost Mint all the way through! There is just 3/4 seconds of interference on one of the fade outs. S1 has some 'background' here and there but the majority does play to an excellent standard and there are no loud clicks or pops.
The vinyl is visually in great condition with only a small number of faint hairlines and it has retained its original 'look' very well indeed.
The light brown cover (with a little green tinge on some of the edges) is in very good condition with no major shelf wear. The front cover is very clean and the back cover is not far behind with just a small number of faint stains near the spine. When you consider the condition these are often found in this one has withstood the test of time very well. It's over 50 years old and of course is not laminated. The original inner (dated 069) has no side splits, just some faint marking and creasing.
This highly collectable 'Wreck' credit LP also has 'She's A Woman' not 'She's Just A Woman' on the S2 label. It has the 'The Lemon Song' credit on S1 as opposed to 'Killing Floor' and the publishing credit is 'Copyright Control' which was soon replaced with 'Warner Bros' on subsequent versions. Of course it has the A2/B2 matrix and with very early 'stamper' info also - it doesn't get a lot earlier than 112 and 111!
588198 A ? 2 1 1 2
588198 B ? 2 1 1 1
The audio on S1 is Ex+ (T1 couple of VG sections inc intro / T2 intro VG+ / T3 Near Mint / T4 first vocal VG)
The audio on S2 is Mint(-) (T3 fade out VG- / T5 Near Mint)
The light brown cover is VG+
The original 'plastic bags...' inner is VG+
The labels are Near Mint-
Visual grading
This vinyl is in excellent condition and still has a very impressive glossy sheen with no marks or scratches. S1 does have 3/4 very faint long(ish) hairlines that almost follow a horizontal path but in all honesty you won't find many better 'Wreck' vinyls than this. S2 is in superb condition and you have to look very hard to find only a handful of totally insignificant hairlines, it is visually stunning and just one of the reasons why it plays so incredibly well! The run out grooves are super clean and the red/plum labels are in superb shape and have lost none of their original colour. They do not have too much spindle wear either.
Play grading
'Whole Lotta Love' does have some crackle on the intro and into the first vocal but there are no clicks or pops and definitely no skips or jumps. The first chorus plays extremely well and continues in much the same way. There is also some crackle at the beginning of the 'psychedelic' section but you can still hear the music very clearly and it decreases a lot the more you progress into it. I detected 3/4 light ticks also but overall this section plays very clearly. By the time Bonham 'thumps' his way back in soon followed by Page's solo the playback is stunning. The very quiet 'Way down inside...' section has some crackle also but the remainder of this classic plays to a superb standard with barely any intrusion, just a little crackle on the fade out. This is difficult to grade as many sections do play very well but I would say ranging between VG and Ex+ is a fair assessment but is certainly more of the latter.
The quiet intro on 'What Is And What Should Never Be' has only a little static and again the actual music and Plant's vocal are very clear and precise. The first 'chorus' is perfect and the quieter sections that follow play with excellent clarity and the louder passages are so strong with no sign of any distortion. Page's mid solo is stunning and from that point on there is barely any 'background' during the quieter sections. In fact it plays to a 'high end' standard with no intrusion so I would grade the intro as VG+ and rest as Ex+ although many sections are better than that!
The intro on 'The Lemon Song' has very little of the static distortion that you so often find and it then plays with great clarity and depth. Page's first solo is 'as new' and Jones's frenetic bass adds so much to the 'sound' also and the audio has lost none of its original sonic quality here. The 'background' issues on the first two tracks have certainly disappeared now and the clarity throughout this track is stunning. A couple of minor ticks but you cannot really fault the audio here. The slower paced mid section, so reliant of Jones' deep bass of course, plays beautifully and the 'high octane' finish is as strong and powerful as any other that I have heard. This is Near Mint in my opinion.
'Thank You' is often affected by sound issues as any collector will so I am pleased to say this is a very impressive version overall. The intro plays so clearly with barely any of the static distortion that is so often prevalent. The first vocal does have a small number of dull clicks of which only a couple are a little louder and as the volume then increases the playback is very strong indeed. It continues to impress with no distortion on the more up tempo sections and the quieter passages also play with real precision. The mid section instrumental is faultless and the super quiet 'If the sun refused to shine...' passage plays with great clarity. There is only a little 'background' and the fade out/in/out section is stunning with no interference at all. The first vocal is very briefly VG and the remainder is Ex+
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The classic riff intro on 'Heart Breaker' play with stunning quality and Plant's first vocal is just as good. It continues in the same way with a power and depth that cannot be faulted and I cannot overstate just how well it plays! From start to finish the sonic quality is breathtaking and the 'high octane' just prior to Page's stand alone solo is 'as new' there is no other way to describe it. The solo then plays with sublime clarity and just a hint of minor static at the end. Wow! The next powerful section is just awesome! The power and depth here is so impressive and the final vocal is of the same standard. Needless to say this is a stunning Mint- version. Wow!
'Livin' Lovin' Wreck' is 'as new' from the first groove to the last with a sonic quality is outstanding! In true Led Zepp style it plays with great power throughout and there is no distortion on the top end. The clarity and definition of the audio here is equal to that of recently pressed 'high quality' vinyl and grades as Mint no minus is required!
The acoustic intro on 'Ramble On' is perfect with not even a solitary dust tick and the first vocal is just as impressive. The first 'chorus' is flawless and from then on it plays like it has never been played before! This may only be their second album but the production values are so impressive and nowhere is that more obvious than on this track. The original clarity and resonance is still there with each note being so clean and precise. To the end it plays with sublime quality although the fade out does have some clicks right at the end. So 99% of this track is Mint with the end of the fade grading as VG- but a stunning version for sure.
The opening section on 'Moby Dick' is 'as new' and Bonham's solo then plays with exceptional clarity. This has to be one of the 'cleanest' versions I have ever heard. With only a couple of dust ticks there is no interference and of course this section is just so quiet for the majority. Absolutely STUNNING! Every note is so clean and there is no 'muddiness' to the sound. This is Mint in every way.
The bass/harmonica intro on 'Bring It On Home' plays with great clarity with only a handful of barely audible dust ticks for company. Plant's vocal here is equally as good although there is just a touch of mega light static towards the end of this section. As the volume ramps up the playback is so strong and has barely any of the distortion that you so often find. This is a genuine rarity for this track and to the end this 'high octane' section plays with breathtaking power and definition. The closing 'quiet' section ends this classic with barely any 'background' also and this is easily a Near Mint track although I am sure many would grade higher. Regardless of that it is a stunning finish.
In summary this really is a game of two halves as they say! S1 does have some interference here and there but the majority still plays to an excellent standard. S2 though is stunning and plays with a clarity, depth and power that is first class. Only the fade out on 'Ramble On' has some interference but hey it's the fade out! So this isn't as immaculate as the last 'Wreck' I sold but it is still nonetheless an impressive listen and visually the vinyl is also very clean.
The Gatefold & Inner Sleeve
The light brown cover is in excellent condition overall and has maintained it original shape extremely well with no bends or creasing. It also has some of the 'green tinge' on the top edge and the spine that collectors always look out for. The top edges are very clean with barely any rubbing and the bottom edges just have a little more. The wide spine is in great shape with only minimal wear and for once it remains 100% legible. There is some wear on the corners but certainly not a lot and the opening edge has only minimal feathering. The front cover is in superb condition with no marking and the light brown back cover is very clean for the majority bar a few light stains near the spine and a couple of faint marks near the opening edge. The inside of the gatefold is close to perfect with hardly any fading around the edges and there is no damage to the inner spine. A very creditable first press cover overall.
The original 'Plastic Bags...' poly-lined inner has no side splits or tears but does have some age related fading mainly on the top edges and 3/4 faint spots also. There is some minor creasing and as can be seen it is dated /069 in one corner. Definitely an original!
Play tested on my Pro-Ject Essential III Turntable // B & W 684 Speakers
This record has been professionally cleaned on a Pro-Ject VC-S machine
588198 A ? 2 1 1 2
588198 B ? 2 1 1 1
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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