LED ZEPPELIN II A2/B2 2nd PRESS VINYL LP 'Lemon Song' RED/PLUM Audio EX+/NMINT
£
108
$
143
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Description
LED ZEPPELIN II A2 / B2 Atlantic 58818 UK 1969 Red/Plum Label
This is one of the earlier second pressings on the red/plum label as denoted by the A2/B2 matrix. It has 'The Lemon Song' credit on the label as opposed to 'Killing Floor' which is on the later pressings.
588198 // A / 2 // 1 1 2 1
588198 // B / 2 // 1 3 2
The audio on S1 is Ex+ (Near Mint in many sections / track 5 is Ex- to Ex)
The audio on S2 is Near Mint (Mint- in many sections) / track 5 is Ex to Ex+)
The gatefold cover is Ex
The labels are Near Mint
The 'Plastic Bags...' inner sleeve is Ex+
Visual grading
This is a lovely looking vinyl that has been very well maintained down the decades and still retains a very credible glossy sheen. There are only a small number of faint sleeve removal hairlines and only one is what I would call obvious. They are superficial and have no affect on the audio and there are no scratches either. For such an early 'Lemon Song' pressing you will not find many better than this. There is also not very much spindle wear so has not been played excessively and the highly impressive audio certainly suggests that.
Play grading
'Whole Lotta Love' has barely any static on the intro and then plays with wonderful power and depth and not one single click or pop and certainly no skips. The strong bass sound is obvious from the first groove and the instrumental section plays with superb clarity and not one iota of interference. It is so clear and the sonic quality is stunning - it plays as clearly as the day it was first released. Wow! The very quiet 'way down inside...' vocal section has the absolute minimal amount of background static, hardly worth a mention really! Again it plays with great clarity and the remainder plays with superlative sound and only a light amount of static on the fade out. A truly superb version of this classic.
The quiet intro on 'What is and What Should Never Be' again plays so clearly with no intrusive 'background' and this continues throughout. The louder passages play incredibly well with no distortion and there is only a minor amount of mega light static in some of the quieter sections. It is very much in the background and is totally non-intrusive and there are no clicks or pops I hasten to add. This is a 'high end' version without doubt and there is barely any 'background' on the extended fade out.
'The Lemon Song' plays so cleanly from the get go with hardly any static background which is a rarity. This track plays with a wonderful rich and deep quality with only the odd mega quiet dust tick. The first guitar section in particular is stunning and has no distortion on the top end. Again the strong bass is prevalent and it is a hugely impressive listen. There is a little more static in the long bass section but again it is largely in the background and does not intrude on the audio quality in my opinion. Remember my ears are very close to the speakers! Once more there are no clicks or pops. The final end section 'rocks out' in superb style with only a little static on the fade out.
'Thank You' as any Led Zepp collector knows never plays as well as the preceding tracks on the red/plum pressings. The intro does play very clearly with only a hint of static in the background. There is a little more static in the first quiet section but I would not classify it as crackle. It then plays very clearly with the amount of static increasing half way through but again no clicks or pops. From the 'If the sun refused to shine...' line onwards there is light crackle but this is so common on this track. It is louder on the fade out/in/out section with 2/3 clicks also but this is vinyl and you expect some interference. Aside from the end section this track plays very well indeed.
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'Heart Breaker' has some minor static on the intro but then plays with great quality. The power and strong bass line is stunning and even the 'quieter' solo guitar section plays with sublime precision and barely any static, superb! It then 'rocks out' with such strength and clarity and there is no distortion on the top end at all. Rarely have I heard this classic play so impressively and the remainder plays to the same standard also. Easily Near Mint in my humble opinion.
What can I say about 'Livin' Lovin Maid'? This quite simply plays 'as new' there is no other way to describe it. I will grade as Mint- because it isn't sealed, I doubt if many red/plum A2/B2 pressings are!
The acoustic intro on 'Ramble On' is nigh on perfect and plays with such delicate precision with no 'background'. It continues in the same style with incredible sonic quality and separation and once more there is no distortion on the top end. A truly stunning version of this track. This is also one of the cleanest extended fade outs I have ever heard giving a great example of how well this vinyl has been preserved over the years. There is next to no static, absolutely superb!
The opening section on 'Moby Dick' plays with stunning quality. There is a minimal amount of static only during the drum section (very minimal!) and it remains a high quality listen. I played it twice and on the second playing there was barely any background - the needle providing a self-cleaning exercise which is common. So...the static is hardly worth a mention and I can also report that the end section plays with sublime quality also.
'Bring It On Home' has some light static on the intro but is non-intrusive and there are no clicks or pops. Once the guitar 'kicks in' the audio is very powerful but with a little distortion on the top level I would say. This is common on final tracks where the grooves are often pressed closer together so as to 'fit' the track on. This track always has some distortion on the red/plum pressings there is no escaping it! In my opinion you know what to expect so doesn't detract from the overall listen. The quiet end section has a little crackle but for a record of nearly 50 years it still plays very well - no clicks or pops!
The Gatefold
The E.J. Day gatefold is one of the cleanest I have seen in quite some time. Yes there is some light wear on the front cover but overall it is in excellent condition. The edges have only a little rubbing although there is a little more on the bottom edge of the front cover and only the bottom two corners have some rubbing/wear. The top two have hardly any wear. The opening edge has barely any handling wear either. The front cover has some light marking on the white section and one dull mark in the brown section below but is otherwise very clean. The back cover is in superb condition with only a couple of minor creases and one dull mark near the spine, it really is incredibly clean! The inside of the gatefold is in immaculate condition apart from one small mark bottom left. A lovely example of this iconic cover with only mild shelf wear.
Inner sleeve
The poly-lined 'Plastic Bags...' inner sleeve has no splits or tears, just some light creasing and age related fading on the top edge.
The Labels
There red//plum labels are in fantastic condition with no marking or writing and not too much spindle wear either.
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 1
588198 // B / 2 // 1 3 2
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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