LED ZEPPELIN II UK Atlantic Plum Killing Floor EX++ LP

	£		78
	$		103

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality Music to the World

Please see my Detailed Packing Description Further Down & All Shipping Costs and Options – NOTE: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment.

Artist or Band: LED ZEPPELIN

Album Title: Led Zeppelin II

Producer: Jimmy Page.

Executive Producer: Peter Grant.

Label/Format: Atlantic – red and maroon (‘plum’) format. This second pressed example has ‘Killing Floor’ on the labels that replaced ‘The Lemon Song’ for legal reasons. (Please see my label scans).

Label Conditions: Both in beautiful clean conditions. Strong, rich and vibrant colour and clearly hardly handled or likely played, reitterated by fantastic clean sound. Even the hole rims are pristine and unchipped or even discoloured, the fit remains very tight on my LP12 spindle. Spindle marks are light and very fine. The matt surfaces don’t even show any finger mark traces, these classic ‘plums’ rarely get seen better than this. Along with the superb 'LZ III' I am currently offering, this also came from the lovely collection of albums recently purchased. Most played hardly at all or at least, very sparingly. All owned from new by the same person and played on a quality system.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Whole Lotta Love; What Is and What Should Never Be; Killing Floor (The Lemon Song); Thank You.

Side 2: Heartbreaker; Livin’ Lovin’ Maid (Shes just a Woman); Ramble On; Moby Dick; Bring It On Home.

Cat Number: 588198.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Warps: Assume all records I offer have no warping of any significance and all tracking is easy and effortless and should play on all turntables and even ‘budget’ decks.

Weight of this Record: 132 grams. A very good average weight for this album.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Original Year of Release: 1969. Although this is not a very first pressing it’s a very strong copy and plays with nigh-on perfect sound. This is the earliest ‘Killing Floor’ copy I have seen and it sounds absolutely fantastic.

Rarity: Over time, I have found ‘Killing Floor’ copies harder to find than ‘Lemon Song’ ones. This is not really a rare album and that is being honest, it simply sold in vast amounts but like Beatles and Stones albums, it is really difficult to find top copies. The vinyl is so often played into submission, heavily marked, scratched and with noisy, poor and distorted sound – all common traits of a well played copy on less than sympathetic equipment. When any Plum example shows with a record in this type of condition, that plays practically perfectly, it does become much rarer. This record has breathtaking sound, it could be argued fractionally less rich as the very first pressing but only the most sensitive listener on the mega-fi systems would notice any major discernible difference. What is certain, any plum copy will blow away the orange and green pressings that followed in 1971 and beyond. Also remember the cover, it’s one of the most difficult one to find with no wear, even modestly worn examples are scarce and this one is very nice indeed, not perfect, but one of the best of the correct mid-browns I have yet seen. This unsympathetic colour simply wears and rubs almost by looking at it. Highly intolerant of handling or abuse, this rubs and ringwears so easily and is rarely seen without it. Also there are three distinct differences in the covers related to the pressings. The very first has a very pale brown cover, the second, as per this, has a more mid brown finish. The later ones, with the K- Kinney number has an intense deep brown cover. Beware of substitutions, this slightly darker mid-brown cover here is correct and original for this copy. I consider a plum LZ II in this type of condition very scarce.

Matrix Nos: 588198 A 2 420 1 8 1 5 & 588198 B // 4 1 1 2

Musicians: Robert Plant – Jimmy Page – John Paul Jones – John Bonham.

Album Information: For many the greatest rock album of all time - a monumental and evergreen classic. Without any doubt, ‘Whole Lotta Love’ remains the definitive heavy rock anthem ever made. The album justifiably charted at Number 1 in the UK and US. After the raw brilliance of the heavy blues rock of their debut, ‘II’ expands the horizons still further. Page, Plant, Jones and Bonham rarely ever sounded better than on this massive issue. All rock fans and collectors will know this album well already – it’s content is legendary and it simply refuses to age or it’s ‘classic’ status diminish. This is one of the ‘Most Wanted’ albums ever issued, and so it should be. This is the very first pressed ‘second issue’ and original version with the ‘Killing Floor’ song title replacing ‘The Lemon Song’ due to legal reasons (the song remains the same, of course) although the cover bizarrely still carried the original song title which seems to make little sense. Of course, the track is still exactly the same for playing. This is a fantastic record and it sounds marvellous with amazing audio reproduction and this played at volume on a very revealing system. Can you imagine the reaction if any band made an album of this quality and stature these days? - it’s hardly likely is it? - no wonder music connoisseurs still choose to listen to music from the golden era where quality musicians and song-writing has never been matched or surpassed. Enjoy this masterwork with all the sonic power and elegance an ultra clean, little played early pressed vinyl record has to offer, this captures and retains it all.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: Very High++. ‘Perfect’ examples are nigh-on impossible to find these days.

Cover Condition and Details: EXCELLENT: and in context of how wear-prone it is, arguably better with the main faces, including spine in very attractive and little worn conditions. An unlamianted gatefold format with matt smooth surfaces. The second printing mid-brown type and still never tolerant of over-handling, bad storage or any abuse. Attractiveness and longevity was very limited unless kept in ‘cottonwool’. Printed by E. J. Day and Co London. Please study the pictures, decide for yourself what this is like compared to most seen, my pictures do not lie, there are no digital clean ups ever used on any of my graphics – what you see is what you get. Sometimes my camera flash can actually over-emphasise any mild surface marks or blemishes.

Cover Front: A few light surface marks – some ultra faint diagonal parallel lines near the top right corner. These are only just seen under angled light and almost certainly a manufacture blemish, possibly a finishing gripper – totally invisible with normal viewing. The only minor rubbing is seen on the very edges and corner tips, but very little present at all. The main surface looks very nice indeed and has barely any creasing, fading or rubbing. The lack of ring marks and grubbiness is a huge bonus as is the absence of any price sticker marks for which this very matt suface is highly intolerant. A few ultra fine hairlines and the odd tiny press mark, but finding this mid-brown cover front much better will prove hard.

Cover Back: Even harder to find in decent condition due to severe ringwear problems – this is one of the very best I have seen regardless of its shade. A little scuffing near the centre of the left (opening) edge with a tiny few very light marks or odd semi- thumb-crease or two. When many are seen with deep penetrating ringwear to the large area of single colour brown, the nigh-on total lack of any on here is a massive bonus – and what a difference it really makes.

Cover Gatefold Inner: One or two tiny light marks and a couple of very small surface chips near the bottom or the right edge (look hard). Little else to really fault.

Top Edges: The odd small chip and some very light and faint patchy rubbing. More moderate near the corner areas.

Bottom Edges: Light patchy rubbing on the back, moderate and patchy on the front. These traditional storage edges seldom escape some rubbing even if the cover has been respectively looked-after for over 40 years.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, very sharp, practically unworn apart from the light chipping on the back centre – a very small area in context. Record entered on the back edge and both are guaranteed untrimmed.

Spine and Text: A really strong spine too and that is unusual as well, this being one of the thicker ones I have seen. Solid, clean, straight, any compression to this is neglible. Folded squarely, meaning the edges meet up close and neat, making a real difference to the general appearance for the more discerning collector. Showing hardly any wear, ageing or discolour, practically all ink intact with no rubbing or damage up to the very ends that have small rubs. All the delicate text fully intact and present, bold, clear and totally uneroded or worn (as seen on my picture). Even the actual folds show barely any rubbing and that is quite unusual, with so many eroded and threadbare, what a refreshing change to see a LZ II spine looking like this.

Corners: Some chipping or mild rubbing to the very top and bottom of the spine. The four right corners have more moderate rubbing which again is seldom avoided. Fine to very fine shape is largely retained.

Cover Summary: A classic cover in very fine condition overall. Edge and corner rubbing is immensely hard to avoid, but with the main areas looking clean and attractive, this is way better than average and many. if not most collectors will enjoy it. The highly discerning or perfectionists will have to still seek the near impossible.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT(-): a Polydor style lined inner that is date-coded 1070. Only a little aged with a corner crease (bottom right), any others are mild and light. Both window circles are crisp to very crisp and the lining ultra clear and practically devoid of crinkle. All edges unsplit and any discolour modestly light.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(++): very clean and retains an intense black finish with with a lovely shine and is solidly pressed. Complex, well patterned grooves, telling vinyl ‘readers’ it has the most incredible potential sound quality and thunderous dynamics – and it certainly does. Any ‘Plum’ example of this landmark recording in such conditions is the exceptional rather than the rule. Any surface marks are few, mostly very fine and faint and this has been played very little and when so, on top quality equipment. That is what makes the real difference. Early Plum copies of this one infrequently show up clearly so little played or looking better.

Album Played For Grading: Yes. [I play ALL records I offer before submitting to Ebay, also the record is played in its entirety unless clearly stated otherwise. I do NOT play snippets or joining grooves to check for sound quality and quietness – I play from the beginning to end via clinically revealing B&W speakers that include the legendary tweeter from their awesome Nautilus range that reveals every blemish or minuscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality: This excellent copy plays even above it’s high visual grading with practically nothing to fault. As stated it has amazing sound quality and this is not an easy recording. A roller coaster ride in volume and quiet passages. This has immensely powerful clean sound and is totally devoid of groove-wear distortion. ‘Thank You’, easily the most difficult song on the album, plays beautifully. So prone to distortion and crackle, not here and the fade-in and out at the end is ultra quiet and has practically nothing unwanted – few will better this significantly. The last few seconds often seen and heard scratched due to the false ending that caught out many first-time listeners when first heard. Premature lifting of the arm and sometimes catching those last few fine grooves as the music returns again. The intro to ‘Bring it on Home’ often causes problems too, but again plays superbly. Overall sound quality is astonishing with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound and has little unwanted. A complex album with some monumental sound, all remained focused and sharp. The grooves are very clean and this record is a gateway into the recording studio itself. Few copies will match or outperform this earliest ‘Killing Floor’ pressing significantly I feel sure. I feel certain this record has been played lightly and carefully handled with lovely clean playing surfaces and stored within a non-smokers environment. A one-owner-from-new copy, like most others from this collection, very impressive. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record. This copy will prove very difficult to find significantly better overall and is strongly recommended.

The Zeppelin Hi-Fi Experience: This proves beyond any doubt, not that there was any doubt anyway, that an original vinyl record will blow away any other format (and I am rather partial those those wonderful Japanese card format CDs these days played on a dedicated digital system). The sound on this album is simply awesome and I use the word in it’s true context because this simply takes the breath away. If anybody has not heard a plum pressed Led Zeppelin II they have not really heard it at all. This will shake the foundations (and damn near did), the inherent power, scale, drama, dynamics, detail and stereo imagery are phenomenal and give that rare tingle factor only the truly great recordings ever can. Listen to that massive ‘slam’ on ‘Whole Lotta Love’ and the channel-to-channel guitar pyrotechnics, this is hi-fi nirvana. It was fascinating watching my Ittok arm and Ortofon tracking this complex record. The drum parts on ‘Moby Dick’ have such realism the kit could have almost been in the room. Complete silence is almost unrealistic for any vintage copy of this demanding title – but this copy has little to fault, if absolute silence is demanded best stick to the silver disc format, but you will miss out on a sound experience of a lifetime. The colossal low frequency on ‘Whole Lotta Love’ will test any amp and speakers to the limit and the sound can simply saturate on even mid-priced systems. I rememberi hearing this album back in the 70s at an exhibition in London through a pair of Linn Isobarik speakers using a Naim six-pack active amp set up with a Linn LP 12 front-end deck (well at least I still have that part). This left an impression of sheer awe, that took the breath away. The sounds embedded into the early ‘Plum’ grooves are amazing and will never be replicated or beaten by any other later pressing or format. Now I am again a LP12 owner, I really turned up the volume again and let this go – I can never resist this on a worthy copy (and this is more than just worthy). This will sort out the real hi-fi systems, because many systems simply fall apart trying to control the sound on this one. A worthy amp and speaker system is almost mandatory to control the bass dynamics on this album - tin boxes will surrender almost immediately. Do not play this record on a less than worthy turntable. With my amps running hot, the bass thunders and growls, the drums and cymbals crash and zing, the guitars splinter into a frenzy and Plants vocals rarely ever sounded more sublime than on this wonderous record - yes I rather like this album, who wouldn’t?

End Piece: The word ‘essential’ and ‘classic’ are both overused (I too am guilty sometimes when offering a beautiful condition piece for a favourite title), but I make no apology for using them for this groundbreaking (and earth-shattering) album. Timeless vintage blues-rock the likes that will never be equalled. Now the reunion concert has come and gone, remind yourself what the boys sounded like back in 1969. If they sounded half as good as this monumental album, it would have been be a good night. This is a high grading above excellent all round copy and it’s one I can strongly recommend to all, don’t lose this one.

Now one of the most established sellers on Ebay and still offering the finest and most accurately described and graded records I can find. I pride myself on offering a variety of genres to keep my site as interesting as possible. I will rarely offer any record that falls below a true Excellent grading, unless its of a certain rarity which will justify offering a lesser grade. I try, to the best of my ability to describe as accurately and as honesty as I can all items I offer for sale with all the relevant information I can think of to help any potential bidder and collector. You may notice I only submit records sparingly on Ebay - on average ONEADAY, a couple more at weekends if time permits, hence the name - time rarely allows for more as I Play-Grade virtually every record I offer in their entirety, not just bits to guess a grade - visuals alone do not always tell a true or full story. I will mention any defects or flaws no matter how small that I notice to be fair as possible to any interested collector – I am very fussy and my buyers have the right to be too. Every record I offer, whether it be a common or rare item deserves the same respect as far as I am concerned and will be treated the same - just because an item is rare does not always mean its good. I get just as much pleasure offering a relatively common record in stunning near mint condition as the real rare items. All the pictures I use for your guidance are taken with a digital camera or scanned - they are NOT improved, cleaned-up or made better looking than they are with camera trickery or enhancing with digital programmes. What you see is what you get and scanned labels will give a more accurate representation of the genuine colour than flash photography where light is variable. I cannot guarantee total accuracy for colours however but most will be very close. If any picture I take looks more flattering than the actual item for any reason, I will clearly state the fact in the advert and vice-versa. I hope the item below is to your liking - any questions can be emailed and I will do my very best to answer you. I am enthusiastic, and have a fair degree of knowledge about many genres and I promise quality items - bid with confidence - excellence comes as standard and so does Near Mint regularly. Please assume all records I offer have NO jumps, sticks, warps or writing on covers or labels unless clearly stated to the contrary. Thanks for your interest and Good luck – MIKE.

Deck: Linn LP12/Hercules/Cirkus with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Rondo Red moving coil cartridge (tracks at 2 grams). Amps: Naim Nait 5i with Project USB phono stage and Chord interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired with QED Silver terminated cable). All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional VPI-17 vacuum machine before play-grading for the cleanest and best possible sound and will include a brand new lined inner and protective cover too. Pictures taken with a Nikon D5000 SLR Digital Camera.

PACKING - THIS IS WHAT YOU GET.

What You Get: To confirm to the strict Ebay rules on shipping, I must now send ALL my packets ‘Signed-For’ with NO exceptions. Both buyers and sellers want their packets to have a safer journey and this is not a bad thing.

I now offer the fastest possible posting, often the very next day after payment is received or within two to three days maximum (unless on holiday). I only use FIRST-CLASS Mail. The record’s cover will be placed within a BRAND NEW soft protective sleeve and the actual record will be professionally cleaned on my new VPI-17 Pro vacuum system to give ultimate clean grooves and playing surfaces and the best possible looks and ultimate sound quality. You will NOT get tired, dull looking, dust infested records inside worn and foggy covers with tatty inners from this seller and that’s a promise and guarantee. All records are posted in professional boxes (NOT Mailers, these do not offer any real protection). The record(s) are REMOVED from their main cover to avoid edge splits and placed within a brand new polylined inner. The record’s original inner will be included if available. The boxes are then reinforced with at least TWO, ULTRA THICK stiffeners for maximum extra protection – these are FOUR TIMES thicker than commercial stiffeners and are custom-made for oneadayrecords. Really rare and expensive albums will even be Double Boxed if deemed necessary and possible. When larger boxes are used, the thick record and stiffener ‘sandwich’ is then thickly embedded into bubble-wrap to bulk out the record inside the box to centre the item inside to reduce the risk of damage still further. Printed address labels are used for clarity as well as a sender label. Customers requests or special needs for P&P will be respected if at all possible but ‘Signed-For’ posting is NOT an option anymore. I do not profit on posting and the cost of this lavish packing is NOT even charged for, I offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible for ultimate confidence. The boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffeners and bubble wrap make a near impregnable fortress for safe shipping and this is used inland and overseas for ALL my records, not just the rare and expensive. I will invoice any winning bidder as soon as possible after the auction ends. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is less than one in two thousand based on over 7,000+ items sold in nearly 10 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional. The only damage rate acceptable for this seller is ZERO and I think my packets will offer just that. It would take a vicious postman or postal service to damage these for sure. Even one of these stiffeners cannot be bent by hand, so what chance 3 or 4 inside a box? Oneadayrecords is a MAILER-FREE ZONE. I discount of course for multiple purchases with a maximum of FIVE records per box (one double can sometimes be included subject to total weight). I will not respond to questions on shipping costs as all the details are included here and on ALL of my adverts. Details below:

NOTE: First Time Bidders: Please as me first.

PLEASE NOTE: I now exercise my right to open a dispute after the Ebay rule of FOUR days if no payment is received. I will then cancel the dispute to end the, again after the mandatory FOUR days and then offer the item to the runner-up or relist. The non-payer will also be blocked from my Ebay site and they take the Ebay consequences (a strike or removal from the system). Small businesses need prompt payment to trade and these strict rules WILL be applied.

SHIPPING COSTS & CONDITIONS – THESE comply with EBAY’S RULES - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY:

Posting & Packing: UK & CHANNEL ISLANDS all now sent via Recorded Delivery:

1 LP (FIRST-CLASS Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £4.

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7.50. (this includes insurance of £500). Add £2 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA. (Airmail Only):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£46 maximum]) = £10. (Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3). Add £3 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (ANY PART OF); South America; New Zealand; Australia; Canada; Japan and other Far East; (Airmail Only: I NEVER use Surface Mail):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£46 maximum]) = £14. Add £4 per extra LP. (Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3)

Payment Conditions:

I prefer PayPal or cheque from UK winning bidders. I can accept PayPal from overseas bidders or direct payment into my bank account.

Potential Bidders: I will cancel any bids I feel are time-wasters. A maximum 3 days for communication and 7 days for payment to arrive - if not I will relist the item or offer to the runner-up. Fast deals get great feedback from me. Any questions - please ask and thanks for looking.

My Guarantee: If any winning bidder is not satisfied with their purchase I will offer a complete refund. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer, so read the item description carefully. If any overseas collector does not understand anything in my listing, please email and ask me to help. Thank You.

SOME GENERAL GUIDES TO WEAR AND CONDITIONS TO HELP YOU DECIDE

My Use of Description Terminology: Surface Marks = Superficial, usually light marks, hairlines or light scuffs that rarely sound. Scratch = a needle mark that goes below the record’s surface, some will sound, some will not, my play-grade will inform. Original = a record that has been pressed with the first label design which does NOT necessarily mean a very first pressed record. First Pressing = A record that I believe or know to be a genuine very first pressed record. I do not claim to always know for sure, and that’s why I state the stamper and matrix numbers if at all possible, for those who claim to know what they all mean, the information is there for the collector to decide. I prefer to use terms like ‘Early Copy’ rather than ‘First Pressing’ if I am not totally sure. Surface Sound = Mild, light sound, usually light crackle or similar. Distortion = Break up of the actual sound caused by groove wear or damage from a chipped stylus – the most undesirable form of unwanted sound, vintage mono records were the most prone to this happening but not exclusively so. The symptoms of distortion are high frequency clipping, moderate constant crackle or an echo type sound quality. Violin, piano and vocals are most prone to groove-wear distortion. Feathering = Fraying or softening of the entry edge of a cover. Covers with feathered entrance edges are more likely to have had the actual record inserted and removed more than a non-feathered, sharp-edged cover which are always far more attractive. Set Off, actually a printer’s term for dark ink leaving mild residue on pale or white ink when rested upon. e.g. when a gatefold cover has black ink closed against white, this can leave some black residue on the pale area – this is mostly unavoidable or course.

The Argument for Vinyl Original sound and mix (mono mixes are rarely available on CD), high quality sound on clean copies (played on a hi-end dedicated analogue system – breathtaking sound!), beautiful, large format covers, artwork, inserts and even full size posters etc; huge investment potential, and the pleasure of owning ‘the real thing’.