LED ZEPPELIN IV A3/B4 VINYL RED/PLUM 'TOP' Credit *Stunning* AUDIO NMINT/MINT-
£
148
$
196
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Description
Led Zeppelin IV A3/B4 UK Red/Plum Label
This red/plum pressing plays with stunning, immaculate audio, the most impressive I have heard in a long time. The gatefold and inner are also in excellent condition.
There are about nine versions of the red/plum labels and whilst this isn't the first pressing as such it is clearly one of the early ones as it has the incorrect 'Top' credit on the S2 label.
PECKO DUCK and PORKY are etched into the dead wax on each side.
2401012 // A / 3 // 1 1 1 2 // Pecko Duck
2401012 // B / 4 // 1 1 3 // Porky
The audio on S1 is Mint- (track 4 is Near Mint)
The audio on S2 is Mint- (track 4 is Near Mint)
The gatefold is Ex+
The original inner sleeve is VG++
The labels are Near Mint-
Visual grading
This is a beautiful example of this iconic album and still has a fantastic glossy sheen. There is some spindle wear but not a great deal and this vinyl has definitely not been over-played, the stunning quality of the audio confirms that. All I can detect are a small number of faint hairlines with one more obvious one on S1 but it has no affect on the audio at all. There is just slight rise of the vinyl on one area when playing but it is so minor and I would not classify as a warp. This is a near pristine looking record the likes of which are rarely seen today and as detailed below the audio plays to an incredible standard.
Play grading
From the very first note 'Black Dog' plays with wonderful clarity. This brief intro has only a couple of mega quiet 'swish' sounds but they are literally so quiet they are barely audible. The remainder of the track is stunning with no interference at all. The power and depth is tangible and rarely have I heard this classic plays as 'cleanly' as this. Even the brief quiet sections have no static and there are certainly no clicks, pops or crackle. The end guitar solo is absolutely mind-blowing! There is no distortion and it plays with incredible definition plus there is no static etc on the fade out either. You could not wish to hear a better version and is Mint- I am confident in saying.
What can I say about 'Rock and Roll'? Quiet simply it plays 'as new' with no interference of any kind. There is no distortion on the top end and I have no hesitation in grading it as Mint- the quality is immaculate. The bass is so strong and the entire track performs to the highest standard possible.
The super quiet intro on 'The Battle of Evermore' plays impeccably well and with barely any static. No clicks or pops again! As it progresses the quality does not diminish in any way. So often this relatively quiet track will have some interference but that is not the case here. This is again pure Mint- audio at its very best and I am only using the minus because the album isn't sealed! The clarity here is so impressive, each note is so 'clear' with no muddiness to the sound whatsoever and again the fade out is nigh on perfect with only a couple of very gentle 'swish' sounds right at the end.
The intro on 'Stairway to Heaven' is very clean with barely any static although the quiet 'swish' sound can be heard every now and then. I reiterate it is so quiet and hardly intrusive in my opinion and there are only a couple that are a little louder. This classic opening section still plays with amazing clarity and again there is not a single click or pop. As the track builds this clarity continues with perhaps just a very minor hint of static on the top end. Believe me it is very minor and maybe not even worth a mention, it still plays superbly well! As soon as Bonham joins the scene on the 'If there's a bustle in your hedgerow...' verse the audio is 100% stunning and rarely have I heard this section play as impressively as this. It has wonderful depth and such a strong bass line, it plays 'as new'! As is always the case there is a little static distortion just prior to the guitar solo which then plays with incredible power and no distortion whatsoever. This audio is absolutely stunning! The final 'loud' verse almost always has distortion but uniquely there is just none here at all and I could not believe what I was hearing! This heavier section is undoubtedly the best I have ever heard and I have heard a lot! It is just so powerful and is again 'as new'. The quiet end vocal is also very with barely any 'background' which is a rarity. Summing it up despite a few mega gentle swish sounds on the intro this is easily one of the most impressive version of this timeless classic I have ever had the pleasure in listening to on an early red/plum pressing.
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'Misty Mountain Hop' plays superbly from the word go with no interference. For fear of repeating myself the quality is as per S1, just pure sublime audio. There is no distortion on the top end and it plays with a real dynamic range and power throughout. I never over-grade, it is not in my interests to do so, but this is perfect Mint- audio and again the fade out is without fault. Stunning!
'Four Sticks' plays with the same immaculate quality and every groove plays 'as new' and you can't say that that about many red/plum pressings! The bass is so strong here and the mid instrumental is just phenomenal. From the first note to the last this is audio of the highest calibre. The clarity and strength just could not be any better.
'Going to California' is another incredible highlight and plays beautifully throughout. For a relatively quiet track the clarity is immaculate and there is just no 'background' at all. I am running of superlatives for this album as if you can't tell! This plays as 'clean' as the day when released back in '71. I cannot praise it highly enough, it 100% stunning!
As any Led Zepp fan knows 'When the Levee Breaks' always has some distortion so I am pleased to say there is very little here and it is without doubt one of the strongest versions I have ever heard. This track can often be almost unlistenable due to the distortion but that is obviously not the case here and you can safely turn it up to maximum! In fact the more I listen to it the more I am impressed by it! There is perhaps just a little more distortion on the final third but I don't want to over-exaggerate it. It is very minor and not at all intrusive. It plays with wonderful power and grades as Near Mint although perhaps a Mint- grade would be a fairer assessment as any distortion is due to the pressing process and not because of any audio deterioration. This is a breathtaking version and provides a spectacular finale to this iconic album.
In summary this is a final upgrade archive red/plum pressing of that I have no doubt. There is barely any 'background' and there is not one single click or pop, how rare is that?! The clarity and sonic quality is 'high end' and each track plays with incredible definition and as stated it is so rare for 'When The Levee Breaks' to play so cleanly. The vinyl is in near pristine condition and has obviously been so well preserved down the years. It has not been over-played and that is just one reason why it plays with such wonderful clarity and depth. What makes this even more collectable is that it comes complete with a lovely gatefold and whilst the lyric inner does have one split it is very clean. A stunning 'package' overall.
The Gatefold
This is one of the cleanest LZ IV gatefolds I have seen in a long time. It has very little shelf wear and remains in lovely condition. The edges have only minor rubbing and the spine is in great shape with only very minor wear on the corners. The other corners are in great order apart from the one at the base of the back cover which has a very small split on the bottom edge - hardly noticeable! The opening edge has hardly any handling wear which gives further evidence that the vinyl has only been lightly played. The front and back cover are so beautifully clean and they are so rarely seen as good as this today. Plus the inside of the gatefold is immaculate with no fading or marking. A fantastic example of this iconic cover.
Inner sleeve
This does have a split on the bottom edge but is clearly one of the cleanest ones you will find today. They are so often badly ripped or torn and marked but this is not like that! Apart from the one split it is in lovely condition with no creasing and the only mark you can see is where some tape initially held the bottom edges together. Made of thin paper these are hardly ever seen with no side splits, I have only seen a couple in the last 3/4 years!
The labels
The colours on the red/plum labels are still vibrant and strong. The S2 label has one very small 'white' mark on the text around the edge. Other than that they are very clean with no writing and not too much spindle wear.
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
2401012 // A / 3 // 1 1 1 2 // Pecko Duck
2401012 // B / 4 // 1 1 3 // Porky
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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