LED ZEPPELIN - debut album PLUM/RED UK 1ST PRESS EX 1968 ATLANTIC 588171

	£		142
	$		188

Debut album

ATLANTIC

1st Press UK

 1968 Ultra Heavy vinyl

This auction is for a supreme copy of the very first album Zep ever did. . Machined First UK press matrices:   the earliest possible issue and according to the mother stampers this copy is one of the very first issued in the first few days. A//1    1 3  4 1   and B//4   1  1  1 . These earliest mothers indicate a first week of issue of this very rare debut LP!

It’s well-documented that Led Zeppelin faced album reviews that ranged from apathy to repugnance when they first came out.  Consumer opinion far outpaced critical opinion in terms of predicting the band’s success and lasting legacy.  Listening to their first self-titled album with fresh ears is pretty much impossible at this point, but I still can’t help but wonder what raised the ire of the rock establishment so much?  The biggest issue always seemed to be their appropriation of the blues, which is certainly something they did.  However, they at least reinterpreted the music back in a new way, which is far more than can be said of the critically-lauded work of the Animals or the early Rolling Stones, who played it pretty straight with the tunes they covered.  Was it the appropriation that was offensive, or some perceived lack of reverence?  I would suggest the latter, which is a bit silly, since the band was clearly fond of Howlin’ Wolf, Robert Johnson and the others who they borrowed from.  They just realized that playing a Robert Johnson song the way Robert Johnson played it, apart from being practically impossible from a technical standpoint, would be pointless and redundant.  Should they have credited their sources when they used the material?  Absolutely.  But that doesn’t diminish the accomplishment of what they did with the material, and is certainly doesn’t make them talentless imitators. 

None of which actually describes how I feel about Led Zeppelin, of course, but I always found the complete reversal of critical opinion, and subsequent canonization of the band, somewhat fascinating.  Hindsight’s 20/20 and all that, I suppose.  Anyway, 40 years after the fact (40 years!!!!), the album still holds up.  The strongest tracks are the opener and closer.  In fact, “Good Times, Bad Times” is a contender for the best first song in a band’s catalogue, ever.  Right from the start, four distinct voices come through clearly.  Robert Plant, love him or hate him, became the prototypical rock singer.  Jimmy Page, I’ve always thought, is rated a little highly as a straight guitarist, but as a merchant of riffs he’s unparalleled.  John Paul Jones, like all great rock bass-players not named Claypool or Burton, deserves more credit than he gets for his supple and versatile grooves.  John Bonham, far from the most talented rock & roll drummer, is easily the best rock & roll drummer.  He’s not as fast as Moon or Mitchell, not as technical as Pert or Palmer, but he brings thunder like he’s Zeus atop Mount Olympus.  Most importantly, though, the band doesn’t fool around with hippie shit, there’s no Bob Dylan covers, no attempts to be clever or silly; there’s just rock & roll, birthed from blues and folk, pure and unadulterated.  Maybe that’s why critics had a hard time adjusting to them in 1969. (From: rateyourmusic.com)

Vinyl: EX.  A sensational  only very lightly played vinyl. Only about 5 % of all Zep vinyls are found in such fantastic condition.

Both surfaces retain their original deep, glossy sheen.  There are a couple of the usual sleeve retraction paper scuff traces just visible under a very strong light. Even these are barely visible. There are no marks or hairlines - the record sounds sensational. Beautiful labels and here it can be seen that the LP has been clearly looked after by a careful owner who valued his records and stored them at the right temperature and humidity level.

 Outstanding audio delivery in all respects with a crystal clear, deep, rich, warm and detailed sound and on playback at a loud volume (which is how I always listen to my LPs prior to listing and it's always an immense pleasure to return to this one) there is barely any surface noise. I have played the LP in full on my Linn Sondek/Rotel/ B&W system. This is a beautifully clean pressing (and I must emphasise again how difficult it is to find a copy which plays this well). The whole LP sounds absolutely fantastic and plays to a high standard with superb clarity, no groove-wear and no distortion and is very strictly graded a strong EX for audio  - great archive copy!! Of course, NO skips, NO jumps, NO ticks etc.

  Sleeve: EX+.  Extremely hard to find this sleeve without any issues and this one is indeed in supreme condition without any damage or tears etc. The lamination is just fantastically glossy like it was just bought over the counter. There are no major creases, just the mini underlaminate  creases as seen in the picture to the rear opening. Splendid unworn edges and a super crisp opening. The spine is 100%. It will be impossible to find this sleeve in such archiveable condition very soon and it will please most EX collectors without a shadow of a doubt.

Important : International postage will be registered and insured if over GBP 30.00.  These fees in England have gone up significantly last May. Please wait for my invoice before paying. Postage will be according to Royal Mail rates. Postage is NOT a money spinning exercise for me.

***This is a unique prime investment opportunity!!! Finding this classic album in any condition at all is nearly impossible!!! This is  a great and seriously collectable super album!!  You will buy into a piece of  superb prog history.*** 

This is a unique investment opportunity!!! The next prog album to go completely through the roof. Finding this album in any condition at all is nearly impossible so late in the day. Get this while you still can. This value of the album is only going to go one way ... up and up ... until it will be totally unavailable at all for a reasonable price.

Important : International postage will be registered and insured if over GBP 20.00.  Please wait for my invoice before paying. Postage will be according to Royal Mail rates. Postage is NOT a money spinning exercise for me.

Though there are rarely ever any problems with my items, I always try my very best to describe everything exactly!  PLEASE REMEMBER to contact me FIRST,  if you have any problems at all, before you leave feedback and star ratings, so I get a chance to turn any negative experience into a positive one!  I can always happily sort anything out for you, if you let me know you have a problem!  This way no one has to leave Negative/Neutral feedback - and we both walk away happy! Similarly with the amount of stars, anything less than a full 5 * rating is effectively detrimental to a seller's rating as lower ratings will incur higher Final Value Fees  and lower priority in the bidlists eventually making it unattractive to list items on Ebay at all. I know of at least one major previous Ebay seller who has decided not to list via Ebay again. Please do NOT bid if you cannot give me at least 1 chance to sort everything out to your FULL satisfaction in the unlikely event of a problem.  Thanks again!!

This an excellent investment opportunity!!! Any questions please ask me and I will try to answer soon.