Led Zeppelin 4 SYMBOLS ZOSO RED/ PLUM UK LP 1ST MINT-

	£		106
	$		140

LED ZEPPELIN - 4

IN MAGNIFICENT 2 PLAY CONDITION

ORIGINAL RED AND PLUM ATLANTIC PRESS

• CATALOGUE:ATLANTIC  2401012
• MATRIX: 2401012 ** A//3  1.1.1  2401012 B//4 12 5
• SIDE ONE DEAD WAX HAS 'PECKO DUCK' ETCHED INTO THE DEAD WAX, SIDE 2 HAS 'PORKY' ETCHED INTO THE DEAD WAX

I WANTED TO SPEND A LITTLE TIME ON THE SUBJECT OF AN ALL ORIGINAL PRESS. WHAT I MEAN BY THIS IS THAT OVER TIME SLEEVES AND INNERS HAVE BEEN SWAPPED ON ZEPPELIN ALBUMS TO THE POINT THAT IF YOU DO NOT KNOW HOW TO IDENTIFY AN ORIGINAL ISSUE, YOU MAY WELL END UP WITH A HYBRID, NORMALLY A RED AND PLUM ALBUM IN A GREEN AND ORANGE LABEL'S SLEEVE. SO HOW TO TELL

WELL FIRSTLY THE SLEEVE ON THE ORIGINAL PRESS WAS MADE OF A SLIGHTLY THICKER CARD AND THEREFORE SOMEWHAT STRONGER. IF YOU LOOK ON THE INSIDE OF THE SLEEVE THE ORIGINAL CARD IS SLIGHTLY A LIGHTER SHADE OF BROWN THAN THAT OF THE LATER PRESSES, BUT MOST OBVIOUS IS THE FACT THAT ON THE ORIGINAL ISSUES THE SLEEVE WAS UNLAMINATED, WHEREAS THE LATER SLEEVES WERE SLIGHTLY GLOSSY AND HAVE A SMOOTH FINISH TO THEM

IN ADDITION THE INNER SLEEVE OF THE ORIGINAL PRESS IS EASY TO TELL FROM LATER VERSIONS BY THE FACT THAT IT HAS FLIPBACKS,WHEREAS THE LATER ISSUES DO NOT. THERE IS ALSO A COLOUR VARIANCE WITH THE ORIGINALS BEING A DARKER GREY

THIS IS A PROPER FIRST ISSUE SET

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

THE RED AND PLUM LABELS ARE IN TOP CONDITION. BOTH BASE COLOURS ARE RICH AND VIBRANT, AND THE WHITEBAND IS STILL WHITE AND NOT SOILED AT ALL. THE BLACK TYPEFACE IS UNRUBBED AND PERFECTLY LEGIBLE. FINALLY THERE ARE JUST 2 TINY SPIDER LINES CLOSE TO THE SPINDLE HOLE SHOWING THAT THIS SUPERB VINYL HAS JUST HAD THE 2 PLAYS

THE VINYL

THE HEAVYWEIGHT VINYL IS IN MAGNIFICENT CONDITION. IT HAS RETAINED ALL OF IT'S ORIGINAL SHEEN. IT LOOKS AS GOOD AS THE DAY IT WAS PRESSED. THERE ARE NO MARKS OR BLEMISHES ON THE SURFACE, AND EVEN WHEN PUT UP TO INTENSE ILLUMINATION THERE IS NOTHING TO SEE APART FROM A COUPLE OF TINY TINY WISPS.

PLAYING THE RECORD

I BELIEVE THAT IF YOU ARE GOING TO SPEND YOUR MONEY ON A FANTASTIC COLLECTIBLE VINYL, THAT YOU SHOULD BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR WHAT YOU ARE BUYING. I HAVE THEREFORE INVESTED IN THE SOFTWARE THAT ALLOWS YOU TO DO JUST THAT.

I HAVE DECIDED TO RECORD THE ENTIRE ALBUM FOR YOU TO LISTEN TO BEFORE DECIDING TO MAKE A BID. THIS TAKES AGES TO UPLOAD BUT I FEEL IT IS WORTH IT TO GIVE POTENTIAL BIDDERS THE BEST CHOICE POSSIBLE, SO TAKE A GOOD LISTEN TO THE WHOLE OF THIS SUPERB ZEPPELING ALBUM. TRACKS 1 AND 2 ARE ON THE FIRST SOUNDBITE, 3 AND 4 HAVE THEIR OWN BITES, THEN SIDE 2 HAS TRACKS 1 ND 2 ON THE SAME SOUNDBITE, AND 3 AND 4 ARE ON THE LAST ONE. THAT MAKES 5 RECORDINGS IN ALL TO CAPTURE THE 8 TRACKS

I WAS STAGGERED AT THE CLARITY OF THIS ALBUM. IT IS PURE FIRST PRESS, AND THE INTRODUCTION TO 'ROCK AND ROLL' IS JUST INCREDIBLE

I HEARD A COUPLE OF TINY DUST POPS THROUGHOUT THE PLAY, AND THE ODD BIT OF BARELY AUDIBLE STATIC IN A COUPLE OF THE LINKING GROOVES, BUT THIS LP PLAYS TO THE BEST POSSIBLE STANDARD. THE REPRODUCTION BEING SECOND TO NONE.

I AM MORE THAN HAPPY TO GRADE THIS DISC MINT MINUS

THE SLEEVE

 UNLAMINATED STRONG CARDED ORIGINAL ISSUE SLEEVE. THE FRONT SURFACE IS FLAT AND CLEAN AND HAS NO HEAVY CREASES OR CREASE LINES THERE ARE NO SMALL LINES DOWN THE SPINE OR ON THE PERIMETER EDGES EITHER. THERE IS SOME VERY VERY MILD TRACES OF SHELF WEAR TO THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES IN THE FORM OF RUBBING, WHERE THE COLOUR HAS WORN AWAY FROM THE CARD IN SOME SPOTS. THE SPINE IS NEAR PERFECT. FLAT AND CLEAN AND ONLY THE VERY TIPS HAVE A TOUCH OF SHELF WEAR.

 THE OPENING EDGE IS STILL RAZOR SHARP, SHOWING JUST HOW LITTLE THIS RECORD HAS BEEN OUTSIDE OF THE COVER.

. THE REAR SURFACE WHILST AGAIN IS UNCREASED, IT IS EVERYBIT AS BRILLIANT AS THE FRONT. ALSO WORTH POINTING OUT THAT NEITHER THE FRONT OR THE BACK HAS ANY SIGN OF RING WEAR, OR EVEN RECORD SHAPE.

OPENING THE GATEFOLD REVEALS A PRISTINE INNER SURFACE THAT HAS NO COLOUR LOSS AND NO CREASES.

THE ORIGINAL INNER SLEEVE IS INCLUDED, WITH THE FLIPBACKS. IT HAD AT SOME POINT BEEN TAPED ALONG THE BOTTOM EDGE BY THE ORIGINAL OWNER. I AM NOT CERTAIN IF IT HAD SPLIT OR WHETHER THIS WAS JUST A PRECAUTION, AS NEITHER OF THE TWO SIDE SEAMS HAVE SPLIT. ANYWAY THE RECORD HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE INNER TO ENSURE NOTHING HAPPENS TO IT, AND THE LP IS NOW HOUSED IN A NEW POLY LINED INNER. THE ORIGINAL INNER THEREFORE DOES HAVE A TAPE MARK ALONG THE BOTTOM EDGE, BUT OTHER THAN THIS IT IS FLAT AND CLEAN AND PERFECTLY FLAT. NO CREASES OR CREASE LINES, AND THE FLIPBACKS ARE PERFECTLY ADHERED

THE SLEEVE GRADES AS MINT MINUS, AND THE INNER AS EXCELLENT

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR BID IF YOU CHOSE TO GO FOR IT

GARRY