Led Zeppelin PHYSICAL GRAFFITI VERY FIRST PRESS LP MINT

	£		156
	$		207

LED ZEPPELIN - PHYSICAL GRAFFITI

GENUINE VERY FIRST PRESS - FEBRUARY 24TH 1975

• CAT:SSK89400
• MATRIX: SSK89400 A1 / B4 / C1 / D1 ( most "1st presses have B5 on the matrix)
• HOWEVER B4 IS THE GENUINE 1ST PRESS, THERE IS NOTHING LOWER THAN B4
• NO W LOGO ON THE LABEL

THIS IS A VERY VERY HARD TO FIND GENUINE FIRST PRESS WITH THE RARE B4 MATRIX NUMBER ON SIDE 2

THE MAGNIFICENT ZEPPELIN DOUBLE ALBUM

THE RECORD LABELS

THESE SUPERB FIRST PRESS LABELS ARE IN MINT CONDITION. THEY ARE LIGHTLY TEXTURED AS FIRST PRESS LABELS SHOULD BE. AT THIS POINT I WOULD LIKE TO STATE THAT THERE ARE SELLERS OUT THERE WHO ARE CLAIMING FIRST PRESS LP'S THAT HAVE THE WARNERS "W" LOGO AT 3'O CLOCK ON THE RIM WORDING. THERE IS NO WAY THESE ARE FIRST PRESSINGS, THIS IS BECAUSE WARNER ONLY STARTED TO PUT THE "W" ON THEIR LABELS MIDWAY THROUGH 1975, AND AS THIS LP WAS PRESSED IN JANUARY FOR THE FEBRUARY 24TH RELEASE IT CANNOT HAVE THE LOGO. I HOPE THAT HELPS! THE IDENTIFYING UK LABEL HAS THE "MADE IN THE UK" AT 9'0 CLOCK ON THE LABEL JUST ABOVE THE 33 SPEED TYPEFACE. ALL 4 LABELS ARE MAGNIFICENT, WITH FULL VIBRANT COLOURS. THE SPINDLE HOLES SHOW NO SPIDER LINES AT ALL ON ANY SIDE, AND IT IS POSSIBLE THA MY CAREFUL PLAY TODAY MAY HAVE IN FACT BEEN THE FIRST PLAY EVER. DON'T FORGET THIS ISA 33 YEAR OLD SET. IT IS TRULY MAGNIFICENT

THE VINYL

BOTH DISCS HAVE THAT LOOK AND FEEL OF BRAND NEW RECORDS, AND BY FEEL I MEAN THE SENSATION THAT YOU GET WHEN PULLING A NEW ALBUM FROM ITS SLEEVE FOR THE FIRST FEW TIMES. BOTH DISCS ARE IMMACULATE, NOT A MARK ANYWHERE THAT I CAN SEE. I DON'T BELIEVE YOU CAN GET BETTER THAN THIS, AND AGAIN REMEMBER THIS IS A 33 YEAR OLD SET. ETCHED INTO THE RUN OFF WAX ARE THE MATRIX NUMBERS THAT NDICATE THIS IS INDEED A MINT "VERY FIRST PRESS" SIDE ONE HAS , SSK89400 A-1, SIDE THREE HAS , SSK89400 C-1, AND SIDE FOUR HAS , SSK89400 D-1

SIDE TWO HAS SSK89400 B-4

I HAVE DONE MUCH RESEARCH INTO THESE MATRIX NUMBERS ON THIS ALBUM, AND HAVE HANDLED HUNDREDS OF COPIES OF PHYSICAL GRAFFITTI OVER THE YEARS AND NEVER HAVE I SEEN ANY MATRIX LOWER THA B-4, IN FACT MOST FIRST PRESSES HAVE ACTUALLY GOT B-5 AS THE MATRIX NUMBER , OTHER COLLECTORS I HAVE SPOKEN TO HAVE ALSO CONCURED WITH THIS. SO FINDING A GENUINE FIRST PRESS IS HARD ENOUGH BUT A PLAYED ONCE ONLY COPY IS JUST UNHEARD OF. THIS SET IS WITHOUT DOUBT A COPY THAT IS OF MUSEUM STANDARD

PLAYING THE RECORD

 HAVE RECORDED 8 EXAMPLES OF JUST HOW FANTASTIC THIS ALBUM SET IS. I RECORDED THE RUN IN AND FIRST MINUTE AND A HALF OF EACH OPENING TRACK ON EACH OF THE FOUR SIDES, AND IN ADDITION ONE OF THE LINKING GROOVES AND A FURTHER SEGMENT FROM ANOTHER TRACK ON EACH SIDE. THEREFORE THE SILENCE THAT YOU HEAR WHEN YOU CLICK THE AUCTION PLAYER IS THE SILENCE THAT THE VINYL PRODUCES IN THE DEAD WAX! PLEASE LISTEN TO THEM ALL AND I AM CERTAIN YOU WILL AGREE WITH ME THAT THIS SET IS JUST MAGNIFICENT

THE RUN IN IS  NEAR SILENT, AND AS THE RECORD STARTS TO PLAY "CUSTARD PIE" IT IS VERY OBVIOUS THAT YOU ARE LISTENING TO SOMETHING REALLY CLEAN. THE FIRST THING THAT IS CLEAR IS THAT THE SOUND IS DISTORTION FREE. ALMOST POINTLESS STATING THIS IN LIGHT OF HOW LITTLE THE ALBUM HAS BEEN PLAYED, BUT IT DOES MEAN THAT THE PLAY THAT THE RECORD HAS HAD WAS DONE WITH A GOOD QUALITY STYLUS AND NOT ONE THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE GROOVE SUCH AS A WORN, CHIPPED STYLUS, OR INDEED ONE THAT WAS TRACKING TOO HEAVILY.

EACH TRACK PLAYS THROUGH WITH UTMOST CLARITY. THE PERFORMANCE ALL THE WAY THROUGH BOTH SIDES IS JUST OUTSTANDING. THERE IS NO BACKGROUND NOISE ANYWHERE ON EITHER SIDE, PERHAPS THE ODD LITTLE LIGHT POP HERE AND THERE

I HAVE NO HESITATION IN GRADING THIS DISC MINT!!!!

THE SLEEVE

THE OVERALL GRADING OF THE SLEEVE IS NEAR MINT

THE FIRST PRESS SLEEVE CAN BE IDENTIFIED SIMPLY AS IT HAS "SWAN SONG/484 KINGS ROAD, LONDON SW10" ON THE BACK. MOST REPRESSES ARE OR WERE MADE IN GERMANY AND THIS MAKES A GENUINE UK FIRST PRESS SOMEWHAT OF A RARITY. DON'T FORGET THIS ALBUM SOLD IN HUGE QUANTITIES, SO THE PRESSES WERE IN GREAT DEMAND, AND ONLY THE INITIAL QUANTITY CAME WITH THE MATRIX NUMBERS INDICATED HERE. IN ADDITION THE TYPEFACE ON THE SPINE IS IN RED LETTEREING ON FIRST ISSUES, LATER ONES WERE IN BLACK.

THIS IS A VERY VULNERABLE SLEEVE DUE TO ITS 16 DIE CUT WINDOWS AND THE BOX STYLE WHICH MEANS IT HAS TWO SPINES. I HAVE SEEN MANY MANY TIRED AND WORN OUT SLEEVES THAT HAVE SUFFERED ALL SORTS OF WEAR. MAINLY TO THE SPINES WHICH SQUASH AND ROUND OFF, ALSO THE TOP OPENING EDGE IS USUALLY FEATHERED, AND THE WINDOWS CAN BE TORN, AND FINALLY THE COLOUR WEARS, AND THERE ARE OFTEN MANY CREASES TO BE FOUND.

THE FRONT SURFACE OF THIS SLEEVE IS IMMACULATE. NONE OF THE WINDOWS HAVE SUFFERED ANY DAMAGE, AND THIS SLEEVE WHEN YOU LOOK AT LOOKS AND FEELS LIKE A NEW SLEEVE, SO THERE IS NONE OF THE WEAR THAT I HAVE DESCRIBED ABOVE. IN FACT THERE ARE NO CREASE LINES ANYWHERE, NOT EVEN THE TINY ONES YOU GET NEAR THE SPINE, AND TALKING ABOUT THE SPINES, THEY ARE BOTH PERFECTLY SQUARE, NO ROUNDED EDGES, THEY ARE BOTH STIFF AND UNSQUASHED. THERE IS THE BAREST TRACE OF COLOUR WEAR BUT VERY VERY MILD, AND THE SAME CAN BE SAID FOR THE BOTTOM EDGE. MOVING ON TO THE TOP EDGE, THIS IS JUST AS SHARP AS A RAZOR, AND IT IS VERY OBVIOUS THAT THE LP'S HAVE NOT BEEN REMOVED FROM THE SLEEVE, WHICH OF COURSE MEANS THEY HAVEN'T BEEN PLAYED!!

THE REAR SURFACE HAS JURST A VERY LIGHT TOUCH OF COLOUR LOSS RIGHT ALONG THE OPENING EDGE, AND ONE SMALL LINE NEAR THE FIRST WINDOW TOP LEFT, BUT OTHER THAN THAT THE BROWN SURFACE WHICH IS USUALLY WORN BADLY IS IN TOP CONDITION

THE TWO INNER SLEEVES ARE IN MINT CONDITION, TOTALLY UNCREASED. NO RING WEAR AND NO SPLITS TO SEAMS OR WEAR TO THE OPENING EDGES. PERFECT. THE WHITE INNER "TRAY" IS ALSO IN TOP CONDITION.

I HOPE ALL OF THE EXTRA PICS I HAVE TAKEN OF THE SLEEVE DO IT JUSTICE.

THE RECORDS HAVE BEEN PRESERVED IN  NEW POLY LINED INNER SLEEVES, THE ORIGINAL IS INCLUDED AND LEFT INSIDE THE SLEEVE. THE LP WILL BE SENT VERY CAREFULLY PACKAGED AND I WILL PLACE THE LP OUTSIDE OF THE SLEEVE FOR MAXIMUM PROTECTION. YOUR NEW PURCHASE WILL ALSO COME HOUSED IN A NEW STIFF PLASTIC OUTER SLEEVE.

SO ONCE AGAIN THIS IS A VERY VERY HIGH GRADE COLLECTIBLE ALBUM IN THE MOST SUPERB CONDITION IMAGINABLE, SO BID WITH CONFIDENCE, AND GOOD LUCK IF YOU DECIDE TO GO FOR IT

GARRY