LED ZEPPELIN HOUSES OF THE HOLY A2/B3 1973 *SUPERB* AS NEW AUDIO w/OBI AMAZING
£
186
$
246
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Description
Led Zeppelin : Houses Of The Holy A2/B3
This very early A2/B3 with original Obi has more than likely never been played before, it is immaculate! The clarity and definition of the audio is STUNNING and I can safely say that I have never heard better. There is no 'interference' on either side and the classic 'No Quarter' is a prime example of that - it is a stunning version! The vinyl is visually immaculate with no marks, scratches or hairlines and basically looks 'as new' it is pristine.
This is known as the first variation of the A2/B2 first pressing and is another Robert Ludwig cut which makes it even more collectable. It is well known for having greater sonic quality and when you have a vinyl as 'clean' as this every note can be heard with such sharp precision. This really is an audiophile's dream! A FINAL UPGRADE album for sure i.e. no need to buy another as you could not improve on this audio.
The gatefold is in great condition with hardly any wear and it comes with the all important UK Obi which is easily the finest I have seen and it still fits around the cover, how rare is that! It is so clean with only superficial wear - no tears etc. The textured lyric inner is also in superb condition with no marking or side splits. A stunning 'package' that is in time capsule condition.
Shipping costs to the US have increased recently so please wait for the invoice. As an example I recently sent 3 LPs via tracked shipping and this cost just over £34.00 - packaging costs not included!
K 50014 // A - 2 // STERLING RL stamped
K 50014 // B - 3 // STERLING RL stamped
The audio on S1 is Mint(-) (T2 Near Mint but Mint for the vast majority)
The audio on S2 is Mint(-)
The gatefold is Near Mint-
The lyric inner is Mint
The original Obi is Near Mint
The labels are Mint-
Visual grading
You could not wish to find a more immaculate vinyl than this one! As stated I suspect this has never been played and the visual and audio quality lend further weight to that theory. It has a stunning jet-black glossy sheen and has no marks or scratches and no sleeve removal hairlines either. It is pristine! The run out grooves are also super clean and this is by far the finest pressing I have ever seen.
Play grading
With a super clean run in the instrumental intro on 'The Song Remains The Same' then plays with wonderful clarity and depth and already you can tell it has hardly been played if at all! This entire opening has no 'background' of any kind. The first vocal is faultless and it continues to play with tremendous sonic quality. 'As new' is a worthy description and I cannot emphasise enough just how immaculate the playback is. Each note is so clean and precise and to the very final note there is no decrease in quality, you can see why the Robert Ludwig 'cuts' are so sought after. The depth and warmth of the audio is sensational! A stunning Mint start to the album.
The intro on 'The Rain Song' is just unbelievable! I am sorry if I am somewhat over-enthusiastic already but it's so rare to find clarity such as this! There is not even a solitary dust tick and as Plant comes in the audio is equally as good. I detected a couple of very faint dust ticks but in essence this is audio of the highest calibre. The first long instrumental section is close to perfect with only 3/4 very faint ticks but in no way are they intrusive. They are so quiet and perhaps I only notice them because I am so close to the speakers. There are two more slightly obvious ticks further in but they are not clicks and are certainly not loud. The second vocal plays to perfection and as the volume increases the audio cannot be faulted in any way. The quieter end section plays beautifully with no intrusion. I will grade as Near Mint although it is true to say the vast majority is even better than that. It may well be the finest version I have ever heard on such an early pressing.
The acoustic intro on 'Over The Hills And Far Away' once again defies the age of the album with no 'background' at all and the first verse is of the same 'high end' standard. On such a 'clean' unplayed vinyl you get a real sense of the depth of the music and it is here in abundance! The clarity, the power, the definition of the audio could not be enhanced and from start to finish this is Mint in every way. Each verse and instrumental section play with sublime clarity and even the super quiet final section is incredible with only a couple of dust ticks. Wow what a version!
The 'spoken' and then percussive intro on 'The Crunge' has no interference and thereafter this standard is more than kept up. This track often has some vocal distortion but there is absolutely zero here, another indication that it has maybe never been played? The entire track plays without interference, great power and depth, and again Mint is deserved.
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'Dancing Days' on S2 does not disappoint either and plays with breathtaking quality from the first groove to the last. Once more it's the depth of the audio that is the real highlight, apart from the clarity, and this is just pure Mint audio perfection!
Led Zepps foray into reggae may not be an instant favourite but 'D'Yer Mak'er' nonetheless plays with remarkable precision all the way through with no intrusion at all. It's still a damn good track in my opinion! Another word on the depth of the audio and this track provides a great example of it - with such a pristine vinyl each note almost seems to be extended somehow and that is very much in evidence with Bonham's percussion here. If you're lucky enough to win this LP just listen out for it, I guess it's the greater clarity causing it - you can detect every subtle nuance behind every single note. I think that explains it! And yes this is another track.
What can I say about the long intro on the classic 'No Quarter'? I think wow about covers it! Of course from the get go it is so quiet and yet the only 'background' is a couple of barely audible dust ticks at the start. This is the finest intro I have ever heard, it is STUNNING! As Bonham and then Page join in the playback is of the same standard and the first verse then plays with a clarity that is just incredible! It progresses in the same precise way and you cannot underestimate how rare it is to find this track playing with such breathtaking quality. There is literally no intrusion on the audio and I would go so far as to say this is the definitive version. In other words it could not be improved upon in any way and it plays as clearly as it would have done back in '73. The long instrumental section is just amazing - so many quiet sections and yet the clarity is outstanding. The second and final verse play beautifully with no interference and the clarity, power and depth on the final section is again...stunning as is the long fade out. I do not think I have ever graded this track as Mint but it is well deserved here in my educated opinion. It provides the exact reason why we listen to vinyl.
The 'spoken' intro on 'The Ocean' is as clean as you could wish for. You can even hear Bonham 'tapping' along in the background! I don't think I have noticed that before. The opening instrumental is perfect and the same applies to the first verse. This track often suffers from inner groove distortion and yet there is barely any in evidence here. I did detect just a very minor hint of mega light static during Page's solo section but it is very quiet and easy to miss! The very quiet 'la la' vocal section has no 'background', not even a dust tick, and the rest of the track is of the same 'high end' standard. The final instrumental has no distortion and it plays with great precision and power to the final note. A Mint- finish to the album.
In summary this stunning album is without question the finest example of a Robert Ludwig pressing that I have ever had the pleasure in listening to. That is not me in 'sales mode' that is just my honest opinion. There is not one single click or pop, no crackle and no obvious underlying static at all. The clarity, depth and warmth of the audio is AMAZING and I very much doubt I will find one as good as this ever again! A couple of minor light ticks on S1 and just a mere hint of barely audible static on S2 for 3/4 seconds (blink and you miss it!). In essence this is about as good as it gets and let's not forget there is no distortion either. A FINAL UPGRADE album for certain with a superb cover, lyric inner and OBI!
The Gatefold & Obi
The cover is in lovely condition with barely any shelf wear, certainly nothing obvious. The top edges are perfect and only the bottom edge of the front cover has a little rubbing. The wide spine remains very strong with only one tiny mark near the top and hardly any corner wear, just a minor crease by the top. The right hand corners are extremely clean with next to no wear and the opening edge has no handling wear at all. The front cover is also very clean with just a couple of tiny 'specks' and what I assume is a very small pen mark in the orange sky section. It also has a faint white fade line top right. All of these things are very minor and it just goes to show I mention any imperfection however small. The back cover is in perfect condition with no marking at all and the inside is also in immaculate condition with the colours as strong and vivid as they were in '73.
The very rare Obi is definitely the best I have seen and when I purchased the album it was still in place around the cover. It did make me wonder if it had ever been removed and if not that would account for the pristine condition of the inside panels. There is certainly no wear on the inside or outer spine to suggest it has been opened a number of times. The Obi itself is near perfect with no tears or marking and it is still firmly held in place by the glue on the reverse side. The 'front' has just a minor amount of wear on the right hand side but yes, very minor. It would be difficult to find better!
The Lyric Inner
The textured inner is in fantastic condition and rarely found as good as this today. They so often have a lot of foxing/staining but not this one! It is so clean with no side splits or marking. Superb!
The Labels
The green/orange labels have no marking or writing and no spindle wear either. As is common with this LP they do have an almost rough/ridged textured feel mainly around the spindle hole but I am sure this is how they were manufactured.
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
K 50014 // A - 2 // STERLING RL stamped
K 50014 // B - 3 // STERLING RL stamped
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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Postage & Packaging
I SHIP WORLDWIDE BUT WHEN SENDING ITEMS TO ITALY, RUSSIA/UKRAINE AND SOUTH AMERICA I WILL ONLY SEND THEM VIA TRACKED SHIPPING AND THIS COSTS AN ADDITIONAL £5.00. THIS IS OFTEN 'BUILT' INTO THE SHIPPING CHARGE ALREADY.
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