LED ZEPPELIN I A1/B1 RED/PLUM PRESS 1969 UK GREAT COVER & SUPERB AUDIO NM/M-
£
482
$
639
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Description
Led Zeppelin I A1 / B1 Red/Plum Label
This early pressing on the very collectable red/plum label plays to a superb standard with a sonic quality that is hard to find today. I have noticed in the last year or so how it is becoming increasingly difficult to find this classic debut album with 'high end' audio. We have one here! The clarity, depth and power that on both sides is absolutely STUNNING! S1 in particular is immaculate with no interference and S2 is almost as good. The intro on 'Your Time Is Gonna Come' plays so clearly with a lot less static than what it usually has and 'How Many More Times' just has the one light click. The only click on the album and not a loud one! This is a record that has been so well preserved over the last 52 years and it has not been over-played. It is visually stunning with a sonic quality to match.
The cover is in excellent condition with only minimal wear and is certainly superior to the vast majority you see today. The original inner is also in excellent order with no side splits etc.
This is known as a very early second press variation and still has the A1/B1 matrix. It has the orange lettering on the front cover and the silver/grey band along the bottom edge. The matrix on both run out grooves is 'corrected' and has the 'Warner Bros/7 Arts...' publishing credit printed in one line on the labels.
588171 (2nd 8 corrected with etched 8) A // 1 1 2 2 8
588171 ( 2nd 8 corrected with etched 8) B // 1 1 5 5
The audio on S1 is Mint(-)
The audio on S2 is Mint(-) (T1 intro Ex+) / T5 Near Mint although Mint- for vast majority)
The cover is Ex
The original 'plastic bags...' inner is Ex+
The labels are Near Mint
Visual Grading
The vinyl is in lovely condition and still has that 'as new' glossy sheen with no marks, scratches or groove wear and no 'bag rash' / fading either. It is one of the finest examples I have seen in a long time. S1 is stunning and has only a small number of faint sleeve removal hairlines and S2 is almost as good with only 3/4 hairlines that are a little more obvious but they are still faint. They are fine and do not stand out, superficial you could say. The run out grooves are pristine and the labels have retained their original red/plum colour perfectly. There is only a little spindle wear on each side.
Play Grading
The intro on 'Good Times Bad Times' plays to perfection with not even a dust tick. Plant's first vocal is just as impressive and from then on it plays with sublime clarity and power and no sign of any distortion. The audio definition is 'high end' and having played every second I can confirm Mint is the only grade I can give. There is not even any 'background' on the fade out. I do not use the term Mint loosely but I am confident in 'using' it here as it just could not play any better.
The acoustic intro on 'Babe I'm Gonna Leave You' is also 'as new' with no 'background'. The opening vocal has only a couple of barely audible dust ticks and the first 'up tempo' section cannot be faulted either. The infamous 'baby cry' around the 1.40 minute mark is very clear and it continues to play with a sonic quality that defies its 52 years of age. The quieter sections play with sublime precision and the louder sections have such depth and power. The clarity throughout is stunning and there are obviously no ticks, clicks or pops and no static either. I cannot adequately put into word just how STUNNING the audio is (although I always give it a good go!) and the super quiet end section rounds off this classic with only a handful of very light ticks that are totally non-intrusive. A Mint- grade is deserved here.
The intro on 'You Shook Me' is flawless and first vocal then delivers on every level as does the rest of the track! A well preserved hardly played vinyl always has a very clear sound that is in no way 'muddy' or distorted and that is very much the case here. Jones' deep bass is a prime example of that as is the mid instrumental which has only one light tick near the start. The remainder of this section - the harmonica section and Page's dynamic solo are 'as new' and Plant's final vocal just has one light tick - the 'high octane' passage is phenomenal! Even with a couple of light ticks I still believe this is worthy of a Mint- grade - that is why the minus is there and, I hasten to add, they are not clicks!
The iconic bass intro on 'Dazed And Confused' is 100% perfect and the opening vocal is of the same 'high end' standard. From then this classic plays with scintillating sonic quality and the power is exceptional. The long instrumental section plays with impeccable precision with no sign of any interference and the 'high octane' section that follows is as 'complete' as I have ever heard. You can turn it up to max without fear of any distortion and the final section does not disappoint either. This is audio of the highest calibre and Mint more than does it justice. What a version!
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'Your Time Is Gonna Come', as any Led Zepp collector knows, always plays with some 'background' and it is just a matter of how much. The first organ 'recital' is incredibly clean with only a handful of light ticks towards the end and the quieter organ section that follows has just 4/5 ticks that are a little more obvious, not clicks though! However, this is unquestionably one of the cleanest intros I have heard in a long time and has none of the static distortion that you so often find - another indication it has hardly been played. As Bonham comes in the audio is faultless and Plant's opening vocal has just one barely audible tick. From then it plays with STUNNING clarity and depth and...no intrusion. There is no distortion and again the sonic quality is like you have been transported back to '69! The intro is Ex+ and the remainder is Mint- for sure.
The segue into 'Black Mountain Side' is perfect and this instrumental then plays 'as new' with no background. I keep on about clarity but when you find a red/plum pressing as 'clean' as this the clarity is very much on another level. This is Mint from start to finish.
'Communication Breakdown' plays with a precision that you rarely find on these early pressings. There is often a distorted 'tinny' sound but there is none of that here. The audio definition is stunning and again there is no interference. Page's solo near the end is a classic example of that. It's not often this 'high octane' track grades as Mint but this time it does!
The vocal only intro on 'I Can't Quit You Baby' has not one solitary dust tick and it continues to play so well through every section. There are a couple of very quiet ticks in the next vocal passage that are non-intrusive and Page's following solo is so close to 'as new' with only one light tick. From then on it plays just like the rest of the album with a clarity and precision that is so rare for a vinyl of this age and especially for one that is generally so heavily played. The final vocal is flawless and I'm also going to grade this as Mint- as there are only three light ticks and ticks are hardly intrusive!
There is of course another iconic bass intro on 'How Many More Times' and again it plays with 100% clarity! Plant's first vocal in unison with Page's classic riff is faultless and it continues to play with outstanding quality. For once there is no inner groove distortion Page's extended solo then plays with audio that is so strong and dynamic. The following quiet section does have one light click at the start (the first one on the album!) but then has a clarity that is second to none. There is no background static and as the vocal 'builds' the playback does not falter in any way. The 'Oh Rosie' section is perfect and the final section then ends this total classic with STUNNING power and clarity with not one single negative. An almost perfect version but because of the one light click I will grade as Near Mint but of course the vast majority is better than that! Whichever way you look at it this is a fantastic version!
In summary this early red/plum pressing plays to a fantastic standard with barely any interference. There is just one light click and a handful of light ticks that is all. The clarity, power and depth of the audio is sensational and the vast majority is Mint no exaggeration. The vinyl has been so well preserved down the years and just to reiterate this one has not been over-played thus retaining its original sonic quality. For once there is no underlying static and it has to be one of the finest examples of this classic album that I have ever listened to. As stated it also has a stunning visual 'look' and together with a very clean cover this would grace any collection.
The Cover & Inner Sleeve
The laminated MacNeill cover, with the silver band/stripe along the bottom, is in great condition with only very minor shelf wear, and is so much better than the majority you see today. The edges and thin pinched spine are perfect, there is barely any corner wear and the opening edge looks untouched also. The front cover is very clean with only a couple of minor 'squiggly' scratches on the airship, a couple of other faint 'lines' on the white background plus a couple of creases in the two right hand corners. There is also a little laminate lift next to the spine which is something you always find on the early pressings. The back cover is in excellent shape also with only some laminate lift next to the spine again, a couple of creases and a laminate scratch next to Plant. It does sound like I have listed a fair number of 'faults' but I prefer to be 'complete' in my grading as my regulars know and they are largely superficial anyway. A number of them can only be seen when you hold the cover at a certain angle and there is certainly nothing that stands out. A very strong example overall.
The original poly-lined 'Plastic Bags...' inner sleeve is in great condition with no side splits or tears and only minimal age related fading around the edges and a little creasing.
588171 (2nd 8 corrected with etched 8) A // 1 1 2 2 8
588171 ( 2nd 8 corrected with etched 8) B // 1 1 5 5
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
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
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