Led Zeppelin II A1 / B4 (red/plum pressing)

This very early pressing red//plum pressing plays with superb audio and the majority grades as Mint- the quality is that impressive.  The iconic laminated cover is also in lovely condition with very little shelf wear.

This is one of the rarer A1/B4 pressings that does not have the second 8 crossed off on S2.  The A1/B1 pressings on the red/plum are certainly more common and practically all of them have both the 8s crossed so this album is very much a rarity and especially in this condition!  It still 'Warner Bros/Jewel Music' publishing credit on the labels.

I recently purchased this from a private seller who was just selling off his collection at a record fair.  He told me that this record has always been very carefully handled and only every played a small number of times and that accounts for the immaculate quality of the audio.  There is very little spindle wear on either side which provides further evidence of a vinyl only lightly played.

The laminated cover is identical to the 'Turquoise' cover but with orange lettering.  The silver band/strip can be seen on the bottom edge.  It has 'Printed and Made by MacNeill Press Ltd, London SE1' and 'Uptight an' Outasight' info on the back of the cover.

588171 (2nd 8 crossed, replaced with etched 8) A // 1  1 2   1 1

588171 (2nd 8 is not crossed) B // 4  1  1 4

The audio on S1 is Near Mint (Mint- in many sections / end of track 2 Ex- / two seconds on track 4 VG-)

The audio on S2 is Mint- (track 1 intro VG+ / track 4 Near Mint-)

The laminated cover is Ex-

This is without doubt one of the cleanest and most visually impressive red/plum vinyls I have ever seen!  It has been so well looked after down the years and still has a stunning mirror-like glossy sheen.  At first glance it looks as new!  It is only when you look very closely that you can see a small number of mega faint hairlines on S1 but they are incredibly difficult to spot and I could not see any on S2!  This is as near to visual perfection as you will find, there are obviously no marks or scratches and as stated very little spindle wear.  A stunning vinyl!  The red/plum labels and run out grooves are also in perfect condition.

Play grading  

'Good Times Bad Times' plays with stunning audio from the very first note with only a couple of mega light static sounds on the intro and there are certainly no clicks or pops.  The more you progress into the track the more you are impressed by it!  The clarity and power is sublime and there is no distortion on the 'top end' at all.  This is especially true on the mid guitar solo which plays with perfect definition.  A superb version and the fade out has only one light 'tick'.  I am confident in saying this grades as Near Mint the quality is 'high end' indeed.

The acoustic intro on 'Babe I'm Gonna Leave You' has only a handful of light 'ticks' that are totally non-intrusive and again the clarity is remarkable for a vinyl fast approaching 50 years of age.  It isn't long before this classic is playing with audio that is as 'clean' as the day when first released back in '69.  The power and depth is awesome and there is no 'background' whatsoever.  This is stunning Mint- audio at its very best!  The heavier sections 'rock out' superbly with no distortion and the quieter passages play with delicate precision.  I cannot quite believe what I am hearing!  Aside from the minor static on the intro and a little crackle on the end section the audio could not be any better.  Wow!

The intro on 'You Shook Me' plays with stunning precision from the very first groove and as it continues this does not decrease.  The sonic quality is immense, you can hear each note so clearly and the bass line is so strong.  The long instrumental section quite simply plays 'as new' with no 'background' and the guitar solo that follows is so powerful with no distortion on the top level.  Absolutely superb!  The final section is mega impressive and Plant's 'scream' vocal displays great power and only a minor amount of static towards the end.

The quiet bass intro on 'Dazed and Confused' is so clean and has no interference of any kind.  It continues in the same way but I did hear two clicks just prior to the instrumental section.  This is however the only interference on the entire track!  This section then plays with superb clarity and as it builds to a crescendo the audio is so powerful.  Wow!  It is absolutely superb and you will never hear this play any better!  It has such sharp definition and whilst the guitar work is stunning the rhythm section is that and then some.  Hearing Bonham going wild on the drums is breathtaking!  To the end this track plays 'as new'.  So...apart from the those two clicks this really is audio of the highest quality and will not disappoint.

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As any Led Zepp fan knows 'Your Time is Gonna Come' always has some interference on the organ intro and whilst there is some here it is not loud and intrusive.  Yes there is some crackle but I have heard far worse!  As the percussion 'kicks in' there is hardly any 'background' up to the first chorus, just 3/4 light static sounds.  From then on the audio is Mint- it is 100% stunning!  The audio is so clear and there are no clicks or pops and no static or crackle either.  Aside from the usual 'background' on the intro this is a truly stunning version.

The segue into 'Black Mountain Side' is perfect and this also grades as Mint- with no interference at all, not even a solitary dust tick!  A 'high end' version without doubt.

 What follows is the best version of 'Communication Breakdown' I have heard in many a year.  So often there is some distortion but that is not the case here.  It performs with incredible power and from the very first groove the clarity and lack of distortion just shows how lightly this vinyl has been played.  There is no 'background' and it 'rocks out' in true Led Zepp style and the fade out has 'background' at all.  A sensational version!

'I Can't Quit You Baby' has a couple of light clicks on the intro and yet there is no crackle and it still plays very clearly.  I heard a couple of crackle sounds a little further in but aside from that it plays superbly well.  The long bluesy guitar section is 'as new' apart from one light tick, the playback was immaculate and displayed incredible depth.  The final vocal section is stunning and again there is no interference whatsoever.  Aside from minimal (and I mean minimal!) static on the intro this is one of the 'cleanest' versions of this track I have ever heard, it is absolutely stunning!

The bass intro on 'How Many More Times' is astounding and I heard only one mega faint 'dust tick'.  As it continues there is no let up in quality and it plays with a clarity and definition that belies its age.  I cannot emphasise enough just how beautifully this track plays!  There is no static in the one quiet section, just one faint click and as it then builds there is no distortion at all.  The 'Rosie' section is as Mint as the day when first released in '69 and it continues in the same way to the very end.  This is so good!  It is absolutely mind-blowing and the guitar work and rhythm sections have never sounded better.  There is nothing that intrudes on the high quality audio.  Wow!  A stunning finale and this track easily grades as Mint- the audio is spectacular!

In summary this red/plum pressing plays with immaculate audio for the vast majority and apart from the two clicks on S1 and the usual 'background' at the beginning of S2 the clarity and depth is incredible.  As stated this has only ever been lightly played and that reflects in the quality of the audio.  You would be hard pressed to find a 'cleaner' red/plum pressing.  It is visually stunning and together with a very impressive laminated cover this would add to any collection.

The Cover

This is a very impressive laminated 'MacNeill' cover and has only minor shelf wear.  The edges and thin pinched spine are in superb condition and have no wear at all and are as clean as when first released back in '69.  The corners of the spine have no obvious rubbing and the right hand ones are also very clean with only a tiny crease on each - barely visible!  The opening edge looks untouched with no handling wear, 'as new' really.  The front cover is in excellent order with three relatively small laminate creases and a couple of small marks near the bottom edge.  As is always the case there is a little lifting of the laminate either side of the spine but there are no laminate splits.  The back cover is almost as impressive and has only two small indent type marks near the top edge and the laminate has no wear at all.  This is a great example of this iconic cover and of course it has the 'silver strip' along the bottom edge.

Inner sleeve

This came with a die-cut plain white sleeve with 'Made In England' so perhaps this was the original sleeve that came with the A1/B4 pressings.  I will however include a poly-lined 'Plastic Bags Can Be Dangerous' sleeve.  Both are in excellent condition with no splits or tears just some minor creasing.

The labels

The red/plum labels are in beautiful condition and are 'as new' aside from a minimal amount of spindle wear.  I have never seen cleaner!  They retain their strong colours incredibly well and there is no fading or marking/writing at all.  Stunning!

Play tested on a Pro-Ject Essential III Turntable / B&W 684 Speakers

This record has been professionally cleaned on a Pro-Ject VC-S machine

588171 (2nd 8 crossed, replaced with etched 8) A // 1  1 2   1 1

588171 (2nd 8 is not crossed) B // 4  1  1 4

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 SHIPPING ITEMS TO ITALY, RUSSIA AND SOUTH AMERICA I WILL ONLY SEND THEM "TRACKED/SIGNED FOR" AND THIS COSTS AN ADDITIONAL £5.00. PLEASE WAIT FOR THE INVOICE. WHEN ITEMS EXCEED A SALE PRICE OF £50.00 AND ARE TO BE SENT INTERNATIONALLY TRACKED SHIPPING IS AGAIN NECESSARY PLUS INSURANCE AND THIS COSTS AN EXTRA £7.50 IN TOTAL.  PLEASE ONLY BID IF YOU AGREE WITH THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PLEASE WAIT FOR THE INVOICE, MANY THANKS.

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