LED ZEPPELIN II SCARCE VERY EARLY ORIG UK 1969 ATLANTIC PLUM 'LEMON SONG' EX+ LP

	£		155
	$		205

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Artist or Band: LED ZEPPELIN

Album Title: Led Zeppelin II

Producer(s): Jimmy Page

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Whole Lotta Love; What Is and What Should Never Be; The Lemon Song; Thank You.

Side 2: Heartbreaker; Living Loving Maid (She’s Just a Woman); Ramble On; Moby Dick; Bring It On Home.

Label/Format: Atlantic – original red and maroon (Plum) format with matt, lightly textured surfaces. Side one has the original and correct song title ‘The Lemon Song’, subsequent pressings on the plum labels were changed to ‘Killing Floor’.

Label Conditions: Two of the very finest Atlantic plum labels I have ever seen, and this on one of rock’s most famous, greatest and popular albums ever. Both very clean, fresh and hugely attractive with possibly no spindle marks at all. Yes true, I have scrutinised these in natural sunlight, even under a magnifying glass, and I can see no alignment spindle blemishes. If indeed any are present, they must be beyond minuscule. This owned by the same person from new as the Hendrix Band of Gypies I am also currently offering and appearing very little used. Labels of this quality on this, or any LZ album are seldom seen like this.

Catalogue Number: 588198

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Warps or Lateral Movement: Assume all records I offer have no significant warping or lateral movement to cause sound or tracking issues. All should play fine even on budget turntables.

Weight of Record: 140 grams.

Country of Manufacture: England

Rarity: Any early ‘Lemon Song’ credit label plum copies are scarce. Most plum copies that get offered have the Lemon Song text changed to ‘Killing Floor’. First issue covers have a much paler brown finish to the artwork, Killing Floor copies have a much deeper shade of brown, so beware of substitutions. Any early copy appearing little used are quite rare, this is a very popular album that many regard as the greatest heavy rock album ever, so many, if not most are seen played into near submission with trashed, very worn and scruffy covers. Although this copy’s cover has some wear, it is far less than most seen these days, and it has always been one intolerant of age, sticker issues and mistreatment, also highly prone to fading and colour changing to the brown ink that often causes ‘greening’ to the spine and other closed edges. A trait common to this and other similar covers of the era.

Original Year of Release: 1969

Matrix Nos: 588198 A ▽ 2 1 2 3 3 & 588198 B ▽ 2 1 2 2 2 [the stampers are quite indistinct and are my best interpretations]

Musicians: Robert Plant – lead vocals, harmonica; Jimmy Page – guitars, theremin, backing vocals; John Paul Jones – bass guitar, organ, backing vocals; John Bonham – drums, backing vocals.

Brief Info: Following the stunning raw blues of the band’s debut album was never going to be easy, but arguably, Led Zeppelin rose to even greater heights with this landmark heavy rock masterpiece. Released to widespead critical acclaim and selling well, its popularity and collectability has never, and unlikely to ever wain. Every track a classic and this can be enjoyed to high advantage on this early ‘Lemon Song’ plum label copy that appears little used. The two Atlantic labels are thing of genuine beauty, and I hope my pictures do them justice. This proved a pleasure to play-grade, and it has been some considerable time since I found a worthy early example to offer. As stated, Killing Floor copies are far more abundant, but better condition earlier ones are fast drying up now. Any blemishes to the record are minimal, and even though the cover has some marks and mild wear, it will still better many, if not most offered these days. One of rock’s most intolerant covers, the correct original paler brown sleeve falls victim to all forms of wear and is seldom seen without major rubbing and especially ring wear. This one is still a very decent example as can be seen. An early copy that should please many fans and collectors.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(–): or thereabouts. An unlaminated gatefold format with matt, smooth surfaces. Printed and made in England by E. J. Day Co, with the correct paler brown artwork. Includes the November 1969 date-coded inner sleeve as seen in close-up on my picture.

Cover Front: Even with some mild discolouration near the white spine edge side to politely remind of age, this front is one of best I have seen for some considerable time. The only real rubbing of note is on the edges which is minimal light and very patchy when viewed front full on. The correct pale brown colour is retain and impressive with no light fading or changing hue issues, the graphic is superb and still fresh as-seen. The lack of major creasing and especially sticker issues is always fantastic news as well. Any hint of creases are indeed very few and ultra fine and faint.

Cover Back: The back also retains impressive brown colour with again some darkening or mild grubbiness to the white zeppelin end on the right edge. Again, few creases and only a small light rim arc rub near the top central area which almost the very least to be expected. Near the bottom are some very fine surface hairline marks with the odd fine surface chip blemish, but in context these are very only very fine indeed. Overall, this back will also prove hard to find much better on this highly intolerant and uncompromising cover.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Little to fault inside with any blemishes few, light and faint. The artwork is gorgeous with deep fresh colour as my picture shows. Certainly one of the very finest insides I yet seen on this famous cover.

Top Edges: Both straight, flat and near flush with no light issues. Any rubbing only little, patchy and light.

Bottom Edges: Similar again with just more rubbing to the front edge near the centre and right end, but again in context, this is only quite light for matt storage edges that are more often seen threadbare with no ink retained at all.

Right Edge(s), and Type: The closed front edge is a little proud of the storage back edges as the spine has a little tilt (again seldom avoided over time). Hence the front edge has minor and light patchy hints of thickening. However the back storage edges remain impressively and naturally sharp with any thickening traces bordering on minuscule.

Spine and Text: Still solid, straight with minimal compression, but over time this has a neat tilt towards the right. Folded square, so the top and bottom edges meet up very closely together and near parallel. All text is present and unworn and easy to read as-seen, the pale area surface has discoloured a little. The actual surface has little rubbing at all bar the very ends, also a small rub to the back fold on the back of the very top on the small brown area.

Corners: Tip rubs are mainly quite light, the odd one or two nearer moderate, but still only small.Fine to very fine shape retained with no significant knocks or creasing.

Cover Summary: A strong all-round example of this fragile and intolerant late 1960’s cover, one that will prove difficult to find much better these days. Not perfect as described, and being honest, I doubt few will even still exist that can claim to be. So just enough to politely remind of age and handling, but this still generally impressive, and guaranteed first original item should please many collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT: with only mild discolouration of the seam adhesive edge areas and no writing. A Philips style polylined inner with two neat undamaged window circles, the lining still clear and fresh. A little quite gentle corner creasing (top), and all edges naturally intact. This has the import manufacturing date code /48 /119 (November 1969) as seen in close-up. It also has the dual British patent numbers: 800513 & 973939.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(+): a very fine visual copy that is very clean with equally fine shine and very solidly pressed with above average weight. A copy with minimal plays on all the evidence with any surface marks few, very light and faint as seen critically under bright light. No penetrating stylus scratches, viewed in average room light, hardly anything even registers. Visually a super record that should please many, and even most collectors because this album is seldom this fine nowadays.

Album Played For Grading: Yes. [I play ALL records I offer before submitting to Ebay, also the record is played in its entirety unless clearly stated otherwise.

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This universally acclaimed classic album plays up to, and mostly even above it’s high visual grading with little to fault. Even though much of the music is heavy and loud, it does have some passages of quietness. None more critical than the beginning and end of Thankyou’ that concludes side one. It has somewhat of a ‘false’ ending where the music gentle fades off, before reappearing again. Hence many copies here get scratched from premature lifting of the stylus when unsuspecting initial listeners thought the song had ended – I have heard damage on this area many times because of this. This copy has has avoided any scratching and any blemishes on this most fragile of songs is minimal. This copy offers strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear – sound quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. The stereo imagery is stunning and just listen to that fantastic slam on Whole Lotta Love, play this sound and it will blow you away. Vinyl copies of this album will not be beaten by other formats, even with the odd contact trace blemish here-and-there which is close to impossible to avoid totally. Any surface sounds are minimal indeed and this is a very clean pressing with no tracking issues*. Few available copies will outperform this very early Lemon Song credit Plum pressing I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has been played very lightly and has been reasonably well stored and the record carefully, and minimally handled on all evidence. Little of note spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this impressive record, the odd contact sound or trace only here-and-there to politely remind of what is actually being played – a 52-year-old record. I regard a genuine ‘silent’ early copy of this a near impossible find, and with that in mind, finding this better will prove very difficult and can be strongly recommended.

* As played on my Pro-Ject Turntable with Ortofon Blue Cartridge tracking at 2 grams, Naim SuperNait 2 Amp and Spendor A7 speakers.

All records I offer are cleaned using my German-made Nessie, professional quality record cleaning machine.