'LED ZEPPELIN II' VINTAGE CLASSIC 1977 PRESSING ATLANTIC SD-19127 PIROS NOT RL

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'LED ZEPPELIN II' VINTAGE 1977 PRESSING SD-19127 GEORGE PIROS NOT 'RL'
LED ZEPPELIN  "LED ZEPPELIN II" LABEL: ATLANTIC SD-19127  ORIGINALLY RELEASED: OCTOBER 22, 1969 THIS PRESSING IS AN EARLY 1977 RE-ISSUE MASTERING: GEORGE PIROS AT ATLANTIC EDITION: 'CRC' RECORD CLUB PRESSING ~ GATEFOLD RECORD COMPANY: COLUMBIA HOUSE FOR ATLANTIC RECORDS PRESSED: COLUMBIA RECORDS PLANT, TERRE HAUTE ('T1' MATRIX) VINYL HAS 'PR' ON LABEL, BUT ACTUALLY TERRE HAUTE ENGINEER: EDDIE KRAMER MATRIX (SIDE A): T1 ST-A-691671 CRC-4 GP 
CONDITION:  VINYL: VG+  JACKET: VG+
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I've been going thru my massive vinyl record collection these past few weeks and pulling out some LPs that I thought that someone else would want for their collection. I've been collecting records for over 45 years and it's time to pass some of them on to the next generation of collectors.
This week on EBay I am offering up this original 1977 re-issue of the great, classic Led Zeppelin II. 
This is a 'CRC' Columbia Record Club pressing, but in a 'normal' early Atlantic record jacket, not a CRC jacket.
'CRC' pressings have "CRC" at the left of the label and usually a large "Manufactured by Columbia House Under License" on the back cover, bottom-middle, but this pressing is a CRC vinyl in a 'normal' original Atlantic sleeve.
I didn't like the bold 'CRC' writing on the back of the jacket. I thought it messed with Dave Juniper's fantastic artwork. I switched it out for an original Atlantic jacket decades ago.
The label has the Presswell 'PR' suffix in the catalog number, but this was pressed at the Columbia Records Pressing Plant, in Terre Haute.
This pressing was mastered by the great George Piros at Atlantic studios. It has his "GP" etched in the deadwax.
See details on Condition below.
~~~~~~~~~ These 1977 re-issues are still considered one of the best sounding of all of the various reissues over the years.
These 1977 pressings were well made and reveal just how deeply layered, dynamic and intense Led Zeppelin's music was. The instruments are well separated, Plant's vocals are crisp & clear, and there's a good sense of space and depth. The soundstage is amazing. The overall sound is warm, intimate, vibrant, dynamic and intense!
The dynamics of Bonham's drumming is amazing. From his light cymbal taps to his thundering bass pedal, it's all nice and clear on this pressing.
The Bass on these 1977 pressings is great, not so much on later pressings. The bass playing on 'Lemon Song' is amazing. Crisp and clear, with a beautiful tone. Jones carries the whole melody and you can hear every little detail, which is lost on later pressings.
The stereo soundstage on 'What is..' is totally amazing. It's like they're in the room.
These 1977 pressings sound terrific.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE STORY OF 'LED ZEPPELIN' II
If you're reading this you know the story behind this legendary record, so I won't go into much detail here.
When "Led Zeppelin II" was first released in 1969, legendary mastering engineer Robert Ludwig cut the lacquers directly from the master tape. The story goes that Atlantic founder Ahmet Ertegun gave a copy to his brother Nesuhi to give to his daughter. Her "kiddie" phonograph couldn't track the record, which had been cut 'hot' with full dynamic range and heavy bass. 
Atlantic freaked out, stopped the presses, recalled the record, and re-cut it, with slightly milder dynamics and less intense drums and bass. That's the version that most people ended up with. It still sounded great, just not as 'hot'.
Some of the original 'hot' versions, the ones that Bob Ludwig first mastered at Sterling Sound, got out to the public and are still floating around out there. This is NOT a Ludwig version, but was re-mastered in 1977 by the talented George Piros, and also sounds great.
My only 'complaint' is that the continuity between songs is not well done. This was recorded at different studios, on different equipment, by different engineers, during breaks on LZ's tour. The 'sound' of the various studios is quite different. The songs all sound great, but the 'room' is very different on each one. All copies of LZII have this same problem. Just the way it was created.
~~~~~~~~~~~~ 'Led Zeppelin II' unquestionably ranks not only as one of their best works, but as one of the best albums of all time. A masterpiece. Amazing and Ageless. An essential, remarkable album, that should be in every serious music collector's vinyl archive.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CONDITION: I tried to show good hi-resolution photos of the cover, labels and vinyl in my pictures.
VINYL: As you can see from my photos, the vinyl generally looks fantastic, BUT, there are some superficial 'scuffs' and hairlines. I tried to show a picture of the worst 'scuff' in my photos. It plays thru fine, but there are some 'pops & clicks'.
The Deadwax has the 1977 pressing marks, the 'CRC-4' mark, 'T1' for Terre Haute, and engineer George Piros' 'GP' mark. See the full Matrix numbers above. I show the deadwax in my photos.
Again, this is a CRC pressing done at Columbia's best plant, Terre Haute, but pressed from George Piros mastered Atlantic plates.
I haven't messed with it or cleaned it, other than my trusty 'Disc-Washer' brush, in 45 years. It could use a good deep cleaning to make it even better looking and better sounding, than it already is.
LABELS: This is pressed with the 'classic' Red & Green Atlantic labels. The labels are clean and bright. No marks or damage. The spindle holes are still decent, suggesting minimal playing and my careful handling over the years.
The labels have the 'CRC' to the left and the Presswell 'PR' as the suffix. Just the labels that the Columbia plant had on hand.
JACKET: As you can see from my pictures, this still looks very nice for a 45+ year old copy. 
This thick, all chocolate brown jacket is notorious for showing ringwear, dirt, scuffs and damage, but this copy is still quite nice. The back cover often shows scrapes and scuff, but this copy looks very good. 
There's some very minor shelf wear and minor corner bumping, but the artwork is bold and bright, the colors are 'warm', unlike later pressings, the spine is straight, and the original gloss is still present.
This is a 'smooth' 1977 jacket, not the 1969 'textured' version. Again, this is a 'normal' early Atlantic jacket, not a CRC jacket with the added text on the back, but the vinyl is a CRC pressing.
The inner gatefold is clean but there is a small 'crack' in the middle of the gatefold seam. It doesn't extend to the spine. A common problem with this particular record. Not bad, but should be pointed out. I showed details of this in my pictures.
Overall, a very nice original jacket. A nice survivor.
This album also comes with it's original 1977 Atlantic company inner sleeve, and, for some reason, also comes with an early Atlantic 'current albums' inner sleeve that I must have stuck in there decades ago.
Overall, I'll call the whole record VG+, but a nice early re-issue with a low opening bid. I just want to pass this on to someone who appreciates it.
This record has been sleeved and stored properly for decades, and is still quite nice for an original 1977 pressing.
You can see from my pictures it's still quite nice and acceptable. This copy is a real gem. I'm sure you'll love it.
If you like Led Zeppelin or classic Rock, this is a fantastic addition to your vinyl collection.
~~~~~~~~~~~~ ** NOTE: I'm selling this rare 'Collector' record "AS IS" and "NO RETURN". It's rare and as described and I'm sure you'll be very happy with it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I’m recently retired and downsizing and letting go some gems and rarities from nearly 45 years of vinyl record collecting. Check out the many other fantastic 45s and 33s coming soon to my page!
All records have been carefully evaluated and graded by me. I visually inspect all records under bright light, personally gently clean them with a soft cloth and then, if unsure, play them on a modern high-end turntable to get a true picture of condition. 
Please look at all the high-resolution pictures I added. They are all my own and are of the actual record being sold. The pictures are part of the description and can show small details, label variations, and condition better than I can put into words. 
My grading is fair and honest. I have had over 3,500 happy and satisfied EBay customers over the years, with 100% positive feedback, and I have been buying/selling on EBay for well over 25 years, so please bid with confidence!
I'm a 0ne-man operation, this is a hobby, not my job. I do this for fun. I do this because I love music, love collecting vinyl and want others to share in that same experience. I take my time listening, researching, grading, listing and packaging. I will NOT sell any record that I personally would not want in my collection.
As you well know, packing and shipping rare records requires special care and attention, therefore, shipping cost within the lower 48 states is $5.00 on this item. If you would like insurance, or anything faster than Media/Economy Mail, please let me know and I can arrange it for you. I’ll work with you to make sure you’re happy!
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THANK YOU for looking and reading if you got this far.  -- JOHN