LED ZEPPELIN IV A3/B3 Red/Plum LABEL Rare PETER GRANT Credit *Stunning* AUDIO
£
337
$
447
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Description
Led Zeppelin IV A3/B3 UK Red/Plum Label
This FINAL UPGRADE red/plum pressing plays to a standard that you so rarely find today. The clarity and depth of the audio is stunning from start to finish and has no interference at all. Only lightly played the definition of the audio is so impressive and there is barely any of the inner groove distortion that you so often find with this album. I cannot stress enough just how incredibly well this plays and it is quite possibly the strongest I have ever had the pleasure in listening to.
There are about nine versions of this album on the red/plum label and this is the rare second version with the 'Peter Grant' credit. Jimmy Page has this removed on subsequent pressings as he was not too happy about it! This is one of the most collectable pressings because of this and they are very rarely found in this condition. Most other aspects are right - 'Hop' is spelt correctly and the 'feather' is not inverted on S2. The only other 'fault' is the 'Kinney Music Ltd' credit - all later versions have 'Kinney Music Ltd / Superhype Music Inc'.
PECKO DUCK and PORKY are etched into the dead wax on each side. It also has the earliest A3/B3 matrix
2401012 // A / 3 // 1 1 7 // Pecko Duck
2401012 // B / 3 // 1 1 3 // Porky
The audio on S1 is Mint- (track 4 Near Mint)
The audio on S2 is Mint- (track 4 Near Mint)
The gatefold is Ex-
The original inner sleeve is VG-
The labels are Near Mint
Visual grading
This is the most stunning example of a red/plum press I have ever seen! It has an immaculate jet-black glossy sheen and is so beautifully clean. Both sides have only a small number of very faint sleeve removal hairlines and they can only be seen under a strong bright light. There are no obvious marks or scratches at all it really does have a very impressive visual 'look'. There is also very little spindle wear and as detailed below it is clear this stunning record has not been overplayed. The run out grooves and labels are also super clean with no marking.
Play grading
The quiet intro on 'Black Dog' plays with stunning clarity, just a couple of barely audible dust ticks. For the opening few grooves to play as well as this on a near 50 year old record is a rarity and it continues to play with 'high end' audio. In fact the playback is superb and even the brief quieter moments have no 'background' and from start to finish the definition of each note is stunning. There is no distortion and Page's solo near the end is a fine example of that. This really is an incredible version of this classic opening track and the fade out also provides further confirmation of a record so well looked after down the years. There is just one light tick right at the end. This is Mint- I am confident in saying.
With complete silence in the dead wax 'Rock and Roll' then plays with unparalleled power and depth. You can turn it up to maximum without any distortion and 'as new' is not an exaggeration. This is Mint there is no need for a minus here! I so often write about the depth of the sound and nowhere is it more obvious than on a super clean record such as this. The rhythm section is just so strong and I have just never heard a better version. Wow!
The very quiet intro on 'The Battle of Evermore' is nigh on perfect! So often there is some static/crackle on this section but that is not the case here. With only a couple of mega quiet dust ticks the audio is stunning and I am pleased to say it continues in exactly the same way. The clarity is exceptional and there is literally nothing that intrudes on the quality of the audio. The long fade out also plays with unbelievable clarity. I am many would grade this as Mint but I will say Mint- just to err on the side of caution :-)
Let's hope 'Stairway to Heaven' is equal to this sublime standard...and I am delighted to say it is! The intro plays beautifully with only one faint tick and as Plant's vocal begins there is no decrease in quality. This entire opening section has to be one of the finest I have ever heard. The clarity and depth could scarcely be any better and there is no interference of any kind, just the odd mega quiet static sound that is in no way intrusive. Pure audio perfection! As Bonham joins in the sound quality is just as good and as any collector knows there is often some distortion during this section. Not here though there is zero distortion! Once again I cannot emphasise enough just how perfectly this plays, the clarity is just breathtaking! Even as the volume increases just after the '...whispering wind' line there is hardly any inner groove distortion and Page's solo that follows is spectacular! The final verse is quite simply the finest I have ever heard and I've heard a lot! It has such a strong dynamic quality and again there is no obvious distortion. I must reiterate this 'louder' section hardly ever plays this well and in all honesty it has a clarity and sonic quality that is as good as it would have sounded back in '71. The quiet end vocal also plays with stunning precision and no 'background'. This all time classic is one of the most impressive I have ever heard and I do not exaggerate my gradings as my regular customers know. I listen to every second of every track and quite often more than once so as to provide a comprehensive description. I will however grade this as Near Mint just to be cautious and it is obvious it has not been overplayed. A stunning version!
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The intro on 'Misty Mountain Hop' plays with perfect precision and not even a dust tick. From then on the audio is nigh on perfect with only a couple of light static ticks directly after 'They asked to stay for tea and have some fun' line. I keep on about clarity but again the playback is exceptional. The sound is so fresh and clear and that is highly impressive for a track that has so much going on 'musically' and the fade out plays 'as new'. Another Mint- track in my opinion.
I am running out of superlatives for this immaculate red/plum pressing but 'Four Sticks' is Mint from start to finish. When you find a 'clean' version such as this the bass is so strong and the clarity is just out of this world! There is no 'muddiness' to the sound and each note can be heard as it would've been 48 years ago. Amazing when you think about it!
'Going to California' has a clarity of sound that you so rarely hear today and again this pays testament to how well this record has been preserved down the years. There is no intrusive 'background' and the audio definition is Mint I am delighted to say. There are only a couple of dust ticks on the fade out but as we all know that can be the case with new vinyl.
What follows is the most stunning version of 'When the Levee Breaks' that you are ever likely to hear! From Bonham's superb intro to the very end it plays with immense power and very little of the distortion that you always find on this classic. The long intro is faultless and as Plant's vocal begins the audio is so strong and it continues to impress. Just a word about inner groove distortion here. As any Led Zepp collector knows it can often 'overpower' the music here and almost be unlistenable but this is one of the 'cleanest' version I have heard in a long time and you can turn it up to 'loud' without having to turn it down immediately! This is a 'high end' version and whilst there is a little distortion on the end section it is not that intrusive. There is nothing to detract from the stunning quality of the audio but I will grade as Near Mint just to be on the safe side. A little distortion yes but in a way it should not be downgraded because this is how it was recorded/pressed and is unavoidable. It provides a stunning end to this album.
In summary this FINAL UPGRADE ARCHIVE red/plum pressing is so impressive and has no clicks or pops and no static or crackle either. The clarity and depth of the audio is stunning and the lack of distortion is what makes this album really stand out. The two final tracks on each side 'Stairway To Heaven' and 'When The Levee Breaks' are rarely found as 'clean' as this. Of course what makes it even more collectable is that it is one of the earliest pressings with the 'Peter Grant' credit on the labels. They are not so easy to find today and especially in this condition! As previously mentioned this record has not been on the turntable too often and the fact that it has also been incredibly well preserved provide the reasons why it has maintained its stunning clarity to this day. A FINAL UPGRADE pressing if ever there was one!
The Gatefold
The iconic cover is in excellent condition with only very minor shelf wear. The edges have some rubbing but not an excessive amount and they remain strong. The spine is super clean with only a little wear on the corners and the right hand corners are not misshapen in any way and have only a minimal amount of wear. Just a little more perhaps on the lower right corners. The opening edge has barely any handling wear. The front cover is beautifully clean with no marking and the back cover is almost as good with only a minimal spotting top left and a couple of tiny white marks near the opening edge. The inside is very clean with only some minor spotting around the edges which you so often see. A highly creditable version overall.
Inner Sleeve
The inner is very clean but does have a couple of the usual splits. The bottom edge is totally split but at least it is 'clean' and has not been covered in tape! There is also one 8cm side split but visually it is very impressive and has only a couple of minor 'spot' marks. The flipbacks on the credits side have no wear and whilst it is by no means perfect it could not really 'look' much better.
The Labels
They are super clean and have lost none of their strong red/plum colour. There is no marking or writing and as stated there is not very much spindle wear.
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
2401012 // A / 3 // 1 1 7 // Pecko Duck
2401012 // B / 3 // 1 1 3 // Porky
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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