Led Zeppelin II A1 / B1 (1st Turquoise Pressing)

This highly collectable album is in superb condition.  The audio plays to a incredible standard overall and is fully graded below.  The rare 'Turquoise' cover is in wonderful condition and has only very minor shelf wear.

This has the un-corrected matrix and the 'Superhype' credit on the labels as per all the genuine first pressings.

The international shipping cost is high as the LP will have to be sent correctly insured. If the amount is less for your country I will of course refund the difference.

588171 (2nd 8 un-crossed) A // 1  1 1  8

588171 (2nd 8 un-crossed) B // 1  1 5  4

The audio on S1 is Ex+ (Near Mint in many sections / few seconds near end of track 2 VG+)

The audio on S2 is Near Mint (Mint- in many sections / intros on track 1 are VG++ and track 2 VG+)

The laminated cover is Ex

The labels are Ex+

The 'Plastic Bags..' inner is Ex-

Visual grading

This is one super impressive vinyl.  It has been incredibly well preserved and retains a lovely glossy sheen for its near 50 years of age.  It has not been over-played as there is in fact very little spindle wear.  It is so rare to find this classic album in such superlative condition!  I have seen a few of these down the years and this is without doubt the 'cleanest' I have ever seen (or heard!).  There are some very faint sleeve removal hairlines on each side, as you would expect, but there are only 3 or 4 that are a little more obvious to the eye.  S2 does have one very short scratch but this only results in some brief interference.  Overall this is a visually stunning vinyl and due to the minimal play there is no groove wear and that accounts for the superb audio as detailed below.  The run out grooves and red/plum labels are also in great condition.

Play grading  

'Good Times Bad Times' has a little static distortion on the intro but there are no clicks or pops.  It plays with great intensity and power and whilst there is some light distortion here and there it does not in my opinion interfere with the audio.  The vocals are very clear and the guitar solo is absolutely stunning, no distortion here!  The remainder plays with wonderful clarity and there is no 'background' on the fade out.  How rare is that on a turquoise pressing?!  The entire track 'rocks out' superbly with no intrusive interference and remember there are no clicks or pops and no crackle either.  A very impressive opening track for such an iconic album.

 There is then complete silence in the dead wax prior to 'Babe I'm Gonna Leave You' and the intro here is superb.  There are only two light static sounds at the start but apart from that this acoustic section plays with perfect precision, just another 2/3 mega quiet dust ticks and grades as Near Mint without doubt.  I cannot believe what I am hearing!  There is one click during the 'babe, babe' vocal and thereafter it plays with sublime clarity and depth.  At the 1.40 mark after the 'We really got to ramble' line there is what sounds like a 'baby crying' in the background.  This is well documented and incredibly it is so clear and obvious here!  I have never heard this 'strange' two second section play as well as this and to think this is a 'turquoise' pressing!  The power and sonic quality is stunning throughout and there is no obvious 'background' at all.  The acoustic/drum sections play with exceptional power and clarity and there is only a minor touch of distortion on the vocal every now and then.  I heard a couple of gentle 'ticks' prior to the final 'loud' section and whilst there are a few crackle/click sounds on the quiet ending it still plays very clearly.  Not quite perfect but overall this is a fabulous version of this classic.

The intro on 'You Shook Me' plays very clearly but with one quiet swipe sound after a few seconds.  As it progresses there is no obvious 'background' just the odd hint of light static perhaps but there are no clicks or pops and no crackle.  Again this practically unheard of on this mega collectable LP.  The long mellotron/harmonica middle section is totally mind-blowing and I am pleased to say the guitar solo that follows has no distortion whatsoever.  It is no exaggeration to say that this entire instrumental section plays almost 'as new'.  The depth and clarity is once again 'high end' and is Mint- in anyone's book.  I am running out of adjectives for the astounding audio on offer here!  The depth of the bass is so strong on this track and there is no loss of sonic quality on this track i.e. there is no groovewear and no muddiness to the sound.  The final vocal has only a couple of gentle 'ticks', no other interference, and the 'scream' vocal at the end is nigh on perfect.  Wow!

The bass intro on 'Dazed and Confused' again has to be heard to be believed!  I have not heard one as 'clean' as this for such a long time, the clarity is astonishing and it plays 'as new'!  Totally fantastic!  There are no clicks or pops and no static or crackle - basically no interference at all!  There is no decrease in quality and every section plays with immaculate audio.  The louder parts have no distortion and 'rock out' in sublime style and the quiet mid section is a stunning example of the Mint clarity on offer here.  This is fabulous!  The following guitar/rhythm section is quite simply the most powerful and clean I have ever heard on a red/plum pressing let alone on a 'turquoise' pressing!  The power is just stunning and as for the guitar solo - you will not hear a better version anywhere.  100% Mint again and there is no distortion.  I played it three times, turned the volume up very loud and as I say no distortion, just pure unadulterated Mint audio all the way through.  I am delighted to say this clarity and depth continues right to the end.  There is no interference anywhere, just one 'tick' literally on the final note.  I would go so far as to say this is the most impressive version of this classic I have ever had the pleasure in listening to - incredible to think it is on a genuine 'turquoise' first pressing.

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As any Led Zepp fan collector knows there is always some static/distortion on the 'Your Time is Gonna Come' organ intro.  Whilst there is some static there is definitely less than you often find on the red/plum pressings and there are no clicks or pops.  There is just a little more static towards the end.  The intro still plays very clearly and so much better than many I have heard.  Once the drums and acoustic guitar 'kick in' the audio is very impressive indeed.  Every note plays with wonderful definition and depth and there is no distortion on the top end of each chorus and that is a rarity.  I did hear a couple of very gentle 'ticks' at the end.  This is another track displaying superb clarity and aside from the intro I would give this a Near Mint grading.

'Black Mountain Side' whilst playing very clearly from the outset does have some light clicks on the intro.  They are not that loud but you can hear them.  I don't think they are too intrusive as the music generally overpowers them and they are definitely not pops!  After about 15 seconds they disappear and the remainder of this acoustic track plays with sublime quality and no other interference.  The intro is VG+ but the remainder is Mint I am confident in saying.

'Communication Breakdown' plays with phenomenal power from the word go and no distortion.  It is worth saying that this is very rare on the red/plum pressings and as if you need a reminder this is a turquoise pressing!  Aside from one light click the remainder of the track plays with supreme strength and depth and the guitar solo is breathtakingly good.  It is incredible to think this entire track plays without distortion, such rarity.  Even the fade out plays with perfect precision!

The super quiet intro on 'I Can't Quit You Baby' is very impressive indeed.  It plays beautifully with next to no static and again I am just blown away by the remarkable clarity.  You can expect some 'background' on a new vinyl let alone one of this age but the clarity here pays testament to how well this vinyl has been looked after down the years.  I heard only one mega faint 'tick' prior to the bluesy guitar section.  This then plays with awesome Mint quality and again you can hear each instrument so clearly.  This is obviously a vinyl that has not been over-played therefore the quality of the actual vinyl has not been affected, no groove wear etc.  There is just one faint 'tick' again prior to the final vocal section but the remainder plays with, you guessed, stunning clarity.

The bass intro on 'How Many More Times' is fantastic and plays 'as new'.  There is no interference, not even a solitary dust tick.  As the track progresses there is no lessening in quality and once more there is no distortion on the top level.  The strong bass sound here is stunning, so much stronger here than on the later pressings.  The guitar solo is immaculate and has only a minimal hint of distortion, perhaps not even worthy of mention.  The two second 'silent' section that follows has no 'background' at all and the quiet section following that is also nigh on perfect with only a touch of barely audible static.  The clarity is superb to say the least.  The crescendo build up to the 'Rosie' vocal section plays in sublime fashion and no distortion, just pure power.  This section then plays to perfection and this continues to the end.  It is a stunning finale to this near perfect album.  The famous guitar riff has no distortion and nor does the vocal and it provides an ending as close to Mint as you will find.  Absolutely stunning!

In summary this 'turquoise' first pressing plays with very impressive audio for the vast majority and indeed many sections are Near Mint / Mint- the quality is that good.  As stated it is super clean and has very little spindle wear which all contribute to the fine audio that is on display here.  Yes there is one short section of interference on S2 but that is really the only obvious interference of note.  What makes this genuine first pressing all the more collectable is that the turquoise cover is in lovely condition.  It has been extremely well preserved and with only very minor shelf wear it will not disappoint the avid collector.  Overall a stunning 'Turquoise' Led Zeppelin 1.

All winning bidders are responsible for their own countries' customs charges.  Because of the high value I will have to declare the true amount on the customs form.

The 'Turquoise' Cover

This is one of the cleanest examples of this iconic cover I have ever seen and it is obvious that is has always been very carefully handled.  Supposedly there were only 2,000 ever made so you can see how rare it is.  Printed by 'MacNeill' it of course has the silver band on the bottom edge as well as the turquoise lettering of course.  The tope edge and thin pinched spine look 'as new' with no rubbing or marking at all.  The bottom edge is almost as good but has just the one very small mark.  Incredibly there is next to no corner wear which is such a rarity.  They really are so clean!  The opening edge has no handling wear although when laid flat you can see it has a very minor rippling affect.  The laminate throughout is in remarkable condition and has no splits.  There is just the usual minor 'lifting' on either side of the spine but all red/plum pressings have that.  There are a few small laminate creases on the right hand side of the airship and a little more next to the opening edge.  This is about 9cms in length but it certainly isn't off putting.  Apart from that the front cover is in lovely condition with no marking and it remains very clean.  The back cover is in superb condition with no marking and only a couple of very minor laminate creases and a small crease to the bottom left corner.

This is a very impressive example of this rare cover.  As I say there is some minor wear but there is nothing that detracts from its overall stunning 'look'.  I think it is fair to give it an Ex grading but many aspects are certainly better than that.  It is getting harder to find one in this condition and along with the stunning vinyl this will add to any collection.

The Inner sleeve

The original poly-lined 'Plastic Bags Can Be Dangerous' sleeve has no splits or tears just some light creasing and age related fading along the top edge.  A small number of minor 'nicks' on the top edge also.  It has the Patent numbers 800513 & 973939 and Made in England printed on it.

The labels

The red/plum labels are in excellent condition with writing and as mentioned not very much spindle wear either.  They do have some very faint wavy lines but this is only visible when held at a certain angle.  They of course have the 'Superhype' credits and S1 is correctly numbered on this one.

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 un-crossed) A // 1  1 1  8

588171 (2nd 8 un-crossed) B // 1  1 5  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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