LED ZEPPELIN II A2/B2 Red/Plum 1st PRESS WRECK Credit *Stunning* AUDIO EX+/NM
£
475
$
629
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Description
Led Zeppelin II A2 / B2 Red/Plum Label 1st Press with rare Wreck Credit
This very collectable first pressing plays with superb audio and with very little interference. I would actually argue there is barely any interference! The clarity is so impressive and so much plays to a Near Mint / Mint standard. S1 does have a little non-intrusive distortion (very minor!) and S2 has just one light click but yes apart from that the audio definition and resonance is stunning! S2 in particular plays with incredible sonic quality.
The vinyl itself is visually stunning and is one of the 'cleanest' Led Zepp II's I have seen let alone one of the finest Wreck pressings!
As this is a genuine first pressing (it is rumoured only a 1,000 - 2000 were pressed) it has the incorrect 'Wreck' credit on the S2 label and of course 'The Lemon Song' credit on S1 as opposed to 'Killing Floor'. It also has the 'Copyright Control' credit on the labels not the later 'Warner Bros...' credit. It obviously has the first press A2/B2 matrix and as can be seen below it is one of the first of the 'printing press' judging by the stamper info.
The gatefold has overall been very well preserved and no actual damage which is a rarity. There is some wear although nothing major and the front and back cover are so much cleaner than on so many you see today!
Shipping costs have massively increased recently and this item will have to be sent with extra insurance so as to correctly cover the sale price. However, I will be subsidising this by a certain amount and has been priced accordingly.
588198 // A ? 2 1 1 1 0 // B ? 2 1 2
The audio on S1 is Ex+ (Near Mint in many sections / Track 1 Near Mint-)
The audio on S2 is Near Mint (Mint- for the majority / T3 Near Mint- / T5 Ex+ )
The light brown gatefold is VG+
The labels are Mint-
The 'plastic bags...' inner is VG-
Play grading
The run in on S1 is so 'clean' and the intro on the classic 'Whole Lotta Love' plays so well with only a handful of mega light static ticks. From then on the audio is so rich and deep and there is no interference of any kind. The psychedelic section is absolutely STUNNING! The clarity is outstanding and the playback is as good as it would have been 50 years ago! Jones' bass is so strong and adds so much to this track especially on a vinyl as 'clean' as this. The quieter 'Way down inside...' section has only the lightest of static and the remainder plays with superb precision including the fade out. I honestly think this deserves a Near Mint- grade as it is an exceptional listen.
The quiet intro on 'What Is And What Should Never Be' is 'as new' and the first 'high octane' section is almost as good with only minimal distortion on the top end - I am being super critical though as it really is so minor. The rest of the track with wonderful clarity and definition and the quieter passages are as close to perfect as could be. With only a handful of barely audible light ticks the clarity is so impressive and there are no clicks or pops. Yes a hint of distortion on the top end during the louder sections but it is so minor and non-intrusive and I only mention it to be 'complete' in my grading. This is still a very strong Ex+ version.
'The Lemon Song' is of a very similar standard. From the outset there is no interference and Page's first rip-roaring solo is superb! Again the entire track plays without any clicks or pops and there is no obvious static either. The quieter bass heavy section is a case in point and has only a small number of light dust ticks. The final 'high octane' plays with stunning power and clarity and Ex+ is again deserved although arguably should be higher!
As any Led Zepp collector understands 'Thank You' is regularly affected by static/distortion on the first/early pressings. This is certainly one of the finest versions I have heard on first Wreck pressing. The intro is nigh on perfect and the first quiet vocal has barely any static. As the music builds there is is just a minimal touch of distortion on the top end again but I repeat it does not intrude on the quality of the listen. The mid acoustic instrumental plays with superb precision, no interference, and the super quiet 'If the sun refused to shine....' section plays with a clarity you rarely find. There is hardly any intrusion and the fade in/out/in section is among the finest I have heard on any red/plum press let alone a Wreck one! You often have a fair amount of static/crackle but not here! The playback is so 'clean' with only a couple of mega gentle ticks and for once has no distortion either. I will grade as Ex+ but again there are many sections that play better than that.
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S2 again has a super clean run in and 'Heart Breaker' then plays with incredible dynamic audio. The intro has barely any static and from then on plays to a standard you so rarely hear. The clarity, power, warmth and depth of the audio is stunning and there is no interference at all. The quieter mid section with Page's stand alone solo is so clear and strong the remainder of this classic is equally as impressive. Wow what a version! The all powerful instrumental section towards the end is STUNNING and the final vocal is without fault also. This is Near Mint for sure.
'Livin' Lovin' Wreck / Maid' goes one better and grades as Mint- there is just no 'background' of any kind. Such definition and power again this is sublime from start to finish.
The acoustic intro on 'Ramble On' is 'as new' and the first verse also plays with perfect precision. The only negative during the entire track is one click towards the end of this opening section. A shame because otherwise the audio here is sensational and you cannot fault the remainder of the track. So it is Mint- for 99% no exaggeration but will grade as Near Mint- due to that one aberration. The fade out is nigh on perfect with only a handful of barely audible ticks.
'Moby Dick' plays with wonderful clarity and depth from the get go and continues in the same way. As for Bonham's iconic solo - I have never heard it play with such amazing clarity on a Wreck press, on any press! Of course the majority of it is so quiet and yet there is no 'background' at all. You can hear each note with incredible precision and the final section where Page comes back in also plays without any interference. Mint- in every way.
The intro on 'Bring It On Home' is as close to perfect as could be with only 3/4 minor very quiet ticks. The clarity is again out of this world! As the track 'ramps' up the audio is so strong and for once has only very minimal distortion on the vocal. It is a very impressive version, Page's input in particular is stunning and has no 'background' of any kind. The quiet end section has no underlying static just a small number of insignificant dust ticks. I will err on the side of caution and grade this as Ex+ but it certainly provides a very fine and strong finish to this rare and classic album.
In summary this highly sought after first pressing is easily one of the most impressive I ever sold. There is not a lot wrong with it truth be told! With only a minimal amount of non-intrusive distortion on S1 and just the one light click on S2 there cannot be many Wreck pressings that play as well as this one! It plays with great clarity for the vast majority majority and the sonic quality is so strong in so many sections. As you can see from my gradings much of it does play with Near Mint / Mint quality and that is perhaps not surprising when you see how visually impressive the vinyl is. The winning bidder will not be disappointed!
Visual grading
The vinyl is stunning and retains a lovely glossy sheen despite being over 50 years old. There are no marks or scratches and it is only on close inspection that you can detect a few very faint sleeve removal hairlines either. There is nothing to detract from the superb visual quality at all! The surface has no groove wear and has not been overplayed judging by the audio and the minimal spindle wear. The run out grooves are also extremely clean and the matrix info can easily be read. A stunning vinyl in every way!
The Gatefold
The light brown gatefold is generally found in poor condition but not this one! There is shelf wear but by no means a lot and it has withstood the test of time very well. The top edges have a little rubbing but there is more on the bottom edges. The spine, so often wrecked (!), is 100% legible and has only minimal rubbing and a little wear on the corners. The right hand corners are in pretty good shape with only minimal wear and the opening edge whilst not perfect does not have too much handling wear. The front cover is in excellent condition with only very light fading/spotting around the edges and a very faint stain top left that is easily missed! The back cover again does some ringwear fading mainly at the bottom but is so much cleaner than so many you see! The inside of the gatefold is in fantastic order with no marking and only a couple of tiny creases visible on the inside corners. Overall a very strong and robust cover that has lost none of its original shape.
The Inner Sleeve
The original 'Plastic Bags...' inner dated 069 has seen better days but has only one very small side split and a top corner split. There is also a small tear on the top edge and one on the central 'window' but on the plus side it has no marking. There is also some creasing as you expect but at least it's included as it so often is missing!
The Labels
They red/plum labels are in lovely condition with no writing. S2 only has a 4/5 faint marks that can only be seen when you tilt the record. They have lost none of their original colour and as stated do not have 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
588198 // A ? 2 1 1 1 0 // B ? 2 1 2
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 SENDING ITEMS TO ITALY, RUSSIA/UKRAINE AND SOUTH AMERICA I WILL ONLY SEND THEM VIA TRACKED SHIPPING AND THIS COSTS AN ADDITIONAL £5.00.
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