LED ZEPPELIN II A2/B2 Red/Plum PRESS LEMON SONG GREAT Audio & AMAZING Cover
£
221
$
293
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Description
Led Zeppelin II A2 / B2 Red/Plum Label
This very early red/plum pressing plays with superb audio for the vast majority and only one track on S1 has a little interference. The sonic quality on all the other tracks is 'high end' and there is not one single click or pop on either side. The clarity, depth and warmth of the audio for the large part is so impressive.
The gatefold is absolutely STUNNING and is probably the 'cleanest' I have ever seen. Just look at the photos! A beautifully preserved copy with hardly any wear. It is also the lighter brown version which makes it even rarer still. They were only issued with the very early pressings, just the A2/B2 ones if I remember correctly.
Being such an early pressing it has 'The Lemon Song' credit on S1 which of course was soon replaced with 'Killing Floor' due to impending litigation. It also has the 'Copyright Control' publishing credit on the labels which was soon replaced with the 'Warner Bros' credit on other editions. Incidentally the A2/B2 matrix is the one seen on the 'Wreck' credit versions so arguably you could say this is also a first pressing i.e. they soon realised the printing error and so produced more labels but obviously there was no need to repress the actual vinyl. I mean just look how at how 'early' the matrix info is below!
588198 // A ? 2 // 1 1 2 1 // B ? 2 // 1 1 2 1
The audio on S1 is Ex+ (T2 VG / T3 Near Mint)
The audio on S2 is Mint(-) (T1 Near Mint- / T5 Ex intro then Near Mint)
The gatefold is Ex++
The original 'plastic bags...' inner is Near Mint
The labels are Near Mint
Visual grading
This very early red/plum vinyl is in lovely condition and retains a very strong glossy sheen that has no scratches or marking. At first glance it is stunning and it is only on closer inspection that you can detect a number of very faint sleeve removal hairlines. There is I believe a little groove wear on T2 of S1 but it is certainly not easy to spot. This is still one of the 'cleanest' A2/B2 pressings you are likely to find today and the run out grooves are also incredibly clean.
Play grading
The lead in grooves on S1 are so 'clean' with no 'background' and then the intro on 'Whole Lotta Love' plays with only minimal light static and no crackle, clicks or pops. The first vocal section is nigh on perfect and it then plays with a clarity and depth that you only find on the red/plum pressings, the playback is stunning. The psychedelic section is so impressive and again it's the clarity of the audio that really strikes you. There is just a hint of barely audible static and it continues to play with great depth and power as Page signals the end of this section. Perhaps a very minor amount of distortion here but again this is very minimal and non-intrusive. The super quiet 'Way down inside...' section has no interference and the remainder of this classic is faultless and the fade out also plays to perfection. This is easily an Ex+ start to the album although many sections do play better.
The quiet intro on 'What Is And What Should Never Be' is exactly that, so quiet with no intrusion and the first chorus has some static distortion which lasts for 4/5 seconds caused by groove wear I expect. From then on many sections do play very well but there is some distortion on the top end here and there i.e. just on the louder sections. The quieter passages play with wonderful clarity and the powerful end section is very impressive. The fade out has no 'background' at all. I would grade this as VG overall but many sections certainly play better than that.
'The Lemon Song' plays with great depth and power from the very first groove and it continues in the same way. You can certainly turn this one up to maximum without any distortion! Page's first solo is a prime example of that - absolutely stunning! The bass is even stronger on this track and especially in the middle section and again there are no clicks or pops here. This entire section plays with a clarity that you rarely find on these early pressings and the remainder does not disappoint either. In fact the 'high octane' finish is breathtaking and this track easily deserves a Near Mint grade.
'Thank You' often has some inner groove distortion and it is just a matter of how much. The intro is close to perfect and has barely any distortion and the first vocal plays with amazing clarity. From then on there is only a minimal amount of distortion during the more up tempo sections and it's the quieter sections that really stand out. So often they play with a lot of static/crackle but not here! The clarity during the 'If the sun refused to shine...' sections is STUNNING in every way and rarely have I heard it play so well. There is barely any static and the fade out/in/out section is superb! The 'silent' section is totally silent which is a genuine rarity! This is one of the finest endings to this track that I have heard in a long time. The audio is so 'clean' and precise and there is just no intrusion whatsoever. Overall an Ex+ end to the side.
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The intro on 'Heart Breaker' is superb with only a couple of minor ticks and as Plant's vocal comes in the audio is equally as good. It continues to play with fantastic power and depth and the clarity during the first 'quiet' section is very impressive - there is no underlying static and Page's stand alone solo is also nigh on perfect. The following section is awesome! So powerful and yet no sign of any distortion. The rest of the track is of the same standard with only very minimal distortion for 3/4 seconds that you hardly notice anyway. A Near Mint- version.
'Livin' Lovin' Maid' is 'as new' from start to finish with no interference. The audio definition could not be any stronger and Mint- is a fair assessment of the sound quality.
The acoustic intro on 'Ramble On' plays with sublime clarity and again 'as new' is no exaggeration. The first 'chorus' is of the same high end standard and it continues in the same precise way. This truly is an exceptional version as having listened to every note I can confidently say there is no 'background' and none of its original sonic quality has been lost over the last 50 years. Amazing! Even the fade out plays with incredible precision. This is Mint I have no hesitation in saying.
The entire opening section on 'Moby Dick' is faultless and again the depth of the audio cannot be underestimated. Bonham's classic solo often has some interference I find but this is one of the 'cleanest' I have ever heard. The clarity is sensational and there is no intrusion at all, pure stunning quality throughout! The final section is of the same standard and Mint is again richly deserved. Wow what a version!
The bass/harmonica intro on 'Bring It On Home' is close to perfect with only a handful of dust ticks and then there are only a little distortion on the vocal during the first 'verse' but there is no underlying static. As the volume increases the playback is so strong and from then on has barely any of the inner groove distortion that you regularly find. This is a very impressive version and the closing quiet section has no interference for once. This is Ex on the intro and Near Mint for the remainder.
In summary this very early pressing plays to a superb standard for the vast majority and S2 in particular is stunning. It is only the one track on S2 that has some interference and even then there are no clicks or pops. In fact there are no clicks or pops across the entire album and there is no underlying static either. So yes aside from that one track the sonic quality is outstanding and as for the cover - I have never seen a better one!
The Gatefold
The light brown cover is in beautiful condition and is easily the most impressive I ever seen. It is also still very strong and robust with no bends etc which suggests it has always been very carefully handled down the years. I hope the photos do it justice! It is so rare to find one as 'clean' as this mainly due to the fact that it is not laminated. The edges have only very minimal rubbing and the wide spine is in superb order with just one crease line in the centre and it remains 100% legible. What is so rare is that there is barely any corner wear, just a little bottom right, and the opening edge is pristine. The front cover is stunning and has no marking and no obvious fading which is again is a genuine rarity. There are only a couple of minor creases next to the spine and the back cover is equally as good. The inside of the gatefold is immaculate with no marking/creasing and no damage to the inner spine. This truly is a fantastic example of this iconic cover and is not far off being Near Mint- but I will grade as Ex++ just to be on the safe side :-)
The Inner Sleeve
The original 'Plastic Bags...' poly-lined inner is in superb shape with no side splits or marking and barely any creasing.
The Labels
The red/plum labels are visually stunning and have lost none of their original colour with no marking or writing and only 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 2 1 // B ? 2 // 1 1 2 1
I grade according to "Record Collector" guidelines.
Any questions please feel free to ask
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