LED ZEPPELIN IV A3/B4 1st PRESS PETER GRANT Credit + INVERTED FEATHER SUPERB NM
£
987
$
1,307
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Description
Led Zeppelin IV A3/B4 1st Press w/Peter Grant credit & Inverted Feather
This rare and very collectable red/plum first press needs no introduction. The holy-grail for Led Zepp collectors it has the Peter Grant credit on both labels and the inverted feather on the S2 label plus there is also no Superhype credit either. It is actually the second variation of the first press as it has the A3/B4 matrix as opposed to the A3/B3 one which had the same characteristics on the labels.
More good news in that it plays to a superb standard with barely any intrusion. There are no clicks or pops and the clarity and depth of the audio is just sublime. This is one of the most impressive red/plums I have ever listened to and I cannot underestimate just how rare it is to find a first pressing as exceptional as this. In my opinion it is a FINAL UPGRADE archive classic i.e. no need to purchase another as you could not improve upon this audio! The sonic quality is just amazing! There are various reasons for this - it has hardly been played judging by the audio and the minimal spindle wear, hardly any in fact. It is also visually stunning with a glorious glossy sheen and there are obviously no marks or scratches. The classic 'Stairway To Heaven' is without doubt one of the finest versions I have ever heard but every track plays to a 'high end' standard truth be told.
The iconic cover is also in excellent condition with only minimal shelf wear and the original paper lyric inner has also been so well preserved and has very little wear also.
2401012 A//3 1 1 1 3 PECKO DUCK
2401012 B//4 1 1 7 PORKY
The audio on S1 is Mint(-) (T4 Near Mint)
The audio on S2 is Mint(-) (T4 Near Mint)
The gatefold is Ex
The original inner is Ex-
The labels are Mint-
Visual grading
The vinyl is an absolute thing of beauty! It truly is in remarkable condition and still has immaculate jet-black glossy sheen with no marks or scratches. At first 'look' you would be forgiven for thinking it was pressed only yesterday such is the visual quality! There is no groove wear and and I can only locate a handful of ultra faint hairlines but they are very difficult to find I hasten to add! The run out grooves are also incredibly clean and as stated the red/plum labels have barely any spindle wear and have retained their original colour so well. This is as good as it gets basically, a stunning example!
Play grading
The intro on 'Black Dog' only has a couple of light static ticks and Plant's opening vocal is then 'as new' as are Page's first refrains. What you immediately notice is the sheer clarity, depth and power of the music and there is quite simply no 'background' to be heard not even during the 'quieter' moments. There are no clicks or pops and each note is just so clean and precise. It continues to play with a sonic quality that is outstanding and to the end the clarity is immaculate! This truly is a STUNNING version and Page's solo towards the end is breathtaking! It is so dynamic, so clear and delivers on every level. Apart from the two static ticks on the intro there are no other dust ticks, no ticks basically no interference at all and this is without question one of the finest versions of this opening classic that I have ever heard and you have to remember this is a genuine first press! The fade out also has no 'background' and I am confident in grading this as Mint- such is the quality. Wow what a start!
'Rock And Roll' carries on this fine form with faultless precision from the percussive intro to the final note. In essence it plays like it has never seen a turntable before! There is no interference and as per the first track there is no distortion. Turn it up to max and the power and depth just envelops the room with stunning Mint quality. I know I can get a little verbose/over-enthusiastic when describing audio of this 'kind' but when you consider the rarity of this album I can be forgiven! There is no 'muddiness' to the sound - no audio is 'lost' in any way and the piano on the final third of the track is a fine example of that - you will never hear it play as clearly as it does here. No need for a minus this is Mint in every sense of the word and as my regulars know I never over-grade as it is not in my interests to do so.
The quiet build up intro on 'The Battle Of Evermore' plays beautifully with only a couple of very light static ticks and the opening vocal has no intrusion at all. From then on it plays with a clarity that is so impressive for a relatively quiet track and there are no ticks, clicks or pops and no background static either. Again the playback is unbelievable and Mint- is very much deserved. I am sure many would discard with the minus!
The acoustic intro on the classic 'Stairway To Heaven' plays so clearly, almost 'as new' in fact. There are only a couple of very light ticks which isn't bad for an intro which is nearly one minute long! The opening two verses keep up this 'high end' standard with a clarity that can hardly faulted. I say hardly - there is just one very light click at the end of the final line. The next two verses play incredibly well with barely any of the static distortion that you so often find and the playback is again so impressive. As Bonham comes in there is no decrease in quality and if anything it plays even better! Verses five and six have to be up there with the best I have ever heard as the clarity and definition of the audio is sublime. Starting of course with the 'If there's a bustle in your hedgerow...' line the sonic quality can accurately be described 'as new' no exaggeration. As the volume increases just prior to Page's solo there is only very minimal static distortion and I do mean minimal! The solo then plays with such dynamic power and the clarity here is astounding. No distortion at all. Plant's following 'high octane' vocal is equal to this and plays with incredible clarity and no intrusion. This entire section is absolutely STUNNING! And the final quiet section is again so clean with no static just one light tick right at the end. From start to finish the playback is exceptional and this from a record that is now 50 years old! I will grade as Near Mint but in all honesty I have not heard many versions better than this...maybe just one!
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The intro on 'Misty Mountain Hop' plays perfectly with no interference and this standard is maintained as the vocal begins. It continues to play with stunning power and clarity and there are just no negatives. This is another example of a hardly played record where every note is so sharp and precise even on a 'high octane' track such as this. The audio is so deep and strong and there is no distortion either. A sublime Mint- version, just a couple of light static ticks on the fade out.
'Four Sticks' goes one better and grades as Mint as there is literally no 'background' and provides further evidence, if it was needed, that this record has hardly been played. The audio definition here is superb and none of the original sonic quality has been lost. Not even a solitary dust tick here.
'Going To California' plays beautifully from the very first groove and continues in the same exact way. There are no ticks, clicks or pops and the clarity throughout is again so good. This is a track that is often affected by interference and yet there is none here to be found. Being a quiet track you can pick up a just a minor hint of background static on a few occasions but it hardly deserves a mention as it is just so incredibly quiet. It's what you would find on a vinyl pressed yesterday let alone one from 50 years ago! Mint- is still very much deserved.
The percussive intro on 'When The Levee Breaks' is 'as new' and as it 'gets going' there is hardly any of the static distortion that is so often prevalent on this classic. The audio is so strong and the harmonica sections have never sounded better! Plant's first vocal is flawless and as you progress there is no let up in quality. So often you have to turn the volume down due to intrusive inner groove distortion but that is certainly not the case here. There is only a very minimal amount but it is so minimal and totally non-intrusive. The clarity and power of the audio is actually very impressive and I only detected one very light tick half way through. This is a very strong finish to this iconic album and Near Mint is an honest appraisal of the audio.
In summary this rare and very collectable first red/plum press plays to a sensational standard standard with, I can confidently say, no actual interference. Yes a couple of static ticks and a gentle tick on S2 but there is NO intrusive 'background' at all. It is so rare to find any red/plum press play this well let alone one with the Peter Grant credit and the inverted feather on S2! Based on the sonic quality, the visual quality and the fact there is barely any spindle wear it is patently obvious that this vinyl has hardly been played and in my opinion it qualifies as a FINAL UPGRADE pressing i.e. no need to purchase another! The clarity, depth and warmth of the audio is stunning and for once even the classic final tracks on each side have barely any inner groove distortion. This is an album that delivers on every level, a stonewall time-warp classic as it were.
The Gatefold & Inner Sleeve
The gatefold is in excellent condition and has only minimal wear. Notoriously flimsy this one has withstood the test of time and has retained its original shape extremely well. There is some rubbing on the edges and a little on the corners but is largely superficial and there is no actual damage. The wide spine is very clean with only minimal rubbing on one edge and a little wear on the corners as stated. The opening edge has hardly any handling wear and the front cover is in great shape with just one faint scratch line on the picture of the 'hermit'. The back cover is in beautiful condition with no marking and the inside of the gatefold is pristine also with an undamaged inner spine. A fine example overall.
The original inner is for once in excellent condition, a rarity indeed! There is only one tiny side split, just one mega small indent/'nick' one of the flipbacks and can you believe no bottom edge split! This is all probably due to a separate inner being placed inside many years ago which has helped it considerably in preserving it down the years. It has a couple of minor creases but this is without question one of the best you will find.
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 1 3 PECKO DUCK
2401012 B//4 1 1 7 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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Postage & Packaging
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