Led Zeppelin I A1 / B1 Red/Plum Label
This early pressing on the very collectable red/plum label plays to a wonderful standard with no interference on either side.  I repeat - no interference!  The clarity, depth and power of the audio is equal to that of a hardly played record and it has only very minimal spindle wear and a little vinyl flecking on the S1 spindle hole which lends further weight to this theory.  There are no clicks or pops and no underlying static and the sonic quality throughout is just exceptional.
I have sold a number of these down the years but this has to be my number one!  I do not think I have heard a better red/plum version and to say it is visually stunning is an understatement!  This truly is a FINAL UPGRADE time warp classic and it plays as good as it looks!  A full grading is given below.
The cover is in fantastic condition with barely any wear and again has to be one of the finest examples I have seen, hopefully the photos do it justice.  The original inner is also in excellent order with no side splits etc.
This is known as a very early second press variation and still has the A1/B1 matrix.  It has the orange lettering on the front cover and the silver/grey band along the bottom edge.  The matrix on both run out grooves is 'corrected' and has the 'Warner Bros/7 Arts...' publishing credit printed in one line on the labels.
With international shipping (including Europe now) I will declare a lower amount so as to decrease/avoid any Customs' fees.
588171 (2nd 8 corrected with etched 8) A // 1   1 2 4
588171 ( 2nd 8 corrected with etched 8)  B // 1    1  3 2 2
The audio on S1 is Mint(-) (T4 intro Near Mint+)
The audio on S2 is Mint(-) (T1 intro Near Mint)
The cover is Near Mint-
The original 'plastic bags...' inner is Ex+
The labels are Near Mint+
Visual Grading
The vinyl is in beautiful condition and you would not be unhappy if you had just bought this from a record shop!  It is quite possibly the most visually stunning red/plum pressing that I have ever seen and it still has that immaculate jet-black glossy sheen.  There are no marks or scratches and I can only detect a couple of ultra fine hairlines on either side and they were not easy to find believe me!  It really is in fantastic condition!  The run out grooves are pristine and the labels cannot be faulted either.  They have lost none of their original colour, have only very minimal spindle wear, and the S1 spindle hole even has a little vinyl 'flecking' on it which is something you generally find on hardly played vinyls!
Play Grading
The strong Page/Bonham intro on 'Good Times Bad Times' plays to perfection with no interference at all.  As Plant comes in this same level is kept up and from then on plays with sublime clarity and power.  There are no ticks, clicks, pops or static and it is the clarity and definition of the audio that really stands out here.  Every note is so sharp and precise and already it is obvious this vinyl has hardly ever been played.  I do not use the term Mint loosely but I am certainly confident in grading this as Mint as it just could not play any better.  Even the fade out has no 'background'!
There is one static tick in the dead wax and then the acoustic intro on 'Babe I'm Gonna Leave You' is faultless.  The opening vocal section has no interference and the first 'up tempo' section is also 'as new' and the 'baby cry' around the 1.40 minute mark can easily be heard!  It continues to play with stunning quality - the louder sections are so powerful with no distortion and the quieter passages play with a delicate precision that is so rare to find today.  The super quiet end section plays with remarkable clarity also.  From start to finish I only detected a couple of barely audible dust ticks and again this deserves a Mint grade in my humble opinion.  This truly is an exceptional start to this classic album!
There is then complete silence in the dead wax and the intro on 'You Shook Me' more than delivers!  Again there is no interference and the audio is just so 'clean'.  The first vocal is a prime example of that with a clarity that is again outstanding.  Jones' deep bass sound is very much in evidence here and has lost none of its original quality, something you only get with a beautifully preserved vinyl.  The mid instrumental is STUNNING in every way and 'as new' is the only way I can describe it!  There is literally no interference and the final vocal is of the same exact standard - I can honestly say I have never heard better.  Plant's 'high octane' vocal here is just out of this world!  Another immaculate version and Mint is again very much deserved.
The iconic bass intro on 'Dazed And Confused' is as close to perfect as could be.  I did pick up a couple of very light ticks but they are totally non-intrusive as they are so faint.  The first vocal is flawless and it continues to play as per the preceding tracks - i.e. with a sonic quality that is second to none.  I have played it twice now and the playback is awesome, not a word I like to use generally!  The long instrumental section is sublime and the 'high octane' section that follows is as 'complete' as I have ever heard.  There is no need to turn the volume down as there is no distortion of any kind, just pure Mint audio in all its glory!  The final section is of the same standard and if the intro is Near Mint+ then the remainder is Mint for sure.
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This has to be one of the 'cleanest' intros on 'Your Time Is Gonna Come' that I have ever heard!  There is so often a fair amount of 'background' but the clarity here is so impressive - there is no obvious static and only a handful of mega light dust ticks in the quieter organ section.  There is no underlying static and there are certainly no clicks or pops, a superb intro!  As Bonham comes in the audio is equally as good and it continues to play with genuine quality.  Once more there is not one iota of interference and 'as new' is again deserved.  More evidence, if it was needed, that this record has hardly ever been on a turntable!  This is clarity and power of the highest order.  A Near Mint intro and Mint for the remainder.
The segue into 'Black Mountain Side' is faultless and this instrumental then plays 'as new' with no background.  I keep on about clarity but when you find a red/plum pressing as 'clean' as this the clarity is very much on another level.  There is so much more depth and warmth to the music.  Mint
'Communication Breakdown' plays with a rare dynamic quality.  It regularly plays with a tinny distorted sound but there is none of that here.  The audio definition could not be any more impressive and again there is no interference.  It's not often this powerhouse of a track grades as Mint but it certainly does here!
The vocal only intro on 'I Can't Quit You Baby' has only a couple of insignificant dust ticks and then plays beautifully through every section.  There are of course a number of quiet sections and yet they all play to the same 'high end' standard with no interference, not one solitary tick!  Each Page solo is as 'fresh' as they would have been back in '69 and to the end this classic plays with stunning precision.  Mint
Another iconic bass intro on 'How Many More Times' and again it impresses with 100% pure clarity!  The first vocal in unison with Page's classic riff is faultless and from then on it plays as per the rest of the album!  The vocals have no distortion and the same can be said for the music which is rarity for any final track from this era.  Page's extended solo is so strong and dynamic and the following quiet section has not even a single dust tick, the clarity is off the scale!  Plant's vocal 'builds' in impeccable style with no intrusion and then the 'Oh Rosie' section plays with tremendous quality also.  The final vocal and riff section end this absolute classic with stunning power and clarity and from start to finish there just are no negatives.  A breathtaking Mint version to finish with!
In summary it doesn't really get any better than this!  The vinyl has been so well preserved down the years and I repeat has only been lightly played thus retaining its original sonic quality.  The clarity, depth and power is second to none in my opinion and is a FINAL UPGRADE pressing i.e. no need to purchase another to try and find better audio!  There are no clicks or pops on either side, no underlying static and the clarity is exceptional.  This is without doubt one of the finest examples of this classic album that I have ever listened to and in combination with its stunning visual 'look' and beautiful cover this would add to any 'near perfect' collection.
The Cover & Inner Sleeve
The laminated cover, with the silver band/stripe along the bottom, is one of the 'cleanest' I have ever seen and has held its original shape so well with no bends or creases on either side which can only be because it has hardly been handled down the decades.  The edges are in perfect condition with no wear and the thin pinched spine is almost as good with only 3/4 minor crease lines.  There is no real corner wear which is such a rarity and the opening edge also looks untouched.  For once the front cover has no creases on the main surface and it remains beautifully clean with no marking.  The only 'real' wear are a small number of creases next to the spine and a little laminate lift running down the spine which is something you always find with the early pressings.  The back cover is just as clean with no marking and again just has a handful of creases and some laminate lift next to the spine.  A stunning example overall and easily one of the finest you will on the 'market' today.
The original poly-lined 'Plastic Bags...' inner sleeve (date coded 0171) is in great condition with no side splits or tears and only minimal creasing and a little age related fading around the edges.
588171 (2nd 8 corrected with etched 8) A // 1   1 2 4
588171 ( 2nd 8 corrected with etched 8)  B // 1    1  3 2 2
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


I grade according to "Record Collector" guidelines.

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Postage & Packaging

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