Led Zeppelin HOUSES OF THE HOLY 1973 UK LP 1st Press A2 /B2 PLAYS NEAR MINT HEAR
FULLY TEST PLAYED AND RECORDED SO YOU CAN HEAR IT BEFORE BIDDING Powered by eCommercePlayer.com Powered by eCommercePlayer.com
LED ZEPPELIN - HOUSES OF THE HOLY
IN MAGNIFICENT NEAR MINT CONDITION
ORIGINAL 1ST PRESS NO WARNER LOGO ON LABEL
A2/B2
ALL 1ST PRESS INDICATORS
I WANTED TO SPEND A LITTLE TIME ON THE SUBJECT OF AN ALL ORIGINAL PRESS. WHAT I MEAN BY THIS IS THAT OVER TIME SLEEVES AND INNERS HAVE BEEN SWAPPED ON ZEPPELIN ALBUMS TO THE POINT THAT IF YOU DO NOT KNOW HOW TO IDENTIFY AN ORIGINAL ISSUE, YOU MAY WELL END UP WITH A HYBRID,
WELL FIRSTLY THE SLEEVE ON THE ORIGINAL PRESS WAS MADE OF A SLIGHTLY THICKER CARD AND THEREFORE SOMEWHAT STRONGER. IF YOU LOOK ON THE INSIDE OF THE SLEEVE THE ORIGINAL CARD IS SLIGHTLY A LIGHTER SHADE OF GREY THAN THAT OF THE LATER PRESSES, BUT MOST OBVIOUS IS THE FACT THAT ON THE ORIGINAL ISSUES THE SLEEVE WAS UNLAMINATED AND MATTE, WHEREAS THE LATER SLEEVES WERE SLIGHTLY GLOSSY AND HAVE A SMOOTH FINISH TO THEM
THE INNER SLEEVES ARE TEXTURED NOT SMOOTH LIKE LATER PRESSES AND THEY ARE MADE FROM STRONGER PAPER. 1ST ISSUES ARE ALSO PRESSED UP BY MACNEIL AND SONS
THE GREEN AND ORANGE LABEL IS THE DULLER LESS GOSSY FINISH AND HAS NO WARNER LOGO AT 3 O'CLOCK ON IT, AND THE MATRIX NUMBER MUST BE A2 / B2
THE RECORD
THE LABELS
THE GREEN AND ORANGE ARE IN MINT CONDITION. BOTH BASE COLOURS ARE RICH AND VIBRANT, AND THE WHITE BAND IS STILL WHITE AND NOT SOILED AT ALL. THE BLACK TYPEFACE IS UNRUBBED AND PERFECTLY LEGIBLE.
FINALLY THERE ARE JUST 2 MINISCULE SPIDER LINES CLOSE TO THE SPINDLE HOLE
THE VINYL
THE HEAVYWEIGHT VINYL IS IN MAGNIFICENT CONDITION. IT HAS RETAINED ALL OF IT'S ORIGINAL SHEEN. IT LOOKS AS GOOD AS THE DAY IT WAS PRESSED. THERE ARE NO MARKS OR BLEMISHES ON THE SURFACE, AND EVEN WHEN PLACED UNDER A MAGNIFYING LED HALO THERE IS NOTHING TO SEE OTHER THAN A COUPLE OF TINY WISPY HAIRLINES AND A COUPLE OF TINY DULL SPECKLES
THE TEST PLAY
THE LP PLAYS JUST SUPERBLY ALL THE WAY THROUGH BOTH SIDES,
NO EMBEDDED VINYL NOISES
NO GROOVE WEAR THUS NO DISTORTION TO THE AUDIO
NO BACKGROUND CRACKLE WHATSOEVER
THE LINKING GROOVES ARE SILENT OR NEAR SILENT
STUNNING THROUGH THE MANY QUIET PASSAGES.
I HEARD A COUPLE OF SEMI SECONDS OF BARELY AUDIBLE STATIC AND NO MORE THAN FOUR TINY LITTLE DUST TICS DURING THE PLAYTHROUGH AND A COUPLE AT THE END OF D'YER MAKER
I AM MORE THAN HAPPY TO GRADE THIS AUDIO NEAR MINT
TAKE A LISTEN AND GRADE IT AGAINST YOUR STANDARDS
THE SLEEVE
NON LAMINATED MATTE GATEFOLD SLEEVE FROM MACNEILL PRESS
THE FRONT SURFACE IS FLAT AND CLEAN AND HAS NO HEAVY CREASES OR CREASE LINES. THE SLEEVE HISTORICALLY SUFFERS FROM COLOUR LOSS DUE TO RUBBING, BUT THIS HAS BEEN ALMOST COMPLETELY AVOIDED APART FROM A TINY BIT OF GREYING IN THE TOP RIGHT CORNER AREA
THERE IS NO RING WEAR OR RECORD SHAPE
THE FOUR CORNERS HAVE A PIN PRICK OF RUB ON THE TIPS
THERE ARE NO PRESSURE LINES ON THE SPINE.ONE ON THE TOP EDGE, AND ONE ON THE BOTTOM EDGE. NO THUMB LINES NEAR THE SPINE
THE TOP EDGES ARE NEAR PERFECT. FULLY COLOURED APART FROM A LITTLE RUB ON THE RIGHT CORNER TIPS
THE BOTTOM EDGES HAVE SOME LIGHT SHELF RUB
THE SPINE IS ALSO JUST FLAT. AND TOTALLY UNRUBBED. AMZINGLY NO COLOUR LOSS WHATSOEVER APART FROM A SPECK ON THE BOTTOM END
THE OPENING EDGE IS VERY SHARP WITH JUST A COUPLE OF TINY THUMB NAIL NICKS
THE REAR SURFACE IS EVERY BIT AS MAGNIFICENT AS THE REST OF THE SLEEVE, AND IT'S WORTH POINTING OUT THAT THERE IS NOT ONE JOT OF RINGWEAR, OR EVEN RECORD SHAPE ON THIS SURFACE THAT USUALLY PLAGUES THIS DELICATE SLEEVE
OPENING THE GATEFOLD REVEALS TWO NEAR PRISTINE INNER PANELS. A TINY BIT OF GREYING ON THE BLUE AREA AT THE TOP
THE INNER SLEEVE IS THE CORRECT TEXTURED ISSUE. NO SEAM SPLITS. THERE IS SOME MILD HANDLING TO THE EDGES
THE SLEEVE GRADES AS NEAR MINT
GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR BID IF YOU CHOSE TO GO FOR IT