Led Zeppelin on vinyl

I know this topic has been covered before, but I was bringing it up again to see if there are any new or revised opinions out there. I am looking to upgrade my Zep lps from I to HotH. I know the RL cuts are the way to go with II and HotH, so I am more concerned about albums 1,3, and 4. I was suprised to find that my two copies of LZ 4 are both Pecko Duck pressings. Only one is clean, and while it sounds good, I was not blown away by the sound. Would the uk Porky cut be an upgrade over what I have? I have a Porky cut of This Year's Model that rocks my face off. I know also thay many like the Classic pressings of LZ 1. Is that still the forum favorite? Finally I have no idea what pressing to get of LZ 3. I love the album but my domestic copy is pretty so-so. For about the past week I have been on a huge Zeppelin kick and want to upgrade the sounds quality of my lps. Any comments would be greatly appreciated.

 

IMO:

LZ I - Classic
LZ II - RL (almost impossible to find clean; if surface noise drives you crazy, the MFSL is actually quite good on this title but is also quite pricey)
LZ III - Classic
LZ IV - (both the Classic and the Pecko Duck are quite good; I've got one of each sitting around waiting for a shootout when I have some time)
HOTH - RL

Of course, Classic is coming out with its 45rpm super box set soon ($700 if you must ask) of the Zeppelin collection. This won't fix the poor EQ in the Classic version of LZ II, but it is likely to produce the definitive versions of I, III and maybe IV and/or HOTH.

Enjoy!

 

I thought I recalled reading that HoTH from Classic records was outstanding?

 

I'd go with the Classic lp's. They do sound STUNNING!! Honest they do!!

 

I just sold my 200g Classic pressing of HOTH when I found a RL cut 1841 Broadway pressing. I actully found two of them at different record stores (for $7.99) so I decided to do a little shootout. Both of the RL cuts were superior (the one pressed at SO being slightly better but it might just be condition) and a clear example is the first break in No Quarter after the drums come in. On the Classic pressing the cymbal fades into loud tape hiss while on the RL cut the cymbal just fades into blackness. Overall the drums have more presence and weight, the guitars have more bite and the bass has more authority. I don't think it's Classic's fault but considering the original copy was pressed by a great mastering engineer from a fresh tape and the Classic was pressind from a 30+ year old tape that had been played many times. You can clearly hear that the tape is not in as good shape as it was when the first record was pressed.

 

Pecko Duck and Porky are inscriptions by the same mastering engineer George Peckham - meaning he did both....

 

BTW, does the Classic BBC LPs sound better than the cds?

 

Is the RL version of HOTH easier to identify then his version of II? Is there a catalouge number that would identify an RL pressing? I have been reading archived threads all day and this is far more confusing than I would prefer.

 

RL in the dead wax. Piece of cake.

 

Often sellers don't post deadwax info, so I was looking for a more obvious way to identify a RL pressing of HOTH.

 

You pretty much have to ask each seller to find the one you want. It is pretty rare that you will find an auction that says "RL in the deadwax." I am assuming the one with RL is the older pressing with catalog number SD 7255. If so, you can eliminate all the ones with the SD 19130 catalog number.

I did this with LZ II last year and contacted about 50 sellers, but I was able to find 2 RL pressings. So it is worth the effort! Then you just have to hope the seller doesn't post his response to your question in his auction for the whole world to see. If so, you will have more competition. Best to wait until the last day or so to ask the question.

 

My experience is that the RL pressed Houses LPs are fairly common and easy to find. Not at all like the RL LZ2.

 

Houses Of The Holy RL cuts are common as dirt. Just stick to the original 4-digit catalog #.

I have a 5-digit reissue that sounds nice, just not as good as my RL copy. Probably easier to find the RL cut actually...

 

Only the very early pressings of LZ II are the Robert Ludwig versions. As explained in early threads, there are actually two RL versions. Atlantic discontinued the RL versions fairly early on, reportedly because too many purchasers complained about their "needles" skipping on the bass passages. Take it from someone who was around in 1969, anybody who bought LZ II soon after its release played it to death and probably used a poor quality vinyl rig. That is why it is so difficult to find nice RL pressings of LZ II.

The RL versions of HOTH were the standard issue and were not prematurely discontinued. Also, equipment was better by the time of its release and it simply did not get played as much by all of its purchasers (in part because there were more Zep alternatives available by then).

 

What do people here think of the Classic Records Physical Graffiti? I have a US copy and it is pretty mediocre and am considering trying the Classic version.
Thanks,

Mark

 

I've been listening to quite a bit of Zeppelin lately, so my impressions are pretty fresh:

Zep I: UK plum label (beats a US early 2nd press, but I haven't heard the Classic)
Zep II: RL 1st press kills Classic and also beats UK plum and US.
Zep III: I only have an 80s Specialty press and it sounds good.
Zep IV: Pecko Duck and Classic are both excellent. Lately, I prefer the Classic. Unlike I and II, lots of cheap clean copies of IV are still around. You might save your money on this one and try an original or reissue IV first.
HOTH: I have the Classic and it sounds great.
PG: I have a 1st pressing US and love it.
BBC: The Classic records are still quite bright, but still sound better than the cds. Nice packaging as well.

 

And, by the way, they sound identical to these ears! I have two copies each of the US original and the UK original, and they sound identical. In other words, save your money and buy the US original. Yes, the UK ones may be more "collectible" (around $80 in the UK) but you need to ask yourself whether you are a collector or an audiophile/music lover.

 

Also, you can narrow it down somewhat by looking at the inner sleeve, if it is a part of the picture in the eBay item description. If it has the Atlantic sleeve with pictures of other Atlantic releases, you have bettered your chances already. If, let's say, out of 50, you find 2 RLs, of those 50, 20 to 30 may not have the picture inner sleeve, and I have never seen a RL without that inner sleeve (unless, of course, the seller has lost it).

Hope this helps.

 

Yeah, I see the RL HOTH all the time at the used shops here (and not always thrashed!)

In addition to the elusive RL LZII, I've also had difficulty finding a US LZI that isn't beat to death. But the Classic Records version of this does sound excellent.

 

I like Classic's PG. It's not as good as (not as smooth and natural) classic Zep I, IV or HotH, but the best version I've heard. Classic PG still has a bit of that sterile "metallic" tone, but my copy is very silent and that's a big plus in songs like "In the Light" and "Ten Years Gone". Strangely in my copy the second disc sounds a bit better than the first, a bit richer and the bass is punchier and deeper.

Presence on Classic is excellent too. I recommend it also if you like the album.

 

How are the Canadian pressed zeps. I read in another thread they can be quite good. Does anyone know what I could look for in the dead wax for good Canadian pressings of 1,2,3,4, and houses of the holy.

 

I'm mighty tempted to get the upcoming Classic Records 45 rpm box. Very expensive, but with the exception of maybe LZ II, I'm thinking that would pretty much be the best sonics you could get for this music. They aren't remastering, just re-cutting at the higher speed and spreading the songs way out across multiple discs per album. I don't think you could beat the dynamics and bass impact.

 

I put in my order for the big box and am looking forward to its arrival.

For those of you looking for RL mastered LZ IIs, be aware that Atlantic put specific information correlating to matrix numbers at the bottom of their early labels. This is a lot easier to read than the deadwax. On my RL mastered LZ II with narrow deadwax on Side 2, the bottom of the label reads ST-A-691671PR on Side 1 and ST-A-691672PR on Side 2. On my other RL version (on which the dead wax on Side 2 is normal width), the bottom of the label reads ST-A-691671-CP on Side 1 and ST-A-691672-CP on Side 2. I don't know for sure that these labels are unique to the RL masters, but I suspect strongly that they are.

Happy hunting.

 

In my googling for info on Stones first pressings and label variations, I just found this site:
http://www.beatzenith.com/the_rolling_stones/rslplabels
According to it, the number after "ST-A" represents the date the master was created (Year, Day, Month). In this case, that would be July 16, 1969. There's an extra digit ("1" and "2") which may indicate it's side 1 or 2. The last 2 letters I've assumed represent the pressing plant.

I haven't found anything to corroborate this theory, so I can't vouch for its accuracy.

My problem with it is that the number is the same for both the narrow and normal side 2 deadwax. Because they're two separate masterings, right? So they should have unique numbers. Atlantic wouldn't give 2 masters the same number and send them to different plants, would they?

 

I cannot speak highly enough about the CDN. Lez Zepp. LP's. I bought mine new in the winter of 1974 in anticipation of the March 8, 1975 concert in Vancouver. Interestingly, my copy of III, though bought new in this time-frame, was a solid red label Atlantic orig. The others were standard Atlantic red/white/green labels. Though I had not played these records for probably 25 years, they (especially III, IV and V) were every bit as good as I remember them.

I should add that the Classics ARE probably better (I have not done an A-B) but the CDN.'s are so close as to be scary. The bass on these CDN. LP's is amazing. My CDN. IV beat the pants of my US "Pecko" copy.