Item Description
zipedit Led Zeppelin Presence Original UK Press Cat No SSK59402 1976 Near Mint Archive Copy Near Mint Vinyl only three or four plays ever , Looks almost Totally Unplayed Near Mint Stunning Top Audio Quality Early A2 B2 Matrix Endings Near Mint 1ST ISSUE EMBOSSED Gatefold Cover Very Rare In This Condition Another from my personal collection.
This is an early original pressing of Led Zeppelin s Presence released in 1976 on SwanSong labels.
I initially only ever played this vinyl when purchased from new, to record to tape and then it was stored it away in a case for over 35 years.
It has always been stored in a case with the vinyl removed from the cover and sleeve for protection.
This is how I have always stored my records.
Visually the vinyl looks totally unplayed in my opinion and still looks as good as the day it was purchased.
I find it difficult see any spindle marks at all around spindle hole, perhapes just very very feint handful if that can just be seen angled to the light .
Visually the vinyl looks very Near As Mint and I find it hard to even see a blemish on the playing surface at all.
No needle scratches or marks just beautiful.
This is complete with the original SwanSong UK printed textured lyric insert record sleeve with no splits or tears nice and straight and very clean.
The original ist issue un laminated embossed gate fold cover is very near as mint on initial inspection, very, very minor mark to mention, not really noticed unless looked for in my opinion .
For me the audio quality has always been my prime interest with vinyl.
Having play tested this vinyl at very loud volume on a top system I believe that this vinyl will be hard to beat.
Almost cd quality for the most part.
Lovely louder, vibrant clean sound very rarely found on these pressings which are usually notorious for bad sounding vinyls from my experience.
I have played many copies to try to find the best sounding copy for myself No distortion no loud constant clicks or pops.
Any static noticed is very isolated /minimal in my opinion.
You can hear the complete album yourself in the player below.
Extremely hard to get a copy like this.
Audio graded at least excellent plus to very near as mint This is for any avid Led Zeppelin audiophiles to have in their collection.
Only Ever Played A handful of times ever By Me Only Click play above to hear the sample audio of the complete album.
Actual recording from the vinyl.
Presence is the seventh studio album by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, released by Swan Song Records on 31 March 1976.
It was written and recorded during a tumultuous time in the band s history, as singer Robert Plant was recuperating from serious injuries he had sustained in a recent car accident.
The album received mixed reviews from critics and is also the slowest-selling studio album by the band other than the outtake album Coda , only managing to achieve triple-platinum certification in the United States.
Nonetheless, guitarist Jimmy Page describes Presence as the band s most important album, proving they would continue despite their turmoil Jimmy Page made the decision to record the album after Robert Plant sustained serious injuries from a car accident on the Greek island of Rhodes on 5 August 1975, which forced the band to cancel a proposed world tour that was due to commence on 23 August The album was completed on 26 November 1975.
This was the day before Thanksgiving, and in a telephone call to Swan Song Records, Page suggested the album be named Thanksgiving.
This idea was quickly dropped, in favour of a title that was thought would represent the powerful force and presence that the band members felt surrounded the group.
Six of the seven songs on the album are Page and Plant compositions the remaining song being credited to all four band members.
This can be explained by the fact that the majority of the songs were formulated at Malibu, where Page but not Bonham and Jones had initially joined a recuperating Plant.
With Plant at less than full fitness, Page took responsibility for the album s completion, and his playing dominates the album s tracks.
Both Page and Plant had planned this album s recording session as a return to hard rock, much like their debut album, except at a new level of complexity.
It marked a change in the Led Zeppelin sound towards more straightforward, guitar-based jams.
Whereas their previous albums up to and including the previous year s Physical Graffiti contain electric hard rock anthems balanced with acoustic ballads and intricate arrangements, Presence was seen to include more simplified riffs, and is Led Zeppelin s only studio album that features no keyboards, and with the exception of a rhythm track on Candy Store Rock , no acoustic guitar.
The record stands in sharp contrast to their next album In Through the Out Door, which features keyboards on all tracks and pushes Page s guitar into the background on several songs most notably on Carouselambra , where Jones takes the lead on a synthesizer for most of the song, and Page is not truly heard until four minutes into the song .
The changed stylistic emphasis on this album was a direct result of the troubled circumstances experienced by the band around the time of its recording.
In contrast to earlier albums that contained several tracks that the band chose to play live at Led Zeppelin concerts, only two tracks from Presence were played in full on stage while the band was active.
Achilles Last Stand and Nobody s Fault but Mine were added to the setlist for the 1977 tour of the United States and stayed through the band s final concerts in 1980.
Some of the guitar solo from Tea for One was also incorporated into Since I ve Been Loving You in these shows, but the actual song was never performed live until the Page and Plant tour of Japan in 1996, where it received three airings backed by an orchestra.
For Your Life was played in full by Led Zeppelin for the first time at the Ahmet Erteg n Tribute Concert on 10 December 2007.
The lack of live interpretations of the Presence material is perhaps understandable given that it would be a full year before they would return to the road.
The cover and inside sleeve of this album, created by Hipgnosis, features various images of people interacting with a black obelisk-shaped object.
Inside the album sleeve, the item is referred to simply as The Object.
It was intended to represent the force and presence of Led Zeppelin.
In the liner notes of the first Led Zeppelin boxed set, Page explained: There was no working title for the album.
The background used in the cover photograph is of an artificial marina that was installed inside London s Earl s Court Arena for the annual Earl s Court Boat Show that was held in the winter of 1974 75.
This was the same venue where the band played a series of concerts a few months after the boat show, in May 1975.
In 1977 Hipgnosis and George Hardie were nominated for a Grammy Award in the category of best album package.
Side one 1.
Achilles Last Stand 2.
For Your Life 3.
Royal Orleans Side two 4.
Nobody s Fault but Mine 5.
Candy Store Rock 6.
Hots on for Nowhere 7.
Tea for One The Matrix Side 1 K59402 A2 ATLANTIC STERLING Hand Etched Master Pressers Signature, only 1st press/issue matrix Side 2 K59402 B2 The Vinyl There is not much to say about the vinyl.
On visual inspection this looks as new in my opinion.
I find it hard to even see a blemish on the playing surface, any that could possibly be seen would be sleeve removal only, but I can t see any.
The vinyl lays perfectly flat on the turntable and is free of any warping.
Importantly, there are no visual marks that would cause any loud constant clicks or pops during the play of this vinyl.
The Audio Quality.
I have play tested the vinyl two times on two different turntables/systems at very loud volume prior to this listing.
Once for you to hear the complete album.
Can be heard in the player above The moment that the needle hits the playing surface it is obvious to me that this has barely ever been played at all.
Crystal clear and vibrant stunning top audio throughout the play of this vinyl.
This is probably one of the best sounding copies that I have heard of this pressing.
Any static/ticks heard was isolated and minimal perhapes heard in quieter place only, but I am sure with constant cleaning this will clear up even better.
I would grade the audio at least excellent plus to near as mint through out An audio Archive copy never need to upgrade from this vinyl in my opinion Please note Allowances must be made for these mid seventies Atlantic pressings.
They are notorious for static ticks in quieter places.
I always add this disclaimer Please allow for isolated static type tick here and there that might be noticed in quieter places, but not consistent through out the audio.
Debrit was noted on the playing surface after play.
A constant clean before each play is recommended because this vinyl has been stored in a case laying dormant for over 40 years.
A build up of dirt and dust in the grooves causes static ticks/ crackle.
constant cleaning before each play will reduce this and enhance the audio quality.
The Labels These are the original 1st issue SwanSong labels I find it hard to see any spindle marks at all.
Perhapes very,very feint handful could possibly be seen only in my personal opinion.
There is little if no spindle wear the hole is perfectly round.
The Record Sleeve.
This is the original 1st issue textured paper lyric record sleeve printed by SwanSong, England.
This is straight and generally clean through out.
There are no edge splits or tears.
Note.
the bottom edge is becoming fragile.
The vinyl is always stored seperately from the vinyl.
This is how I have always stored my records.
The Cover This is the original 1st issue Un laminated gate fold Embosed cover.
Super clean and straight.
No creases to report and any storage wear is only realy noticed if looked for in my opinion.
The only place that I can note is a minor scuff top right near opening edge but not noticed at all unless looked for in my oinion.
The spine has absolutely no rubbing.
Super bright and very clean, so rare to see originals in this condition.
I would grade this cover at least excellent plus to very ,very near mint in my opinion.
