I used to own the 200g Classic Records , but the UK 1st pressing (Red-Plum label) blows the Classic out of the water !Huge amounts of deep bass. Acoustic guitars that ring fordays. Midrange magic to die for! millions of copies of this album were sold, so few were mastered and pressed well, and so many mastered and pressed poorly! (good luck finding the" RIGHT " US vintage pressing !)
@@mikep8683 hello, do you mean a 1977 copy ? which pressing plant ?? Stamper/matrix ? your advice would be helpful, not easy to find here in switzerland. thank you :-)
@@top5records796 ... update , i have just found a better sounding version : german Alsdorf pressing with UK mastering : matrix : Alsdorf / Strawberry A-2 / B-3 x D , 1978-80 (?). "Hot Stamper" sound. ... save your money, and skip the UK Plum 😉
@@top5records796 I haven't listened to any other pressing, nevertheless this one is simply amazing. In fact, anything on the UK plum label sounds excellent.
Hi, I bought this album when I was 16 in 1978, it was a French pressng I bought it over here in The Netherlands at V%D. I think you know these V&D stores. They used to sell albums in the 70ties. I could not get into it. Quite different than anything else I listened to. But persistent playing made it grow and now it's in my top 50 albums of all times. A superb album. Take care.
I have to agree with @lucullus6127 the UK (Red/Plum) is the best pressing, it's far more dynamic than the US first press and less equalised than the MOFI or the Classic, you are quite right it is a smiley faced EQ. The UK mid seventies press (Green/ Orange) is also better than both the MOFI and Classic but not quite crystal clear in the treble as the first, but it's really, really loud and dynamic. There really is something to be said for late 60's / early 70's UK Atlantic pressings, on the whole Polydor (Atlantics pre Warners UK distributor and manufacturer) did a fantastic job. Arguably the UK first pressing of Led Zeppelin 2 is much better and consistent listen than even the much vaunted American RL cut.
Great insight @Cynicalian is there any other classic title (classic meaning held in high regards) from Atlantic where the UK plum beats a US and Classic Records version? What about the 1969 Crosby, Stills & Nash record?
@@top5records796 Led Zeppelin II : i also used to own the UK 1st Plum, it has that strong "whomp" factor, really in your face; but ( if you have a good, neutral and revealing hi-fi system), it may be a little "crude" sounding, with a unrefined tonal balance (when playing loud, and Led Zeppelin demand to be played LOUD). Now i do have a US "Hot-mix", RL/SS side one, and LH/SS (Lee Hulko) side two; it is really better than the UK Plum, in my opinion. It is supposed to sound the same like all versions with RL on both sides. (the price may be less expensive than a RL/ both sides, by the way) As stated by R. Ludwig himself : "All the versions from sterling are the same hot mix. The subtle variances between them are all simply from the slight differences in making a hand-made analog lacquer disc, at least one of which was sent to all the pressing plants at the time. The CTH plant got a lacquer that was half RL and half LH (Lee Hulko, his partner) but was of the SAME MIX AND MASTER, based on RL's notes. THEY ARE ALL THE SAME, aside from subtle variances and should be valued the SAME no matter who's initials are in the dead wax. They are all the same master from STERLING SOUND! Here is my reply from Robert Ludwig. Let this be the final word in this debate. Thanks!" A clean, VG (conservatively graded) copy from a trusted Seller is all you need, check the (bay) auctions , and be patient ! Cheers , luca // Ps, last but not least : the 1977 US G. Piros version ( with the x in the deadwax, ST-A 691671-X @t GP (PR) is also amazing, quite close to the RL !!
@@top5records796 Sadly I no longer own the Ludwig cut, I sold mine during the first COVID lockdown simply because the prices had got insane. I always felt that the UK 1st press had a more defined bottom end and better stereo separation, but the RL was louder. It was close, very close indeed, but I'd opt for the UK and I suggest that if you're using a good MC cartridge and good phono pre amp then the UK pressing sounds better, perhaps closer to the master.
