A few crackles and pops on this one, but it is over 50 years old! Handed down to me from my stepfather after his passing.
When I originally listened to this pressing, I wasn’t too impressed. Probably because my original setup (cheap Pro-Ject and some basic cartridge) just couldn’t handle Led Zeppelin. It just sounded muddy and clipped. Actually went out and got the recent remaster to replace it – will review that another time. In many ways, I prefer this pressing.
One of the first few pressing of 1970. Interestingly has a misprint on the label with Celebration Day being named just ‘Celebration’.
The gatefold cover also has a cardboard ‘wheel” inside. You can turn this and the holes in the cover expose different images such as faces, flowers and other trippy things. Pretty cool.
Immigrant song – wonderful start. Felt could do with some deeper bass for those hard hitting drums.
Friends demonstrates a great combination of Paige’s guitar and Plant’s vocals. Mysterious. Speeds up into a whirling crescendo.
A swirling tone bleeds into the fast blues of Celebration Day.
Slows down for Since I’ve Been Loving You. Intricate guitar work. Smashing drums and some nice organs work. Typical Page vocals – wonderful.
Probably a little Inner Groove Distortion on Out On The Tiles (as it’s the last song of side A) but then again, Jimmy Page’s vocals tend to push any setup.
Side 2 brings us Gallows Pole. This sounds wonderful on here! Really does sound nice and natural. I do always have a little giggle when the banjos kick in but soon get over that.
The slight crackling distracts a bit from the intro to Tangerine. Once the drums and main section kicks in that is mostly forgotten. Again sound nice and natural, apart from a little sibilance on one of Page’s high notes.
That’s The Way, thankfully, sounds great. No real distortion from what I can tell. Same with Bron-Y-Aur Stomp. Vocals, bass, treble, all sounding right.
Hats Off To (Roy) Harper sounds quite distorted and mental, but I really do feel it’s supposed to be like that! Especially as the guitaring in the left channel is perfectly clear 🙂
As I mentioned before, I do prefer this pressing in many ways over the remaster (which is good in its own way). It just feels more… natural?