LED ZEPPELIN II RECALLED ROBERT (BOB) LUDWIG "HOT MIX" "RL" ULTRA-RARE LP LOUD

$

200

"Led Zeppelin II" - the ROBERT LUDWIG CUT!

For those who aren't aware, the earliest pressings of 'Led Zeppelin II' were mastered by legendary mastering engineer Robert Ludwig. Ludwig cut the album with such tremendous bass that the average record buyer's cheap turntable couldn't handle it, leading many to erroneously return their copies as defective. Atlantic Records responded by having another, less talented, engineer re-cut the album, thereby sucking all the power out of it! Most every copy of "Led Zeppelin II" one will come across was pressed from the latter cut, while only the very earliest pressings contain Ludwig's original, full-bodied work.

This is one of those pressings!

A 1st Press U.S. "Led Zeppelin II" possesses the following traits, all of which are present on this copy:

• "RL" (for Robert Ludwig) appears in the deadwax on both sides
• "SS" appears next to "RL" in the deadwax on both sides (this stands for Sterling Sound, the mastering plant by whom Ludwig was employed)
• The deadwax on both sides is far narrower than that of any later re-cut pressing (deadwax measures 0.5" on Side 1 and 0.25" on Side 2 on this cut)
• The catalog number is SD-8236 - this is not specific to these pressings, but no "RL" pressings were ever issued with any other number
• The address of Atlantic Records as given on the label is '1841 Broadway, New York, N.Y.' - again, this trait isn't specific to these pressings, but a pressing with Atlantic's 75 Rockefeller address is always a later, re-cut pressing

It is also worth mentioning that this particular copy was pressed at the Specialty Records Corp. plant of Olyphant, PA, as evidenced by the letters 'SP' at the end of the code on the label.

One more thing to mention - just look at the orientation of the font on those labels! The first song on each side is listed above the spindle hole, while listings of all tracks after track 2 are indented. Definitely one of the least common variations of this label you will see!

Jacket
Jacket is in pretty good condition. There is some discoloration and ringwear, and some abrasions on the front and back near the bottom seam, but the jacket is still very sturdy, and far better than most other original matte finish Zeppelin II jackets.

Jacket Grade: VG

Vinyl
Vinyl is in very nice condition. I have seen quite a few "RLs", and almost always they are trashed. Not this one! It has only faint sleeve scuffs and some hairlines. There are a couple of noticeable scuffs on Side 2, but they are not the least bit deep, and should not be audible. This one will sound fantastic!

Vinyl Grade: VG+

Label/catalog: Atlantic / SD-8236

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