Someday I'll find a Monarch. The LZI AT/GP is the one Atlantic record where people really seem to swear that the MO is better than the PR. I have the PR version and it's great. I can't imagine anything better, but I have thought that before about certain records and been proven wrong, UK Pink Floyd Animals for instance.
About my Led zeppelin first album Monarch Pressing 1977, here are some additional details : Matrix / Runout (Label Side One): ST-A-681461-MO Matrix / Runout (Label Side Two): ST-A-681462-MO Matrix / Runout (Side One [etched]): ST-A-681461CC AT/GP ◁22769 (1) PR Matrix / Runout (Side Two [etched]): ST-A-681462-F SRC logo [Lazy "S" with R and C in LOOPS] RE SP-MO MR ∇24559-X(1) Matrix / Runout (Side One + Two [stamped]): ATLANTIC STUDIOS D.K Great pressing ! The best I have heard with my Led zeppelin ll RL !
The most surprising is the homogeneity between the two faces. Piros copied Dennis King or the reverse !? Impossible to discern a difference, even marginal! If my face sounds like pressing circa 1974, I wonder if it's worth it to get an original pressing. My copy is totally mint. I imagine that an archive copy in the same condition should trade between $ 300 and $ 400 !?
Hey Christophe, these last few posts gave me a hankering for some LZ I. I pulled all of my I vinyl pressings, and gave some a spin. The RG cut is not a bad sounding pressing by any means, in fact the early ones are pretty damn nice. I have 3 early Broadway with RG (Robert Grenell) on both sides, and that nice heavy 1969 vinyl. I also have a handful later pressings, some with B- way and some with the Rock address on the label......these also have RG on both sides. Some sound better than others, I can tell some of the stampers were probably wearing out. The early RG cut is ballsy with a nice bottom end, and is definitely crankable. I used to think this was the king of LZ I pressings until I heard the at/gp. Plants voice and the instruments are right up front with nice detail and clarity. Page's guitar sounds incredible, especially on Babe I'm Going To Leave You. I'm playing my pressing as I write, and I have it cranked. It's amazing to me how little distortion is present. I also have several SD 19126 (1977) pressings, two with at/gp in the deadwax, but they don't have the same mojo as my earlier one. Stay away from the SD 19126 with the cursive EF in the deadwax.....don't know who or what those initials stand for, but that slab of wax is lifeless. The 2014 Davis cut just can't hang with most of these early analog treasures. The Classic Records reissue is nice sounding (I'm going by memory) but they are pricey. The Classics Records reissues (although very good) have never trumped the best US pressings, except for Out Door, and maybe Physical Graffiti, but I'm still undecided for that one. (my opinion of course). Enjoy the hunt.
Agree on the RG's of the debut, ballsy for sure! On the EF ... Closest I could gather is that it's Ed Feinblatt. Here is a pic of his signature from Discogs.
Thank you for this informations. Always precious. For now, I'm really happy with my pressing. I own the Davis reissue. Do not sound like my Piros reissue. Nevertheless interesting for the concert at L'Olympia. I am also looking for a good press of Physical graffiti. I missed yesterday an AT @ GP on all four sides. Near mint for $ 35. The seller had sold it a few minutes before!
Physical Graffiti is an enigma for sure. This album has caused (and still does) many disagreements within the Zep Head community. The production and sound of the album has been labeled "muddy", "veiled", "raw", "harsh", "blanketed", "dynamic", "best sounding Zep album", "worst sounding Zep album", and a host of other superlatives. I'll share some of my thoughts when it comes to vinyl......... Physical Graffiti- early US pressed at Monarch or Presswell (I own both).......many will point to either of these 2 pressings for best sounding US. Finding a clean one is extremely difficult, because of those harsh inner sleeves. I have pulled the vinyl out of these sleeves countless times over the years and found scratches, scuffs, and marks galore. And even though one might look clean, it doesn't guarantee it will be quiet. Physical Graffiti- CRC club edition........an LZ buddy of mine turned me on to these pressings, some of the harshness is removed, and has a little more relaxed sound. I own a nice clean copy, and play it often. Physical Graffiti- Classic Records reissue 180 and 200 gram........I like the sound on these, but once again, they are pricey. Physical Graffiti- 2015 John Davis cut........some tracks sound nice on this reissue, such as Ten Years Gone. But some not so good. The sound on this pressing is a little to weak or relaxed for my taste, but I've heard worse. Many point to a UK for the best sounding of this album, but I'm no help with these pressings, because I've never heard one. Enjoy the hunt
Excellent synthesis dear contributor. I did not think that this album had aroused so many contradictory feelings. Fortunately there is no Antarctic pressing with this double album!
[QUOTE = "Matt Starr, poste: 18757322, membre: 37793"] Que diriez-vous d'un pressage zambien ?! :à votre santé: Led Zeppelin - Graffiti physique [/ QUOTE] :rire::rire::rire::rire::rire:
I am not obsessed with foreign pressings. Just a few purchases guided by curiosity. Sometimes some are amazing, others sometimes disappointing. I did not imagine that my Italian pressing would provoke a little controversy. Nevertheless I still consider this one awesome ... with my headphone. And the RL is always THE BEST on my turntable, of COURSE!
I’m for any pressing of any provenance with only one requirement - great sound. Whether it happens to be from Canada, Zambia or Uganda makes no difference to me.
Hum! I will be more careful than that. I prefer to focus on US, UK and European pressings. Some countries in Europe use UK or US plates. And there are very good engineers too. With choices in the mastering that sometimes sustain the debates!
I finally picked up a stock original US III for cheap to fill the gap in my shelf, but my big question after reading the last few pages is: Do Monarchs really count all that much on the later albums? I've had several RL HotH copies and there's not a whole lot of difference but for some reason I slightly prefer my original beat to crap 1841 non Monarch RL vs my NM 75 Rockefeller Monarch RL. My dad's copy of 1 is a club copy that's Piros Side 1 and Dennis King Side 2, and the King side holds up pretty darn well compared to my own Piros copy.
You will find forum members who will tell you Monarch is always better. However, as I mentioned earlier in this thread, having listened to, owned and sold hundreds of records from all the plants that Atlantic used in the heyday, especially Monarch, Presswell and Philips, I have heard no conclusive evidence that has persuaded me that one particular plant produced sonically better discs than the others. They ALL manufactured records that can sound everything from lousy to great and all degrees in between. The idea that Monarchs sound the best seems to be a theory that originated in some old discussion threads here and that then caught on and became a bit of an urban legend, in my opinion. I don't hear it that way, personally. My advice for best sound, as always, is to pay more attention to the mastering marks and condition than to the pressing plant, which seems to have become a disproportionately prioritized consideration, in my opinion.
This Monarch magic thing has puzzled me as well....most of these are cut at the same place, use the same metal, just another stamper letter etched in for those destined out west. There are always exceptions, but not common. Perhaps those delta numbers are responsible for the bump in mojo?
I agree that there are outstanding Atlantic pressings made at Presswell, and I have a few that totally outshine my Monarchs. However, in my experience, I've had better luck with Monarchs on the whole, and I have yet to hear a Specialty press that sounds better than any other normal Atlantic plant.
I found an LZ II RL in the "vinyl jungle" this past Saturday. A friend and I went to 8 different stores that sell used vinyl in search of some treasures (we had been planning this excursion for quite some time). I find out that a widow just recently sold her late husband's vinyl collection at the very first store we enter. I struck up a conversation with a guy who had been there the day before, and spent $300, and was back for more. There was still some good stuff left, so I purchased about 25 albums. The following is the Zep vinyl I bought....... LZ- The Song Remains The Same....beautiful jacket and vinyl, Monarch pressed. $20 LZ- Houses Of The Holy.....Classic Records 180 gram $30 LZ II.....SD 8236 ST-A-691671 (CTH) Robert Ludwig cut. RL is on both sides, but no SS. The jacket is decent (vg). The vinyl looks nice with plenty of gloss, and a few scuffs here and there, but nothing major. I would grade it a vg visually. Whole Lotta Love has some major IGD...pretty much unplayable. Whoever first owned this album must have played the Hell out of this song with a crappy stylus (with closer inspection, I can see some of the groove damage) But once What Is And What Should Never Be begins to play, it all changes.. just incredible, earth shaking sonics. $15. Those LZ II RL pressings are still out there Zep Heads, and it's are job to find them. Enjoy the hunt.
My friend found a Dennis King pressing (DK) of LZ II while we were vinyl hunting. That sucker looks like it just came out of the shrink....perfect cover, inner sleeve, and the vinyl looked unplayed. I'm interested to hear how it sounds. He gave $25.
I know I was an early fan of Monarch pressings after comparing so many US pressings. But even so, they are not always the best, in some cases its a Presswell. Even the odd Philips may rival a Monarch. This seems largely limited to the Atlantic / Atco / Cotillion family. though. Rarely a Columbia contract pressing as they always seem to have a little veiling to them, even when the mastering is very good. Of course even some of this is system dependent -- as well as what 'sound' appeals to our senses. We all have our favorite flavors of vanilla, right? Same bean, many different hues or shades to it. When lacquers are cut different amps, lathes, and cutter heads are used. The engineer may apply different settings. Plating processes will vary, from alloys to heat to thickness of application. It all seems subtle but in the end, many of us can hear differences. A lot of UK pressings of US records sound great - superb vinyl, well pressed, usually very good / well balanced mastering, and of course those sexy laminated / flipback covers and attractive UK labels on early titles. Where I usually notice a difference is in 'presence' - that telltale sign that the tape source is a generation or two farther from one used for a US cutting. Not always. Led Zeppelins are a fun collect because the recordings themselves are so robust and the different mastering and pressing differences often shift the sound a bit this way or that. Its pretty hard to go wrong with a good clean Led Zep record....
Cool ! I too must receive a copy Led Zeppelin II certified DK on both sides. Mint too. It will be interesting to confront our impressions! Dennis King has the reputation of being a good engineer. He worked with George Piros. A good omen?
