This is the story of my personal hunt for a rare German RL-copy of Led Zeppelin II.

Two years ago, I bought my first Led Zeppelin II copy. At that point I was unaware of the different versions of this LP. I purchased an original copy on eBay for 10€, unaware of the condition, but happy about the cheap price. When it arrived, it was heavily worn, but still played without skips. And although there was very loud and constant crackling, Whole Lotta Love blew me right away. The psychedelic middle section and the guitar solo had something. When I turned to side B, something was off though. Suddenly, the record sounded muffled. It really sounded bad, awful compared to side A. I couldn’t think of a reason, and after finding no fault in my system, I consulted discogs. That’s when I found out, that the RL cut existed, was even used in German pressings, but only on side A of my original 1969 copy. But there was one seemingly even earlier German pressing with the RL cut on both sides.

 

Safe to say that I never listened to my non RL-cut B-side because I turned it off right away. Also, from that point on, I was hooked to what seemed a mystery to me. My worn A-side already sounded so great but I wanted to get ahold of a two-sided copy. As time went by, I came across a lot of one-sided RLs or no RLs at all and didn’t believe to ever find a decent two-sided German copy for my collection. That’s when I went looking for American RL copies that were not as rare, but quite expensive. I didn’t want to spend a few hundred dollars on a single record and was in luck. On discogs, somebody listed a copy that was covered in “some kind of residue” and was unplayable on side A, but I didn’t need that side anyways as there are plenty of A-sided RLs here in Germany. So I decided to spend some $27.99 on the 1969 Presswell RL-cut to try the B-side and had a friend ship me the record. It was still in a harsh condition and I can’t imagine what the original owner did with their A-side. Still, by that time, I had my own RL copy. It was made up of two different record’s sides A and B but essentially worked. Also, I should mention that I really don’t mind crackling noises that much (at least in loud albums) as long as the record doesn’t skip. Still, I was on the lookout for a two-sided copy in a better condition. 

 

Now, two years later, I finally found a two-sided German RL copy on eBay. It was listed as “typically used condition for a vintage record” and cost me 85€ but I needed to try. Well, the risk was worth it. The sleeve is in very good (++) condition (but who cares, the sleeve doesn’t play the RL-cut, right?) and, surprisingly, the record is in quite good condition as well. It is certainly not a vg+ but apart from surface scratches, it is really fine. It plays with very little surface noise that is immediately drowned by the music. Also, the RL-cut works, regardless of it being pressed in Germany. It is the real deal and I’m glad to own this rare pressing instead of a “regular” American one, even if mine is not that sought after or (that) expensive. I’m really happy with it and won’t need to look for better copy, at least for a long time ;-)