Strange thing I've noticed about records

[Catherine Warr]

So I bought the LZ I album a few days ago and decided to play it. It played fine then I noticed the songs closest to the central sticker (ie D&C and How Many More Times) sounded a bit mono (the rest of the record, and my record player was in stereo. Thinking it was maybe a one off thing I tried it with another record I had in my cupboard, Deep Purple's In Rock. I noticed the same thing. There was a noticeable drop in quality on the songs closest to the sticker, even when I tried it with different record players and records.

[Plantpothead]

Erm, try changing the stylus, or failing that get a new turntable.

[Grits 'n' Gravy]

A new stylus may certainly help, but it's no secret that LP's can suffer sound quality degradation near the label. It's due to the grooves being crammed together because of space limitations. I've experienced this myself, and it's always disappointing, but not much can be done about it. Fortunately, it's not terribly common that the change in sound quality is easily noticed, so you might want to try to find another copy of the LZ I album and see if that helps.

[Charles J. White]

Not space limitations, but the quality of the manufacturing was shit on many records. You could still cram a lot of music and have it sound good, but many record companies didn't give a shit

[Catherine Warr]

Thanks. I've also noticed it on compilation discs and double albums like The Wall, them ore songs there are generally the less space for bass and sound etc...the records' still listen-able, by all means, it was just a strange thing I had noticed.

[kingzoso]

Thanks. I've also noticed it on compilation discs and double albums like The Wall, them ore songs there are generally the less space for bass and sound etc...the records' still listen-able, by all means, it was just a strange thing I had noticed.

I suggest buying the compact disc of Led Zeppelin I (and all other Led Zeppelin cds) in the future.

[kingzoso]

Not space limitations, but the quality of the manufacturing was shit on many records. You could still cram a lot of music and have it sound good, but many record companies didn't give a shit

"The quality of the manufacturing was shit on many records". That may be true of other big bands of the 1970's and to lesser bands of that same time period, however, Led Zeppelin (especially Jimmy Page and yes, Peter Grant) were very extreme in all manners and production of every LZ release.

(These are my words here), "They only wanted to record and produce the very Best from the very Best". I believe that is why everything from the entire Led Zeppelin discography still stands and holds up to anything released even yesterday. The sound and production does and will always stand the test of time.

[Catherine Warr]

I did actually buy the LZIV cd for use in the car but whilst at home I prefer to use vinyls just because it feels a bit more nostalgic to actually physically hold the vinyl in your hands and know that if you just lightly damage you've just damaged something that's survived 30+ years of wear and tear and is now nearly unplayable

[Grits 'n' Gravy]

Thanks. I've also noticed it on compilation discs and double albums like The Wall, them ore songs there are generally the less space for bass and sound etc...the records' still listen-able, by all means, it was just a strange thing I had noticed.

Right--and that's the common complaint: since low frequencies require more groove space, the sound on LP's can become more trebly as the stylus nears the label, where there isn't as much space for the grooves. I've never heard of your particular problem, though (a recording sounding mono). I'll have to look into that more as it seems like an interesting problem. Easy for me to say, of course.

"The quality of the manufacturing was shit on many records". That may be true of other big bands of the 1970's and to lesser bands of that same time period, however, Led Zeppelin (especially Jimmy Page and yes, Peter Grant) were very extreme in all manners and production of every LZ release.

During the oil embargo, record pressing plants began using recycled vinyl, which resulted in poor/lesser quality records. That's one reason that Japanese vinyl is sought after among collectors since they didn't do this (reportedly) (I'm sure other countries didn't recycle vinyl; I just can't think of any of the top of my head). The only way LZ could have done anything about this would have been for them to visit every record pressing plant in the US associated with Atlantic/Swan Song to check on the quality of the vinyl.

[redrum]

There was a noticeable drop in quality on the songs closest to the sticker, even when I tried it with different record players and records.

You learn something new every day. Never did realize that.

I just got a cd of Ida Presti (classical guitar) and the recordings are from 1938 to 1956. Some have the scratchy sound but I don't mind that at all.

[redrum]

I do remember on ZZ Tops 'Eliminator' album that they had put 'Oh Mercy!' (barely audible) right in the groove next to the label so it was a constant 'Oh Mercy! Oh Mercy! Oh Mercy!' :^)