A tribute to the world’s greatest rock band through a kaleidoscopic collection of vinyl, from obscure international records to handmade albums of historic performances
The 70s belonged to Led Zeppelin. They were the biggest band in the world. They were bigger than the Beatles. With that fame the bootleg industry gave rise to unique and illegal recordings of the band. Photographer, Ross Halfin, started collecting these rare pressings of Led Zeppelin albums when he chanced seeing a unique Led Zeppelin album at the original Virgin Records shop in 1971, called “Live on Blueberry Hill.” Since then Halfin has amassed a large collection of rare albums in bootleg, foreign editions, alternate covers, and oddities. Now he is sharing his most obscure albums in book form for all of to enjoy. Halfrin became friends with Jimmy Page who is a big audiophile himself is unaware of some records in Halfin’s collection. Led Zeppelin Vinyl celebrates Halfin’s dedication to the group and we are the winners for that. This is one book that you should get as a Zeppelin fan.
“Collecting vinyl is an addiction. Nothing beats listening to vinyl and pouring over the cover art and inner sleeve. The first album that I ever bought was ‘Led Zeppelin II’ when I was 13. I have at least 40 different versions of it now.”
Led Zeppelin released only eight studio albums and no singles over the course of their 12-year career, but to date there are more than 1,000 singles and 2,000 LPs in the market.
This definitive volume illustrates in full colour some of the rarest and most interesting vinyl releases, including one-of-a-kind rarities, bizarre regional variations, official albums and historic recordings of legendary concerts, sometimes featuring handmade artwork or colored vinyl. The vinyl, labels and covers have been documented by photographer Ross Halfin in superb detail and are annotated with details of their release.
In addition, the book includes over forty pages of the most up-to-date comprehensive discography ever compiled on the band, with forensic detail. All known album and single vinyl releases from around the world are listed with catalogue numbers, release or recording dates and additional notes.
A labour of love, Led Zeppelin Vinyl is a must-have for fans of the group and vinyl enthusiasts. It is a paean of praise to vinyl artwork and graphic design: The illustrations are explosive and surreal, playful, experimental and subversive, interpreting multiple artistic disciplines with flair and wit.
Ross Halfin is one of the best-known photographers in the world and has been working in the music industry since 1977. He has a record collection almost as extensive as his photo archive.