In through the out door

https://www.discogs.com/release/16894230-Led-Zeppelin-In-Through-The-Out-Door

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This record is a collector’s dream. The cover shows a man in a bar, burning a Dear John letter. He is sitting in a bar that is supposed to be in New Orleans, with walls covered with notes and dollar bills. That picture has been put on the cover from six different positions, or twelve if you also count the back of the cover. These created versions A to F of this item.

But the fun part is only starting. The record’s cover could not be seen when you bought it in 1979. It was packaged in a brown bag, with a stamp on it. You didn’t actually see which one you were buying. Selling this record must have been a nightmare for personnel in the shop, as people kept asking for the one they were missing.

On top of that… the inside sleeve must be the most awesome ever. It was created in black and white, but treated with a special “magic” ink that coloured when it got wet. Permanently. So if you did that, so permanently changed your item. Again, collector’s dream: the black and white, original versions must be priceless.

This is the last album Led Zeppelin made before the break up a year later, because of the death of drummer John Bonham. After the death of Robert Plant’s son, which had some influence on the lyrics. The title might come from the fact that Led Zeppelin was trying to get back to their UK audience, after a self imposed taxation exile. The got back to their public, but through the exit.

the original black and white sleeve
after getting wet

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