Is this Normal? Zeppelin IV LP sounds horrible

Mechans: if there's a bustle in your hedgerow, don't be alarmed now...

Mechans, I hope that was meant to be a joke. I don't know if you play or have ever played a guitar, but you are clearly confusing good distortion with noise. The organ is not meant to be distorted ! How does your argument hold, when much of the surface noise is due to pieces of paper and sand in the recycled vinyl. That has nothing to do with the master tape, or "homework". I am glad it was done on analogue equipment, like all good recordings, but I am not speaking of noise floor. I am speaking of horrible clipping and even surface noise that doesn't sound good to anyone who has done their homework or not, with the exception of you. Why delude yourself into thinking that it was intended to sound bad? Does this absolve you of some guilt for buying poor sounding records? That is foolish. I hit a record spot near by and heard a japan issue, sounds incredible! The fact that Jimmy Page would occasionally insist on single runs is not even a valid excuse, as much can be done later in post production to fix many of these issues. That is really not it at all, this has to do with cheap pressing and recycled vinyl, period. I would like to hear others weigh in on this; if I am wrong please speak up. I would like to learn, but please provide a valid and logical argument.

How could extreme distortion be a goal when you have slow melodic songs on an album. This is not ACDC or Metallica.

LOL! look at all the new releases and reissues, Even page realized he could better the old classics! Case in point Mothership. Just thought I would add that in.

D I just saw yr OP. I have a European pressing. Haven't listened to it in aeons but, still, don't remember the kind of distortion you describe. Must check it out.
BTW, Mechans, I have other LZ too, they're not particularly hot on fuzz boxes, etc (which were used in 70s psychedelia).

I've never heard a standard reissue of IV that sounds decent. I have a UK original first pressing that sounds miles ahead of any of the re-issues I've owned both domestic and UK.

The general concensus is that original George Peckham pressings of this record (both UK and US) with Pecko Duck and Porky in the dead wax are perhaps the best sounding and most desireable pressings of this record; the UK is going to be very pricey but U.S. Pecko/Porky versions would be out there and much more affordable.

The Classic 33RPM gets some good press; it would probably be a good 2nd (but expensive) choice.

Between the 2, there will probably be differences that will be more desireable to individual listeners; probably more subjective than objective as they'll probably both have strengths and weaknesses.

As to Mothership, I haven't heard it, but it is digitally sourced and while remastered digitally sourced material can sometimes result in improvements in some areas, my experience is that ultimately I can't really deal with the compromises that result in other areas and prefer to stick with an analog version but YMMV.