As DJs, me and my mate Trace (Wolves) think that vinyl is like upgrading. There's a point. Owning the sleeve artwork, handling the disc, setting the stylus, checking the intro, mixing the levels, BPM, the real sound - being involved in the music rather than passively listening - like attending live football rather than watching on T.V.
Anyone get this?
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I used to be a DJ myself - there was no choice in my day - vinyl or nothing.
Owning vinyl is a responsibility: taking care of it and treating it with respect.
These days, it's all too easy: click a button, download maybe one track you like, never hearing the whole album. It's a shame that a lot of people, in the main, only listen to the singles/releases now. Most of my favourite album tracks, that stand out, are the more obscure (hidden) album tracks. I think these days a lot of people are missing out on that.
I feel sorry for anyone who has never heard the superior audio quality of vinyl. Downloaded/compressed music will never (NEVER) be able to compete with vinyl. A lot of artists have realised this and are releasing on vinyl now.
I do think however that the move to CDs was a scam. They said that they were invincible, and yet it's far easier to damage a CD than vinyl, in the sense that you can no longer listen to it.
As for downloads v 'hard ' music, I'm in both camps. I kind of miss not actually touching the sleeve, looking at the pictures etc, but on the other hand my living room is free from the clutter, I can access whatever music I want, and take it where I want.
For me, the ideal is to have digital music as my norm, with perhaps a turnable as a showpiece with a selected few what I consider classic records nearby. This is my plan. Currently I already do this with CDs: I never listen to them but I have 4 displayed on a shelf - currently 'Brotherhood' by New Order, INXS by INXS, 'Automatic for The People by REM, and 'How We Used to Live (single) by St Etienne. I swap them with some of my stash in the garage every 6 months-ish.
I would never pay for a download. Got about 3000 downloads now ;-)
I understand purists will be romantic about vinyl but it is impractical
That's it then - end of serious and interesting discussion!
Back when CDs were invented, the limits were set - this means that a perfect vinyl record on absolute top quality equipment will be better quality and true hi-fi, which I believe CDs are not and never can be (although they are close!). MP3 is, of course, even worse from a hi-fi point of view, but it seems to me that very few people care about hi-fi these days.
I understand purists will be romantic about vinyl but it is impractical[/quote]
CDs don't have the depth of sound that vinyl does have. You only need to play something like Manifesto by Roxy Music an vinyl and then compare it to the CD - totally different sound. On the former you can hear the space between the sax and the keyboards and vocals. A good example would be 'Stronger Through the Years' on the end of that LP.
Trouble is there is more space on the vinyl but less space in your house!
Anyway we DJ with turntables and CDs - got to for the UTD stuff. We did a social club a couple of months ago in Truro and the owner was put out that we hadn't turned up with a laptop and speakers because 'Somebody might ask for a tune and you can just download it.'
But - and this is totally personal - it's not just being 'purist' it's all about mixing and interaction with the records themselves. I cannot bring myself to turn up with a laptop, speakers and some revolving lights.
Vinyl - keep it real!
Then the CD took over and I started to buy legit albums again, until someone pointed out that if you had a CD rewriter you could copy easily copy them too...
Digital downloads are so easily copied it's stupid...
The only medium of recorded music I've yet to see mass reproduced by Joe Public is the vinyl record, pity really because I agree it's definitely the best for sound quality...
As mentioned earlier, buying a record was an experience. You actually had to leave the house to get one, you carried it home in anticipation wondering what it was gonna be like, cos unlike CDs you couldn't listen to the whole thing beforehand cos only the 'single' from it was played on the radio. No try before you buy like you get through the multitude of free music sites now.
You got it home, opened it up checked out the artwork on either the 'gate fold' or single sleeve and then drew out the record and checked for any secret messages scratched near the lable after the runout. You then carefully carried it to the turntable, holding the edges between your palms so as to not get any finger prints on it and played it. While it was playing you took out the sheet of lyrics and found out that most the words weren't what you thought they were, they were better.
Many records also had some sort of free gift enclosed, a poster, a sheet of cut outs (Sgt Pepper springs to mind) or stencils etc.
So, no contest in my opinion.
Following on, if I'm allowed....what would be your favourite 12'' or 7'' RECORD covers?
anything else just doesnt cut the mustard....
I don't agree with a couple of the comments above re comparing CD to Vinyl as a fully Mastered CD nowadays is far better than the same bit of music on Vinyl, certainly on all the White Label stuff I used to have on Vinyl & actually managed to find later on Promotional CD no comparison CD is far far better. The Mastering process nowadays on current CD's makes the CD's from the eighties & nineties sound lame now.
The other thing about vinyl that I meant to mensh is playing time - a CD thing rather than a download thing - CDs extended playing time so that most recent CDs are abysmal in terms of filler material whereas a record was 20 minutes each time - much better and you have to flip it and play it in the order the artist intended. Hip Hop and modern R and B artists are guilty of releasing fookin awful Cds - check out Beyonces 'Dangerously In Love. 'Orrible.
Favourite covers and inners: The White Album, Trick of the Tail, Singles 45s and Under, New Boots and Panties!! A bit outre but I quite like Wings LPs - Venus and Mars is striking...
7"--Any picture sleeve by the Clash. In fact, most singles from that era.
Yep windscreen, always found valves best for bass.
The CD added 3 extra tracks which is a mistake IMO.
Nowhere
If someone could do a 5 hour set with vinyl records and quickly find a particular song for someone then I would not be getting the work I do.
I totally understand the romantic reasoning for vinyl but it is not as good, useful, practical or anything as a CD or digital file
I used to run a mobile disco 30 years ago - if I was running one now I would have all the music on a laptop. If you don't have to wade through boxes of 45s and then queue them up, why would you?
However, listening to you hi-fi at home is a different matter.
I can do a five hour set with vinyl, you just say 'give me your playlist' mingle it with your own naughty ones, chuck in 'Now This Can Be Music 92' (or somesuch) and you're away.
When I'm not writing on here for a living, or watching the Addix - well listening to them, cos I can't afford the train fare, I have been known to teach Media Studies.
I took in a copy of NOW 1 on vinyl. Those kids had never seen such a thing. 'What do it do, sir?' They said to me. I had to patiently explain the whole thing about here is the groove, here be the needle, here be the sound. They were well impressed. Possibly.
They only have downloads. Of course, a few smart ones had a Dad. Dads have vinyl. Mums don't. Dads watch football. It's a shame when kids don't have Dads with a record player. I think.
Tonight - HAD A TERRIBLE DAY AT WORK - to cheer myself up, I put on an obscure LP called 'Blue Nun' by Carlene Carter. Do you know what? Right at the end of track one I could hear Chris Difford and Glen Tilbrook coming in - I wouldn't have noticed that on a download.
I know you are ALL right about convenience of laptops - but, like I originally said, it's also convenient to support Manchester United.