On The Record

This weekend I found myself browsing through the vinyl section of a couple of music stores and questioning myself on the source of this renewed interest in records.

I am not a classic audiophile by any stretch and, unlike many involved in the vinyl resurgence, it has nothing to do with audio quality for me. If you need proof, the fact that my deck is a refurbished Technics and cost $50 should be a good indicator.

* Nostalgia

This is definitely a piece of it. My definitive music experiences and influences were all pre-cd and the ability to afford to experiment with my musical tastes as a teenager meant I spent hours in used record stores.

* The Hunt

Just like scouring used book stores and thrift shops for interesting, old or unusual books is a wholly different and more pleasurable experience than browsing amazon or visiting Barnes & Noble, so it is for second hand vinyl. Interestingly used CD hunting is just not as rewarding for me. I think digital downloads have made CD shopping much less fulfilling.

* The Experience

I wouldn't say it is better but it is different. Choosing a record, the ritual of opening, the sleeve and liner notes, cleaning and playing it is still almost religious. Don't get me wrong. I have a full media server that is convenient and lets me play music anywhere I want whenever I want in crystal clear digital quality gorgeousness. I seem to have gravitated to the digital audio for my background listening and the analogue vinyl for when I want to sit down and just listen.

* The Economy

Maybe it is unconnected but the resurgence in my interest in vinyl seems to coincide with a resurgence in my frugality. iTunes is great for listening before you buy but nothing beats the bang for the buck of buying a whole stack of old vinyl for the price of a couple of lattes and taking it home to see if you found any pearls. Sure, amazon can recommend what you will like but that just takes all the fun out of it.

* Best of Both

This is where things get interesting. I have bought a couple of brand new albums on vinyl that have come with either a code for the MP3 download or in one case the CD too! All for the price of the CD. he same concept as the digital copies they give away with Blu-Ray. Finally major corporations recognizing that you don't want to buy the same thing several times and that just because you like vinyl it doesn't mean you don't want it on your iPod too.

So is vinyl truly better sounding? Well not on my budget, but it is way more fun.