Do you still listen to records?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 12 Aug 2004, 17:37

Bellybabe's recent thread on charity shops has got me thinking about records. I love records and still listen to them regularly. There's a romance to old vinyl that CDs or MP3s just can't match: the size of the sleeve is big enough for pictures to breathe, and for text to flow, instead of being squashed into tiny boxes.

Music on vinyl has an organic quality - a warmth - that digital formats can never match. Sometimes this doesn't matter - most modern recordings are digital from start to finish, and CD or MP3 is its natural home. But a lot of the music I listen to, whether it's Bing Crosby or Tubeway Army, was recorded on entirely analogue equipment, and converting it to CD means that it gains some accuracy or fidelity at the cost of losing some of its "heart".

Records are special.

bellybabe · Post by **bellybabe** » 12 Aug 2004, 18:03

Not my thread, dear - ecm's. And I never mentioned records in it. perhaps you're feeling a little tired and emotional?

However I do remember mentioning it over a glass of wine or three in the Pier once...

I have a weird and eclectic collection in the loft, but nothing to play them on. I miss them though. I played a tape (also getting rarer) the other day and other half asked me how it could be hissing and making bizarre noises and I had to point out it was taped from a record... complete with needle setting down thunk and that funny noise before it "got into the groove" (had that on vinyl but someone stole it... Possibly doing me a favour)...

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 12 Aug 2004, 18:23

The remains of my record collection are lying next to me on the coffee table. I brought them down from the loft 2 weeks ago and I'm still agonising over what to do with them. Most of them are scratched, I never looked after them and they have witnessed a lot of drunken parties. But I'm not sure I can bear to part with them.

What some people tend to forget is that a lot of vinyl is irreplaceable. It's easy enough to pick up Greatest Hits type stuff on CD, but a lot of material from less well-known bands has never been re-released and only survives in vinyl form. The more obscure your tastes the less likely it is that your favourite recordings have made the transition to CD.

Who am I kidding? They're going back in the loft.

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 12 Aug 2004, 19:00

Agreed. I come from the last generation of vinyl users - dance music has kept the 12" single going a while longer, so I've got a decent sized collection.

Porty · Post by **Porty** » 12 Aug 2004, 19:06

I don't have a Turntable but I do have loads of Records. Like Bob many of mine are scratched and generally worse for wear. My Hi-fi is currently stored under the bed for safety, whilst renovations take place. I moved the collection out of the basement for the same reason and I found Orchestra Makassay, that alone is worth the Ã‚Â£150 or so it will cost for a decent TT.

mr magnolia · Post by **mr magnolia** » 12 Aug 2004, 21:14

Unfortunately , my husband tends to play much of his record collection when he is "tired and emotional" and some of the sleeves and their contents are looking a bit the worse for wear themselves.

Hmm that could have been mrs magnolia speaking there marya - scarily i also play them on a rega something or other. Rarely these days though as booze and vinyl mix badly with 3 and 2 yr olds.

Sandra · Post by **Sandra** » 12 Aug 2004, 22:16

Bellybabe

Having a car boot sale in the next couple of weeks and going through old tapes.... some I can't bear to throw away - too many memories and others I listened to just to see if I still like them but you forget tapes need turned over...