Vinyl Records
 

For as long as I lived, when I had no one, there was always music to turn to. Music has done more for my life and touched me more then anything else. It's a very special thing - poetry, enchanting melodies, beautiful harmonies.

I started record collecting when I was 13 years old. I find the technology on vinyl to be much better then that of MP3s. Granted, you cannot fit hundreds of 45s into your pocket and carry a turntable while jogging, there is superior sound quality on the older records.

The records, for me, sound deeper and more alive. It's also a nostalgic moment: "this is the record people were listening to when it was released." That's important in music, because it's one of the biggest influences in our culture.

Does anyone else collect records here, or still have them? What is your favorite records or favorite songs?

I think my favorite albums are:
"Wednesday Morning, 3AM" - Simon and Garfunkel (1966)
"Pet Sounds" - The Beach Boys (1966)
"Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band" - The Beatles (1967)
"Tommy" - The Who (1969)

I think the most influential song in my life is "These Days" by Nico.

When I really got into music, back in the '70s, vinyl was all you could buy. And tapes. I still have at least 300 records. Still have a turntable. Vinyl is actually making a comeback. In truth, vinyl records have better dynamic range than CDs ever will. I loved buying a record because you felt like you actually got something for your money. You got real pictures and artwork. Real liner notes. Unlike today's CDs. You could hold them in your hands, open them up and truly enjoy them.

There was a local news article about the resurgence of vinyl. Lots of bands are releasing on vinyl as well as CDs because of the aforementioned better sound and dynamic range.

Vinyl Forever!

But, I must admit to making wav files from some LPs Can't throw a record on the turntable when I'm at the computer.

My favorites are:

Frank Zappa (all of 'em)
The Beatles White Album
And too many others to mention here!

Yep, I loved the turntable. About 10 years ago, I got swept up in the digital age, sold my rack system, speakers, 250+ albums, the whole nine yards. While I enjoy the 25 sq. ft. it returned to me, there are times when I feel a tinge of regret.

I loved the old movie soundtracks, South Pacific, Godspell, Breakfast at Tiffany's, etc. I had a ton of old big band, and enough Pink Floyd, Led Zepplin, Alman Brothers, and Crosby/Stills/Nash with a dab of CCR to keep me humming.

Now I have an iPod in my car, I kind of love that too.;)

Hi.

I loved your post.

Brought me back to a time when I called a record player...a VICTROLA.

Can you imagine?? We used to call them Victrolas.

Now just imagine talking to any 20 year old and asking "Do you know what a Victrola is?"

You won't find one who ever heard of this?

They probably never heard of Paul Newman either.

How sad.

All the good stuff is YEARS GONE BY!!!

When I was 13, I bought all the Frankie Avalon, Fabian and Bobby Rydell 45's.

I remember buying some kind of little plastic insert thing that fitted in the center of the 45 and then you plopped it on the turntable and put the needle over the edge of the 45.

God ...that image just came back to me.

And sometimes the needle would stick and the same words played over and over, until you picked up the needle and put it someplace else.

I even remember the bigger ones. Not 45's. I can't remember what they were called. They were these HUGE ROUND RECORDS. My parents had them. I don't know what they played on, but they had Tommy Dorsey and Al Jolson. God, I loved Al Jolson.

Then I graduated to Sony Walkmans and cassettes with headphones.

Never did the 8 track tape thing. Never bought them. I have no idea why. Weren't they AFTER 45'S but BEFORE Cassettes?

The other day I was in Radio Shack and two older gentlemen walked in and asked for blank cassettes. You should have seen the look the 20 year old (who worked behind the counter) gave them. He said "you use cassettes???" He found the blank ones for them.

Now we have ipods, and mp3, and god knows what we will have in 10 years.

I still use VCRs.

I'm from the old school.

lol

i still have my collection and turntable, I had albums friends had not heard of pink floyd stuff and a few other groups, zappa and flo and eddie, commander cody, allman brothers. Eat a peach was my first CD i bougth, gold disc and all, ya know why, because for the first time ever i could hear "mountian jam" without flipping the album, switching 8 tracks or flipping a cassette, i was in heaven wooo whooooo.

I also have two "big bamboi" by cheech and chong albums for some odd reason the giant rolling paper is missing from one of the albums...hmmm...http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/l...reathcloud.gif

yes music is a wonderful thing i find myeself cranking tunes more when i try to do house work, it sort of acts as an adrenaline for me



good thread
peace

Well, you actually CAN fix it so you can carry them around now! There are pretty inexpensive new turntables out there with a USB port specifically designed for the purpose of transferring vinyl to your computer as digital files. I recently purchased a new Roxio program (Easy Media Creator 10) that I THINK has the same capabilities for turntables (minus the need for a USB port). I know it's capable of transferring cassettes -- just haven't explored all of what the software can do yet.

I completely agree -- analog recordings are far superior to digital!!

I have an old RCA New Vista Victrola stereo cabinet from around 1955. It's got the stack-o-matic record changer, and is in very nice condition (a great decorative piece of furniture with a nice modern look).

I was buying similar records at that age, except I'm only 19 years old. I don't quite remember where I got my interest in old music, or record collecting for that matter, but I think it started when I was in the 5th grade. When I was only a freshman in high school, i had accumulated hundreds of 45s from the 50s and 60s. I have too many today, as my father tells me, who wants them out of the house for taking up too much space (but they're here to stay).

I recently picked up a mint LP of "Bobby Rydell's Biggest Hits, Volume 2." It has the original Bobby Rydell stickers on the back of the album, which are still usable.

I love that about records - you can hold them and appreciate album art work. CD's don't have that today. Some other great album covers are "Sticky Fingers" by the Rolling Stones (which had the zipper), "Ogden's Nut Gone Flake" by The Small Faces (which was round, not square), and "Big Bamboo" by Cheech and Chong (which came with a giant piece of rolling paper). If only modern albums were so progressive and artistic... that would be nice.

The older records are called 78s (not vinyl). I have a bunch of 78s from the swing years and a bunch of doo wop records. My favorite two 78s are "Pledging my Love" by Johnny Ace and "Tonite Tonite" by the Mello-Kings.

I still have an "old" stereo set-up upstairs: turntable, receiver, speakers, albums :D.

I "inherited" my sister's record collection ... BeeGees (sp?), The Who, Beatles, Pink Floyd ... added some to it.

When I was small, we had a neighbor who was a DJ. He also gave me a bunch of "demo" records.

The last I checked, the turntable still spins :D.

Yeah, I've still got the "Big Bambu"(not bamboo) album with the giant rolling paper in it. Could never afford enough to fill it and roll it!

I've seen ads for the equipment that you can buy and put a record on and make a digital version. Never tried one. I use a program that I bought from an Australian company called CFB Software. The program is called LP Recorder and it also came with LP Ripper. Just had to buy some cables to run from the amplifier to the Line In jack of my sound card. Cables bought at Radio Shack.

It was fun to record old albums and burn CDs from them. Even with the transfer from records (analog) to digital format, I didn't really notice a drastic change in sound quality. Unlike the new CDs, which i don't really believe capture the true dynamic range of the music.

A friend's father told me that he used the paper to roll a giant joint years ago. He said the paper was too flimsy and not really that great for what they used it for.