I finished off my last post on this subject with the line
“I will write again in 6 months with an update…. Perhaps I will be too busy playing records….”
Well this post is a lot later than 6 months and whether it’s because I was too busy playing records or not is unveiled below.
So without repeating my thoughts from the first article about vinyl and my own personal journey of music through it’s formats (worth a read if you have not read it) the main question to ask is has a new turntable inspired me to re listen to music? Well.. not really..
Since having the new turntable, Lisa and I have purchased a few albums. Most of those have had download offers too thus giving us real choice of where to play the music we have spent our hard earned on. One LP didn’t have such an option and was simply a thin vinyl disk that could only be played on the turntable and, as such, had no option to play the music elsewhere, in the car, on the bus etc; Plus it was 3 times the price of the CD (which of course can be easily digitised, unlike the LP). To not have an option when you are used to it is generally is annoying but to pay for the privilege would take strong buy in and devotion. So we bought the CD version!
Even apart from this reality of technological progress I was more interested however if the new purchase would have re enthused my interest and passion for music even if that meant playing my existing catalogue whether it be CD or LP. Looking back to February last year however I can’t really see any major increase in listening to music as a result. The reasons why I stopped listening to music a lot are still relevant, regardless of the fact I can now, again, listen to Vinyl. One thing I can report, possibly as a result of the high cost of new vinyl, is the purchasing of second hand LPs mainly in charity shops. I suppose I can claim I am doing my bit for recycling! Some interesting titles from Classical to soul (George Benson – In your eyes for a £1 fantastic!)
I do at least know that I have returned to the comfortable position where if I want to listen to my old Vinyl I can do, which in itself was probably worth the purchase and getting up off the couch to play side B, nostalgic.
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As an aside there is a tradition in the Blundell household to play, every Christmas morning, an LP I got a long time ago by the Spinners; Your 20 favourite Christmas carols.
A fully signed copy no less and has become of great sentimental value. Before my first turntable died I digitised the record and had the option to play it on CD. As time pressed ahead I was able to listen to it via an SD card on a player (Altius cp-0011 speaker) I got from Aldi a few years back too;
Such choice!. Now of course the tradition can carry on using the original itself!
Oh and just in case you thought I was fibbing over having a vinyl in the shape of Australia (from the first article). I hadn’t yet played it on the new turntable so excuse to sit down and listen to it whilst drafting this!
“You spin me right round, baby. Right round like a record, baby” – Dead or Alive