Over the last two years I have
accumulated a reasonable amount of vinyl records, enough I'd say to call a
'collection'. It isn't the biggest collection in the world nor the smallest
(shall we say more than 100 but rather less than 1000), and it's fair to say I'm sold
on vinyl. Vinyl sales are surging, and though they make up only a
tiny percentage of overall music sales, what is significant is that vinyl
record sales have grown at such pace at a time when other physical formats are
in a state of great decline. It's more expensive than other (more accessible) formats, it's fragile, some might
say it's dated, so why have vinyl records become my music medium of
choice, and the choice of increasingly more people?
1) The Artwork
I like to think of myself as a creative person, and so for me the
visual experience of vinyl is definitely up there with the top reasons why I've
made the switch. In my opinion, the
aesthetics and physical aspect of vinyl records are key to their appeal and are
just as important as any argument over sound quality. To have all
12 by 12 inches of artwork in front of me, to be able to see every detail of 'The Stone Roses' or 'Revolver' album artworks is something that I feel is lost
with CDs and certainty with digital downloads. Albums that were made well
before the wave of CDs have had their artwork squeezed down to a tiny fraction
of how they were intended to be viewed and as such a huge amount of detail and thought can go unnoticed. But not only is vinyl giving me the chance to really appreciate the
artwork of albums gone by, but it allows present artists more room to play with
and really think about the artwork, rather than it just becoming an
afterthought.
2) It's Tangible
The previous point
touches upon this, but I feel like records are
much more beautiful and substantial than CDs (which to me just look like
they've come out of an office stationary cupboard). They’re certainty the best
way to make purchasing music feel like
something, you can hold it in two hands for a start! A record's inherent tangibility versus the nothingness of an MP3 file gives it the edge.Vinyl records react badly to weather and
moisture, they warp, finger smudges and scratches make the needles bounce and
skip, but the fragility of vinyl records only adds to their appeal to
me, I actually have to spend some time looking after them. As a result of this, vinyl
allows you to have some sort of sentimentality about your music collection, it
takes up substantial room, you can see it growing and your money has gone into something
that you can actually cherish.
3) The Sound
Whether or not vinyl in reality has a better sound
quality than its digital counterparts is a whole different debate to what I
am trying to explain with this post, that's one for the audiophiles to battle
out. For me,
along with vinyl comes a certain “warmth” to the sound (which, in reality is down to analogue’s limitations in capturing and
reproducing sound). But for me it's those pop and crackle noises that give it it's unique character.
4) The 'Personal Touch'
There is a certain
process to choosing a vinyl, taking it out of the sleeve, putting it on the
turntable, setting the speed and placing the needle in just the right place. It so much more special than using
a computer or iPod, there's a real activity to it and it really is a personal
experience. The 'vinyl experience' holds a certain intimacy and romance which is
hard to replicate with digital formats. If I'm playing a 7 inch
(or of course, a full album), after going through that whole ritual I feel
inclined to at least give the song my full and undivided attention for the
whole 3 or 4 minutes running time. Along with listening to a record once you've brought it home, it's the buying experience that's also extremely personal and exciting.
5) It Can Be An Investment
Finally I think it’s important to
note that buying vinyl records today is pretty well the only way to purchase
music that is likely to give you a return on your investment. I myself have no
intention of going into buying vinyl and selling it on, however it's certainly a
bonus to know that vinyl records both new and old retain a lot of value. A used CD is virtually worthless and an MP3 file can't be sold on at all. Following on from this idea, for me, buying a record knowing somebody else has listened to it decades before adds to it's charm.
What
do you think? Are you sold on vinyl? Or do you think it's just a fad?
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