I used to love collecting cds. It took me a while to make the switch from vinyl & cassette. Once I was able to play cds in my car I thought there’d be no going back. Prior to that, I’d buy albums on vinyl for home use and the same ones on cassette to hear while driving. Funny thing is, I’ve returned to vinyl only a few years ago and have now lost the desire to purchase compact discs at all. It’s a joy to experience playing records again but I limit myself to classic rock, some jazz and popular pre-rock music like Sinatra and Dean Martin.
The best part is discovering music I otherwise let pass me by years ago, like Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours”, Billy Joel’s “The Stranger”, The Who’s “Who’s Next”, Elton John’s “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”, Bruce Springsteen’s “Born To Run”, The Rolling Stone’s “Exile On Main Street”, The Eagles’ “Hotel California” and more. I don’t buy into the vinyl vs compact disc debate. It’s crap. It depends on your system. If you have a basic stereo your cds will sound fine but of course, with superior components vinyl will sound better and vice versa. I don’t care.
For me it’s all about personal entertainment. I’m not a stickler. Hell, I remember 8-track tapes sounded better than cassettes on the same stereo but the 8-track drawback was the song interruptions! LOL! I’d be listening to the Beatles’ Let It Be album as so…
“Images of broken light, which dance before me like a million eyes…” KERLUNCK! What the? Is my stereo busted? Man!! ...KERLUNCK! ”…They call me on and on across the universe.” Hahaha! They had 4 programs on each cartridge but not enough space. It was weird and at times frustrating. Like many others, I thought vinyl would last forever. You can’t go wrong with the artistry of albums, an art form lost on the smaller cd packaging. Although, these days there are sets in both formats that go to the extreme to fans’ and collectors’ delight.
So, a few years ago, I finally graduated to modern technology and took advantage of music available on Spotify and radio programs on XFM. I loved burning my own cd compilations but even that was limiting. With Spotify I can compile to my hearts’ content without additional cost. I can listen at home, in my car and on my phone. It’s a win-win scenario, unlike the Kobayashi Maru 😉 Yup, I just exposed my geek side. It’s great revisiting favorites and discovering music I otherwise have and would continue let pass me by. Thanks to Linda and Amy (you know who you are 😉), I’ve discovered the greatness of The Rolling Stones and AC/DC without having to spend lots of money.
I remember my dad telling me some years ago, “Vinyl’s making a comeback!” I laughed and replied, “No way! What the hell for, anyway?” Like many others, I figured records had gone the way of VHS tapes. They died out when DVDs took over, much like vinyl did when CDs came along. Not long after, I was in Newbury Comics in Boston and saw he was right. A few short years later, upon another visit, I saw that they had an entire room full of vinyl! My dad got the last laugh on that one. It would be a while before I returned to vinyl and am glad I did. On the other side of the same token (as Dad used to say), I’m thankful for the technological advancement, too. The best of both worlds.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Show Posts
