The following column will appear in the February 2009 edition of Gaston Alive:
I am only 33 years old. I shouldn’t love vinyl records as much as I do.
Musically, I came along in a time when vinyl was being phased out by most retailers in favor of the cassette tape. My record collection started out with artists such as Air Supply, Kenny Rogers, and Michael Jackson. That’s not anything to brag about - but it does provide a little context to my initial vinyl experience.
As we moved into the mid-80s, the cassette tape became the music medium of choice. And from there it became the compact disk and it has now evolved into the ever popular mp3.
It all comes down to convenience and portability. These prevailing thoughts have helped the retail music industry evolve to where it is today. And for good reason. Vinyl is too bulking to carry around and it would never make it in the car on a hot summer day.
But vinyl just won’t go away. No one gets sentimental about cassettes and 8-tracks. Yet vinyl still dazzles us today. Even in 2009.
Nostalgia certainly plays a role. Music has a way of taking us back in time, and even better, has a way of making those times seem better than they were. But perhaps the other reason interest in vinyl records seems to grow in today’s fast-paced world is the way it appeals to our senses.
I was in a record store the other day. Yes - an actual record store. You know, where they actually sell records.
It was an amazing feeling. It had that smell of a used record store. And each time I flipped through a stack of records, that musty old cardboard smell took me back.
From a visual standpoint, nothing can ever beat the vinyl record. It’s 12” X 12” cardboard frame often showcased some of the best eye-catching art known to man. It drew you in even before you could hear it.
However, people still love their vinyl because it’s tangible. You can hold it. You can buy it. And you can actually stick it in an actual record collection. Try holding an mp3 - I dare you.
Back in the day - you had to search for the music you loved. There was a commitment involved. You had to go through stacks and stacks of music to locate the one you were looking for. The thrill was in the hunt. And with the advent of the search engine, those days are over.
Yes, I am 33. And I know, I sound 63. But I love music - no matter the medium it is found on. After all, we are a culture who prefers things high-tech. We love our fast, convenient, and easy. But as much as we try to deny it, we are still a culture who needs our ‘high touch’.
And thankfully, the vinyl record fulfills this need for us music lovers.
