Viva La Vinyl

For my maiden post I wanted to talk about the vinyl revival I've been experiencing lately.  Since I was born in 1989, I missed out on the days of vinyl dominance and therefore had to work my way backwards to these relics from a bygone era.  When I seriously got into music, I bought cd's of the bands I was listening to at the time: The Beatles, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, etc.  Even as I watched the cd begin to bow out to MP3's and IPOD's, I still preferred those little plastic discs.  A friend of mine who grew up listening to vinyl turned me on to the more subtle pleasures of collecting and listening to my music at 33 1/3 and 45 rpms.  Soon I began seeking out whatever record stores still existed around Rhode Island.  One of the best is Round Again Records in Providence.  Here you're sure to find a few gems in near pristine condition for a steal.  I discovered fairly quickly what a joy it is to hold an album, admire the artwork of a favorite cover, slide the record out, place it on a turntable and put the needle down.  The first distinct pops of a record can deliver a feeling of comfort almost as enjoyable as the actual music.  Since getting into vinyl and hearing many of my favorite albums on both vinyl and cd, I've become aware of the differences between the two formats.  One hears all the time, usually from vinyl purists, that vinyl gives a much warmer and richer sound as compared to the often cold, hollow sound of many early cd's.  For most vinyl fanatics the occasional pop or crackle is a welcome addition to the music itself, one which adds to the atmosphere of the music being played.  I've found that I deeply enjoy the sound of a record over my speakers.  Vintage vinyl also offers the listener the chance to hear their music in a format that isn't heard much today but was once the standard; that would be Monural sound.  Music delivered with a punch from one channel of direct sound.  When I first started listening I didn't know anything about mono or stereo and probably wouldn't have been able to tell the difference if my life depended on it.  Now with the resurrection of vinyl and in the interest of recapturing the sound of those early rock records, many classic albums have been reissued in mono on both vinyl and cd.  I recently bought the box set of Dylan's first 8 albums in mono cd to go along with my stereo set.  I'm sure most who grew up listening to those albums and many more in mono would argue that was the way they were meant to be heard.  They'd probably tell you stories of buying their first stereo album and having to run back and forth from speaker to speaker to hear everything that was playing.  Having listened extensively to both I like to think that I can appreciate both mono and stereo and accept their individual limitations just like I accept both vinyl and cd.  I find that certain albums are enjoyed more on vinyl than cd and vice versa.  This might be because the artwork on the cover can be appreciated more on a record sleeve than from a little booklet or it might be that the track listing is appreciated more when one has to take a moment to flip the record.  The extra work that goes into playing vinyl can be either seen as a labor of love or a waste of time depending on who's doing the listening.  For those who listen to music as a means to some other end like dancing, or providing background ambiance, it's crazy to listen to vinyl.  For those who want something playing simply to fill in the silence around them continuously, vinyl is not ideal.  However, those who listen purely for the music and the multitude of feeling that a new, unheard record or a familiar, lifelong record can deliver, vinyl and the work that goes with it can be a treat for more than the ears.  Many current artists such as Jack White have been praising the merits of vinyl and releasing their albums in both formats to reintroduce vinyl to a generation that's grown accustomed to getting their music fix instantaneously.  Obviously, those not interested enough in music will never know what a vinyl record even is let alone how to play it, but hopefully the push from these popular artists will compel younger listeners to take some time and give good ol' vinyl a spin.