Simon Rushworth
Self Made Man checks in with his latest musings and it seems the message is finally getting through to our resident blogger: vinyl is back and back in a big way.
Read his Record Store Day-themed piece and feel free to point him in the right direction when he’s leafing through the soon-to-be-defunct CD racks!
A pal of mine was delighted when his 18-year-old son returned home from a shopping trip, having spent his birthday money very wisely indeed.
Nic’s lad had bought a couple of shirts, a pair of jeans and some aftershave but it was the remaining items which caught Dad’s eye and was the source of such surprise and pleasure.
Two vinyl records, in all their glory, were tucked inside one of those plastic bags which were so familiar to a generation years ago.
Now for many young men in their teens and 20s, vinyl and turntables are associated more with Fatboy Slim, disco and rap music.
But not this enlightened teenager, who decided that instead of downloading his music or buying CDs, he wanted to play it on his father’s music system.
I don’t blame him because Nic boasts a state of the art system, which includes a very expensive turntable and for several years now, he’s been buying his music in vinyl format.
Now it seems he has passed down his obsession to the next generation. But that’s not all. Apparently, his son isn’t alone among his peer group to be switched on to vinyl
By coincidence, I was out with friends last night and Mike asked me if I still had my LPs because, he said, vinyl was making a comeback.
My own vinyl collection is currently gathering dust in the loft and only sentimentality rather than any great foresight prevented me chucking the records out years ago.
(Incidentally, the 60 or so cassettes I bought in the early to mid-80s, which coincided with me owning my first-ever car with a sound system, went out over a decade ago. Cassettes, I safely predict, are as defunct as the dodo.)
Mike, it emerges, has invested in a new turntable and says it is his intention over the next few years to start building up his vinyl collection. Right now, he’s making do with listening to Caravan and Canned Heat (the old hippy) which he bought in his student days a lifetime ago.
Vinyl, of course, is never going to sweep the music nation and, sadly, inevitably, the vast majority of people under the age of 30 will probably never physically buy a CD again, never mind an LP.
But there is a gentle revolution happening in the music world which we should be celebrating.
Just as television viewing has fragmented with the proliferation of channels, so too is the way we listen to our music.
LPs will never be anything more than a minority interest but it can be one which flourishes and has a lifespan far longer than anyone would have predicted when Dire Straits’ Brothers In Arms ushered in the CD era or when Radiohead decided their In Rainbows album could be downloaded free of charge.
And more and more bands are bringing out their albums as LPs as well as CDs and downloads.
Me? I don’t know if I’ll ever buy a record again or invest in a new turntable because it’s not that long ago since I bought a CD system which I’m very happy with.
But those who do, or have done, I envy them because there’s nothing quite like buying a record, admiring its gatefold sleeve, carefully taking it out of its cover before gently, lovingly placing it on the turntable.
And, of course, you don’t need a magnifying glass to read the lyrics!
Nic’s lad isn’t just bright, he’s lucky too.
Ian Murtagh