But why buy vinyl? Not only is it argued that the sound quality of the analog system trumps digital, there is an additional aesthetic of personalization that is inherent in the polyvinyl chloride - every record is different. Perhaps your copy of Paul McCartney's Ram has the previous owner's initial on the inside jacket, or your Harvest Moon was given to you by that uncle who used to tour with the Dead and now is retired living in Vermont, or maybe your copy of The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan has a nice hazelnut hued stain in the shape of Dylan's Wayfarers when someone spilled their coffee decades ago...ok maybe that last one is a stretch, but the fact remains; you can't pass a digital file down from generation to generation with the same effect.
A record has three dimensions: sound, sight, and time, which give vinyl a warm and crackly spot in your memory. Smell - the fourth dimension! Try and take a whiff of your iTunes library. Anything?
Jerry's Records offers almost anything one can think of: soul, R&B, rock, jazz, spoken word, rockabilly, reggae, roots folk, alternative noise, halloween soundtracks, records with pretty girls on the cover. There is a large rack in the front of the store that holds the most popular choices - Zeppelin, Floyd, Beatles, Nugent, Presley, etc., making it easy for the newcomer to round-out their collection.
I think Vinyl provides a touch of history, too. My wife's father has a deep passion for Vinyl and Heather (my wife) grew up knowing and learing all the great rock artists. The art work of record covers is often really beutiful, too.
ReplyDeleteVinyl is a big thing in my household, too. My dad has a pretty nice collection, and I personally think the sound quality is much better. You can feel the music more - that's the best way I can describe it.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like an awesome place. I'll definitely have to go check it out. Thanks for bringing it to all of our attention.