It is not an unknown fact that vinyl records are a staple in the world of music. But during the evolution of musical media, the vinyl record was largely overlooked in a commercial sense due to the convenience of digital media such as compact discs and mp3s. Despite this decline in popularity, which was initiated circa the early 1990s, the vinyl enterprise has slowly, but surely, made a significant comeback amongst quite a few minority markets. 
So what’s so great about vinyl?
The answer to that question varies for many, but for myself, it lies in the thrill of the chase, and vinyl’s ability to capture, store, and re-emit sound. The plethora of vinyl records that reside in our immediate vicinities is amazing; the majority of it lies undiscovered, yet in the most obvious places.
One time, I bought one of Led Zeppelin’s greatest albums for $1. It was sitting in a cardboard box at a Goodwill, and despite it’s somewhat worn sleeve, it plays beautifully. There’s something about hearing a band exactly as they sounded decades ago leaking out of the grooves of a record that makes your skin crawl with admiration. The sound quality of vinyl seeps a nostalgic air into the room.
We can thank analogue media for this atmosphere. Vinyl is an analogue device that captures the exact sound waves being conjured by the recording artists in question, and etches an exact replica of it into the record grooves. Digital recordings, are merely snapshots of the sound waves, and can only try to match those sounds.
As a music enthusiast, I take delight in the intricacies in tracks, melodies and the chills that a real vocalist can send up your spine with the vibrations that echo from their voice box. Live shows are my favorite medium because it is the best example of an artist/band’s energy, synchronicity, skill, and ability to entertain. So far, the closest I have come to having an exact replica of that particular experience is via my record collection. The realism in the grooves of a record is so potent; it provokes the listener to be drawn into the outpouring of sound, its cunning details, and its hidden treasures. Through collecting old and new vinyl, I have discovered a renewed love of sound that is very different from the passion that I possessed in my teens for compilation of compact discs and cassettes.
Scratch’d Vinyl will be a post on my vinyl exploits and other vinyl record related material. My hope is to provide a little glimpse into the world of a vinyl collector and encourage those who share this enthusiasm to pursue it. With that said, I will leave you with a quote from the bassist of Pearl Jam, Jeff Ament:
“Our first record didn’t come out on vinyl, so I think that might have had something to do with actually being in a position to make sure that it came out in vinyl this time. It sounds way better.”
…To be continued…
