In this age of convenience as CDs arose to prominence, and then when MP3s emerged from the primordial digital soup for portable listening, a lot of people lost touch with their vinyl record collection ... and they forgot ... they forgot how good listening to vinyl really was.
For many people music became a soundtrack for their life, playing softly in the background as they worked out in the gym, went for a walk, or cooked dinner. There's nothing wrong with any of that really, making music a part of your daily life is a wonderful thing that enriches every moment.
It does make me a little sad when I think that for most people, listening to music has gone from a joyous main event unto itself, like it was in the golden age of vinyl, to being a distant melody in the soundstage of their consciousness.
It is always fun reintroducing a friend to the vinyl record experience again when they haven't listened to vinyl records for a long time. A case in point is my girlfriend Rosalie, a music lover by nature, that hasn't listened to her vinyl records in many years, and hasn't owned a record player to listen to them with for quite a few years either.
We got out a few of Rosalie's old favorites, like Rod Stewart's selections from the Storyteller anthology, Downtown Train, and Bob Seger's 'Live' Bullet, and cleaned them up on the trusty VPI record cleaning machine.
When Rosalie dropped the stylus of the EMT TSD 15 into the lead in groove of the record, something amazing happened ... the music went from being a faint background melody in the soundstage of her consciousness, to being a musical event that pulled her into the music much as live music does ...
... and yet something even more amazing happened, because the stereo & record albums became a temporary time travel machine that transported her from the present back through to the place & time that she first heard it.
There really is something special about listening to those old records on a nice Hi-Fi rig, as it is remarkably rejuvenating for the soul and mind.
We sat back with a glass of wine, listened to music, and music had become the main event, an experience to be cherished, and one that was building memories for the future.
If you haven't done it for a while, sit down with your significant other, or invite some friends over, pour a glass of wine, and enjoy their company and the music together.
As we reviewers like to say, it is "Highly recommended!"
Next up: More music!
I needed a music fix so I ordered up a selection of promising looking titles from Acoustic Sounds, including:
- Lightnin' Hopkins', Walkin' This Road By Myself, is a great blues record that wowed me when my buddy Stephaen brought it by recently, so that was a 'must have' on my shopping list. The Acoustic Sounds web site was right on in saying, "This album contains 10 classic blues tracks recorded in 1961 and is a must-buy for anyone looking to get acquainted with the Texas blues style ...".
- Gene Ammons' Blue Gene. I've always loved Gene Ammons' saxophone playing, so when I saw that Analogue Productions had redone this Prestige studio jam sessions from the Fantasy catalog on 45RPM records, I had to get it!
- Paul Simon's Still Crazy After All These Years was reissued recently on Columbia/Sony Legacy, and I noticed that Michael Fremer really liked it, saying, "The original was a good sounding record mastered at Sterling Sound (but not attributed to anyone) but this reissue absolutely kills it in every way." That was enough for me, so I added it to my order.
- Bill Evans & Jim Hall's Undercurrents has been reissued by Pure Pleasure Records. It's Bill & Jim. How could I not add this to my shopping cart?
- Neil Young Live At The Cellar Door. I love Neil Young's music, and after reading what Michael Fremer had to say about this album in his review, I had to order it!
- Aaron Neville's Warm Your Heart another record that wowed me when my buddy Stephaen brought it by recently, so it was also 'must have' on my shopping list. It also allows you to hear the music in 45RPM on one side and 33RPM on the other, making it a great demonstration of the enhanced performance of 45RPM records. This one's getting harder to find, so you'll want to grab it while you can! Oh yeah, it is only $5!
- Lou Pallo & Special Guests, Thank You Les. I've heard a lot of good comments about this tribute to Les Paul by Lou Pallo, so I've really wanted to check it out, being the jazz guitar fan that I am.
Ok, that's it for now, and I'll follow up in the near future and let you know how these records stack up sonically & musically. I've already heard the Lightnin' Hopkins and Aaron Neville albums when Stephaen stopped by, and I can tell you they are must haves, so get those before you can't find them any more.
Thanks for stopping by!
