Why I Love Collecting Vinyl (Records)

Napoleon Plural · January 2016

Did the wife take it in the divorce settlement - and then use it to shoot you?!

Loeffelholz · January 2016

Napoleon Plural wrote:

Did the wife take it in the divorce settlement - and then use it to shoot you?!

I guess you could call that the 'Cliff's Notes' version ;%

On a happier note, I have acquired a pristine vintage copy of "Alice Cooper Goes To Hell" for $1.98 B-)

Napoleon Plural · February 2016

On the subject of The Beatles, there's this:

Now this album was released to tie in with the rerelease at the cinema and BluRay of Yellow Submarine. It's remastered and went to the top of the charts; it was the first time all the songs from the movie featured on one disc. The original Yellow Sub album had the B side given over to George Martin's soundtrack, which not everyone wants, and I think the idea back then was that you don't flog record buyers songs they already own, like Eleanor Rigby or When I'm 64.

But I still thought it odd the new record was doing so well. Much later I discovered the real reason: the songs had been totally remixed for the movie reissue. So the elementary stereo recordings had been shelved and wholly reinvented for modern ears. That's why it was so popular, esp for the iPod generation who find the early stereo tinkerings so awful through the headphones.

There's talk that one day all the Beatles stuff will get the same remix treatment, A Day in the Life and a few others get it on the Love album. In the meantime, they say, mono is the way to go when listening thru headphones.

The remixed Yellow Submarine album is available on vinyl too, with the caveat that the remix was done digitally, so it is not the full holy grail of analogue remastered remixed.

LargosShark · February 2016

I love vinyl and I have to say that it’s my favourite way to listen to music. I do have lots of records, that have been collected from the 1980’s. I’m an 80’s rock music fans so from Iron Maiden to Poison, Helloween to Motley Crue is the stuff that I listen to the most. However, my favourite band are Guns n’ Roses – ever since I first heard a bootleg copy of It’s So Easy. From that I was hooked and I’m still a big fan to this day; so the mini-reunion is a great thing for me and I’m hoping we get some UK dates in the near future. I have pretty much all their stuff on vinyl.

Anyway, back to topic, yep, I love vinyl and, recently, I’ve just been given a new stereo system with record player as my previous one had gone kaput.

Vinyl is great, I love the little crackling as an album is about to start and the sound is just something that can’t be bettered – my opinion of course and I’m sure there are plenty who will disagree, fair enough. As I said I have loads of vinyl, singles and albums, plus I have my fair share of picture discs. Now, I think picture discs are bloody cool, excuse the French

, and finding them, back in the day as it were, was always something that always gave me a buzz. Now, with cd and digital music the more popular, there is not really anything like that to go looking for. I know there are limited editions etc but I just don’t think it’s the same.

It’s good to see vinyl making a little comeback but the music that is being released on vinyl is not the sort of music I listen to. For me, the charity shops, ebay etc are where I like to go looking for records. Charity shops, especially, can be perfect places to find some cracking stuff.

Loeffelholz · February 2016

Indeed! Last Friday I raided my closest such place, Recycled Records, spending 90 very happy minutes perusing the bargain bins, and came out with a bag-load of $2 LPs: Supertramp, the Alan Parsons Project, Rush, Asia, Peter Frampton, J. Geils Band, the Moody Blues, Chicago, Bon Jovi...and Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass---including the LP that features Casino Royale B-) Of all these finds, only the Supertramp album ("Crime of the Century") has skips in a song that I couldn't rectify...and so I will seek a $2 credit with them on my next visit.

Fortunately, many of the records they're reissuing are precisely in my preferred era and genre(s)...I'm eagerly awaiting the reissues of Bowie's early catalogue in 180-gram...and of course having his brilliant swan song Blackstar back in stock (I was very happy to see him kick Adele out of the top sales spot, if only for a moment

).

In further exciting news (and circling back around to the Beatles!), my sealed mono copy of the "White Album" arrived in today's mail, and...wow. {[]

Golrush007 · February 2016

Great stuff Mark...your post makes me feel that I need to go on another record hunt myself

I haven't bought any records for quite a while. All of my recent bargain finds have been CDs.

Napoleon Plural · February 2016

I'm waiting for this one to be reissued in 180-gram:

Though she might weigh a bit more than that...

Loeffelholz · February 2016

In glorious 180-stone vinyl...

Silhouette Man · February 2016

Many a time in my youth did I sing along to this on my old record player - The Dubliners - "Limerick Rake":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8moLHIW8xw

)

And a little bit of child murder thrown in for good measure, "Weile Weile Waile":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tku2A42izoE

Both songs are from the album "A Drop of the Hard Stuff" (1967).

Loeffelholz · February 2016

Silhouette Man wrote:

Many a time in my youth did I sing along to this on my old record player - The Dubliners - "Limerick Rake":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8moLHIW8xw

)

And a little bit of child murder thrown in for good measure, "Weile Weile Waile":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tku2A42izoE

Both songs are from the album "A Drop of the Hard Stuff" (1967).

Good stuff!

{[]

The oldest vinyl I've recently acquired is also from 1967...an LP called "Sounds Like...Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass," which features their theme to the CR spoof film. This record was inside the cardboard jacket with no inner sleeve...and it is in insanely good shape for a vintage platter - almost zero surface noise; no scuffs or scratches

Napoleon Plural · February 2016

Hmm, cleaning the stylus, anyone?

My stylus seems to be picking up a lot of naval fluff, vinyl fluff if you will. To the point when the needle skids across the top of the record.

Now, I don't know if this is due to playing old records from the charity shop, but they didn't look that dusty! And it occurs only after a few plays!

Sure you can buy a little brush as described in one of my previous links, for around £6. Is it any different to a clean toothbrush though? And surely getting rid of the fluff with tweezers might work?

Then there's the pricey, five star Onzoq Zerodust, but I can't personally see how this gets rid of dust - does it sort of absorb it or something? Or destroy it?

Loeffelholz · February 2016

Having similar issues; oddly more with the brand-new 180-grams than the vintage stuff ?:) I used to have an extremely fine stylus brush, and am looking for a replacement online. Right now I'm improvising with an art brush...

I have ordered a vintage Discwasher^TM record-cleaning brush for the vinyl itself, and will compliment it with a carbon antistatic brush when I'm able. Also investing in some antistatic inner sleeves.

Napoleon Plural · February 2016

How's that White Album mono, Loeffs?

Any songs better or worse than you imagined?

Loeffelholz · February 2016

Napoleon Plural wrote:

How's that White Album mono, Loeffs?

Any songs better or worse than you imagined?

It's an interesting listen! As you said, Helter Skelter certainly rocks harder (no Ringo screaming about blisters on his fingers at the end!). Ironically, I think I prefer the stereo version of Don't Pass Me By, as the mono version sounds lighter and fluffier to me; perhaps I'm just so used to the heavier, pounding version (I suspect I like this tune generally more than you do

). Many subtle differences - even the opening guitar twang of Back in the USSR is shorter.

Overall, I'm quite glad I got the mono version on vinyl, and will certainly get the rest of their catalogue that way, excepting of course Abbey Road and Let It Be. Given what I've heard, I imagine I'll just have to get a 2nd copy (mono) of Sgt Pepper...but that is last in line of priority.

Exciting development today, as a brand-new 180-gram reissue of the Rolling Stones' "Exile on Main St" arrived in the mail B-) I'd ordered that one a month ago; guessing they had to make more!

Napoleon Plural · February 2016

Loeffelholz wrote:

Having similar issues; oddly more with the brand-new 180-grams than the vintage stuff ?:) I used to have an extremely fine stylus brush, and am looking for a replacement online. Right now I'm improvising with an art brush...

I have ordered a vintage Discwasher^TM record-cleaning brush for the vinyl itself, and will compliment it with a carbon antistatic brush when I'm able. Also investing in some antistatic inner sleeves.

Yeah, you may be onto something there. Playing old heavy vinyl seems to gather fluff, don't know if this is cos it's old, and needs professional cleaning, or if the new heavy vinyl does the same thing.

If you like Ringo's Don't Pass Me By, and even if you don't (actually, especially if you don't) then check this out Don't Pass Me By Cover which does make you wonder if it couldn't have been better served were it not for L & M's slight lack of interest in lesser members of the band's efforts.

Napoleon Plural · February 2016

Also, there seems to be a difference between cleaners that simply get rid of dust, either on the stylus or on the record, and those velvety cleaners that get rid of grime, presumably with the aid of some squirty liquid.

Napoleon Plural · February 2016

More Vinyl Care Tips

Loeffelholz · February 2016

Napoleon Plural wrote:

Also, there seems to be a difference between cleaners that simply get rid of dust, either on the stylus or on the record, and those velvety cleaners that get rid of grime, presumably with the aid of some squirty liquid.

That would be the Discwasher; its fine bristles point against the direction of rotation, using a fluid to remove deeply-creased dirt. The former, that carbon brush I mentioned above, removes dust and helps to mitigate static - however, it tends to leave a bit of a line of dust when lifted from the vinyl, and so the Discwasher finishes the job.

Loeffelholz · February 2016

Napoleon Plural wrote:

More Vinyl Care Tips

{[]

Number24 · February 2016

Personally I have few emotional memories of ye olde reccords. When I was a baby my older sister destroyed the family reccord player. By the time the family bought a new one, I had a younger sister too. Guess what she did with the new reccord player?

)
By the time I was old enough to buy my own music system, CD's had taken over.
While I underestand very well why people love their reccords and reccord player, I have barely used one myself

Loeffelholz · February 2016

Number24 wrote:

Personally I have few emotional memories of ye olde reccords. When I was a baby my older sister destroyed the family reccord player. By the time the family bought a new one, I had a younger sister too. Guess what she did with the new reccord player? )
By the time I was old enough to buy my own music system, CD's had taken over.
While I underestand very well why people love their reccords and reccord player, I have barely used one myself

It's worth looking into, IMO. The comparative richness of the spound of LPs is quite noticeable - especially if you listen to digital and analogue (vinyl) back-to-back. Of course, like everything it's down to personal taste

Loeffelholz · February 2016

Having inexpensive fun on eBay; scored copies of Rod Stewart's Every Picture Tells a Story and The Grand Illusion, by Styx, for less than $4 apiece - should be lovely as long as the record grading standard remains consistent -{

Loeffelholz · February 2016

Scored (on eBay) a mint copy of Bowie's The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars...on red vinyl

We'll see how it goes!

Loeffelholz · February 2016

Loeffelholz · February 2016

My copy of Bowie's Blackstar arrived today! Feels very much like putting my hands on the latest Bond Blu-ray B-)

Napoleon Plural · February 2016

Here's a nice bit of vinyl from an up and coming band:

Hullo Little Girl

Bit crackly though.

Loeffelholz · February 2016

Napoleon Plural wrote:

Here's a nice bit of vinyl from an up and coming band:

Hullo Little Girl

Bit crackly though.

Yeah, read about that! Checking my couch cushion for spare coin before I put a bid in ;%

Loeffelholz · March 2016

My addiction is taking over...I just received my 180-gram copies of Who's Next and Queen's News of the World...and in a few hours' time, my brand-new pair of Bose 301-V speakers will arrive via Amazon...and I've got a line on some vintage Bowie vinyl on eBay...yeah, my income tax refund came in, and I'm off the chain!

Golrush007 · March 2016

Not a new acquistion, but this evening I am enjoying 'Band on the Run' by Paul McCartney & Wings - one of my favourite albums.

Loeffelholz · March 2016

Golrush007 wrote:

Not a new acquistion, but this evening I am enjoying 'Band on the Run' by Paul McCartney & Wings - one of my favourite albums.

That one's on my 'Wanted' list! {[]

Why I Love Collecting Vinyl (Records)

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