In the beginning, I had vinyl albums for the home stereo and 8 tracks for the car. But 8 tracks were junk and that phase didn't last long. When cassettes became popular, I bought a good cassette recorder and started recording my own cassettes from vinyl. Good quality cassettes lasted awhile and when they finally wore out I just recorded it again on a fresh tape. The earliest CD players that were small enough for a car, like the Sony Discman, didn't work well because they were very unstable and tended to skip, so I continued to use cassettes in the car even after CD's. Modern auto CD players are much better so cassette's have mostly gone away. Now, my iPod has pretty much replaced all of them though I still have quite a vinyl collection dating all the way back into the 60's.
I asked my boss's 13 year old daughter if her new Crosley record player transferred LPs to cd and she said, "What's an LP?" she had no idea hat I was talking about until I said, "You know, the old records you went to the antique store to look at." Heavens, do I feel old.
Sucks. When I was in laser school in Tallahassee back in '90, there was a store called Vinyl Fever on Pensacola St. that still sold albums. That's where I picked up Zappa's Joe's Garage and King's X Gretchen goes to Nebraska. I just learned that they closed down back in 2010.
I still like listening to albums. There's an analog warmth there that just can't be reproduced digitally. And pumping them through the surround system is awesome.
I'm showing my age here but my technological journey went from an old Edison wind up player that had a round spool that played "Mary had a little lamb", then 33 1/3 vinyl, 45's, 8 tracks, cassettes, and now another build up of favorite music on CDs. I categorically refuse to use the newest system that keeps me dodging morons with earbuds that walk out in front of cars, cause they can't hear you coming.
Used to drive all over town to certain shops looking for records or something unusual like un-released on LP 45 rpm B-sides, UK/Aussie/European/New Zealand/Japanese LP imports which usually had better audio quality and sometimes different jacket covers and more or different cuts.
Several years ago I bought a computer program and ripped all my vinyl to CDs, then to mP3s. Haven't had my turntable out since, but I will admit I seem to have better bass response from those files than from what I get from virgin CDs/mP3s. I don't think the difference is big enough between the two types (vinyl vs. digital) to warrant dragging out my vinyl collection, though, especially seeing as I do 99% of my music listening in a vehicle.
Overall, I really love the iPod/mP3 format. You can't beat the portability and convenience.
One good thing about iTunes is now I don't have to drive all over hell's half acre looking for something different.
Never had a cylinder one. You left out 78's. I could throw a toy across the room by dropping it on one of them. Of course I was usually thrown after it.
Let's see, when I was a teenager albums were $4.25 at the PX. Lisa's got a pretty decent vinyl collection of 60s and 70s stuff, most of it her father picking up in yard sales for pennies. Lots of good R&B, Jazz, and some Country from that era.
My vinyl ranges from the London Philharmonic to ELP to Genesis/Phil Collins to Ozzy and Slayer and everything in between. The few people who have seen the collection think I'm schizophrenic. I, and the voices in my head, tend to agree.
I loved flipping through all the album covers. My first record was a 45 of The Letter, by The Boxtops. Albums were 3 or 4 dollars, but that was YUGE money in th elate 1960s / early 1970s. Sooo, I used to wear my Dad's hunting coat to the JM Fields store. The coat had a game pocket in the back. A really BIG game pocket, if you see where this is going... Never got caught.
I went straight from vinyl to cassette.
ReplyDeleteExile1981
Ever been to a used record store? Few and far between maybe, but worth it...
ReplyDeleteUsed to be one in Big Spring, Tx, of all places, that was famous all over the US for its collection of old records....
ReplyDeletevaquero viejo
In the beginning, I had vinyl albums for the home stereo and 8 tracks for the car. But 8 tracks were junk and that phase didn't last long. When cassettes became popular, I bought a good cassette recorder and started recording my own cassettes from vinyl. Good quality cassettes lasted awhile and when they finally wore out I just recorded it again on a fresh tape.
ReplyDeleteThe earliest CD players that were small enough for a car, like the Sony Discman, didn't work well because they were very unstable and tended to skip, so I continued to use cassettes in the car even after CD's. Modern auto CD players are much better so cassette's have mostly gone away.
Now, my iPod has pretty much replaced all of them though I still have quite a vinyl collection dating all the way back into the 60's.
I asked my boss's 13 year old daughter if her new Crosley record player transferred LPs to cd and she said, "What's an LP?" she had no idea hat I was talking about until I said, "You know, the old records you went to the antique store to look at." Heavens, do I feel old.
ReplyDeleteSucks. When I was in laser school in Tallahassee back in '90, there was a store called Vinyl Fever on Pensacola St. that still sold albums. That's where I picked up Zappa's Joe's Garage and King's X Gretchen goes to Nebraska.
ReplyDeleteI just learned that they closed down back in 2010.
I still like listening to albums. There's an analog warmth there that just can't be reproduced digitally. And pumping them through the surround system is awesome.
I'm showing my age here but my technological journey went from an old Edison wind up player that had a round spool that played "Mary had a little lamb", then 33 1/3 vinyl, 45's, 8 tracks, cassettes, and now another build up of favorite music on CDs. I categorically refuse to use the newest system that keeps me dodging morons with earbuds that walk out in front of cars, cause they can't hear you coming.
ReplyDeleteAudiophile friends of mine still copy the LP onto reel to reel tape, or in some cases (ISYN) Betamax. Analog just sounds better.
ReplyDeleteUsed to drive all over town to certain shops looking for records or something unusual like un-released on LP 45 rpm B-sides, UK/Aussie/European/New Zealand/Japanese LP imports which usually had better audio quality and sometimes different jacket covers and more or different cuts.
ReplyDeleteSeveral years ago I bought a computer program and ripped all my vinyl to CDs, then to mP3s. Haven't had my turntable out since, but I will admit I seem to have better bass response from those files than from what I get from virgin CDs/mP3s. I don't think the difference is big enough between the two types (vinyl vs. digital) to warrant dragging out my vinyl collection, though, especially seeing as I do 99% of my music listening in a vehicle.
Overall, I really love the iPod/mP3 format. You can't beat the portability and convenience.
One good thing about iTunes is now I don't have to drive all over hell's half acre looking for something different.
@ Granny
ReplyDeleteNever had a cylinder one. You left out 78's. I could throw a toy across the room by dropping it on one of them. Of course I was usually thrown after it.
Paul
Let's see, when I was a teenager albums were $4.25 at the PX.
ReplyDeleteLisa's got a pretty decent vinyl collection of 60s and 70s stuff, most of it her father picking up in yard sales for pennies. Lots of good R&B, Jazz, and some Country from that era.
My vinyl ranges from the London Philharmonic to ELP to Genesis/Phil Collins to Ozzy and Slayer and everything in between.
ReplyDeleteThe few people who have seen the collection think I'm schizophrenic.
I, and the voices in my head, tend to agree.
You are right Sedition, I did forget 78's. Senior moment.
ReplyDeleteI loved flipping through all the album covers.
ReplyDeleteMy first record was a 45 of The Letter, by The Boxtops.
Albums were 3 or 4 dollars, but that was YUGE money in th elate 1960s / early 1970s.
Sooo, I used to wear my Dad's hunting coat to the JM Fields store.
The coat had a game pocket in the back.
A really BIG game pocket, if you see where this is going...
Never got caught.
Half Price Books usually has a pretty good vinyl selection. Plus all of those used books. It's a win win.
ReplyDelete