Saturday, June 14, 2008

Return of vinyl???

I've been saying for a while that if record companies sold records with a voucher to download a high quality mp3 rip then I would be a happy bunny... well Rolling Stone are reporting on an upsurge in demand for records... and even mention the very thing I have spoken about ::
In April, Elvis Costello and the Imposters' Momofuku arrived first on LP, though it included a coupon for a free digital download (the CD version arrived weeks later).
This is the future, if you ask me. I love the warmth and simple pleasure of sitting down and listening to a record... and want to combine this with the convience of a download for my iPod (without the hassle of having to try and rip the record).

I love the physicality of music and will always buy CDs/records over downloads. I love the art and the hunt - I lose hours trawling through FOPP or other record shops. I love to talk about music too with passionate people. Notice the word "love" in this paragraph. Music is a passion of mine.

Downloads just don't do it for me. Don't get me wrong... I love netlabels and see them as having a fantastic distribution model for getting their leftfield (but awesome) music out there. I'm just not that passionate about "normal" downloads... downloads for albums I can buy in a shop. I don't need convenience that much for it to replace CDs or vinyl.

So yeah... I welcome the return of vinyl (for some of us... it never really went away) and hope that the industry will see sense and offer records with downloads. This is a "best of both worlds" that could actually work.

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7 comments:

Unknown said...

I don't think vinyl ever went away. I've had a turntable for the last few years and I love it. Between Matthew and I, we have about 300 vinyl records. They just sound better - they sound like reading the NYT on Sunday mornings and baking cookies and riding my bike on Saturdays.

Mark said...

I would rather have the physical CD too. Why would I pay for an album on iTunes that comes with DRM and is of lower quality when for the same price I can get the CD through my door from play.com?

And besides, a big collection of CDs or vinyl is just nice to look at...

weareallghosts said...

There is something truly good for the soul in the physicality of music. The memories... the experience... don't know... but I like it.

Matthew Trisler said...

I do have about 450 CDs, but I kinda feel like they're just an awkward in-between medium between vinyl and download.

Though I do love CD booklets, the art is better on vinyl, and the physicality is greater when you can drag your finger across the record and affect the pitch.

Ever tried dragging your finger across a spinning CD? It hurts. And might destroy your favorite record.

I'm all for legal downloads, but record labels should recognize that there isn't as much value to downloaded music as there is to a physical copy. I don't like paying as much for a digital record as I do for a nice gatefold double LP.

Sub-Pop Records offers free downloads with vinyl purchases, as does Merge Records (notably featuring Glaswegians Camera Obscura).

Also, I have a lot of fun ripping vinyl when I have the time.

weareallghosts said...

Gatefold sleeve records... there you go... no more justification needed :-)

I used to gaze lovingly at my "...and justice for all" gatefold. Some of my Queen records are gatefolds too.

That aint going to happen with a 500 by 500 jpg... never.

Daniel Edlen said...

Here here, man. Definitely. Love vinyl still, ever since my dad played "Revolver" for me on his turntable. Trying to give back with my art to thank all those who made the music and pressed the albums.

I'm getting into using my iRecord to convert them into MP3s. I get to listen to them and save them in a more portable format.

Peace.

RSVP said...

go buy an iphone - before the second generation comes out - the new ones are less sturdy/cheaper made and has a plastic back - did you chek the fae ecosse remix album sir?

keep bloggin - great stuffs

c'mon ye bairns
scott

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