Posted on 07/21/2023 5:47:11 PM PDT by DoodleBob
BENTON, Ark — How we do anything changes constantly— though it may sound vague, think about any electronic you use. You're upgrading every few months or years, using the latest and new greatest item.
The same is true for how we listen to music. We now live in the age of streaming, but just a few decades ago, vinyl records dominated the charts.
Since then, we've seen CDs, MP3 players, and streaming services take over, but there's always been a dedicated base of collectors, keeping vinyl records alive.
Recently, that base has been growing by groups you may not expect.
"I've got six year old's that come in here, and their parents let them pick out albums, and they're not just picking out kids albums," Audra McAnally-Parsons said. "They're picking out rock, and AC/DC, I mean they're picking all of it out."
McAnally-Parsons owns Retro Rose, a record shop in Benton. She opened her doors three years ago, trying to cater to any and all music tastes.
She said their client base is interesting, from customers listening to older rock and rap, and then younger fans interested in artists like Taylor Swift. It's an interesting trend for her to see— younger generations are getting interested in and collecting their own records.
"We have a big, like, young teenage range," she explained.
That's a base they're catering to. The night of Taylor Swift's release of her Speak Now (Taylor's Version), Retro Rose hosted a listening party for those fans.
That interest— from both young and new fans— has had record sales climbing.
Data from the Recording Industry Association of America shows that physical sales of vinyl records have climbed over the past three years.
A year-end report from Luminate, which focuses on music and entertainment data, has vinyl as the highest-selling form of physical copies of albums.
Taylor Swift is, of course, the biggest seller on the list, but the classics are just as high. Fleetwood Mac, Michael Jackson, and The Beatles round out the top 10.
"I do think the statistics are crazy of how much it continues to grow," McAnally-Parsons said.
Of course, it isn't just Retro Rose that has been seeing the benefits of this spike.
"Thanks, Taylor Swift!" Wes Howerton said. "Taylor and Adele, and other people like that, really embracing the idea and pushing to have a lot of their records pressed."
Howerton moved back home from Seattle to start Control Records four years ago, and he's seen that rise for himself—as well as who's driving it. "When I first moved to Seattle, most record stores in Seattle were still like two-thirds CDs, one-third vinyl," he said. "Everyone is moving over, I don't even sell CDs."
This resurgence isn't one that surprises him, though. He said it's about more than just music.
"Just come in here and connect to something, whether they're connected to Queen or they're connected to SZA or Tyler, the Creator," he said. "I just, I think this is a thing that people get the chance to connect to, and this is the way to do it, you know?"
Connecting and collecting are really two sides of the same record. Some of the most popular albums can hold their worth for decades.
Websites like Discogs can help track those prices.
Howerton will tell you, while the rush to collect is great, it's best to build up your collection over time.
"This is a chance for them to slow down and engage with something," Howerton said. "I think that we as human beings, that's what we want out of life is to engage with something, and records are a way to engage with art and with music."
So whether you're a fan of the classics, or just starting out, this rise is something both shops want to see keep charting up.
"Every year it's better and better, so hopefully it stays on the uprise," McAnally-Parsons said.
My 13 year old granddaughter got into vinyl the year before last. She thinks it’s cool. :)
Sound Warehouse.
I am in the middle of rebuilding one of those consoles. I’m still using the original speakers, but the TT is a uTurn and it has a 100wpc class D integrated amp that includes USB and bluetooth inputs. the speakers give it that 1960’s sound.
I can run my phone and iPad through it
I listened to Budokan today at work. Epic. I caught one of Rick Nielsen’s picks when they came through Dallas.
I posted this video a few days ago….
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/4168885/posts
Clothes shopping circa 1989 (Gap?) at the South Shore Plaza mall in Braintree, Massachusetts.
I was outside Philadelphia back then. It was either the Granite Run or Springfield Mall.
Vinyl is cool. And it can sound very good.
Vinyl is bad when it gets hot as it warps.
I have a few pioneer cd writers from back when they made them
I have recorded lots of vinyl and it sounds exactly the same.
Mastering has a lot to do with how a medium sounds.
Many people have said that my cd recordings of half speed master lps sound far better than the retail cd version.
But i have heard lots of crap mastered records too.
They make laser turntables. A laser reads the groove instead of a needle. No wear and tear on the record.
Early 70s vintage Seeburg (restored by me), Dual, Garrard, Thorens - all working. Nothing like vinyl.
At least a half dozen CD players have gone to the shiteheap...but of course I re-bought most of my favorite LPs on CD as well...
There are tons of youtube videos on vinyl and channels devoted to it. A favorite of mine is “my analog journal” and Villa Vybes.
A sample of each.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9BIix5rI3k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_b-Q0xiTmo
The latter is very interesting because they use DJ’s and music from all over the world and all times. It’s quite an education.
Your setup is muy nice!
I am old.
I have a turntable and I rarely use it. It’s connected to and EXCELLENT sound system.
Like you, I mostly listen to digital music and its array of choices - using the same audio system.
However, there is something special about handling an LP, placing the needle and hearing the initial pop and crack before the scratchy music starts.
I love it. It takes me back five decades and it brings me the same pleasure I enjoyed when I was 12 years old.
I still a 350 45s. I have a Rowe jukebox that I can fit 100 on.
Personally, I prefer MP3s, because my 65-year-old ears can’t tell the difference.
I also saved money buying a big screen TV, since I can’t tell the difference between 4K, 1080p, and a 30-year-old VCR. I wear trifocals. I only need them to see things far away, up close, or in between.
I bought a nice little record player a couple of years ago. Recently, I have purchased brand new 33 rpm LPs.
I love being able to not only play our old collection, but to be able to add to it.
The indie stores in the nearby urban concentration have relied on both original issue and reissued vinyl titles, and the used CDs DVDs BluRays (and once in a while, audio and video cassettes) keep the low margin stream going to keep the lights on.
I play maybe two albums a week.
The day after Gary Rossington died I spun Skynyrd's first album and my 21 ear-old daughter said: "hey, they're pretty good!"
Kid's got taste.
Q&A
1. Is there a laser record player available in the market?
No, there is no laser record player available in the market.
https://www.midwestretroaudio.com/is-there-a-laser-record-player/
As one who established and maintained a small record label dedicated to brass, jazz, and blues music from 1997 to 2018, this subject is of intense interest to me.
The label is more or less mothballed for now. I have phone calls to make and work to do if it will ever come back. We’ll see. I’m getting old. But I will never regret the past, present, or future when it comes to good recorded music, no matter what format.
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