I’m a big fan of vinyl. Even in the age of digital convenience, I still prefer the pops and hisses that only vinyl can provide. There’s also a warmth and depth to the sound that is lost. I’ve been collecting records for about 5 or 6 years now and have managed to find quite a few of my favorite albums either in record stores or by chance in thrift stores. Some others have also been give to me by siblings an friends. For special selections which I must have, I go to Baltimore’s Soundgarden and pick up re-issues of classic albums.
As my collection has grown I’ve ended up with about 60 records in total. Many of them are personal favorites (Elvis Costello, Bob Dylan, U2, Johnny Cash), but others are just odd and random selections (German Beer Hall Music, Eastern European Gypsy Music, the soundtrack for The Sting).
A few months back, my girlfriend and I started what we like to call Record Night, which funnily enough was inspired by a scene from the movie Easy A. Every Wednesday night we sit down, pick a record and sit down and listen to it. Since a lot of music listening is in the background for many listeners (in the car, on the subway, running etc) it’s refreshing to actually to be able to just listen and digest the art for what it is.
Here’s what we’ve listened to so far.
The Sounds of Silence – Simon & Garfunkel
Irish Favorites – The Best of the Mummers – “Aqua String Band”
Bob Dylan’s Greatest Hits
This is Johnny Cash
No Jacket Required – Phil Collins
High Noon – Tex Ritter; Smash Hits – The Jimi Hendrix Experience
She’s So Unusual – Cyndi Lauper
Get Happy!! – Elvis Costello and The Attractions
Leading Us Absurd 