Last Christmas, I received my first record. It was a gift from my father, a vinyl record by Pokey LaFarge and the South City Three called "Middle of Everywhere." At first, I was confused. I didn't own a record player. The record player owned by my family was about 30 years old and had not been used in at least 20. Why did my dad get me this? It took me a bit to truly understand.
I came back to school after break and discussed the peculiarity of the gift with some friends, and I eventually found someone on campus that had a record player in their dorm room. I immediately contacted him, and we got together to talk about records.
After listening to the Christmas gift, I was speechless. We listened to a few more records of his and talked about what I was going through. I wanted more records, plain and simple.
Records have a romantic quality about them. When you buy a record, you hold something real, not a CD that is small and 'compact,' but a piece of art. The size of a record causes you to take the time to read and appreciate it; look at the artwork on the front and back covers. You have to pay for the music you listen to, not like some of the other listening mediums. When you pull the record out of the sleeve, you must do so delicately. You have to take the time to put the record on the player and carefully place the needle. Playing a record is a process, and it is an experience.
Records are made with more precision than CD's. There is more depth to the sound when it is played. What stands out to me is the percussion. Everything about the percussion is crisp, more crisp than any other medium. It sounds like the musician is playing in front of you. You don't just hear the notes played on a keyboard, you hear the keyboardist playing the keys right in front of you. You hear the guitar strings being strum, the drummer's hi-hat opening and closing, right before your ears. It takes music from sound to magic.
When listening to records, it forces you to listen to every song on side A, then flip it over and listen to every song on side B. By lowering the needle onto vinyl, you commit to listening to the whole album like artists intended you to do. It is no longer about singles and radio play; it's about the art of music.
Since my first record, I have spent a lot of money. Like every hobby, it takes time and money.
Do I regret it? Not at all. The student I listened to my first records with is now my roommate, and we listen to records together frequently. I do not have as large a collection as he has, but I do pretty well.
It is going to take a commitment and time to listen to all of these records, but I highly recommend the purchase of your first record. It will change the way you experience music for the rest of your life. Records have been around since before 1900, and they are still manufactured and sold today. How long did 8tracks or cassette tapes last? Not long. There is a timeless quality to vinyl records that cannot be beat.
Every year, all across the country, on the third Saturday of April, is National Record Store Day. Unbelievable, right? It is real and it is one of the coolest days of the year. They put out special Record Store Day releases (for limited time only), there are in-stores performances and all sorts of other cool stuff happening at local record stores across America.
So take advantage of the timelessness and high quality sound of records. Go visit a record store and see what you find. You might just find a treasure, and if you do, I highly recommend that you buy it. It will not be a decision you will regret.
- Brian Austin is a sophomore from Cincinnati, Ohio, currently undecided on his major.