The last list of annoying things about albums proved very popular, dozens of people wrote to say they hated the one and four, two and three sides thing. So thanks for that. Well, today I thought I’d do the opposite and list 10 things I like about vinyl records that everyone else hates, but I love.
10. The weight. As everyone with a collection knows, they weigh a ton and take up a lot of space. It’s obviously impractical, but consider this. The bane of modern life is that you can’t grasp anything. Everything is streamed or in the cloud and exists as code. Nothing is real. Except records are very real. They won’t let you down or get lost in a hard drive crash.
9. Scratches. Back in the 80s, we were sold CDs on the false promise that there was a scratch-free environment. But they forget that some of us don’t mind scratches. I mean not ones that stop the record playing, but all the clicks and occasional jumps. You get lines on your face with time and scratches on your records. It’s part of life.
8. Writing on sleeves or labels. I really love these. You buy a second-hand record, and someone’s name and address are written on it in 1973 to take it to a party. Or there’s a loving dedication. It shows it has lived as part of people’s lives. I go and look addresses up and imagine what that record has seen. It’s all part of the romance.
7. Secondhand records. Some people want smart new things. Not me, I love the principle of handing on a record when you’re done with it, or need the money. We are not owners, just the latest carer of the discs. I think this is psychologically healthier
6. Price. There are rare records that cost a fortune, but you can amass a decent collection on a shoestring if you’re careful. It is trickier since the glory days 20 years ago of the £1.00 record. But you can still get good stuff at 3 for £5. New stuff costs a fortune, but the thrill I got finding a Strawbs album for £2.00 in a charity shop is unparalleled.
5. Record players. You have to be physically involved with them. They’re not clean and tidy, and they attract fluff. You have to work with them. Other formats are cold and hold you at arm's length.
4. We are encouraged to think music is just music, but records say differently. A list of tracks on your phone isn’t the same. Practicality may have its place, but life is more than that. Records are art, history, and music all rolled into one thing.
3. Inner sleeves. The best inner sleeves are plain white and have been doodled all over.I love seeing something someone has done in an idle moment, perhaps 50 years ago, in a colourful felt-tip. It’s not graffiti, it's art. I even love those ones advertising other often long forgotten albums
2. Size. They do take up a lot of space in your life, and no one could say they’re practical. A shelf of CDs is much more practical, but have you looked at sleeve artwork on a CD? Terrible. We lost so much, often laboured over sleeve art, when it was all shrunk down. Do you favour practicality over art?
1. What label a record is on is now irrelevant, it’s all just a list of streams. But I could tell you which label most of my records are on. It mattered, somehow. And even informed you what the music might be like. It’s all been consolidated into 3 big companies. You might not care, but it's just another thing we’ve lost in the endless march of corporatism.
10 things I like about vinyl records that everyone else hates
