More than just die-hards
We’re all familiar with the saying, “What goes around comes around.” Even as it seems there’s no end to the plethora of electronic media gear and apps for everything, sometimes the old-fashioned pleasures make a surprising cameo appearance.
In Vancouver last week, the owner of a downtown record store adventurously retro enough to specialize in vinyl was thrilled with a high-profile visit. British composer and recording star Elton John dropped in and spent a half-hour shopping, eventually making a purchase of a pile of rare finds.
The musician was in the province for a couple of shows in Victoria. John – and this probably wouldn’t surprise people – is known to have an extensive music library. Chances are he also has a big enough house to provide ample storage space.
Vinyl LPs, those music-laden gems that nearly went extinct decades ago with the advent of compact discs, have been enjoying a renaissance for some years now. In fact, a lot of purists never gave up on them, claiming the analog recordings offer a richer, warmer sound than the digital technology of CDs – and especially the smaller-file MP3 players.
A number of artists resumed issuing vinyl copies of their albums along with CDs because they discovered there still was such a market.
And the thing is, it’s not just the die-hards who are lovers of that warm sound. Younger people, too young to know the original experience of sifting through a bin, the stacks of LPs with their readable liner notes and bonus focus on artwork, have discovered the magic. The pops and hisses that occasionally surface behind the warm sound – well, that’s just part of the trip.
Along with that, turntables have made a strong comeback as player of choice, once again available in stores from specialty shops to hardware chains.
The young people embracing – or re-embracing – this approach to listening pleasure, describe it as more than just the discovery of a classic recording medium. The generation that rejected music albums – because they entailed a collection of physical objects – in favour of infinite digital storage of sound is seeing a shift in attitude. In some cases, “things” are OK.
Another bonus, some are discovering that recorded music can transcend the typical 3MB file on a “device.” Whether vinyl or compact disc, there is such a thing as high fidelity.
Prized possessions can be a real, pretty thing that takes up surrounding space in your life, not just a program in a little box you hold in your hand. Artists and art industries have reason to be optimistic.