From phonograph to iphone
Julian Haylock enjoys a vivid and richly illustrated history of recording
THE ART OF SOUND A Visual History for Audiophiles Terry Burrows Thames & Hudson ISBN 978-0-500-51928-8 343pp (hb) £35.00 rrp
This fascinating exposé on the history of recorded sound is worth the price of admission for the rarity of the illustrations alone. Immaculately reproduced on high quality paper, there is truly something here for everyone, including for the technicallyminded several sets of blueprints that trace the development of
This is musical, technological and social history in the making
sound-reproducing equipment from the phonograph to the ipod. The hardware that was used to record sound and the domestic equipment manufactured to reproduce it naturally takes pride of place, ranging from early cylinder mechanisms, through the acoustic and electric eras to the digital devices of today.
It is a salutary reminder that, for over half-a-century, the needleand-groove remained paramount until in the 1960s affordable reelto-reel tape recorders meant that for the first time is was possible to make high quality recordings from disc and the radio. The next major revolution was the compact cassette, which although hardly cutting-edge as an audiophile product, brought home-recording to the masses and (perhaps even more importantly) portability, making it possible for the first time to control exactly what you listened to in the car and even when out jogging, without having to worry about the dreaded jumping stylus.
This is musical, technological and social history in the making. The changes in artistic tastes, styles and technologies are marked not just by the devices themselves, but also by numerous advertisements that bring the feel of each period vibrantly alive, alongside record covers, sleeves and labels, and classic icons ranging from EMI’S ‘Nipper and the Gramophone’ (Nipper was originally artist Francis Barraud’s own dog) to the various streaming services of today. Some might have preferred a more exclusively ‘classical’ viewpoint, others even greater detail from the captions and linking narrative woven skilfully throughout by Terry Burrows, but as a predominantly pictorial history, meticulously researched, this comes highly recommended.