Does Vinyl really make that much of a difference?

callen

NYCPJ wrote:

demetrios wrote:

If your an art lover, like myself, vinyl is your drug. Bigger artwork, bigger everything. The smell, feel & touch of vinyl is sweet. .

I couldnt agree more - i grew up with vinyl and started going to concerts in the 70s. And the artwork was always a big part of it. Nearly every Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin album had fantastic artwork, inside and out, and often albums came with extras, like posters and stickers (everyone had the same Pink Floyd poster on the wall, which came with Dark Side of the Moon). In fact, Peter Grant had negotiated a provision in Led Zeppelin's contract that gave them freedom to do lots of wild things with their artwork at the record company's expense (e.g., Led Zeppelin III had a working wheel that you spun and changed the images and even their single albums usually opened up like a double, with great artwork inside). Im so happy that vinyl is making a strong comeback, along with great artwork (though, for some bands, like PJ, its like it never left).

Memories. Fav was In Through The Out Door......wet sleave and colors appeared. Inevitably after a few beverages I whip out my collection, purchased in 70's, drop disc on the Technics and crank the ole Marratz.......fountain of youth.

EasyE

Evacuation Rules wrote:

My point is that it's all in the mastering. There are plenty of old records that sound horrible compared to their CD counterparts. There are also albums that have never been mastered well on CD, so the vinyl sounds better. Some newer vinyl is genuinely mastered better than the CD version, yet others are exactly like the CD and really just a novelty item (Backspacer for example).

I believe Evacuation Rules is correct, which adds another layer to record collecting. It really can be annoying to decide where to spend cash on LP and turntable stuff.

But, there are occasional payoffs. For example, I got a Neville Brothers album via Craigslist for $1 a year ago. It sounds great. Great bass. Great vocals. And I never would have downloaded it or bought the CD. Vinyl can open unexpected doors.

Also, one other quick point: Kids love record players. LPs are a great way to engage kids in rock and pop music. My daughters and I choose a record and then truck it into the living room in a toy dump truck. Then we press buttons and watch the needle drop. They cheer when music appears. I like to play M.J.'s "Off The Wall" with them.

blondieblue227

Elzar wrote:

i gots some static problems!

i cant keep the dust off of my vinyl! what kind of preventative measures does everyone do to keep the dust off?
Sure, i can clean them with the record cleaning brush and fluid - but i would rather clean them as little as possible, but i cant stop this evil static - and dust jumps on the record instantly!

my older records arent as static-ky - seems like newer and heavier weight vinyl attracts more dust.

see that's what i'm talking about.
seems like a pain in the ass to me.
just my opinion.

NYCPJ

I couldnt agree more - i grew up with vinyl and started going to concerts in the 70s. And the artwork was always a big part of it. Nearly every Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin album had fantastic artwork, inside and out, and often albums came with extras, like posters and stickers (everyone had the same Pink Floyd poster on the wall, which came with Dark Side of the Moon). In fact, Peter Grant had negotiated a provision in Led Zeppelin's contract that gave them freedom to do lots of wild things with their artwork at the record company's expense (e.g., Led Zeppelin III had a working wheel that you spun and changed the images and even their single albums usually opened up like a double, with great artwork inside). Im so happy that vinyl is making a strong comeback, along with great artwork (though, for some bands, like PJ, its like it never left).[/quote]

Memories. Fav was In Through The Out Door......wet sleave and colors appeared. Inevitably after a few beverages I whip out my collection, purchased in 70's, drop disc on the Technics and crank the ole Marratz.......fountain of youth.[/quote]

I still have my copy, purchased in 1979, of "In Through the Outdoor", including the brown bag it came in! I forgot about the changing colors!