Interesting about the reemergence of vinyl:

Vinyl’s renaissance springs from both musicians and fans longing for something more tangible than just listening to music on a digital file, said Paul Simcoe, co-owner of Toronto’s Criminal Records.

“I’ll support an artist to the end of time,” he said. “But I still have a huge problem buying something I can’t see.”

He can see a CD or DVD but it’s true that there’s a more homely feel to a vinyl record.  How many people have kept their old players though?  I used to have a good turntable but that went in the late 80s.

Naturally, the companies are trying to kill it off:

Some major and independent labels have increased vinyl prices to account for higher costs and increased demand, but Simcoe worries that tactic may end the positive sales trend. “These guys are in danger of killing this industry,” he said.

It’s a bit like home videos and cinema, watching the game on TV or going to it.  The tonal quality of vinyl is nice but cracks, crackles and chips are another thing.  The storage is a pain too, buckling from heat and so on.

The scope for artwork though is unrivalled although I have a set of Morse DVDs which came with booklets which gave as much as a vinyl cover and insert can. Still, good album cover artwork can certainly better a pic on the front page of a booklet.

One thing I can do without though is the record company back-of-sleeve blurb writers.  As for the difference in sound quality, I haven’t good enough equipment to tell the difference.

Far be it for your humble blogger to pooh-pooh a romantic idea but I can’t really seeing this one taking off.  Hope I’m wrong.

Filed under: Arts & culture, Tech & ideas