For the Love of Vinyl

This was my first turntable. My parents still have it somewhere, stored away.

I’m grateful that I grew up with this sturdy machine.

And I’m grateful that I recently hooked up an excellent, tuned-up turntable that makes my vinyl, old and now, sing.

I love the sound. That spark of static when the needle makes contact. And the generous dimensions of the cover art, which I always want to frame and display.

There are also legions of album junkies who insist that no digital format, whether compact disc or MP3, can compare to the sonic richness of a stylus penetrating the grooves of a vinyl record.

“There’s a huge difference,” says singer Sam Phillips. “It has a little grit and texture compared to digital. It’s heartbreaking not to have all that sound on an MP3 file. I love my vinyl and I play it all the time. Nothing sounds like it. Who would’ve thought? In the early ’80s we were trying to take all the noise out by making these really precise recordings. And now, we want it all back, because it sounds more real, more like the work of a human being instead of a machine.“

Bought any vinyl lately?

How do you decide what to buy on vinyl, and what to download from iTunes?

Tell me about your collection, and what drives your decisions on format.

Me, I’ve been listening to Over the Rhine’s The Trumpet Child on vinyl lately, and Pavement’s Crooked Rain Crooked Rain.