"Vinyl is Back for Good and That’s Exciting."

[tima]

I am not saying they are not interested in music, they have surprisingly versatile taste and knowledge, a lot of the young people buying vinyl do it because it is considered cool, and can not really appreciate what good vinyl can sound like, they should just stick to streaming,

Yeah -- bop bop bop -- earbuds.

Agreed but for that final clause. There may have been a time when any one of us did not know what good vinyl sounds like.

Of course a lot of today's records sound like cr*p because the music is cr*p. Play a vinyl soundtrack to a movie they like on one of your systems and open their ears.

 

[Al M.]

Agaiin the question is, are we talking about vinyl vs. digital? It seems we are not, in most modern cases -- it's digitally mastered or remastered vinyl. So then what is it that makes old analog audiophile vinyl fans excited about the new vinyl resurgence?

It seems kind of odd. As if old audiophiles hope that the new interest in vinyl, a medium that they associate with all-analog recording, will lead to a resurgence of the latter. Ain't gonna happen, younger people don't think like old audiophiles.

 

[ssfas]

I am not saying they are not interested in music, they have surprisingly versatile taste and knowledge, a lot of the young people buying vinyl do it because it is considered cool, and can not really appreciate what good vinyl can sound like, they should just stick to streaming,

I think that's even more condescending and spectacularly elitist! Why should they care what good vinyl can sound like? Do you ever go to record shops? The normal scene is people young and old flicking through albums - new and used - looking at liner notes, chatting with the owner/staff, checking things on their phone and exploring music. They are more like social clubs than shops. Often it ends up walking out with a handful of records for $50. I suspect a load of audiophiles haven't been near a record store for years, they read Michael Fremer droning on about an album that gave him an instant orgasm, only $500 and limited to 300 copies and they all rush for their credit cards.

This is our local place, if we want something in particular we can call Alan and he will find a copy somewhere. It's the least cool and glamorous place you could imagine. He turns over about 800 to 1,000 records a week and when stocks get too high he has a big sale and we help him out.

.

 

[ssfas]

Agaiin the question is, are we talking about vinyl vs. digital? It seems we are not, in most modern cases -- it's digitally mastered or remastered vinyl. So then what is it that makes old analog audiophile vinyl fans excited about the new vinyl resurgence?

It seems kind of odd. As if old audiophiles hope that the new interest in vinyl, a medium that they associate with all-analog recording, will lead to a resurgence of the latter. Ain't gonna happen, younger people don't think like old audiophiles.

A friend of mine persuaded me a few months ago to buy my first audiophile vinyl (I have lots of good vinyl, purchased because of the music). He's one of only two audiophiles I know. When the thing turned up I thought it sounded very bright, but the music was just incredibly bland and uninteresting. Someone on Amazon said it doesn't get boring, which is true, it starts boring and stays there.



Besides this one, I tried a couple from PS Audio audiophile recordings when I got a DSD DAC last year and they just sound like test tracks. I'd call them pub bands, but there are some very good pub bands. The pub near Alan's shop (see above) debuted a band called The Kinks a long time ago, because the Davies family lived next door. They were a good pub band.

 

[Al M.]

A friend of mine persuaded me a few months ago to buy my first audiophile vinyl (I have lots of good vinyl, purchased because of the music). He's one of only two audiophiles I know. When the thing turned up I thought it sounded very bright, but the music was just incredibly bland and uninteresting. Someone on Amazon said it doesn't get boring, which is true, it starts boring and stays there.

View attachment 122724

Besides this one, I tried a couple from PS Audio audiophile recordings when I got a DSD DAC last year and they just sound like test tracks. I'd call them pub bands, but there are some very good pub bands. The pub near Alan's shop (see above) debuted a band called The Kinks a long time ago, because the Davies family lived next door. They were a good pub band.

Yeah, the Kinks were great.

Anyway, I hate bland audiophile recordings. That's not the good "all analog" experience I would be looking for in vinyl.

 

[ssfas]

Yeah, the Kinks were great.

Anyway, I hate bland audiophile recordings. That's not the good "all analog" experience I would be looking for in vinyl.

If you want to hear a truly great young female sax player, try Cassie Kinoshi, who leads the 12-piece SEED Ensemble. The album is called "DRIFTGLASS". You can STREAM it. It sounds just as good.

When you hear music like this, if your first thought is the sound quality or what media it's on, you really need to seek medical advice.

I heard them soon after they released this album in a joint gig with the Ezra Collective, doing a Fela Kuti songbook evening. I had a ticket for a SEED Zappa gig in April 2020, canceled by covid. This was one of the most electric nights of music I've ever experienced.

 

[Tangram]

Most of my “vintage vinyl” is bought on Discogs or at record shows. However, I recently found myself on Toronto’s “hippest” street one Saturday before Christmas and popped into a small but well-known record store for a quick crate dig. Two pleasant young women my daughter’s age were behind the cash, chatting about music with a couple of equally young customers who had just bought a stack of $5-$10 records. Where was the bearded old grump with the nicotine-stained fingers I usually encounter? I watched, as other customers cashed out their finds, with nary a new record to be seen.

I didn’t have a lot of time but I figured if the store had something I was after, it would be the Stones, which I’ve come to appreciate only recently, after rejecting them for decades because they are too mainstream (yes I know, very silly). The store was well-stocked with old vinyl of varying quality as well as reissues. I had four albums I was on the hunt for, one of which was a vintage copy of Let it Bleed. Lo and behold, I found an early Canadian reissue, snagged it, and headed to the cash. Unlike the old grumps (who usually say nothing except what you owe them), the young woman had a close look at it and congratulated me on finding such a nice copy. I shouldn’t have been, but I was genuinely taken aback by how pleasant and enthusiastic she was.

What’s the point of this story? Young people aren’t just buying shiny new copies of Midnights to stick on their bedroom shelves. They are attracted to vinyl for the same reasons we are. They know their music! But, in addition, buying used records goes hand-in-hand with the thrifting aesthetic that is so popular with youths these days. They love to peruse Facebook Marketplace, and go to flea markets, antique markets, and charity shops as a way to scratch their retail itch in a sustainable manner. So I’m less worried about bottlenecks in new record production, and, selfishly, more worried about the availability and prices of used vinyl.

Quoting new vinyl sales figures only scratches the surface of how big the overall record market is.

 

[thedudeabides]

It seems kind of odd. As if old audiophiles hope that the new interest in vinyl, a medium that they associate with all-analog recording, will lead to a resurgence of the latter. Ain't gonna happen, younger people don't think like old auaudiophiles.

Exactly. You seem to understand reality. However, I sense some rose-colored analogue fans on WBF do not. I certainly understand that perspective (was one myself awhile ago) and that is fine. We can all agree to respectfully disagree. Bottom line is that analogue, post 1980's, has always been a small, niche market (just like hi end audio) and will remain so. And streaming has clearly won the "media" war.

 

[ssfas]

My collection has gotten to a size that most of my “vintage vinyl” is bought on Discogs or record shows. However, I recently found myself on Toronto’s “hippest” street one Saturday before Christmas and popped into a small but well-known record store for a quick crate flip. Two pleasant young women my daughter’s age were behind the cash, chatting about music with a couple of equally young customers who had just bought a stack of $5-$10 records. Where was the bearded old grump with the nicotine-stained fingers I usually encounter? I watched, as other customers cashed out their finds, with nary a new record to be seen.

I didn’t have a lot of time but I figured if the store had something I was after, it would be the Stones, which I’ve come to appreciate only recently, after rejecting them for decades because they are too mainstream (yes I know, very silly). The store was well-stocked with old vinyl of varying quality as well as reissues. I had four albums I was on the hunt for, one of which was a vintage copy of Let it Bleed. Lo and behold, I found an early Canadian reissue, snagged it, and headed to the cash. Unlike the old grumps (who usually say nothing except what you owe them), the young woman had a close look at it and congratulated me on finding such a nice copy. I shouldn’t have been, but I was genuinely taken aback by how pleasant and enthusiastic she was.

What’s the point of this story? Young people aren’t just buying shiny new copies of Midnights to stick on their bedroom shelves. They are attracted to vinyl for the same reasons we are. They know their music! But, in addition, buying used records goes hand-in-hand with the thrifting aesthetic that is so popular with youths these days. They love to peruse Facebook Marketplace, and go to flea markets, antique markets, and charity shops as a way to scratch their retail itch in a sustainable manner. So I’m less worried about bottlenecks in new record production, and, selfishly, more worried about the availability and prices of used vinyl.

Quoting new vinyl sales figures only scratches the surface of how big the overall record market is.

For a lot of younger people it not so much a "thrifting aesthetic" as a "thrifting reality". My son is extremely well dressed, he doesn't own a pair of jeans, and he only buys clothes in charity shops and markets. Sometimes you have to go to the charity shops in the better parts of town. It's actually something they really enjoy doing. Vintage clothing stores are more popular than vinyl.

My son has an edge on vinyl as he can get grimy stuff and bring it back to our place and clean it up on my Loricraft cleaning machine. Grimy stuff is usually a lot cheaper or even free, and it often cleans up very well.

My last purchase last week arose from chatting with a store manager, an Indian guy from Tanzania. I bought a box set of recordings made in Upper Volta in the 1960s and 1970s, together with a photobook of the musicians and culture. Definitely not audiophile, but very interesting. I also got a couple of good restaurant recommendations.

Many stores are quite specialist, my favourites are:
https://soundsoftheuniverse.com/info : lots of afro and jazz - always packed
https://worldofechomusic.com/ : techno and a lot of weird sh!t
https://www.soufflecontinu.com/ : lots of techno and electronica and even weirder sh!t, with an accent

World of Echo is what it's really about. Run by a young couple, it has a monastic feel and people mostly whisper. A very Scandi vibe. All record shops should be like this.

 

[Dogberry]

Anybody remember this place, in Rupert St, Soho (the London version!)? Used to be so full of stock you could barely move, especially in the basement where all the tapes were kept.

My "local" store is now 100 miles away and is very expensive:

Thank goodness for discogs!

 

[Tangram]

Anybody remember this place, in Rupert St, Soho (the London version!)? Used to be so full of stock you could barely move, especially in the basement where all the tapes were kept.

My "local" store is now 100 miles away and is very expensive:

Thank goodness for discogs!

I’ve been to Taz! In Halifax, Nova Scotia. Terrific store.

 

[ssfas]

Anybody remember this place, in Rupert St, Soho (the London version!)? Used to be so full of stock you could barely move, especially in the basement where all the tapes were kept.

Thank goodness for discogs!

I remember that place in Rupert Street. I remember Jimmy Hughes telling me he went there and got sack loads of classical, as much as he could carry, they must have been giving it away.

Anyone been to the Bad Taste Record Store? What were they thinking? There's a puffin shop down the road.

 

[Dogberry]

I was about to complain about the elitism comment, but I cannot criticise a fellow graduate of Cheapo Cheapo!

Here's another for you, with some history, although I cannot find a photo. "Spanish Moon Records" in Crouch End Broadway, N8, London. I have a lot of records with their price sticker on, having lived in Coleridge Road. And who served in the shop to pay rent on their flat upstairs? Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart, of whom you may have heard....

For example, this "Masters of Rock" devoted to Jeff Beck:


And note in the top corner:

 

[ssfas]

I was about to complain about the elitism comment, but I cannot criticise a fellow graduate of Cheapo Cheapo!

Here's another for you, with some history, although I cannot find a photo. "Spanish Moon Records" in Crouch End Broadway, N8, London. I have a lot of records with their price sticker on, having lived in Coleridge Road. And who served in the shop to pay rent on their flat upstairs? Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart, of whom you may have heard....

Was it on the Broadway? For many years there has been Flashback on Crouch Hill. Recently closed, I think they relocated. Very small and no parking. The Flashback is opposite Church End Studios. That was the church that Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart rented to live in and then bought it and converted it into a recording studio. David Gray then bought it.

Church Studios 3 - The Church Studios History | Writing Studios London | Miloco

The Miloco Studios group is run by a small, specialist studio team from our base in London. We can find the most suitable studio for your project, however large, small, diverse or complicated. Miloco work in partnership with some of the biggest producers and studios in the world, but if you are...

milocostudios.com

The famous story is that Bob Dylan was booked to record there, got the address wrong and ended up sitting in the front room of some lady's house drinking tea. Her husband came home and was a bit surprised, and redirected Bob.

 

[twitch]

Well, I put my flame retardant jacket on. So here goes.

There are certainly younger adults that buy records because they are very connected to music and vinyl. But, the vast majority of this group buy because it is the current rave. This sector of the market will be dead in the near future once the fad is no longer in vogue.

Members here will continue to support this product but the fact is that most of you are in your golden years. This market sector will also decline in the not too distant future.

So where does it leave the future of analogue as a vialbe, profitable product when the vast majority of our younger generation has become addicted tp cell phones as their primary source of information?

now easy there you 'old fart' ! LOL Gordon, long live the 'ole Logan Guys' !!

 

[Lagonda]

I think that's even more condescending and spectacularly elitist! Why should they care what good vinyl can sound like? Do you ever go to record shops? The normal scene is people young and old flicking through albums - new and used - looking at liner notes, chatting with the owner/staff, checking things on their phone and exploring music. They are more like social clubs than shops. Often it ends up walking out with a handful of records for $50. I suspect a load of audiophiles haven't been near a record store for years, they read Michael Fremer droning on about an album that gave him an instant orgasm, only $500 and limited to 300 copies and they all rush for their credit cards.

This is our local place, if we want something in particular we can call Alan and he will find a copy somewhere. It's the least cool and glamorous place you could imagine. He turns over about 800 to 1,000 records a week and when stocks get too high he has a big sale and we help him out.

View attachment 122722 .
View attachment 122723

condescending, check ! spectacularly elitist!, check ! Add no care in the world for young people and their cares and worries! They generally just annoy me !

 

[cjfrbw]

condescending, check ! spectacularly elitist!, check ! Add no care in the world for young people and their cares and worries! They generally just annoy me !

I hate them for inflating the cost of Goodwill records past 50 cents, and scouring the piles of all Doors records and jazz. How dare them.

 

[Dogberry]

Was it on the Broadway? For many years there has been Flashback on Crouch Hill. Recently closed, I think they relocated. Very small and no parking. The Flashback is opposite Church End Studios. That was the church that Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart rented to live in and then bought it and converted it into a recording studio. David Gray then bought it.

Church Studios 3 - The Church Studios History | Writing Studios London | Miloco

The Miloco Studios group is run by a small, specialist studio team from our base in London. We can find the most suitable studio for your project, however large, small, diverse or complicated. Miloco work in partnership with some of the biggest producers and studios in the world, but if you are...

milocostudios.com

The famous story is that Bob Dylan was booked to record there, got the address wrong and ended up sitting in the front room of some lady's house drinking tea. Her husband came home and was a bit surprised, and redirected Bob.

View attachment 122749

I think that Flash Back occupied the same premises, but that was after my time, as I left Crouch End in 1979.

 

[Republicoftexas69]

I was about to complain about the elitism comment, but I cannot criticise a fellow graduate of Cheapo Cheapo!

Here's another for you, with some history, although I cannot find a photo. "Spanish Moon Records" in Crouch End Broadway, N8, London. I have a lot of records with their price sticker on, having lived in Coleridge Road. And who served in the shop to pay rent on their flat upstairs? Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart, of whom you may have heard....

For example, this "Masters of Rock" devoted to Jeff Beck:

View attachment 122750
And note in the top corner:
View attachment 122751

I have that album and bought it for $4.00 in Dallas at Jose Records a year ago.

 

[Dogberry]

I have that album and bought it for $4.00 in Dallas at Jose Records a year ago.

Cost me £1.90 when new rather a lot of years ago!