When at home, back in the UK, perhaps once a fortnight or there abouts I’d have a “vinyl day”. It would mostly comprise of my newly acquired Simple Minds vinyl, but not exclusively.
I am missing those days. There’s a ritual, almost, to playing vinyl. Switching your tech on. Checking it is all in good working order. Checking the status of your stylus. Choosing your record. Removing it from the inner sleeve. Checking it over, making sure it looks ok and being thankful that nothing happened to it while it was protected in its cover. Placing it carefully on the turntable. Lifting the arm. Placing it over the edge to the record…carefully lining it up with the groove. That fine balance. Too far back, it’ll slip off the record and wreck your stylus. Too far forward and you’ll cut off the start of the record. You mentally cross your fingers to get it right. And you do. You hear that sweet sound of nothing that only vinyl can give you. That space between missing the groove and the music beginning. If your record has seen “better days”, you’ll hear that distinctive “pop and crackle” that vinyl gives.
It’s almost a primal thing…that sound. It speaks “I’m about to hear something REALLY good…and I can’t wait!”
So, yes. I am missing vinyl days…and my good God, am I going to have two “new” beauties to listen to when I get back home. One actually new – well, not SO new by then – David Bowie’s Blackstar, the other – a highly anticipated (by me, at least) half-speed mastered version of New Gold Dream. I cannot wait to hear these two.
BRING BACK MY VINYL DAYS!