Even though I have still been purchasing vinyl when finances have allowed, I haven’t listened to vinyl much at all over the past few years. We have one turntable in the house, a Rega Planar 3 that my Other Half bought in 1983, back in the days where there was no such thing as “designed obsolescence” and things were made to last. She was telling me a few days ago, it wasn’t her first choice of turntable. She wanted a Linn (still made here in Glasgow – started out in Castlemilk, of all places) but they were twice the money so she settled for the Planar 3 which had a Linn arm anyway. Boy, has the Planar 3 stood the test of time – and a move from Luton to Glasgow as well – in its 42 years.
The turntable has moved about downstairs since we moved here, from the ‘snug’ (what we refer to the room downstairs that was being used as a dining room – I believe – by the previous owners and was initially being used as a kind of “family room” by us but then was changed into a third bedroom/guest room) to the main living room. I’ve never felt too comfortable listening to records in the living room. It’s quite a cavernous room and I personally don’t find our sofa that comfortable to sit on. I’m usually sitting on a dining chair when I’m downstairs and the only time I sit on the sofa is if we’re watching a film or something else on the telly. The dining table is in one corner of the living room and not in the right place for me to sit there on one of the chairs and play records. So, long story cut short, I asked the OH if she would let me use the turntable upstairs in my bedroom.
So…here we are! I have a wee set-up of the turntable with a set of bookshelf hifi speakers (currently Eltax but they may change) and a “hunners” years old TEAC amp. The first album to get a spin on the new set-up was a free one I got from the local label Last Night From Glasgow. The band are called Out Of The Swim and the album is called Rescue Therapy. After that, I played the debut EP from The Anchoress which has been reissued by Last Night From Glasgow, Communion.
The following day I played A Firmer Hand and TENT. In the past I probably would have christened the move upstairs with playing some Simple Minds and there was a pang of desire to play Sons and Fascination/Sister Feelings Call on the new set-up but something just stops me now. It’s like the heart yearns but the head cannae take it. So it didn’t happen. I hope it’ll change at some point. I really do hope I can detach certain things and feelings away from the music and just be able to enjoy the music again. I fell in love so hard with that sound. When I immersed myself in their early days, there was no going back to “the hits” for me. With some exceptions (and all still pre-1985), it is mostly all the non-hits that I love. If I could play just one one album on it – it would always be SAF because I think it is utter perfection from start ’til finish, musically and lyrically. We’ll see…
I’m looking forward to playing some David Bowie on it as well. I started to rebuild my Bowie vinyl collection for a period of time there so I have several Bowie albums on vinyl now. Just looking through what I have amassed – I seem to have TWO copies of Hunky Dory (for some reason), Ziggy Stardust, Aladdin Sane, Diamond Dogs (probably my fave DB album along with Low and Heathen), Young Americans, Station to Station, Heathen, Blackstar and this bootleg with a fantastic looking cover – quite Hokusai/Hiroshige inspired cover. It’s a live recording from Tokyo in 1978…
Possibly next week, I’ll have to indulge in some Bowie play. For now, this week is a bit “to and fro” as I’m off to Manchester tomorrow to see The Anchoress at the Deaf Institute, I’ll be back home on Thursday to then off again on Saturday to Sunderland to see Warm Digits. If there’s time on Friday, mabbies. If not, there’s always next week.
Ta ra!
