Vinyl making a comeback?

[Tom8558]

I got a record player for my 16th and was surprised to hear that a lot of my friends also had vinyl either bought off the internet, from record fairs or inherited from their parents. Then heard that HMV were planning to sell vinyl in a last ditch attempt to stop themselves going bust. Your thoughts?

[Sheaf Saint]

Making a comeback? It never really went away, it's just that places like HMV etc stopped selling it.

[saintfully]

Making a comeback? It never really went away, it's just that places like HMV etc stopped selling it.

 

This. In Brighton alone I can think of 6 vinyl record shops off the top of my head - actually make that 9.

[ericb]

Record shops have always been there and there's always a new generation of people collecting, i've been digging myself since i was about 13 and am now in my mid 30s. In fact the only thing more predictable than the fact that records (i hate calling it vinyl so fu.cking pretensions) is the frequency that people talk about it making a comeback.

 

A couple of warnings to the original poster though, it's a damn fu.cking expensive habit, i spent the best part of a ton this week on a couple of things i've wanted for years & popped up at a market. Plus at the start you'll be ripped off all the time until you start learning about prices and what to look for (hint if it's popular it's probably cheap, if you've never heard of it expect to pay a packet).

 

The other thing i like is that you get mini communities around it, when i lived in soton i used to see the same faces at the fare's each time and you learn where the stalls you like are & how to barter properly.

 

Anyway have fun and try not to fall into the trap of buying things because you think they'll be worth something, at the end of the day it's about the music & if you're not going to play it - just grip it and flip it - then you're spoiling enjoyment of music for someone else.

[Whitey Grandad]

I've still got my original equipment (no jokes please) and occasionally I get to use it. You forget what a pain it was to have to keep getting up to change the record every 25 minutes. I have the complete set of Wagner's Ring cycle by Decca and after listening to that you're exhausted.

[Lord Duckhunter]

Vinyl making a comeback?

 

Let's hope not.

 

I dont really understand the nostalgia around records. 45's were a pain in the arse to keep getting up and changing. Even if you did have an arm that held a few at a time they either slipped or too many fell at once. 33's were as bad. Had to be held very carefully in case of a scratch, bloody fluff on the needle, and you couldn't skip the shiete songs without getting up. Give me downloads anyday, maybe the sound isn't as good, but it is to my ears and it's portable.

 

The ONLY thing great about records was sitting there looking over the sleeve, whilst you listened to the sounds.

[Saintandy666]

A lot of people I know buy Vinyl sometimes. It is sort of making a comeback in a Niche way. Some bands released some singles only on Vinyl as well in physical form these days... though that isn't saying much as no-one buys cd singles anymore.

[Robsk II]

I haven't bought much vinyl recently, but I have a great deal from my teens and some I inherited. Within itself, it's somewhat hard to make a case for it, as it's less convenient, less portable, etc etc than digital music. Particularly since encoding quality of MP3s etc went up to a point where the old 'analog is better' thing went away somewhat. That said, the best set up I've ever heard remains a super high end record player and so on. If you've got everything set up to really appreciate it, I still think it's got more.. depth to it than anything else - but the truth is, realistically, 99.999% of people don't have a reason to have records other than nostalgia, 'cool' value or if they still mix properly.

[Dr Who?]

Love vinyl, love the sleeves and the sound of a record player.

 

Yep a complete u turn to try and combat downloads, and me for one will be this form of music for bands I like.

[Hamilton Saint]

Vinyl making a comeback?

 

Let's hope not.

 

I dont really understand the nostalgia around records. 45's were a pain in the arse to keep getting up and changing. Even if you did have an arm that held a few at a time they either slipped or too many fell at once. 33's were as bad. Had to be held very carefully in case of a scratch, bloody fluff on the needle, and you couldn't skip the shiete songs without getting up. Give me downloads anyday, maybe the sound isn't as good, but it is to my ears and it's portable.

 

The ONLY thing great about records was sitting there looking over the sleeve, whilst you listened to the sounds.

 

It's not about nostalgia; it's about sound - high-fidelity sound.

[Crazy Diamond]

I interviewed the legend that is Rick Wakeman a year or so ago, and he informed me that in the midlands there are two brand new record pressing plants, so I would suggest based on that, yes, it's coming back.

 

I'm 23 and have been collecting vinyl for a few years. Got some original Dylan that I'm very proud of.