1 of 20

Write now Article Tools

Vinyl records were supposed to die along with eight-tracks and cassettes. The compact disc was supposed to signify the end of this outdated, inferior media. Today you won't find a huge vinyl section in the big box stores, but if you walk into my house, you will find the shelves that I just had custom built of the appropriate size for my "record collection".

I don't wax nostalgic for the eight-track with it's tracks shifting mid-song, it's ugly, bulky cases, and I still laugh when I think of the beautiful eight-track cabinet my best friend made in wood shop class, wondering what it is used for now. I don't share fond memories of cassette tapes catching in my car player and pulling out yards of mangled tape. Until I sat down to write this article I had been years since I thought about splicing those tapes together to cut out the bad spots, or about the tapes melting inside my car player in mid-summer. I have no fond recollections of the minuscule paper liners with the lyrics printed in two point font and virtually unreadable even to my young eyes.

I do fondly recall (and probably still have in a box under the stairs) John Denver's Windsong album. The picture on the cover was big enough to see great detail, and every word was printed on the liner for me to sing along.

I am still excited about finding "Love Song"'s self-titled album when we moved into this house eight years ago. The record player was still in the garage, but I plugged it into an outlet and sat there in the dim light transported to another time, still able to remember the lyrics, but happily reading them anyway.

We were fairly poor growing up, but I remember going to Independent Records and taking my paycheck (I made $1.25/hour in those days!) and choosing between the Bay City Rollers (blush), Kenny Loggins, Barry Manilow and the Carpenters. My collection did not survive our many moves, but as my parents prepared to move to Alaska, I was gifted with Dad and Mom's record collection. Many of Mom's albums probably wound up with the older of us kids as we moved out on our own and "borrowed" our favorites, but Dad's jazz and classical records are now proudly owned by me.

I don't know if it is nostalgia for childhood or my disappointment with the fragility (and expense) of CD's that keeps me in love with vinyl, but I still love those albums, still read those liner notes and enjoy much of the cover art. My albums, carefully protected in their paper sleeves and cardboard covers, have outlasted 8-tracks (which

• 1
• 2
• next page >>

Add your voice

Know something about Record collecting: Who is keeping vinyl alive and why??
We want to hear your view. Write now!