• Please note that Audiokarma will be offline briefly for updates early on Monday morning, September 28th.

Another "Vinyl Is Not Dead" Article - NYT

rushfan

rushfan

Super Member
Hi guys,

The New York Times has served up this article for your enjoyment:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/23/fashion/23Gimlet.html?_r=1

I hope that all of the positive press keeps this thing going for a long time. It would be great if the resurgence in vinyl leads to a resurgence in the quality of pop/rock recordings too. I can't remember the last time that I bought a new CD or LP that sounded really good.
 
Register to hide this ad
rushfan said:
Hi guys,

The New York Times has served up this article for your enjoyment:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/23/fashion/23Gimlet.html?_r=1

I hope that all of the positive press keeps this thing going for a long time. It would be great if the resurgence in vinyl leads to a resurgence in the quality of pop/rock recordings too. I can't remember the last time that I bought a new CD or LP that sounded really good.
Click to expand...

It would be nice if a resurgence in vinyl could trigger some decent songwriting as well (heh)... There seems to be an abnormal shortage of that recently.:yes:
 
I've been collecting and listening to "vinyl" for about 8-9 years now. I really hope this renewed interest by the media and record companies in "vinyl" leads to some re-issues of albums that I've yet to find in my time of collecting.
 
It's both interesting and offensive that in the times' rush to label things, they assume that if you listen to records, you're a hipster.

I guess they gotta have labels that they and their readers know and understand, otherwise you might have to think, and consider that there may be multiple facets to a person or a situation. Then things get really scary.
 
It seems to me most of the records being bought are used, thus not pumping money into the industry. And the number of records they mentioned...wouldn't Lady Gaga beat that all by herself?
 
Interesting enough. I'm glad that vinyl is in the media and in public consciousness, at least to some degree, even if it's basically "nibbling at the edges". Anything that encourages preservation of gear and records, and production of more records, is a good thing, IMO.

I teach test-prep stuff on the weekends, to people who invariably are years younger than I am. A few years ago, if I mentioned my vinyl/audio hobby, I'd often get blank, unknowing looks or glazed eyes and mutterances of "Oh, God, just like my Dad!" from teens and younger-twenties types. Now I usually get just as many interested or accepting looks, and I've had a few surprise responses, like teenage girls who are into the Beatles and The Who, and one guy who thought "Van Halen rules!" Clearly it isn't really a trend here among young people, but at least a greater percentage of them have heard of it (or actually heard it) enough not to think it is something that only fossilized aliens from other planets do. That alone is a nice change!

I've also noticed more turntables appearing in fashionable-brand print ads, and even seen a few pieces of gear and/or records used as props in shop display windows. Not really enough to call it a fad or anything close to that --it may be partly that I notice these things more now because of my interest in them-- but it does seem to be on the trend radar, so to speak. CD stores definitely carry more vinyl titles than they used to, too, and more people are buying the stuff than used to. Bargains on flea-market record collections have nearly disappeared, although the occasional box or two still shows up. I'm lucky to be buying mostly Western/English stuff; the local Chinese stuff is more sought out and more fiercely fought over. I can sometimes find bargains on Western classic rock oldies that most locals don't know so well. There is a hard core of classical and jazz fans here, though, which make bargains on that stuff hard-to-find, regardless of it being trendy or not trendy.
 
Arkay, what is the country of origin of most of the western stuff you come across there? Did/Does HK have its own pressing plant(s), and how good are the HK pressings?
 
Vinyl will never die, so long as there are people who appreciate good music and good sound.

Most of the classic rock that I listen to was listened to on vinyl, and much of that is unavailable today on CD, and even some of what is available on CD is poorly "digitally mastered" or "digitally remastered", and sounds like crap.

I have introduced a number of my nephews to the sound of vinyl, and one nephew now has three (3) record players, and is always on the hunt for more records to add to his classic soft rock collection.

I have been looking for a JVC QL-Y7F or QL-Y5F at a decent price for a while, and will get one soon, if everything aligns properly with the stars . . . LOL

It just takes an introduction to vinyl for the appreciation to grow.

Show them the way . . .

Cheers
 
beatcomber said:
Arkay, what is the country of origin of most of the western stuff you come across there? Did/Does HK have its own pressing plant(s), and how good are the HK pressings?
Click to expand...


Some of the popular titles were pressed locally; the most common are the EMI titles pressed in Singapore, for distribution in Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia. Hong Kong used to have a vinyl pressing plant (or more?) that did Chinese stuff, but it is long gone; I don't think it made it past the sixties. Most locally-sold titles were made in Singapore, as far as I can tell. Not all Western artists were pressed there, though; only the most well-known (=commercially worthwhile in this region) ones were.

However, I try to avoid those, and when I get them in bulk buys, I mostly pass them on, rather than keep them.

They aren't necessarily bad, but they usually just aren't as good as the American, European and Japanese pressings. I have a lot of each of the latter, with the European pressings being mostly from the UK and Germany, with a few from Holland (mostly Phillips) and elsewhere (France, Spain, Italy, Scandinavian countries - the last ones mostly Scandinavian artists). I haven't counted them, but I'd say I have the most US pressings, followed by Japanese and UK, and then the rest. But if I weren't checking and choosing, I would otherwise have ended up with a lot more local (/Singapore) ones, I'm sure. One cool thing about Hiong Kong is the colonial history and all the expats who lived here. Many of them brought their record collections here, then --after CDs became popular-- left them here, so I was lucky enough to pick up things like a half-dozen original UK Parlophone Beatles records, for cheap prices! :D Unfortunately, such finds are increasingly/very rare these days, even here.
 
Last edited:
Arkay said:
Bargains on flea-market record collections have nearly disappeared, although the occasional box or two still shows up.
Click to expand...

I bought 70 records today for $1 each at a flea market -- including lots of late 1980s promos that are mostly pristine. I guess this is one of those rare situations where living way out in the middle of nowhere is a benefit. Small-town central Texas still hasn't figured out that vinyl is back, so I got first pick through the bins.
 
Not only does vinyl sound excellent, have the real feelings, and gives you the emotion...it's just so much honest fun!

Flippin LPs, 'hearing' the music, feeling the feeling, looking at the cover art and reading the LP jackets, even just holding the jackets in your hands! Just everything.

Total happiness!! It puts a smile on your face and in your heart...every time.

It's even just fun watching the record revolve around your minty vintage TT with excellent cart/needle!

'Nothing' beats vinyl. :thmbsp:

Digital is ok and fine on a really good CD player but way to much true feeling is lost. Vinyl is KING. It's a feeling. It's analog. It's the real thing. Nothing is lost. And 'everyone' really does knows it. If they say it's not...then they are in total denial. Because deep down inside, they know...Vinyl is KING!!

Take 1: Hey man, I got Miles Davis 'Bitches Brew' on a minty CD! So what.
Take 2: Hey man, I got Miles Davis 'Bitches Brew' on a minty LP! Wow dude, give it a spin! Your totally into it before it even hits the TT!! :>)

Vinyl is King!!
 
Last edited:
If the nation's newspaper of record says I'm a hipster for spinning vinyl, so be it. If it could only turn back the hands of time about 30 years, I may be able to pass for one down at the local Starbuck's. I do draw the line at tatoos and body piercing, however.
 
Nostalgia is back. Vinyl is a nostalgia medium. Win/Win. Hell, cassette tapes are actually the new cutting edge hipster medium of choice now! (I know that because i live in Hipster Mecca AKA PDX....)

Not giving up my 2K+ and counting CD collection anytime soon. Stuff i buy on CD is stuff i actually actively want to own. Stuff i buy on vinyl is more by opportunity/chance and i often already have the CD. When was the last time you a/b'ed the same title on vinyl and CD's? It's quite revealing and entertaining in my opinion! Win/Win. :banana:
 
What's a bit of a bummer is with this resurgence, so many of these popup record vendors in NYC have jacked prices up considerably. Street fairs now have at least one record vendor, and just pawing through the crates you can see the price skyrocket. Beat up records for $5, unpopular LPs by big artists, $15, something remotely popular, $25 and up. Even the guy selling off his stoop is asking $8 a pop for unplayable records. Two summers ago, when the Flea was first starting up, this woman was selling the jacket to a George Clinton album for $35. JUST THE JACKET! Why? "Because it looks so cool!"

Honestly, it takes a bit of the fun out of it. Especially when the brick and mortar shops will have the same used LPs for less. I've paid up to $75 for some really special records (it was NM, one of only 500 pressed), but this vinyl mania is absurd. Fortunately, shops like Academy, Earwax, Permanent, and Other Music keep the fun alive.
 
michaelhigh said:
It would be nice if a resurgence in vinyl could trigger some decent songwriting as well (heh)... There seems to be an abnormal shortage of that recently.:yes:
Click to expand...

Only because there is a shortage of real musicians, songwriters and vocalists.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom