FEATURE:
Beneath the Cover Art
PHOTO CREDIT: @priscilladupreez/Unsplash
The Importance of Truly Experiencing Vinyl
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HAVING just purchased a couple of copies…
PHOTO CREDIT: Iain Macmillan
of Abbey Road’s 50th Anniversary Edition, it got me wondering about the pleasures of vinyl and how, even though that release is a huge one for music fans, it is the sensation of holding a record and all its intricate details that gets to me! I was queuing outside a record shop in Covent Garden the day those editions (there was a four-C.D. format too) came out on 27th September. I got to talking with a man who was also waiting – whose names I did not grab -, who told me how he has every Beatles record; he is retired and spends what little money he has on records. It has been a long while since I queued outside a record shop (maybe the last time I did it was back in the 1990s) and I have played the three-record edition of Abbey Road and all its demos/new additions. I know there are people out there who will buy the anniversary editions because it is collectable and momentous and, whilst that is completely fine, I fear there are going to be copies of Abbey Road employed as art rather than their true purpose: hugely important work that needs to be enjoyed and poured over. It is great vinyl sales are doing well, and vinyl sales are primed to outstrip C.D.s very soon. It is amazing that this decades-old format has survived other competitors and formats and, in 2019, remains vital and popular.
PHOTO CREDIT: @luana_dmc/Unsplash
Not that it really matters in terms of sales, but how many people are buying vinyl because it is cool and fashionable?! I must confess that I have been guilty on a couple of occasions of buying records and leaving them to collect dust. Not necessarily because I wanted this piece of art…more that I felt I needed that record in my collection. I do worry that we sort of buy a lot of records and never get around to hearing them. I have been looking at my vinyl collection and there are a few albums that are still in the original state: unplayed and looking for some attention. It is a lot easier streaming songs and listening online. You can play songs and albums without much physical effort. Vinyl is more expensive than streaming and a lot of us are struggling to find the time to experience music in its fullness. I think vinyl remains adored and profitable because of the experience one gets from it. Digital music is fine…but nothing beats the feeling of putting the needle down and letting the music play. You are forced to stop and there are few distractions. If you need to unwind and detach from the world; get a sense of perspective back and digest music in all its glory, vinyl is the only way to go! I am rectifying my habits and am compelled to step away from the laptop and get down to some serious listening.
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The tactile nature of records means you can listen and read the sleeve credits and see the artwork. I love the size of a record and knowing that it has been crafted and there has been this process involved. Maybe I am over-romanticising the whole thing a tad. I do feel many people see records as accessories and, in the case of anniversary releases, they buy them because everyone else is. I do understand and appreciate the artistic value of vinyl, yet I feel too many people are buying records and not actually hearing the music. What is it about a record that means vinyl can survive and grow in an age where digital music is everywhere? This article investigates the ritual of playing a record and exploring the physical nature of a record:
“The entire experience of vinyl helps to create its appeal. Vinyl appeals to multiple senses—sight, sound, and touch—versus digital/streaming services, which appeal to just one sense (while offering the delight of instant gratification). Records are a tactile and a visual and an auditory experience. You feel a record. You hold it in your hands. It's not just about the size of the cover art or the inclusion of accompanying booklets (not to mention the unique beauty of picture disks and colored vinyl). A record, by virtue of its size and weight, has gravitas, has heft, and the size communicates that it matters.
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Records, in all their fragility and physicality, pay proper respect to the music, proper respect to the past. They must be handled carefully, for the past deserves our preservation. They are easily scratched, and their quality is diminished as a result of those scratches. They are subject to the elements—left in the sun, they warp. Like living things, they are ephemeral.
The cumbersome process of putting on a record is akin to a ritual, an experience that mirrors the care that artists took in creating the work. First you have to find the record—a treasure hunt which might take five or 10 minutes depending on the size and organization of your collection. When you find the record, you pull it out. You remove the album from its cover. (Or, if you're a real stickler, you remove the album from the cover, still inside the inner sleeve”.
I have written numerous features about vinyl and, as C.D.s fade out and we still have this great affection for vinyl, I would recommend people carve out some time to listen to some of their favourite albums. The problems comes with people disconnecting from the digital and conserving time where they can solely dedicate themselves to music. In these hectic times, I think we all need to allow ourselves sanctuary and calm. Even if it is an hour a week, playing records allows for a great sense of restoration and peace. Taking out the record, holing it in your hands and watching the needle drop down…is there anything quite like it? If you are someone who either collects vinyl for artistic worth or has bought a load and not got around to listening to them, I would urge you to find some time in your day. Shutting the rest of the world away and playing a record without interruption is…
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A perfect thing.