About a year ago, after not having played a record since I was about five years old, I decided to look into purchasing a new record player. Much to my surprise, and delight, SONY had come out with a modern unit and it was available from most retailers. So with a local record store nearby, ‘The Sound Garden,’ I started to build a halfway decent collection from used to new LP’s. Now, over a year later, I was chuckling after seeing the following article online: http://money.cnn.com/2017/06/30/news/sony-music-brings-back-vinyl-records/index.html
Yes, indeed, it seems a once major player in the record industry from 28 years ago has decided to throw their hat back into the ring. They’ve taken notice that this has become a multi-million dollar industry in the modern era and is showing no signs of slowing down. Why might you ask?
Simple. The human condition. That undeniable need for a truly aesthetic experience consisting of the album covers, inserts, artwork, etc. That’s something you can’t get from pressing play on an MP3 song, or even from CD cases. It was only a matter of time before people decided they were in love again with the medium of vinyl.
More importantly, this is not some format that puts out half-assed sound quality. In all actuality, you’re not going get a better listening experience than a decent quality record player hooked to a respectable sound system. Sure, if the record hasn’t been taken care of or perhaps the pressing of the vinyl wasn’t up to high-grade standards, then of course the sound will be choppy, poppy and frustrating at best. But, when you land a copy of a “180 gram” reissue, say for example, ‘Sinatra at the Sands,’ your mind will be BLOWN at how rich and clear the sound output really is. Here’s an example of what I mean:
Or even better, here’s an example of an unopened LP from 1987– No lie, this was factory sealed for 30 years! This is how ‘The Living Daylights‘ soundtrack sounds after being opened three decades later:
Now, examples aside, one market that’s been cornered quite well from independent record producers such as “Waxwork Records,” out of New Orleans, La, is that of reissuing horror or Sci-Fi film soundtracks for die-hard fans of the genre.
Just today, Waxwork Records released a double-LP set of the ‘Creepshow 2‘ soundtrack. What makes this release so cool, beyond the different variant choices of the LP itself, is this film never had an official soundtrack release even back in the 80s. Mixing nostalgia for a film, plus the raw passion for vinyl is truly a deadly combination for one’s pocket book. Below are some photos of the kind of high-quality and creativity abound at a company like Waxwork Records:
If nothing else, this format can’t be pirated much like CDs and MP3s have been over the last 25 years. It makes it so musicians who want to release their new work strictly to LP can, and also makes for fantastic re-releases of classic albums. I suspect the new renaissance will continue and besides, money talks! Nuff said.
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