Record Store Day occurs on the third Saturday in April and is a day that independent music stores sponsor special events. Special record presses and releases are made on the day.There's lots of meet and greet with artists. Many promotional products are available. Each store has it's own agenda for the event so it ends up being a bit of a community event.
What caught my ear was "vinyl" and vinyl sound compared to other sound reproduction methods. Vinyl reproduction has been making somewhat of a comeback recently. In some ways vinyl has better sound than tapes, CDs or electronic reproduction. Now this is a debate which could go on forever. My ear doesn't really pick up much difference , but what I do pick up is the difference between high quality equipment and cheap stuff.
I listen to Randy's Vinyl Tap on CBC and Lionel's Vinyls on CKUA.com. These are two shows that play music from records.
I love music. No, I'm not a musician and I'm not the least bit musical. I just like listening to music. I listen to a very wide variety of music. The list of music I don't like listening to would be very short.
Now I haven't listened to vinyl for years because the only turntable I have in the house quit working a long time ago. I have lots of tapes from the time tapes were in their hey day. I have lots of CDs. And now with ipods I have all kinds of digital music.
Yes, I like "good" sound. At times I like to be able to hear the individual instruments. If the bassoon is playing , I want to be able to hear it. At other times I like to listen for the sound made by the complete combination of the instruments. I'm really surprised and pleased with what you can hear on an ipod.
So this weekend check out your local independent music store and see if they are participating in National Record Day.
I saw something in the newspaper about it, but didn't read the article. I do know it is happening here in Seattle.
ReplyDeleteI just recently got out my old vinyl albums of John Denver music, after seeing a PBS show about him. I played some of them on our turntable and they sounded great! When we updated out sound system along with our new TV, we kept our old turn table, which still works just fine.
I wish my turntable worked. I'll bet you have Glen Campbell too!
Deletemy brother-in-law djs for parties and the like. he started out with vinyl and now does digital. i know he's glad for the instant availability of today's format. :)
ReplyDeleteDigital would be much easier for a DJ and he wouldn't have to worry about wear and damage to the vinyl.
DeleteI didn't know about this. Thanks Red. I have several vinyls down in the basement but no turntable.
ReplyDeleteI think lots of people will have the vinyl but no turntable.
DeleteIt is years since I saw a record store here but I can remember the smell of vinyl.
ReplyDeleteI think I'd have to look pretty hard here to find a record store. It would probably be a second hand business.
DeleteI didn't know there was a National Record Day but it sounds like a great idea. I do however like to listen to music much like you do and also listen to a variety of music. I have old vinyl as well and cannot use them, Cassettes, CD's etc as well and have just bought a new iphone 6+ - OMG, I can hear the Bassoon.....if you get my drift. Apple has hit the mark with this new phone and SOUND, PHOTO, VIDEO, ETC.; HOWEVER, if I had a player, I would haul out that olde vinyl I have. ha,ha Have a wonderful day and what an interesting post Sir Red.
ReplyDeleteIt seems that everybody keeps their vinyl. There's a good second hand trade with them.
DeleteI know that locally there is a vinyl record sale every year. But I'm not sure when it happens. I should check. It may be this weekend.
ReplyDeleteThere are lots of second hand stores that deal in vinyl. There used to be lots of them on garage sales.
DeleteI am related to a sound engineer and he is quite adamant about the difference in sound with different products.
ReplyDeleteI agree . Somebody who knows how to listen will hear differences.
DeleteGosh, it's been a long time since I've had a record player, but my very first one used 45s -- I still have some stashed somewhere that I couldn't bear to get rid of, but no way to play them. Interesting about National Record Day. :-)
ReplyDeleteNow you're really dating yourself. 45's were very popular in the late 50's early 60's. Pull them out and see what you bought.
DeleteI've never heard of it. We have a large collection of vinyl albums. Every now and then we get in the mood to play some of them. If I'm here alone occasionally I listen to my Pavarotti albums while cleaning house. I still look for his albums in thrift shops. About the only music I don't like is the new country rock...well any of the new music.
ReplyDeleteThere's lots of good music to listen to. It's good you still put music on when you're in the house. Pavaraotti can really give you goose bumps.
DeleteI have a lot of music on my computer. But somehow, I just rarely listen to it. I rather enjoy silence most of the time, even when traveling in the car.
ReplyDeleteI used to listen to music while I read. I don't do that anymore. I guess I can't multitask anymore.
DeleteHi Red, A really good post here. I'm also into vinyl. Have a small collection of vinyl. There is not one bit of doubt in my mind that a good, clean, vinyl record can sound better than most of my digital stuff. I do have some Hi Res Digital stuff that I can't tell the difference on. In any event the differences are minor and the main thing is to just enjoy the music ... and that I do!
ReplyDeleteEnjoyment is key. As you say you have to be a very sharp listener to hear differences.
DeleteI think it is really cool the way you reply to all the comments. Hiawatha House is such a neat blog. Have a good day Red.
DeleteThere are two shops- same name, two locations on the same street- that carry a lot of vinyl along with CDs. They've posted about it coming up on the weekend.
ReplyDeleteIt's happening in Calgary , but I won't go down.
DeleteI like to listen to music when I'm painting, but when i write I need it quiet. Now that I'm back to painting I'm listening to more music, especially classical music.
ReplyDeleteSo did you pull out the old vinyls You used to be able to buy Reader's Digest sets with about 10 records. That gave you a lot of music.
DeleteSounds like a fun day, I am not certain where the nearest record store would be? I used to love to go to them and look at the new albums and album covers. 45's used to be $1.03 if I recall correctly. :)
ReplyDeleteDo you remember what years they sold 45's?
DeleteLove your bridge so nice in among the woodland.
ReplyDeleteI like music also. When I live din the city. I used to go to the mall and put headphones on and listed to music of new artists to see if I would like a different singer.
I haven't kept up with new music.
DeleteI wish that I was still "into" music like I used to be and for that reason I am a little envious that the passion for music never left you Red. Sometimes I try to get it back but it doesn't last for long. In England we have the excellent BBC Radio 4 which is all talk-based - news, comedy, discussion, drama etc. and I am far more likely to tune into that then to any music station.
ReplyDeleteWe have the CBC which is similar to BBC. Once a day I listen to the BBC news.
DeleteYou are full of good info! I have a collection of vinyl I listen to from time to time!
ReplyDeleteMy wife sold all my vinyl's at a garage sale...:(
ReplyDeleteWe have many vinyl records from our youth. My husband just bought something (the tech part I have no clue about) to be able to record them and transfer them to a memory card. I'm hoping it works. He's already copied some CD's. Music has always been a big part of my life - church, school choir from the fifth grade one and just music - every single day.
ReplyDeleteI don't have a turn table anymore, but I do have a bunch of old records. I didn't know they still made vinyl records. I've heard that vinyl has a better sound too, but my ears probably wouldn't be able to pick out the quality difference, sorry to say.
ReplyDelete