With Record Store Day 2014 fast approaching, we thought it’d make sense to look at the enigmatic vinyl record, the reasons for its popularity and whether or not it has a future in the music industry. Those not in the know would be forgiven for thinking that vinyl was a dying medium, what with the popularity of CD, digital downloads and online streaming services. However, this could not be any less true. 2013 saw a 101% increase on record sales from 2012, and also the largest number of vinyl records sales since 1997.
Vinyl Record Sales have enjoyed a definite upward trend in sales, and something of a ‘Vinyl Revival’ in recent years.
The global ‘Vinyl Revival’ has seen a huge upward trend in the sale of vinyl records, against industry expectations. BPI, the UK recorded music’s trade association said:
‘The vinyl format, whilst still popular with some baby-boomers, increasingly also appeals to an engaged audience of younger artists and consumers alike, who appreciate its iconic heritage as part of Rock and Pop culture. The format’s profile and sales have also been driven by the success of annual events such as Record Store Day.’
BPI (British Recorded Music Industry)
We here at Audio Affair are big lovers of the vinyl format, and we stock a variety of high quality audiophile pressings of classic and iconic albums. However, we also accept that owning a vinyl record collection is certainly nuanced – big, bulky, more effort to play than a CD or digital file, often more expensive than other formats. Why then, knowing this, would anyone choose vinyl records?
Ownership
Owning a vinyl record is a different experience to that of a CD or a digital file. Collecting records is a much more satisfying experience than CDs, with large 12” covers, limited edition releases, coloured vinyls and gatefold packaging all contributing to the physical and tactile element that help to make owning and collecting records such a joy. Album artwork can be pieces of art, iconic or have personal or nostalgic importance.
Iconic album covers like Pink Floyd’s ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ are as much pieces of art as album covers.
Fans of art and interior design may appreciate the ability to display their favourite vinyl records as pieces of art, and products like the Art Vinyl Play and Display Frames, as the name suggests, allow you to show off your favourite record covers while keeping them easily accessible to play or change.
The Art Vinyl Play and Display Frames allow you to exhibit your favourite album covers like the pieces of art they are!
The ritual of placing and playing a record, as well as record and turntable maintenance is, for many, part of the nuance of owning and playing vinyl records. Mark Richardson of Pitchfork refers to ‘the act of putting a record on, there is the comforting surface noise, there is the fact that LPs are beautiful objects and CDs have always looked like plastic office supplies’.
The Album
Those who grew up in the era of the vinyl record and cassette tape will be much more accustomed to knowing an album’s track listing inside out, particularly with their favourite albums. Without the ability to easily skip tracks (without moving the needle or winding the cassette), more emphasis is placed on the track order with record owners having to listen to albums in the order intended by the artist.
Anyone who has seen High Fidelity will know the artistic creativity channeled into an album’s track listing and track sequencing, and this is often something a band or artist will dedicate a lot of time to.
John Cusack planning the perfect compilation tape in ‘High Fidelity’.
The birth of digital music, to an extent, signaled the death of the album. With the ability to purchase tracks individually or skip through albums without having to move a needle, one is able to purchase (or listen to) the tracks they know, or just single releases from an album rather than the album as a whole and an individual entity.
There are many instances where the end of one track will feature a motif from the start of the subsequent track, allowing the two to seamlessly run together when played one after another. This effect is lost if these tracks are played out of order.
Sound
You may notice the topic of sound has been deliberately avoided and left until last, but this blog would not be complete without some discussion of it. The reason I am hesitant is that the vinyl vs digital debate is one that still rages on in audiophile communities and among hi-fi enthusiasts. Sound is a highly subjective and individual, hence the almost 50/50 divide of vinyl fans and CD fans.
Much like the valve vs solid state debate we explored last in a recent blog, the sonic benefits of vinyl are all expressed through romanticised and non-specific terms. Lovers of vinyl will talk about the ‘warmth’ of vinyl records, while ‘richness’ and ‘inky black silences’ are also referred to. A good turntable and a well looked after record can sound truly stunning, seeming to have more depth, resolution and emotion than the equivalent digital medium.
There are various albums that I own both digitally and on vinyl – it speaks volumes for the benefits of the vinyl format that nine times out of ten I will prefer to listen to the vinyl version. There is something unquantifiable and ritualistic about listening to a vinyl, which a CD or digital file cannot compete with.
As with everything hi-fi, the proof is in the sound, and there is no substitute for letting your ears decide. Since we aren’t a record store, we aren’t involved in record store day as such, and won’t have any of the limited releases and pressings in. However, as supporters of music, record stores and vinyl in general, we are celebrating record store day with a vinyl listening day, when we will be opening our doors to the general public to demonstrate a range of turntables and listening sessions of some of the most iconic albums and finest audiophile pressings.
RECORD STORE DAY AT AUDIO AFFAIR: SATURDAY 19TH APRIL 2014
We are offering vinyl listening sessions every hour on a high end turntable system we have specially put together for this event. Offering hourly playback of some of the most iconic and seminal vinyl records, this event will give you a chance to experience one of the highest quality hi-fi systems and decide for yourself on the benefits of vinyl!
Our £25,000 Seminal Vinyl Listening Sessions Setup is as follows:
Ortofon Cadenza Black Cartridge & Stylus
SME10 Turntable
Trichord Diablo Phono Stage + PSU
Naim NAC 252 Pre Amplifier
Naim NAP 250 Power Amplifier
Kef Reference 207/2 Speakers
In coordination with this we are offering 10% off turntables and turntable accessories and giving you the chance to win a Pro-Ject Debut Carbon turntable worth £325 to start your vinyl system today! This is a free and open event, designed to show people the benefits of hi-fi and vinyl in a friendly no-pressure environment. Refreshements are available and are free – even if you aren’t in the market for anything, come down and have a listen!
Seminal Album Playlist: We’ll be playing these seminal albums in their entirety this record store day, on the hour every hour:
9:00am – 10:00am
John Lennon: Imagine
10:00am – 11:00am
Eva Cassidy Songbird
11:00am – 12:00pm
Tracy Chapman (self titled)
12:00pm – 1:00pm
Queen: A Night At The Opera
1:00pm – 1:30pm
Lunchtime Interval
1:30pm – 2:30pm
Supertramp: Crime Of The Century
2:30pm – 3:30pm
The Beach Boys: Pet Sounds
3:30pm – 4:30pm
Massive Attack: Blue Lines