Love the teenaged pic of you! In school, I smoked Marlboros, but that story sure was relatable. Tbh, I miss smoking. Sounds silly, I know, but still...
I get up too early to play music in the house, so my routine is the opposite; I try and listen to something everyday *after* work.
Thank you! I hear you, but well done for quitting. I've managed to bring it down a lot (more than half, actually), but I still need it. As I tend to say, it's a disgusting habit, but I would be a disgusting person without it 🤣
Yes, with your early starts, not sure how well some New Order at 3:00 AM would go down with your family and neighbours 😅 Still, after work is awesome, and I bet it must be a great way to unwind.
Great article, relatable or not, something authentic shared always hits the spot.
Just as a heads up… many many people I know in their sixties start behaving as they did when they were 16 or so. And it doesn’t seem like a regression. Nope. It’s more like enough with the filters, say what you think, mean what you say, and do things that make you excited to wake up each morning… whilst you still can…
At 16 for me, it was Marlboro Lights (if I could find them), and I’m with Kevin, crazy, but I miss a good smoke…
Thank you, Nic! I really appreciate your kind words.
What you say about people and behaviour is very interesting. 16 is probably around the time we start solidifying our identity, so it makes a lot of sense that some things will just have a knack for sticking around.
I should quit at some point, but I just like it way too much. There are a lot of other things (alcohol and then some) with which I have I very healthy relationship, as I can dip in and out as needed, without developing an addiction or dependency. Maybe some day I'll manage to do the same with my Luckies.
Thank you! It was probably the record that I played the most and was closest to my bed. Still, that infectious beat and those high notes are guaranteed to wake you up no matter what! 🤣
This might be my favourite thing of yours that I've read so far.
First, I have to say that this:
My classroom was at the very back of the building, so I would surreptitiously sneak in at about 7:35 or 7:40. The schoolmaster once caught me and threatened me with a half-day absence, to which I replied: In that case, I’ll go back home and come back at 11:30. Half-day is half-day, isn’t it?
sounds so much like a teenaged John Lennon that I couldn't help but smile. John's spirit is alive and well, it seems!
Second, I've been trying to do this as well, in the last weeks. There are times when I go for weeks without listening to an actual record and for no other reason that I've now invested in the records and the turntable, that feels like a waste. So, a record a day as a ritual. I haven't yet found the right time of day for it -- if someone woke me up with music I'd be tempted to put a stylus through their ear and no judge would convict me for it. 😆
For me, it's about connecting to the healing and life affirming power of music -- the only thing that's consistently throughout my life connected me to whatever we want to call God/the Universe. It's a prayer, really.
Your article inspires me to get more serious about this ritual. And it's also influencing my thoughts on which albums I might want on vinyl in a way that I hadn't considered before.
Thank you for continuing to share your love affair with vinyl. You're the only one who writes about vinyl like this, and I think that even beyond the more technical things (which are also important and useful, of course), this is the heart of the vinyl revolution, this emotional connection to music that streaming and spotify and the sheer ease of use and availability of music has taken from us.
Thank you so much, Faith. You have no idea how much this means to me. Seriously.
And if one anecdote from my teenage years makes a Beatles scholar think of John Lennon, then that's an even greater compliment! ❤️ Just checked and both John and I seem to share some astrological qualities (same Sun sign, in Libra --as if you didn't know lol--, and his Moon is my ascendant, for example). That Libra-Aquarius combo is an explosive one when it comes to defying authority figures 🤣
It's great you want to spin more often. I think perhaps the biggest challenge might come up if you have a lot of freedom in terms of working hours and routine, as it might be difficult to stick to something structured. I choose to have my vinyl ritual in the morning because it's the time of day I hate the most and I'm not particularly sociable when I wake up. I find it calms me down and connects me with something more transcendental before I fully appear in the world. My other main daily ritual, so to speak, is my fitness routine, which some people choose to do in the morning. I'm no good in society at the crack of dawn, that's why I spin vinyl in the morning and hit the gym in the evening.
I'm so pleased to hear this post has made you think so much about your own relationship with vinyl in general and with specific records in particular. To quote someone I admire deeply, "then my job here is done" 😎 Thanks again!
It is defintely harder with a completely unstructured life, which is what I have because I've learned I don't function well any other way. On days when I have something structured to do, even if it's just a scheduled phone call, I awlays wake up with a knot in my stomach. I'm not sure how I managed to work a 9-5 day job for years in another lifetime...
So yeah, finding the natural time for this is a problem. Dusk, end of day, seems like a natural fit. (I once had a partner who listened to music in the morning and while it wasn't what broke us up, it got very close and oddly, though it's a small thing, it's the thing I remember now looking back about why we weren't compatible. Music for me is strictly a later-in-the-day experience (along with all human voices and sounds...). A work in progress. Thank you again for inspiring me to make it happen
I hear you. I envy your complete lack of structure. It must be pure joy. So funny what you say about this former partner of yours and the lack of compatibility. It might seem like a small thing, but many people don't realise how strongly one can feel about these things. If you associate music with later in the day, perhaps right before dinner, or right before you go to bed... or between dinner and bedtime? Don't see it as an invitation. See it as a ritual, or like a date with the artist in question 😉 Let me know how it goes!
that's exactly what it is -- a date. 💖And a lifelong love affair with music, and specifically with the Beatles and more specifically with JohnandPaul. I'm more deeply in love with their partnership/relationship than I've ever been with another human being. (you'd think they'd be less complicated, too, than a relationship with an actual physically present person, but of course, they're not 😆)
I love this discussion so much!! The last person I dated would play “chopper rap” at 8am, and I was like “nope. Time for you to go.” Hahahahaha!! Prior to that, I had spent 16 years in a marriage where we only shared a handful of music artists… while it wasn’t why the divorce, but the day I kicked him out, I filled my house with the music I wanted to hear, that I had missed over the years… I will never again be with anyone that does not align musically lol 😂
Discussion of this always reminds me of the movie What About Bob? - when his therapist asks about his divorce and he says “There are two types of people in this world. Those who like Neil Diamond, and those who don’t” hahahaha! https://youtu.be/KbuaoR1-G1Y?si=8kEXAHJIexzAur4P
Musically and chronometrical harmony is a requirement in a successful relationship.
I'm very happy to live alone, so that I can listen to the same song for days (as I recently did with Tight A$) without having to worry about anyone else's preferences. (The dog puts up with it, she's flexible in this regard.)
I love that ritual! I'm sure it's a very comforting way to start your day. When I was younger I would always have a "series" of new singles I would play on the stereo in my bedroom after having dinner and before beginning my homework. I'd usually start with the slower or more midtempo songs and then build to those that were more upbeat and energizing. I looked forward to it every day!
Nice post, Andres. I also have some rituals with my playlist, Reflect & Relax Cafe: I use to listen to it at least twice a day. The first one, in the morning, to take off. It helps to put me in the appropriate mindset, to reflect on who I am, what's the most important for me and, accordingly, how should I face the day. It usually happens while I commute to work, generally by train. I give the playlist another play, back home from work, to unwind. That's the moment when I try to relax and make the transition after a working day. Again, this music puts me in the proper mood to get perspective and inspiration. Same thing during the weekends.
Thank you, Marc! That's a great ritual/routine, especially how it helps you get ready to face the day in the morning, and then unwind in the evening. Thanks a lot for sharing!
This was a wonderful piece Andres, both the teenage recollections and the daily vinyl ritual. Sounds like we had similar attitudes at the age of 15-16 although my schoolmaster would’ve been bringing out the cane, not backing down to my insolence!
Music has been a constant companion for decades now, but with streaming I feel like I’ve lost quite a lot of that ritualistic element. I remember when I had my thousands of CDs on a set of wall-mounted shelves, about 6 feet high by 8 feet wide. I’d hang out in front of the shelves, “browsing” my collection looking for something to listen to. As albums would grab my fancy I’d tilt the CD case forward so it stuck out.
By the time I had half a dozen or so queued up like that I was ready for a wonderful afternoon or evening of music. I REALLY miss that. In these days of streaming I listen to more music in terms of quantity but it doesn’t feel like an active experience anymore. I feel less present to the music.
If and when I do begin collecting vinyl I look forward to that ritualistic element. To Faith’s point earlier, if I do end up investing in a turntable and hi-fi (do people still call it that?) I think I’d want to begin some sort of daily listening ritual to help justify the cost but also to connect more deeply with the music again like I used to.
Thank you so much for your kind words, Mark! I am pleased to hear you enjoyed this piece.
I agree with you 100%. Streaming certainly has its benefits (accessibility and convenience above all), but the listening experience lends itself to so many distractions that it ends up downgrading it.
And not to mention the selection process, which is the exact opposite to the beautiful memory you have shared when choosing your CDs.
It’s not always possible to replicate this experience online, hence why I’ll always be a staunch defender of physical records.
My music time in the morning in high school was always a cassette on the way to school. I never got up early enough to do anything in the morning hahaha!!
I so love that your parents woke you up with music!! I tried that with my oldest son a few years ago when he struggled with waking up in the mornings. The song was “Holla Back Girl” by Gwen Stefani. Because one day I said to myself “this shit is bananas!” I would go into his room, play the song loud and sing and dance. One morning he asked me to stop because it was making him hate the song and traumatizing him! Yes, I laughed. And I stopped.
Love the teenaged pic of you! In school, I smoked Marlboros, but that story sure was relatable. Tbh, I miss smoking. Sounds silly, I know, but still...
I get up too early to play music in the house, so my routine is the opposite; I try and listen to something everyday *after* work.
Thank you! I hear you, but well done for quitting. I've managed to bring it down a lot (more than half, actually), but I still need it. As I tend to say, it's a disgusting habit, but I would be a disgusting person without it 🤣
Yes, with your early starts, not sure how well some New Order at 3:00 AM would go down with your family and neighbours 😅 Still, after work is awesome, and I bet it must be a great way to unwind.
Great article, relatable or not, something authentic shared always hits the spot.
Just as a heads up… many many people I know in their sixties start behaving as they did when they were 16 or so. And it doesn’t seem like a regression. Nope. It’s more like enough with the filters, say what you think, mean what you say, and do things that make you excited to wake up each morning… whilst you still can…
At 16 for me, it was Marlboro Lights (if I could find them), and I’m with Kevin, crazy, but I miss a good smoke…
Thank you, Nic! I really appreciate your kind words.
What you say about people and behaviour is very interesting. 16 is probably around the time we start solidifying our identity, so it makes a lot of sense that some things will just have a knack for sticking around.
I should quit at some point, but I just like it way too much. There are a lot of other things (alcohol and then some) with which I have I very healthy relationship, as I can dip in and out as needed, without developing an addiction or dependency. Maybe some day I'll manage to do the same with my Luckies.
Thanks for reading!
Love that photo of you, rebel! And the fact that your family woke you up with Emotions, that's hilarious 😂
Thank you! It was probably the record that I played the most and was closest to my bed. Still, that infectious beat and those high notes are guaranteed to wake you up no matter what! 🤣
This might be my favourite thing of yours that I've read so far.
First, I have to say that this:
My classroom was at the very back of the building, so I would surreptitiously sneak in at about 7:35 or 7:40. The schoolmaster once caught me and threatened me with a half-day absence, to which I replied: In that case, I’ll go back home and come back at 11:30. Half-day is half-day, isn’t it?
sounds so much like a teenaged John Lennon that I couldn't help but smile. John's spirit is alive and well, it seems!
Second, I've been trying to do this as well, in the last weeks. There are times when I go for weeks without listening to an actual record and for no other reason that I've now invested in the records and the turntable, that feels like a waste. So, a record a day as a ritual. I haven't yet found the right time of day for it -- if someone woke me up with music I'd be tempted to put a stylus through their ear and no judge would convict me for it. 😆
For me, it's about connecting to the healing and life affirming power of music -- the only thing that's consistently throughout my life connected me to whatever we want to call God/the Universe. It's a prayer, really.
Your article inspires me to get more serious about this ritual. And it's also influencing my thoughts on which albums I might want on vinyl in a way that I hadn't considered before.
Thank you for continuing to share your love affair with vinyl. You're the only one who writes about vinyl like this, and I think that even beyond the more technical things (which are also important and useful, of course), this is the heart of the vinyl revolution, this emotional connection to music that streaming and spotify and the sheer ease of use and availability of music has taken from us.
Thank you so much, Faith. You have no idea how much this means to me. Seriously.
And if one anecdote from my teenage years makes a Beatles scholar think of John Lennon, then that's an even greater compliment! ❤️ Just checked and both John and I seem to share some astrological qualities (same Sun sign, in Libra --as if you didn't know lol--, and his Moon is my ascendant, for example). That Libra-Aquarius combo is an explosive one when it comes to defying authority figures 🤣
It's great you want to spin more often. I think perhaps the biggest challenge might come up if you have a lot of freedom in terms of working hours and routine, as it might be difficult to stick to something structured. I choose to have my vinyl ritual in the morning because it's the time of day I hate the most and I'm not particularly sociable when I wake up. I find it calms me down and connects me with something more transcendental before I fully appear in the world. My other main daily ritual, so to speak, is my fitness routine, which some people choose to do in the morning. I'm no good in society at the crack of dawn, that's why I spin vinyl in the morning and hit the gym in the evening.
I'm so pleased to hear this post has made you think so much about your own relationship with vinyl in general and with specific records in particular. To quote someone I admire deeply, "then my job here is done" 😎 Thanks again!
It is defintely harder with a completely unstructured life, which is what I have because I've learned I don't function well any other way. On days when I have something structured to do, even if it's just a scheduled phone call, I awlays wake up with a knot in my stomach. I'm not sure how I managed to work a 9-5 day job for years in another lifetime...
So yeah, finding the natural time for this is a problem. Dusk, end of day, seems like a natural fit. (I once had a partner who listened to music in the morning and while it wasn't what broke us up, it got very close and oddly, though it's a small thing, it's the thing I remember now looking back about why we weren't compatible. Music for me is strictly a later-in-the-day experience (along with all human voices and sounds...). A work in progress. Thank you again for inspiring me to make it happen
I hear you. I envy your complete lack of structure. It must be pure joy. So funny what you say about this former partner of yours and the lack of compatibility. It might seem like a small thing, but many people don't realise how strongly one can feel about these things. If you associate music with later in the day, perhaps right before dinner, or right before you go to bed... or between dinner and bedtime? Don't see it as an invitation. See it as a ritual, or like a date with the artist in question 😉 Let me know how it goes!
that's exactly what it is -- a date. 💖And a lifelong love affair with music, and specifically with the Beatles and more specifically with JohnandPaul. I'm more deeply in love with their partnership/relationship than I've ever been with another human being. (you'd think they'd be less complicated, too, than a relationship with an actual physically present person, but of course, they're not 😆)
Oh totally! I think that's beautiful. Frustrating when you feel you can't extract more from them, but SO satisfying when they can't answer you back 🤣🤣
Oh you’d be surprised how often they answer back…
I love this discussion so much!! The last person I dated would play “chopper rap” at 8am, and I was like “nope. Time for you to go.” Hahahahaha!! Prior to that, I had spent 16 years in a marriage where we only shared a handful of music artists… while it wasn’t why the divorce, but the day I kicked him out, I filled my house with the music I wanted to hear, that I had missed over the years… I will never again be with anyone that does not align musically lol 😂
Thanks for sharing, Kristin! It’s funny how different tastes in music can make or break a relationship sometimes!
Discussion of this always reminds me of the movie What About Bob? - when his therapist asks about his divorce and he says “There are two types of people in this world. Those who like Neil Diamond, and those who don’t” hahahaha! https://youtu.be/KbuaoR1-G1Y?si=8kEXAHJIexzAur4P
Musically and chronometrical harmony is a requirement in a successful relationship.
I'm very happy to live alone, so that I can listen to the same song for days (as I recently did with Tight A$) without having to worry about anyone else's preferences. (The dog puts up with it, she's flexible in this regard.)
^^^^^^YASSSS to all of that. I mean my kids have to deal with it, but they’ll get over it hahaha
as long as you’re playing the good stuff, it can only make them better humans.
I love that ritual! I'm sure it's a very comforting way to start your day. When I was younger I would always have a "series" of new singles I would play on the stereo in my bedroom after having dinner and before beginning my homework. I'd usually start with the slower or more midtempo songs and then build to those that were more upbeat and energizing. I looked forward to it every day!
Thank you, Dan! Yes indeed: it grounds me and puts everything in the right place. Mentally, spiritually, emotionally… even physically.
That is so cool! I love how there was an intentional sequence or rhythm pattern to it. Thanks a lot for sharing!
I still need my dose of music every day!
Nice post, Andres. I also have some rituals with my playlist, Reflect & Relax Cafe: I use to listen to it at least twice a day. The first one, in the morning, to take off. It helps to put me in the appropriate mindset, to reflect on who I am, what's the most important for me and, accordingly, how should I face the day. It usually happens while I commute to work, generally by train. I give the playlist another play, back home from work, to unwind. That's the moment when I try to relax and make the transition after a working day. Again, this music puts me in the proper mood to get perspective and inspiration. Same thing during the weekends.
Thank you, Marc! That's a great ritual/routine, especially how it helps you get ready to face the day in the morning, and then unwind in the evening. Thanks a lot for sharing!
This was a wonderful piece Andres, both the teenage recollections and the daily vinyl ritual. Sounds like we had similar attitudes at the age of 15-16 although my schoolmaster would’ve been bringing out the cane, not backing down to my insolence!
Music has been a constant companion for decades now, but with streaming I feel like I’ve lost quite a lot of that ritualistic element. I remember when I had my thousands of CDs on a set of wall-mounted shelves, about 6 feet high by 8 feet wide. I’d hang out in front of the shelves, “browsing” my collection looking for something to listen to. As albums would grab my fancy I’d tilt the CD case forward so it stuck out.
By the time I had half a dozen or so queued up like that I was ready for a wonderful afternoon or evening of music. I REALLY miss that. In these days of streaming I listen to more music in terms of quantity but it doesn’t feel like an active experience anymore. I feel less present to the music.
If and when I do begin collecting vinyl I look forward to that ritualistic element. To Faith’s point earlier, if I do end up investing in a turntable and hi-fi (do people still call it that?) I think I’d want to begin some sort of daily listening ritual to help justify the cost but also to connect more deeply with the music again like I used to.
Thank you so much for your kind words, Mark! I am pleased to hear you enjoyed this piece.
I agree with you 100%. Streaming certainly has its benefits (accessibility and convenience above all), but the listening experience lends itself to so many distractions that it ends up downgrading it.
And not to mention the selection process, which is the exact opposite to the beautiful memory you have shared when choosing your CDs.
It’s not always possible to replicate this experience online, hence why I’ll always be a staunch defender of physical records.
Thanks again!
My music time in the morning in high school was always a cassette on the way to school. I never got up early enough to do anything in the morning hahaha!!
I so love that your parents woke you up with music!! I tried that with my oldest son a few years ago when he struggled with waking up in the mornings. The song was “Holla Back Girl” by Gwen Stefani. Because one day I said to myself “this shit is bananas!” I would go into his room, play the song loud and sing and dance. One morning he asked me to stop because it was making him hate the song and traumatizing him! Yes, I laughed. And I stopped.