Thank you, Terry! Yes, there’s that as well. I like that vinyl makes us choose, i.e. we have to be more selective. But our wallets need a break every now and then! 😅
Interesting. I think you're kind of right. I like the can't compare (Lord of the Rings) books and films idea. That makes quite a bit of sense.
Last week I picked up a 1973 Goodbye Yellow Brick Road tri-fold cover, two-disc album by Elton John from a free giveaways box outside a local house. Beautiful condition; took me days to persuade myself it wasn't a modern reprint.
Think you’ve made a good point. They aren’t in competition. They serve entirely different audiences and to some, a different purpose but streaming is without a doubt the ubiquitous format. Nobody I know owns equipment to facilitate older formats. It’s all phones, laptops and Bluetooth speakers. I read something last week that asked if people who decry the perils of music streaming, compare it records etc, do they have the same vim for film/tv streaming. When i frame my thinking through that lens, nostalgia/habits/purity all come to the fore.
Thank you, Kay! I think many of us saw them as competitors because that's what we are used to doing, but nowadays, more than just a format, vinyl has become a product in its own right (with everything it entails: the good and the bad). Interesting comparison you make with films and TV. I guess the difference with music is you tend to see more of a cult following with certain artists/bands, and not just casual listeners. Food for thought.
Unless the industry comes up with a more sustainable way to make records (that doesn't compromise sound quality), I sometimes wonder how long the current love and demand for vinyl will last. Will younger/future generations begin to turn their backs on the industry as records are not eco-friendly? Used records, of course, are a great way to recycle! 😊
I don’t think so — I hope not 😅 Some might, but there are so many contradictions within the whole net zero/eco movement that I struggle to pay much attention to it. For starters, those most likely to voice concerns over vinyl’s impact on the environment are, paradoxically, those most likely to buy records purely to own them—they don’t even play them!
I have read that during the oil crisis of the '70s, they were recycling ballpoint/biro pen caps to make records! I'm not sure if this is true, but dynaflex records at that time were significantly thinner.
The one thing I would stress in the vinyl vs. streaming camps is that vinyl (and for that matter, CDs and cassettes) is about physical ownership, the idea that, unlike a streaming service, I have a permanent record of a piece of music.
Thank you, Robert! Yes, absolutely: the ownership element plays a huge role.
It gives purpose and intentionality to the act — it’s an experience in and of itself. With vinyl, we can make more conscious decisions and choices. Thanks for reading!
Totally agree. I never thought that there was a competition between Vinyl and streaming formats, but that they could coexist perfectly given that each one fulfills its own function. I would say that they are complementary, rather than exclusive.
Thank you, Marc! I agree 100%. The issue is that many record collectors have a tendency to compare formats (and sometimes even fight over formats), partly because some people are... well, so inclined, but also (and crucially), because that's the way it used to be for many years. With the vinyl revival, I think we are increasingly seeing vinyl as something different, as a completely different product altogether, which doesn't need to compete, but can coexist with and complement other formats/ways of listening to music. And I think that's a good thing, because it removes the fighting and gives us more choice.
The notion of "winning" a format war harkens back to VHS vs. Beta. That battle was worth fighting, though the inferior format won. However, the physical vs. digital debate is a little hackneyed at this point when a symbiotic relationship between the two grows the recorded music marketplace and helps artists grow their audience. "And," not "Or," as you suggest. Thanks for a great post!
Thank you! That’s a very interesting comparison. I think you’re spot on. For many years (decades), the competition was about superior technology. Nowadays it’s more about the optionality, which I think is a step in the right direction. Thanks again!
It is a valid point that both vinyl and streaming each have their own limitations. Streaming is great for its portability but it’s also a great way to discover artists/ albums I’ve never heard before. Given the price of vinyl nowadays, I’ll often refer to streaming services to determine whether or not my level of enjoyment of any album justifies my spending money on a physical copy of it.
Thank you, Chris! Yes, I agree, and I use streaming for the same reasons you describe. What I like about the two formats coexisting is that streaming lets us discover freely whereas vinyl forces us to choose and make a commitment. And I think both are necessary, in my view.
Beautifully composed, as usual, Andy! As for your "old" paramour, he's got a great perspective, in theory, but human nature will lead us to, if not force us to compare books to movies. Let's face it....scriptwriting, and the director's choices and vision will or will not adhere to whatever book he/she is interpreting for the screen. See record producers (and a handful of same-song covers) for a similar parallel.
As for my perspective on your treatise (and you know it so well, Andy)....as a decades-long vinyl junkie, content to mainline PVC and happily rejecting any intervention, I fully, and 100% rely (and have to rely) on streaming and YT videos. For new readers of either of us, I sold my entire collection on eBay at the turn of the century, so I envy those of you who have a choice.
With no turntable, I've chosen to give myself no chance to purchase any vinyl, new or otherwise. I go rarely, anymore, to record stores, as it's become an odd mix of being welcomed by those familiar 12"-square cardboard artworks housing those puzzling single-grooved slabs of plastic, coupled with a sense of the loss of 2,000 close friends.
So, I'm the proud grandpa, I suppose, who feels so proud of the young-uns today who are happily discovering our licorice-pizza friends, and welcoming them warmly into their homes. If technology encroaches and offers a new, reliable, and far-reaching delivery system we can all live with, I'm down! For what I do FRONT ROW & BACKSTAGE, it's downright necessary!😁👍
Thank you, Brad, for your always insightful comments!
Yes, I’m 100% with you on what you said about films and books, and you’ve made good comparisons. That guy was very bright in his own peculiar way, and he could eleborate theories until he was blue in the face, but there was no real “flesh” in a lot of things he was saying/doing (that was kind of my role: to bring the passion, fire etc.).
I hear you, and I can imagine you must have, understandably, mixed feelings about record stores. What I think is important for you to remember — not saying you’ve forgotten, it’s just one of those things it’s easier to be reminded of — that you DID all of that — the collecting, the turntabling, the sleeving, the brushing, the flipping, and more — at THE best possible time to do it, and not just, you know, for one or two months… Years. Decades.
You’ve been through the cycle of owning a lot of records, playing them, curating a collection, and selling it, waaay before many of us could even think of vinyl records.
You see, Brad, all of these vinyl aficionados in 2024, myself included. all we are trying to do, really, is recreate something that is not really “there” anymore. And it’s romantic, and it’s beautiful, and we love paying tribute to the 60s and 70s, and retro is the new cool and it’s all of these things, but it’s an approximation, our way of paying tribute, so to speak, to an era that has passed, but that you lived for real (and boy did you make the most of it). So all this to say… I’m the one who looks at you and says (with all the respect in the world) “this lucky b*stard”. I wish I were in your shoes! Thanks, as always, for your extremely valuable contributions.
Thank you, Andy.....that was heart-warming and meaningful.....well-heard, and you're so right! You know I don't discount my era! I tend to over-dramatize: My feeling going to record stores today is like....well, you know that feeling when you first walk into a party...everyone knows you, there's not a soul there who doesn't like, love, and appreciate you, and they're all gathered to just see you and be with you, and you can't wait to see them? Records.
Thank you, Brad. I hear you, and the grass is always greener I guess. To me, people like you will always be elevated, celebrated, and — most importantly — respected, as the true representatives of an era we are all desperately trying to recreate. The fact that you have so much to share, and that you do it so well, is the fuel that keeps people like me — and our passion — alive. Keep shining.
Yes, different formats work for different people in different life situations. As an artefact, vinyl is peerless. But storage space is an issue. What matters, above all, is the music. I can now best access the music I want to listen to via digital files, so the issue of one format being better than another doesn’t have anything more than academic relevance to me.
Thank you, Ian! Yes, I completely see (and agree) with your point. What I think is interesting is that nowadays we as music fans have the ability to choose — depending on budget, taste, etc. Formats are no longer mutually exclusive. Especially vinyl v. streaming. Thanks again for your comment!
Al haber pasado seis décadas me siento afortunado, en cuanto a los soportes de sonido, por descubrir y disfrutar cada uno desde su invención, salvo el gramófono y los discos de pasta. Considero el momento actual espléndido en el sentido de poder elegir según las ventajas de cada medio el propicio para cada gusto o posibilidad.
Muchas gracias!! Tu comentario es super valioso dado tu conocimiento y experiencia en el tema. Rescato esto que decís de poder elegir. La cantidad de opciones que hay hoy en día, para todo gusto y presupuesto, es algo muy positivo. Abrazo!!
I see the dichotomy as you either own your music, vinyl, cd, cassette, reel to reel, etc or you don’t. I like streaming for discovering new artists and for the convenience. I like physical media for the experience and ritual of playing it and knowing that once it’s on the shelf it’s mine.
Yes, ownership and intentionality are two very important components of physical formats that you don't get with streaming. But I also think that, at this stage, when streaming is ubiquitous and inescapable, vinyl is shifting (or has already shifted) and is no longer "just another format" but, rather, a product in its own right, which can perfectly coexist with other formats (as opposed to being in the same category).
For the record, no pun intended, in the late 50s. You could get a 45 RPM record player as a factory option in your car. Although I must admit, I'd be a little nerd, nervous or taking my vinyl into a hot car, but at least it was portable.
Thank you, Bob! Yes, same here. Plus taking anything more than one or two records would have been a massive inconvenience (not to mention the risks that you point out about heat etc. 😎).
Complementary for sure. I can't buy everything new, or even old, thing I want, so thank god for streaming, too.
Thank you, Terry! Yes, there’s that as well. I like that vinyl makes us choose, i.e. we have to be more selective. But our wallets need a break every now and then! 😅
Interesting. I think you're kind of right. I like the can't compare (Lord of the Rings) books and films idea. That makes quite a bit of sense.
Last week I picked up a 1973 Goodbye Yellow Brick Road tri-fold cover, two-disc album by Elton John from a free giveaways box outside a local house. Beautiful condition; took me days to persuade myself it wasn't a modern reprint.
I like this journal :)
Thank you, Benjamin! That’s awesome. I like that record. It’s been on my wantlist for a while now.
Think you’ve made a good point. They aren’t in competition. They serve entirely different audiences and to some, a different purpose but streaming is without a doubt the ubiquitous format. Nobody I know owns equipment to facilitate older formats. It’s all phones, laptops and Bluetooth speakers. I read something last week that asked if people who decry the perils of music streaming, compare it records etc, do they have the same vim for film/tv streaming. When i frame my thinking through that lens, nostalgia/habits/purity all come to the fore.
Thanks for the writing.
Thank you, Kay! I think many of us saw them as competitors because that's what we are used to doing, but nowadays, more than just a format, vinyl has become a product in its own right (with everything it entails: the good and the bad). Interesting comparison you make with films and TV. I guess the difference with music is you tend to see more of a cult following with certain artists/bands, and not just casual listeners. Food for thought.
Thanks for reading!
Unless the industry comes up with a more sustainable way to make records (that doesn't compromise sound quality), I sometimes wonder how long the current love and demand for vinyl will last. Will younger/future generations begin to turn their backs on the industry as records are not eco-friendly? Used records, of course, are a great way to recycle! 😊
I don’t think so — I hope not 😅 Some might, but there are so many contradictions within the whole net zero/eco movement that I struggle to pay much attention to it. For starters, those most likely to voice concerns over vinyl’s impact on the environment are, paradoxically, those most likely to buy records purely to own them—they don’t even play them!
I have read that during the oil crisis of the '70s, they were recycling ballpoint/biro pen caps to make records! I'm not sure if this is true, but dynaflex records at that time were significantly thinner.
Oh yes, those recycled records sounded like absolute shit. Tinny sound throughout. I still have some of that kind.
Sadly the modern eco-zealots of this world seem to care very little for things such as sound quality.
The one thing I would stress in the vinyl vs. streaming camps is that vinyl (and for that matter, CDs and cassettes) is about physical ownership, the idea that, unlike a streaming service, I have a permanent record of a piece of music.
Thank you, Robert! Yes, absolutely: the ownership element plays a huge role.
It gives purpose and intentionality to the act — it’s an experience in and of itself. With vinyl, we can make more conscious decisions and choices. Thanks for reading!
Totally agree. I never thought that there was a competition between Vinyl and streaming formats, but that they could coexist perfectly given that each one fulfills its own function. I would say that they are complementary, rather than exclusive.
Thank you, Marc! I agree 100%. The issue is that many record collectors have a tendency to compare formats (and sometimes even fight over formats), partly because some people are... well, so inclined, but also (and crucially), because that's the way it used to be for many years. With the vinyl revival, I think we are increasingly seeing vinyl as something different, as a completely different product altogether, which doesn't need to compete, but can coexist with and complement other formats/ways of listening to music. And I think that's a good thing, because it removes the fighting and gives us more choice.
The notion of "winning" a format war harkens back to VHS vs. Beta. That battle was worth fighting, though the inferior format won. However, the physical vs. digital debate is a little hackneyed at this point when a symbiotic relationship between the two grows the recorded music marketplace and helps artists grow their audience. "And," not "Or," as you suggest. Thanks for a great post!
Thank you! That’s a very interesting comparison. I think you’re spot on. For many years (decades), the competition was about superior technology. Nowadays it’s more about the optionality, which I think is a step in the right direction. Thanks again!
It is a valid point that both vinyl and streaming each have their own limitations. Streaming is great for its portability but it’s also a great way to discover artists/ albums I’ve never heard before. Given the price of vinyl nowadays, I’ll often refer to streaming services to determine whether or not my level of enjoyment of any album justifies my spending money on a physical copy of it.
Thank you, Chris! Yes, I agree, and I use streaming for the same reasons you describe. What I like about the two formats coexisting is that streaming lets us discover freely whereas vinyl forces us to choose and make a commitment. And I think both are necessary, in my view.
Beautifully composed, as usual, Andy! As for your "old" paramour, he's got a great perspective, in theory, but human nature will lead us to, if not force us to compare books to movies. Let's face it....scriptwriting, and the director's choices and vision will or will not adhere to whatever book he/she is interpreting for the screen. See record producers (and a handful of same-song covers) for a similar parallel.
As for my perspective on your treatise (and you know it so well, Andy)....as a decades-long vinyl junkie, content to mainline PVC and happily rejecting any intervention, I fully, and 100% rely (and have to rely) on streaming and YT videos. For new readers of either of us, I sold my entire collection on eBay at the turn of the century, so I envy those of you who have a choice.
With no turntable, I've chosen to give myself no chance to purchase any vinyl, new or otherwise. I go rarely, anymore, to record stores, as it's become an odd mix of being welcomed by those familiar 12"-square cardboard artworks housing those puzzling single-grooved slabs of plastic, coupled with a sense of the loss of 2,000 close friends.
So, I'm the proud grandpa, I suppose, who feels so proud of the young-uns today who are happily discovering our licorice-pizza friends, and welcoming them warmly into their homes. If technology encroaches and offers a new, reliable, and far-reaching delivery system we can all live with, I'm down! For what I do FRONT ROW & BACKSTAGE, it's downright necessary!😁👍
Thank you, Brad, for your always insightful comments!
Yes, I’m 100% with you on what you said about films and books, and you’ve made good comparisons. That guy was very bright in his own peculiar way, and he could eleborate theories until he was blue in the face, but there was no real “flesh” in a lot of things he was saying/doing (that was kind of my role: to bring the passion, fire etc.).
I hear you, and I can imagine you must have, understandably, mixed feelings about record stores. What I think is important for you to remember — not saying you’ve forgotten, it’s just one of those things it’s easier to be reminded of — that you DID all of that — the collecting, the turntabling, the sleeving, the brushing, the flipping, and more — at THE best possible time to do it, and not just, you know, for one or two months… Years. Decades.
You’ve been through the cycle of owning a lot of records, playing them, curating a collection, and selling it, waaay before many of us could even think of vinyl records.
You see, Brad, all of these vinyl aficionados in 2024, myself included. all we are trying to do, really, is recreate something that is not really “there” anymore. And it’s romantic, and it’s beautiful, and we love paying tribute to the 60s and 70s, and retro is the new cool and it’s all of these things, but it’s an approximation, our way of paying tribute, so to speak, to an era that has passed, but that you lived for real (and boy did you make the most of it). So all this to say… I’m the one who looks at you and says (with all the respect in the world) “this lucky b*stard”. I wish I were in your shoes! Thanks, as always, for your extremely valuable contributions.
Thank you, Andy.....that was heart-warming and meaningful.....well-heard, and you're so right! You know I don't discount my era! I tend to over-dramatize: My feeling going to record stores today is like....well, you know that feeling when you first walk into a party...everyone knows you, there's not a soul there who doesn't like, love, and appreciate you, and they're all gathered to just see you and be with you, and you can't wait to see them? Records.
Thank you, Brad. I hear you, and the grass is always greener I guess. To me, people like you will always be elevated, celebrated, and — most importantly — respected, as the true representatives of an era we are all desperately trying to recreate. The fact that you have so much to share, and that you do it so well, is the fuel that keeps people like me — and our passion — alive. Keep shining.
🌞🎶🎵👍
Yes, different formats work for different people in different life situations. As an artefact, vinyl is peerless. But storage space is an issue. What matters, above all, is the music. I can now best access the music I want to listen to via digital files, so the issue of one format being better than another doesn’t have anything more than academic relevance to me.
Thank you, Ian! Yes, I completely see (and agree) with your point. What I think is interesting is that nowadays we as music fans have the ability to choose — depending on budget, taste, etc. Formats are no longer mutually exclusive. Especially vinyl v. streaming. Thanks again for your comment!
Excelente artículo!
Al haber pasado seis décadas me siento afortunado, en cuanto a los soportes de sonido, por descubrir y disfrutar cada uno desde su invención, salvo el gramófono y los discos de pasta. Considero el momento actual espléndido en el sentido de poder elegir según las ventajas de cada medio el propicio para cada gusto o posibilidad.
Muchas gracias!! Tu comentario es super valioso dado tu conocimiento y experiencia en el tema. Rescato esto que decís de poder elegir. La cantidad de opciones que hay hoy en día, para todo gusto y presupuesto, es algo muy positivo. Abrazo!!
I see the dichotomy as you either own your music, vinyl, cd, cassette, reel to reel, etc or you don’t. I like streaming for discovering new artists and for the convenience. I like physical media for the experience and ritual of playing it and knowing that once it’s on the shelf it’s mine.
Yes, ownership and intentionality are two very important components of physical formats that you don't get with streaming. But I also think that, at this stage, when streaming is ubiquitous and inescapable, vinyl is shifting (or has already shifted) and is no longer "just another format" but, rather, a product in its own right, which can perfectly coexist with other formats (as opposed to being in the same category).
For the record, no pun intended, in the late 50s. You could get a 45 RPM record player as a factory option in your car. Although I must admit, I'd be a little nerd, nervous or taking my vinyl into a hot car, but at least it was portable.
Thank you, Bob! Yes, same here. Plus taking anything more than one or two records would have been a massive inconvenience (not to mention the risks that you point out about heat etc. 😎).
And after rereading my comment, I realized that using dictation requires a reread and edit. 🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️
The joys of technology, eh? 😁