"I sometimes seem to myself to wander around the world merely accumulating material for future nostalgias."
― Vikram Set
My Orbit turntable arrived yesterday, but I waited until this evening to set it up. Oh, I wouldn't say I'm late to the party as I had nothing but vinyl from the 70s through the end of the 80s. I'm not exactly sure what happened to my LP collection, but I think it may have gotten sold at a garage sale after my divorce. I don't remember what my first CD was, but my first vinyl LP was the 1977 soundtrack to Star Wars by John Williams. I had a bunch of 45-rpms before that, though. For LPs I had Doors, Hendrix, Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Devo, The Cars, The Kinks, Sex Pistols, a bunch of other movie soundtracks, and many others I've since long forgotten.
Apparently, in 2021 vinyl record sales experienced its highest levels in 30 years. The resurgence is real but I'm not entire sure what's driving it. Is it nostalgia? Was it the pandemic? There are a number of theories, but I like one I read that it's prompting people to slow down and take time to listen to an entire album. It isn't just Boomer or Gen-X audiophiles, but Millennials pushing high vinyl sales figures.
My Orbit's maiden voyage was, naturally, Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon, one of the most popular and best selling rock albums in music history. The music, themes, and lyrics are timeless ― a concept album about all the things that drive people mad. As I did decades ago, I kept the sleeve in front of me as I listened to the album ― that was one of the coolest things about vinyl, wasn't it? Hanging out with friends, passing the sleeve around, admiring the incredible art, reading the lyrics,
I'm not sure how many vinyl LPs I'll ultimately purchase ― perhaps just longtime favorites, but I do believe some Beach House is in order. Digital's convenience is not to be denied and how I'll continue to listen to most music. As for whether or not the sound is better, I'll report back!
All images © 2022 Mike McDowell