For Emily Smith, vinyl records literally skipped a whole generation.
“My grandfather had this really old stereo in his garage that he used to keep playing while he worked on engines and such,” she said. “I was totally fascinated by it.”
When her grandfather finally decided to throw it out, she lugged it to her house before he had a chance.
“Inside of the record player was an old, purple vinyl [record] that was called Cleaning Day. It was totally old-school Motown, Marvin-Gaye-[style] music and I totally loved it,” said Smith. “The rustic sound that this old, clunky stereo was producing was seriously sending me into the ’60s.”
Smith’s story is similar to a lot of millennials. They may start by salvaging their parents’ old, tattered copy of Alice’s Restaurant and listening to Arlo Guthrie’s misadventures thanks to a pile of garbage, but soon they realize that that big so-called pile of garbage in mom and dad’s storage closet is filled with musical gems. And the further they dig down, the more they realize they’ve uncovered something they didn’t even know they were missing.
Hipsters or collectors?
Rob Pinnock, better-known as “Uncle Rob” on 105.3 The Fox, grew up when vinyl records were the dominant format. He bought his first LP (long-playing record) 40 years ago. He refers to it as a “comfort zone.”
“To me, an album is like a home-cooked meal,” said Pinnock.
Pinnock said the appeal of vinyl has to do with the fact that it brings out the best in music lovers and it seems like more of an investment than a CD or digital file, demanding a connection to the music.
“First off, I think they sound more natural and warmer, but it’s also the packaging,” he said. “I like the larger format for artwork – and their notes. Vinyl people tend to study their album jackets.”
According to the Recording Industry Association of America, vinyl LPs were up to 53 per cent over the last year with $416 million in annual their highest level since 1988, the year CDs surpassed LPs.
Many musicians are now making more from records than they do from song-streaming websites like YouTube and Spotify.
Downtown Fredericton stores like Backstreet Records continue to sell more vinyl than any other format. Store employee Eric Hill said the shift has been on since the late ’90s.
Hill said in an age where people refer to music simply as “content” for their phones, vinyl can take music-lovers back in time.
“Vinyl seems to be kind of a lifeline back to a time where people had a deeper attachment to what they let into their ears.”
Hill agreed vinyl records are the cool thing of the moment, but hopes people who genuinely enjoy the physical aspect of music collecting will stick around.
“I think each generation finds their way to interface with culture, and hat the moment, music on vinyl plays some part in that interface,” he said. “But I feel like collecting music stays alive through that small percentage of music fans who have that slightly stronger impulse to search, acquire, sort and define their fandom through whatever expression pleases them most.”
Smith said part of that is people her age trying to be cool and different.
“I think we have been told how good the ‘good old days’ used to be [so much] that we’re trying to see what the big deal was about,” she said. “So, when people say ‘Oh yeah, I totally listen to vinyl,’ I question them, like, ‘Are you doing it to be cool or are you admiring and respecting the sound and history behind vinyl?’”
Regardless, and perhaps much to the dismay of hipsters, vinyl has become mainstream.
“Secret Life of Plants”
Pinnock said he is amazed by the number of young people interested in vinyl and believes it has something to do that unique attachment records demand.
“Playing a record invites interaction,” said Pinnock. “You have to physically place the needle on the record and turn it over to change sides. When you combine that with the visual stimuli and the fact that they require a degree of care to keep them in great shape, I believe albums promote more of a connection with the music.”
Flipping through bins downtown and “with any luck, finding a real score” is still one of his favourite things to do.
“I see more and more people sharing that feeling with me.”
Smith said ever since she stole the record player from her grandfather, she’s been listening to vinyl whenever she can. She said what makes vinyl “a thousand times better” than CDs or iTunes downloads is “the beautiful crackle of the record.”
“When I am listening to vinyl, I feel as though I am sitting in the studio with Stevie Wonder listening to him search through his soul to find meaning within the song ‘Secret Life of Plants,’” she said. “There is just something that vinyl will always have over downloads, CDs and cassettes, and to me it is the raw sound it produces.”
