Le interviste

45 anni di Storia della Radio insieme a Luisella Berrino, animatrice e speaker di Radio Montecarlo, fin dagli anni ’70.

 

 

(For listening to the interview you have to stop the music, go to the bottom of this page and click stop button on the music player)

I OWN THOUSANDS OF RECORDS AND CDS, YET I WOULDN’T CALL MYSELF A COLLECTOR. SOMETIMES I GET BOOTLEGS OR SPECIAL RELEASES OF ARTISTS I REALLY CARE ABOUT, BUT I JUST ENJOY BUYING MUSIC I LIKE, THAT’S ALL. THERE’S ALWAYS A REASON WHY I OWN A RECORD, IT’S MORE THAN COLLECTING FOR COLLECTING’S SAKE. NOTHING AGAINST IT, OF COURSE, I HAVE MUCH RESPECT FOR THOSE WHO HAVE THE PASSION AND PATIENCE TO GET ALL THE RELEASES OF A SPECIFIC RECORD LABEL AND THOSE KIND OF THINGS. JUST NOT MY CUP OF TEA.

8 YEARS OLD. I HAD BEEN INTERESTED IN POP MUSIC FOR A FEW YEARS AT THAT POINT, MOSTLY 80’S STUFF LIKE EUROPE, DURAN DURAN, MADONNA, MICHAEL JACKSON AND DIRE STRAITS, BUT I ONLY HAD A CASSETTE PLAYER. WHEN I WAS 8, I HAD MY PARENTS GET ME ONE OF THOSE CHEAP CUBE-SHAPED ALL-IN-ONE STEREOS WITH A DOUBLE CASSETTE DECK AND A TURNTABLE ON TOP. THE CHOICE WAS BETWEEN THAT ONE AND A FANCIER MODEL THAT CAME WITH A CD PLAYER INSTEAD OF THE TURNTABLE, BUT I CHOOSE THE FORMER AS I WAS FASCINATED WITH RECORDS BECAUSE OF THE BIG COVER ARTWORKS AND ALL. DESPITE MY YOUNG AGE, I WASN’T IMPRESSED WITH THE SOUND OF THAT STEREO AND I UPGRADED MY SETUP STEP BY STEP OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS.

THE FIRST LP I GOT WAS AC/DC’S “FLY ON THE WALL”. I DIDN’T BUY IT THOUGH, I GOT IT FROM A RELATIVE WHO HAD SWITCHED TO CDS AND, KNOWING I WAS STARTING TO DIG AC/DC, GAVE ME HIS OLD LP. IT’S GENERALLY REGARDED AS ONE OF THE LOWEST POINTS IN THEIR CAREER, YET IT INCLUDES ONE OF MY FAVORITE AC/DC SONGS, “SHAKE YOUR FOUNDATIONS”. LATER THAT YEAR I GOT THE FIRST PIECE OF VINYL BOUGHT WITH MY POCKET MONEY, AND THAT WAS A 12” SINGLE OF SNAP’S “RHYTHM IS A DANCER”. SNAP WAS ALSO THE FIRST LP RECORD I BOUGHT, AS ONE MONTH LATER I GOT THEIR FIRST ALBUM “WORLD POWER”. ACTUALLY I WENT TO THE STORE TO BUY IT ON CASSETTE, BUT THEY DIDN’T HAVE IT SO I GOT IT ON VINYL INSTEAD.

NOTHING SPECIFIC. I HAVE A VERY BROAD TASTE, SO YOU FIND A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS DIGGING THROUGH MY RECORDS. ROCK, METAL, HIP HOP, JAZZ, POP, ELECTRONICA, AVANTGARDE/EXPERIMENTAL STUFF, DISCO, SYNTHPOP, 90’S EURODANCE… YOU NAME IT.

I THINK ABOUT A COUPLE THOUSANDS VINYL RECORDS (70% OF THEM ARE LP OR 12”, THE REST IS 7”) AND A LOT MORE OF CDS, PROBABLY TWICE OR THRICE THAN THAT.

I REALLY HAVE A SOFT SPOT FOR COLORED VINYL, SO I TRY TO GET THEM WHEN I CAN. IT ALL STARTED WHEN I ENTERED A CONTEST ON A MUSIC MAGAZINE IN 1994 AND WON A 7” BY FEMALE GRUNGE BAND L7 ON TRANSLUCENT GREEN VINYL. BEFORE THAT, I HAD NO IDEA RECORDS WERE PRESSED IN DIFFERENT COLORS OTHER THAN BLACK. I LOVED IT THERE AND THEN. ON THE OTHER HAND, I’M NOT THE BIGGEST FAN OF PICTURE DISCS. YOU’LL HEAR MANY VINYL ENTHUSIASTS COMPLAINING ABOUT THE POOR SOUND QUALITY OF MANY PICTURE DISCS, AND THAT’S OFTEN THE CASE, BUT ANOTHER BIG TURN OFF FOR ME IS THEIR PACKAGING, AS THEY OFTEN COME IN CHEAP TRANSPARENT PLASTIC SLEEVES WITH NO SPINE.

OH, TOO MANY. NIRVANA, CHARLES GAYLE, UNSANE, PINK FLOYD, GUNS N’ROSES, BARRY WHITE, DAVID BOWIE, NINE INCH NAILS, TOM PETTY, A TRIBE CALLED QUEST, DARK TRANQUILLITY, TOWNES VAN ZANDT, BOULEVARD, HEART, LITTLE JIMMY SCOTT, PARADISE LOST, CHIC, WIRE TRAIN, BOLT THROWER, BEATLES, DEAD CAN DANCE, HUSKER DU, FREDDIE HUBBARD, OUTLAWS, SOFT MACHINE, MCCOY TYNER… I COULD GO ON FOR HOURS!

IT REALLY DEPENDS ON THE GENRES. WHEN IT’S THINGS LIKE ITALODISCO, SOME OLD SCHOOL RAP OR 90’S EURODANCE I USUALLY GET MAXI SINGLES, ALSO BECAUSE THEY ARE CHEAPER AND EASIER TO FIND, AS MANY DJ’S GOT RID OF GOOD CHUNKS OF THEIR COLLECTIONS OVER THE YEARS. ALBUMS ARE MY CHOICE FOR ALMOST EVERYTHING ELSE.

MY FIRST GOOD TURNTABLE WAS A BELT DRIVE DUAL CS508. I GOT IT IN 1997 I THINK AND IT SERVED ME WELL FOR ALMOST 20 YEARS. IN 2016 I DECIDED IT WAS TIME TO RETIRE IT, AS I GOT TIRED OF HAVING TO FIX THIS OR THAT ISSUE EVERY OTHER DAY. I REPLACED IT WITH AN AUDIO TECHNICA LP120: NOTHING FANCY, BUT REALLY GOOD FOR MY NEEDS AND FOR MY BUDGET. I DIDN’T THROW MY OLD DUAL AWAY THOUGH. I USE IT AS A ROTATING PLATTER WHEN I HAVE TO GIVE OLD DIRTY RECORDS A WET CLEAN.

NOT REALLY. I THINK YOUR FAVORITE SONGS FOLLOW YOU THROUGHOUT YOUR WHOLE LIFE. YOU GET SO ATTACHED TO THEM THAT IT BECOMES DIFFICULT TO PINPOINT JUST ONE MOMENT.

I GET USED RECORDS AT RECORD SHOPS OR THRIFT STORES AND NEW RECORDS ON AMAZON, AS I’M A PRIME SUBSCRIBER. I RARELY BUY RECORDS ON DISCOGS OR EBAY BECAUSE SHIPPING COSTS TO ITALY ARE USUALLY CRAZY HIGH, BUT I USE THOSE SITES TO BUY CDS. WHEN RECORDS AND SHIPPING AREN’T TOO EXPENSIVE I BUY FROM BANDCAMP TOO.

HAPPY! AS SCHROEDER FROM “PEANUTS” SAID: BUYING RECORDS CHEERS ME UP. THAT SUMMARIZES IT WELL.

I THINK THAT MUSIC IS MADE TO BE HEARD. I LISTEN TO ALL OF MY RECORDS, INCLUDING THE RAREST ONES. IF YOU PLAY THEM ON A GOOD TURNTABLE AND TREAT THEM WELL, THEY WON’T GET DAMAGED. I BUY THEM FIRST AND FOREMOST BECAUSE I ENJOY THE MUSIC, IF I WANTED TO SPEND MY TIME CHECKING INCREASED OR DECREASED PRICES, MARKET VALUES OR STUDYING THE RIGHT TIME TO SELL THIS AND BUY THAT I WOULD BUY STOCKS, NOT RECORDS. I JUST TAKE GOOD CARE OF THEM AND ENJOY THEM.

MUSIC, OF COURSE. AND THE LOOKS: A GORGEOUS ARTWORK OR A BEAUTIFUL COLOR ARE SURELY A NICE PLUS. OLD RECORDS USUALLY SMELL BAD, SO THAT’S NOT SOMETHING I’M INTERESTED IN. AND THOUGH I’M DEFINITELY NOT AN AUDIOPHILE, I’M NOT EVEN ONE OF THOSE WHO ENJOY VINYL BECAUSE OF POPS AND CRACKLES. RECORDS ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO HAVE GREAT AMOUNTS OF SURFACE NOISE.

BOTH. WHEN BUYING USED, I ONLY AVOID RECORDS THAT LOOK SCRATCHED TO DEATH. IF THEY ARE VERY DIRTY I STILL BUY THEM, ESPECIALLY WHEN CHEAP. THEY MIGHT LITERALLY COME BACK TO NEW LIFE AFTER A GOOD WET CLEAN

I DON’T THINK I HAVE AN ANSWER. I MEAN, I DON’T KNOW MANY MUSIC LOVERS TO BORROW FROM OR TO LEND RECORDS TO. THAT’S SOMETHING THAT WAS POPULAR WITH CDS, DURING THE CD ERA. NOWADAYS, IF YOU WANT TO LISTEN TO ANYTHING BEFORE YOU BUY IT, YOU CAN JUST CHECK IT OUT ONLINE. I DID SOME TRADES OVER THE YEARS THOUGH. I REMEMBER TRADING MY VINYL COPY OF WHITE LION’S “BIG GAME”, WHICH I ALSO HAD ON CD, FOR SACRED REICH’S “THE AMERICAN WAY” LP, WHICH A FRIEND OF MINE HAD ON CD.

SURE. AN IMPRESSIVE ARTWORK DRAWS MY ATTENTION, BUT I RARELY BUY A RECORD JUST FOR ITS COVER, UNLESS IT’S CHEAP AND I’M WILLING TO BET A FEW BUCKS ON IT.

ACTUALLY, I USE ALL OF THE ABOVE. WHEN I WANT TO LISTEN TO MUSIC AT HOME, MY CHOICE IS ALWAYS PHYSICAL MEDIA. I LIKE LOOKING AT THE ARTWORKS, READING THE LINER NOTES, ETC. ALSO, WITH VINYL (AND, TO A LESSER EXTENT, WITH CDS) I’M RARELY SKIPPING TRACKS, I’M MORE LIKELY TO PLAY WHOLE ALBUMS FRONT TO BACK. I’M NOT THE BIGGEST FAN OF MP3S BUT I DEFINITELY USE THEM FOR PRACTICAL REASONS. NOTHING’S BETTER THAN AN IPOD (OR ANY OTHER PLAYER) IF YOU WANT TO PLAY SOME MUSIC WHILE TAKING A WALK OR ON PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. AND DIGITAL MUSIC IS THE EASIEST WAY TO CHECK SOMETHING OUT BEFORE BUYING A RECORD OR CD. WISH I COULD DO THAT IN THE 90’S!

I HAVE NOTHING AGAINST IT. THE RESURGENCE IS HELPFUL FOR THE MUSIC BUSINESS AND IT’S GOOD SEEING YOUNGER GENERATIONS INTERESTED IN RECORDS. ONE OF THE BIGGEST DOWNSIDES IS THAT PRICES SKYROCKETED, IN MY AREA AT LEAST. THAT HAPPENS ESPECIALLY AT THRIFT STORES, WHERE THEY ARE STARTING TO PRICE RECORDS ACCORDING TO THE POPULARITY OF THE ARTISTS. YOU CAN SEE OLD, BEATEN UP, BARELY PLAYABLE DOORS AND PINK FLOYD ALBUMS PRICED LIKE EXPENSIVE JEWELRY. YOU CAN GET BETTER DEALS ON THEM AT RECORD STORES. ON THE OTHER HAND, THRIFT STORES DON’T HAVE A CLUE ABOUT MORE OBSCURE ARTISTS, SO WITH A LITTLE LUCK YOU CAN STILL SCORE SOME GOOD DEALS. TWO YEARS AGO I GOT THE WHOLE CHROME DISCOGRAPHY, FOR EXAMPLE, AND THE RECORDS WERE PRICED JUST 4 EUROS EACH, A LOT CHEAPER THAN THEIR ACTUAL MARKET VALUE.

Dj parrux aka michele dusi: a great journey through the electro music and also techno and tech-house from the 80s onwards and still now.

a vinyl dj, a vinyl collector, who loves music so badly and keeps on searching to new sounds.

 

(For listening to the interview you have to stop the music, go to the bottom of this page and click stop button on the music player)

I’d say I started slowly around 2015 when I started buying records without even having a record player! Things started to ramp up pretty quickly in 2016 though and I’ve been obsessed ever since

My first record was given to me by a friend for my birthday way back around 2009 I think. It was the Lady GaGa’s ‘The Fame Monster’ Picture Disc. I actually bought my first record in 2015 (so I was about 26).

The first record I actually bought myself I believe was Amy Winehouse’s album Back to Black.

Pretty much anything but I’d say the majority would be pop, electronica, R&B/Soul and Big Band Jazz.

I think my Discogs say about 700 now — wow! Here’s a link if you’re interested in my collection: https://www.discogs.com/user/andygcooper/collection

Yes I have lots of colored records, some picture discs, and a couple shaped records. I absolutely LOVE colored and special edition records it’s such a weakness of mine! I have a few variants of records I love simply because I couldn’t choose which pressing to buy haha.

Oh man I have SOOOOO many but my friends usually make fun of me because if the artist is a female Scandinavian pop star I’m pretty much guaranteed to fall in love with them (like Robyn, Icona Pop, Léon, Sigrid). Also love Ella Fitzgerald forever and then pop (Adele, Lady GaGa, Amy Winehouse), R&B/Soul (Janet Jackson, Beyonce, TLC, Aaliyah, etc.)

I’ve always preferred albums but I think with vinyl over time I’ve really come to appreciate and love singles because I like each song having it’s own identity and cover image. I used to customize the artwork in my iTunes to reflect single covers so it’s fun to get them in vinyl format and enjoy!

I only have one turntable now. I had an AT LP60 to start out when I wasn’t sure if I would continue collecting vinyl but then once I realized I was all in I upgraded to a U0-Turn Audio Orbit Turntable. They did a special collaboration with Uncrate with awesome upgrades from the basic model so I sprung for it and have been so happy with the choice.

Music means a lot to me so many songs trigger memories for me. I currently have a few shared playlists with different songs and many of those remind me of past events. I think many songs also remind me of concerts I’ve been to and that makes me happy.

I buy my records from all over! I would say the majority of them I buy on Amazon or at Urban Outfitters since they have lots of exclusive pressings, but I also buy tons of records on Discogs from sellers all over the world (the US, UK, Europe, Japan, etc.) and then from local shops whenever I get the change to stop by one. Whenever I travel now I make it a point to buy records from shops in the places I travel to. It’s one of my favorite things to do!

I love the ritual of opening up the packaging and taking the record out. Then I love spinning it while I admire the artwork and packaging and other stuff like lyric sheets or inserts. I then like to put the cover in a clear sleeve and pack it all up when it’s done and then I put it on my record wall and enjoy viewing it when I come home. Buying records brings me a lot of joy

I don’t really try to preserve my records by not playing them. I do take amazing care of them physically though and try to keep them pristine but play them whenever I want. They’re meant to be played and enjoyed!

I would say I love them all together because it’s a full experience. If I had to choose just a couple things I would say overall it’s the physicality of it all. I’m not an audiophile or music snob.

I simply enjoy having a physical expression of an artist’s work and it just feels so wonderful to hold that and listen to a real album. It’s definitely not convenient but it’s a different and special experience. The covers and colors are definitely a big draw for me!

I buy all kinds of records. I love new records but also really enjoying buying used and older records because I love that they’ve survived for so long and have a story to tell. You can just feel many times that they’ve been loved and appreciated.

I’m amassed a pretty large and special collection that many people have said they’re jealous of. I don’t do too many trades but there was one time when I did a super fun trade with a vinyl instagram friend and that was amazing because we each had an extra copy of something the other wanted and then each ended up with a special new record.

I LOVE the covers of records it’s a huge part of it for me. For instance, I buy the singles almost exclusively for the covers. There are very few records I’d buy if they don’t have the picture cover. They feel incomplete without the pictures to me

Well I have a ton of CDs I just can’t bring myself to get rid of and stream tons of music as well and have a massive iTunes library. I’ve kind of left it all behind except streaming for convenience and vinyl for the physical experience and beauty of the products and packaging. I also love supporting an artist through buying vinyl over anything else. It just feels more like you get a real piece of the music and experience.

I absolutely love it!! It’s so fun that so many people are getting back into vinyl. I’m hoping it means more records I love will be pressed — especially the ones that never got pressed during the CD era, as well as special editions and future music as well. I can’t wait!!

vittorio guindani and his records: a big journey through the fabulous 80s, with The Cure, The Smiths, tears for fears, Marc almond, synth pop, british rock, motown music, northern soul, and many others.

vittorio talks about his passion for music from the 80s and his job like a dj and a Music producer.

 

(For listening to the interview you have to stop the music, go to the bottom of this page and click stop button on the music player)

In a sense, I’ve been collecting all my life. I grew up listening to my dad’s vinyl records. When cassette tapes were a thing, I collected those, and then CDs after that (which I still collect). I collected vinyl records in high school and college during the 90’s before vinyl made its comeback, mostly as curios and collector items.

I didn’t even have a working turntable, but I enjoyed garage sales and estate sales when I could find someone getting rid of records. When I got my new turntable in 2014, that’s when I really started collecting with the passion that I do now.

I was five years old when I received my first record, which was Michael Jackson’s Off the Wall. It was Christmas of 1983, and I — like everyone, really — was obsessed with Thriller, which my dad had.

I got a silver glove to go with it! The first record I bought with my own money was George Harrison’s Cloud Nine when I was nine or ten years old. I wasn’t a huge Beatles fan then, but I loved his cover of “Got My Mind Set On You”.

I collect nearly everything: rock, pop, R&B, metal, country, funk, reggae, jazz, rap. My collection is probably 50% classic rock, but I’m really open to everything.

I’m going to completely guess between 1000 and 1200. My discogs.com collection says 2777, but I know that a lot of those are CDs.

I do love to get me some cool colored vinyl when I can! I have a recent reissue of the Grateful Dead’s American Beauty that is on red, white, and blue vinyl that I really like.

I also found a cool 1979 Motown single called “Pops, We Love You” with Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, and Diana Ross that is on clear red vinyl and shaped like a heart. And I have a cool original British edition of Rock and Roll Over by Kiss on orange vinyl.

I love all the greats, man. It’s hard to pick favorites, I love so much. I’m a big Hendrix fan, I love Miles Davis, I’m an enormous Eric Clapton fan. Current artists, I probably skew towards Americana: Ryan Adams, Jason Isbell, Lori McKenna, Emmylou.

But my deepest fandom is probably Genesis. I know nearly every note of every Genesis song! (Except that last album, which will remain unnamed) As such I love Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins. You make fun of Phil Collins and I will fight you.

I can’t say I have a real expressed preference, although I tend to buy more albums. Singles are just expensive for what you get! I do have a few nice maxi singles from the 80s: Prince, Springsteen, Madonna, Peter Gabriel.

I technically have three, but I only use one. It’s an Audio-Technica AT-LP120 with USB port. That’s a good, solid, quality turntable at a pretty affordable price. I wanted the USB port for exporting some of my rarer vinyl onto MP3, although I haven’t used that much.

I also have a BIC 980 that was my dad’s and is the turntable I grew up listening to records on. It still works! I don’t have it hooked up, but the belt still runs, although the automatic needle drop is broken and only drops at 7″. I also have an old Technics turntable from the 80s that a friend gave me, but it needs a new belt and I’ve never messed with it.

Nearly all the music I listen to can take me back to a particular time and place. Perhaps the best memory I can share is that my dad had a copy of Blood, Sweat & Tears’ second album, which was self-titled. I discovered it in my dad’s collection when I was in middle school and really dug it. My dad had a cassette deck and the BIC turntable connected to the same stereo, and he would record albums onto cassettes to listen to in the car.

So I dubbed that BS&T album to a cassette tape and wore it out! It had “Spinning Wheel” on it, which is killer, as well as a cover of Traffic’s “Smiling Phases” and Laura Nyro’s “He’s A Runner.” I loved it, I listened to it on my Walkman all the time.
One day I had my tape and I put it into the car stereo when my dad was driving.

It got to the jam on the second side, “Blues Part II” and after a while my dad said, “Where’s the guitar solo?” Turns out that one of the stereo channels had come loose from the turntable and only one channel got recorded, so I’d been listening to literally only half the sound! My dad re-dubbed the album for me and made sure the left and right channels were both properly attached.

I listened to the full stereo and my mind was blown at all that I’d been missing! I still love that album, I don’t care what the critics said. It makes me think of my dad and it reminds me of how music became an escape for me in middle school.

I live in Charlotte, NC and the best record store is Lunchbox. I go there an average of once a week. They’ve got a great selection of new and used and their prices are about the best I’ve ever seen. There’s also a place called Manifest, which is owned by FYE, that usually has a great used section and is perfect for crate digging. Harvest Records in Asheville, NC is one of my favorites when I travel.

I also keep my eyes open for antique stores, bookstores, estate sales, pretty much anywhere else that old vinyl might turn up. I found an original copy of Neil Young’s Time Fades Away in great shape at an estate sale for $4.

Happy! It’s a great feeling, pure excitement and eagerness. When I started college my little brother had just died from cancer and I’d moved away from friends and family and I was in a really lonely, dark place. I found a music store near campus, the perfect college record store — it was called Disc Exchange in Knoxville, TN, but it’s gone now.

They didn’t carry vinyl then, this was the golden age of CDs in the late nineties. Buying new CDs was my therapy. I would get caught in a place of real loneliness and grief and I would go there and browse for an hour, picking out used CDs by all kinds of new artists.

I discovered funk, jazz, reggae, bluegrass all at the Disc Exchange. This was the time in my life where my musical tastes really expanded. I find buying music to be deeply therapeutic. Music itself is deeply spiritual for me, it grounds me in human emotion and experience and allows me to feel connected to the diverse experiences of other artists. Buying the music, carrying home a stack of records under my arm, listening to each one — it’s a powerful ritual for me that always helps me feel less alone.

I listen to every one. If I came into possession of something extremely rare — a copy of Prince’s “black album,” or Trevor Dandy’s Don’t Cry Little Tree — I wouldn’t play those. But I’m not spending money on something like that. I paid $50 for an original US edition of Sgt. Pepper’s that included all the posters, and I even listen to it. Records are for playing!

I buy both. I love getting new music on vinyl. That’s the format I bought the latest albums from Radiohead, Tame Impala, Jack White, and Sleater-Kinney. But I love digging for used stuff. Finding a good copy of something from before the digital era always feels exciting to me. To think that someone once purchased this new in a record store 40, 50 years ago and enjoyed it before it found its way to me helps me feel connected to the ongoing community of music.

A coworker came to me and sold me some of his dad’s records when his dad died; his dad was a huge jazz fan. I picked up some of the classics from Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, Donald Byrd. His dad had written his last name in black marker on the backs of all the records. Every time I listen to one I think about this man who I didn’t know buying these records in the late 50’s and early 60’s and that he held on to them for his entire life. It feels special that I get to enjoy them now.

I do. For used old stuff, the quality of the cover does matter to me. If it’s in terrible shape, torn or water-stained or with someone’s name prominently written across the front, I pass on it. I think an album cover can say a lot about the music on it. There have been some records that I knew nothing about the music and bought because of the covers.

I found this compilation from 1972 called Jesus Festival of Music that had this wild psychedelic painting of Jesus and I was like, “I will pay $8 to hear what this is about!” I also came across the album Fanny Hill by the band Fanny and I looked at the cover and thought “Who are these beautiful women?” And that’s how I discovered Fanny, a band that quite frankly was boundary-breaking — and also kick-ass rocking!

I do CDs and MP3s too. I have probably two-thousand CDs, and that’s after I just purged half my collection because I moved to a smaller place. And my MP3 collection is insane; I’m probably nearing a terabyte and I’ve got my collection spread out over four old-school iPods. You can’t beat the convenience of MP3s; I can take hundreds and hundreds of albums with me in my pocket anywhere! But the sound quality is definitely inferior. I am, however, probably one of the very few vinyl lovers who believes that CDs are actually the superior sound quality.

I just don’t think you can beat the clarity and power of digital sound at the bitrate of a CD.
So why vinyl? Well, the music that means the most to us in our lives isn’t just music we listen to; it’s music we build a relationship with. People build relationships with music they have a physical connection to. Vinyl records did this through the 60s, 70s, and 80s, but I think that compact and mobile music media began to change that by making music disposable. 8-tracks, cassettes, CDs, MP3s: these things made it easier to listen to music, but that also made it easier to take for granted.

In college, I went with a friend to Best Buy so she could buy the new Barenaked Ladies album. She bought the CD and for a month it never left her car stereo; she listened to it every time she drove somewhere. But then she went back and bought whatever the next new thing was, and that new CD went into her car player. The Barenaked Ladies CD never left her car — it stayed fading and forgotten in the sun visor.

No doubt when she hears “One Week” on a radio station she will be transported to that time in her life, but the easy, cheap convenience of it made it less significant in the rest of her life. Listening to vinyl is a commitment; it takes dedication. I can only listen to my records in one place in my life; I can’t listen to them in my car or at the gym.

It is a much more involved process than pushing a button; there’s a ritual to sliding a sleeve out of a cover, slipping the record out of the sleeve, placing it on the turntable, wiping off dust, taking care with the needle. Listening to a vinyl record breaks up an album into separate digestible pieces; the songs take on more significance in the context of a record side instead of a single running whole. The physicality of a record has a presence that demands attention and builds a relationship with the listener.

I don’t think CDs are going to disappear. I think people got tired of the cheap and disposable quality, particularly when the cheapest and most disposable medium of MP3s came along. They literally don’t exist! No one goes crate-digging for a lost MP3! I think that led people to get disillusioned with cheap, disposable music. If you want something playing in the background of your life, stream it on Spotify.

But if you want to build a relationship with music you love, you look to make it a tangible and physical presence in your life. Labels are figuring out how to do this with CDs. The Numero Group is releasing compilations of music by artists no one has heard of, but they come on CD collections with extensive research and context. It creates an experience, and I buy nearly everything they release. We also see this with the deluxe CD reissues from artists like Springsteen, the Beatles, and Dylan’s archive releases.

I just got the Grateful Dead’s latest release, Pacific Northwest ’73-’74: The Complete Recordings. It has 19 CDs, but it comes in a deluxe decorative box that’s big enough to hold a hundred. These are CD experiences that demand attention and commitment from listeners just like vinyl does.

Music is such a powerful and unique expression of the human experience. It connects us to one another and grounds us in our best selves; it reminds us that we’re not alone, that something larger can find us and bind us together. Music has and will always be a performed art, but the advent of audio recording gave us the gift of capturing a moment of performance for people to relive and connect with.

Records are the primary form, and they’re still with us over a hundred years later because of the power of physical interaction in our experience of music. I listen to a record every chance I get because it calms me, inspires me, connects and grounds me. It truly is a religious and spiritual experience.

Temo di esserlo stato fin dalla nascita, vizio di famiglia. Mio padre collezionava e colleziona tutt’ora. Quando ho iniziato a “rubargli” i primi dischi, forse lì tutto è iniziato. Di preciso non ricordo quando, comunque ero molto piccolo. Ora non ricordo cosa gli avessi rubato, forse qualcosa dei Maiden o dei Ramones.

Se la memoria non mi inganna comprai “Master Of Puppets” dei Metallica alcuni mesi dopo la sua uscita nel negozio di fiducia di mio padre a Varese, quindi avevo poco più di 7 anni.

Un po’ di tutto: principalmente metal, punk, hardcore e tutto quello che gli gira intorno, tenendo sempre d’occhio le nuove band e non rimanendo ancorato al passato; ultimamente anche un po’ di hip-hop (non italiano, eccezion’ fatta per un paio di personaggi che non sto qui però a nominare), ma deve essere proprio un disco che mi ha colpito.

In vinile il numero non è così esagerato, circa 600. Potevano essere molti di più, ma ad un certo punto avevo smesso di collezionare, poi ho ricominciato e poi ho smesso di nuovo per poi nuovamente ricominciare.

Qualcosa durante il corso degli anni è stato venduto perché servivano soldi per realizzare altri progetti. Quest’ultima cosa forse oggi non la rifarei più.

Ne ho parecchi colorati, amo i vinili colorati. Vado matto per quelli con splatter, quelli marbled, quelli color in color e quelli swirl.

Dischi con particolari forme solo un 7” dei Paramore che da l’idea di essere un disco rotto perfettamente a metà e un doppio degli Underoath a forma di sega circolare.

Epitaph, Fat Wreck, Tooth & Nail, Solid State, Drive Thru, Vagrant, Equal Vision, Bridge Nine, Hopeless, Deathwish…la lista è lunga. Oggi una delle mie preferite è Spartan Records.

Fondata da un ragazzo che lavorava per Tooth & Nail; sia che pubblichi ristampe o che pubblichi dischi nuovi di band meno datate e non, lo fa sempre con grande qualità curando ogni aspetto in modo maniacale. Alcune delle migliori varianti in vinile della mia collezione sono di Spartan Records (www.spartanrecords.com)

Ci sono un sacco di band che hanno segnato in modo significativo diverse fasi della mia vita, ma se te ne devo dire una soltanto, ti dico i Thrice. Li seguo da quando hanno iniziato nel 1998 e ho sempre apprezzato la loro voglia di continuare a sperimentare e mettersi in gioco, crescendo anagraficamente e musicalmente allo stesso tempo.

Sono fuori da qualche settimana con un disco nuovo, “Palms”, album bellissimo e altro importante tassello di una carriera straordinaria.

Album. Sempre. Non sono nemmeno un grande amante dei 7”, anche se qualcuno lo possiedo.

Al momento faccio girare i dischi su un Lenco L-90. La puntina è quella in dotazione. Non sono un fissato di questo tipo di cose. Mio padre è il fissato. Io mi accontento.

Bella domanda. Per questa mi ci vuole un po’ di tempo per rispondere. Magari nella prossima intervista.

Solitamente o sul sito diretto della band o sul sito diretto della casa discografica. On line dall’estero, da un paio di rivenditori di fiducia e mi è capitato di prendere qualcosa anche su Amazon.

Non ci vedo nulla di male, tanto è una cosa che tra qualche anno tornerà ancora di nicchia (o forse no?). C’è chi ne approfitta, realizzando ristampe o nuovi prodotti non proprio di qualità e invece molti che ci mettono attenzione e duro lavoro per arrivare a consegnare un prodotto che vale la pena acquistare.

E’ così in tutti i settori, c’è sempre qualcuno che lavora bene e, purtroppo, qualcuno che lavora male. Basta saper riconoscere.

Se ordinato online, speri solo che non abbia gli angoli rovinati da pessimo imballaggio.

Tutti vengono passati sul lettore almeno una volta.

Il packaging in generale ha la sua importanza. Se poi ha una bella copertina tanto meglio. Odio quelli che, a volte, non mettono il lyric sheet.

Generalmente nuovi, ma in passato mi è capitato di comprare qualcosa anche di usato.

Come ti dicevo in precedenza, qualcosa nel corso degli anni è stato venduto ma non ho mai scambiato nulla.

Certamente, una copertina rovinata, o semplicemente scolorita, mi farebbe desistere dal comprare un disco usato, anche se il disco al suo interno è in perfette condizioni.

Became a collector in the mid 80s as a early teen

I was about 13 / 14. It was SCHOOLY D Saturday Night LP 1986 loved that album used to play it everytime even put it on cassette

Genres mainly Reggae Revival HipHop from the 80s & 90s before it turned into digital some 70s Funk

Roughly over 1000 altogether including 7″ 45s my joy and happiness lol

I probably got around 6 or 7 crazy colours including a picture disk by Public Enemy

I haven’t really got a favourite artist as such but do favour Dennis Brown from the Reggae genre some Reggae singers really hit the spot singers all day, it’s something you have to learn and work on not everyone can sing

I prefer maxi singles as they play well with spaced out grooves you get to turn them up without feedback rumble

I got two turntables what I use: Technics 1200 and Gemini PT 2100 both direct drive no belt, electromagnetic

I remember Dennis Brown Love Has Found its Way when the first time I ever went on a aeroplane 1982 it was being played all day everyday in Jamaica I just loved it, being above the clouds and it was being played on the plane

I go online to find some bargains and on a whim could end up in a second hand shop or charity shop got a James Brown Get On The Good Foot for 50 pence BARGAIN lol

If it’s brand new in sleeve shrink wrap, it’s a secret bond because it’s a virgin nobody has had their hands on it not the same when it’s a second hand but the feeling is like I’ve closed a gap on the collection what passed some years ago… kind a like closure to a unsolved case

I get to listen them when it’s near weekend, as I can unwind without the burden of work the next day, I do play them but probably more than other

I like the cover depending how interesting it is, could be a collage of photos, drawing or artwork

I buy ANY records new & old scratch scratch any colour as long as it plays I buy it… have paid some silly money aswell (not gonna answer how much I’ve spent on a particular record)

I have traded in the past, kind a like weeding out old ones that’s not being played but there’s been a couple that I regret getting rid of… damn I’ve seen the record online for crazy money I could kick myself

Some covers are more interesting than others one of the most interesting covers is 1993 A Tribe Called Quest Midnight Mauraders all the faces and you couldn’t help trying to see who’s who

Vinyls everytime because anyone can download on laptops, or device I’m a vinyl trooper I’ve been in this vinyl journey for years & years so to try catch up you better have long arms and deep pockets because this will cost you, so maximum respect to everyone who still keeps wax it’s a beautiful thing don’t be fooled that it’s all about digital

Return to vinyl, hahaha I never left, never played a laptop I only burn wax to CDs so I can play them in my car I got some records that can only be played by me… because I produced them, we’re in an age now where EVERYONE is a DJ by simply buying a laptop thats not DJing, that’s being a I.T consultant

I first started collecting records when I was about fourteen years old. I had recently discovered electronic music and wanted to try my hand at DJing so my father very kindly purchased me a pair of Sound LAB belt drive turntables.

I loved messing around with beats and attempting to scratch records and when I wasn’t doing that I was listening to my mum and dad’s record collection that consisted of the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, the Sensational Alex Harvey Band and Creedence Clearwater Revival among others.

I have purchased my first record at the same time I got my first turntables. I don’t remember what it was, but it will have definitely have been electronic in nature.

There was a great record shop in my hometown of Durham called Concepts that is sadly no longer open. I used to go there on a weekly basis and their selection was excellent and suited my needs at the time.

My tastes are pretty eclectic and my collection is too. Rock and heavier music is very much the backbone of it though. I’m currently buying a lot of psychedelic rock, stoner rock and garage rock.

I’m on a bit of a mission to find more recent bands as I found during my clubbing days and into my late twenties I wasn’t really searching out anything current, so I’ve been making sure to remedy that of late.

According to Discogs I currently have 260 records in my collection. All of my old records from when I was a teenager were either given away when I stopped collecting or lost at parties etc. I started collecting again in October 2016, so while my collection is small it’s coming along pretty well.

I own a fair few coloured and splatter records although I don’t purposefully buy these over black.

I don’t have a favourite artist, but I have artists and bands that I’d class as favourites in that they were my first discovery of a genre and thus led me to discover other greats. Guns ‘N’ Roses were the first band I listened to where I was wowed and I listened to them religiously for many years.

I remember sitting in my friend’s room when were about ten years old listening to ‘Back off Bitch’ and his mother came into the room and gave us a good old rollicking! They paved the way for my love of heavier music. I appreciate most content that Mike Patton (FNM, Mr Bungle) releases.

When I was younger I went through a stage of purchasing most of his albums and enjoyed his more out-there albums, such as Adult Themes for Voice, which was an album he made in hotel rooms while touring using just his own voice.

I remember buying Better Living Through Chemistry by Fatboy Slim because I liked the floppy disk cover and that started my love of electronic music, which went through many metamorphoses as I discovered the different sub-genres.

When I was eighteen years old I went through a bit of a hippy phase and bands such as Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Ten Years After and the Grateful Dead were played to death!

I definitely prefer albums, especially on record. When I was younger CD singles were great because quite often I wouldn’t have the money to buy an album and singles were a great way to sample a new band without splurging on an album.

It wasn’t as easy to sample new music then as it is today. I own a few 7” records, but usually only pick them up if they’re cheap or something I’ve never heard before.

I only have one turntable and it’s a Project Essential 3 A. Would love to upgrade to a Clearaudio Concept, but I could buy a lot of records instead!

There are many songs and whole albums that bring back memories from particular moments, but one song is ‘The Road to Hell (Pt.1 & Pt.2) by Chris Rea. This song reminds me of driving to the Lake District with my family to visit my auntie, uncle and cousins.

The journey is only about 1.5 hours, but as a kid it felt much longer. The route is very scenic and it was always a good day where I got to hang out with my older cousins who were into heavy metal and their fridge was covered in band stickers, which I thought was insanely cool.

I buy my records from a mixture of Discogs, Amazon, Bandcamp and local record shops. I try to frequent the record shops as much as possible, but sometimes due to them not stocking what I’m after or their prices being much higher than online I have to look elsewhere. I’m very lucky where I live though as we have 5 or 6 excellent record shops in the city centre.

I keep my shopping basket on Amazon extremely full and it very handily informs you when prices increase and decrease so if you bide your time you can end up getting records for a very modest price.

If you find a cool record in a shop then it’s a great feeling and it’s difficult to top. Not only have you found something you’ve been searching for long and hard, you’re adding to your collection and as my collection is relatively small it’s great to keep it expanding.

Even finding something online for a good price can be quite exhilarating, but as you can’t run home from the shop and put it on straight away it’s not quite the same!

I’m very much of the opinion that records are for listening to and I don’t see the point in conserving them. If I owned anything particularly rare then I might buy a reissue to save the rare one, but I don’t really see the point in owning something if you don’t use it and get pleasure from it.

For me it’s all about the music. I can appreciate a records artwork and will even buy a record having never listened to it because I like the cover, but at the end of the day it’s the music I’m collecting.

However, having said that I think one of the reasons records are coming back into fashion is because people want to have a physical copy of the album and actually own it as opposed to listening to it on Spotify or ITunes.

I buy both new and used. I like to support the local independent record shops so I’ll usually buy used from them and buy new online as they’re often a lot cheaper. I would love to only use the record shops, but unfortunately money matters.

My friend and I have a monthly record swap where we meet up, drink some beers, and swap records that we bought especially for each other.

It’s a really nice thing to do as we both love music and it’s always fun getting something that you have never heard or might not have thought about buying for yourself. I am quite protective of my records though and like to be in charge of my record player when we’re at my home!

I do like record covers, but as mentioned I’m more interested in the music than the artwork. I do like a nice gatefold sleeve though.

Having a physical copy is important to me, so that rules out mp3. The thing with records that I don’t find with CDs is that there is more a ritual behind it. Searching for a record involves flipping through the record bins and is time consuming, which I like. You go to towns, cities, fairs, and markets just to go and see what records you can find.

Once you’ve found the one you’re after you rush home, put it on the platter, brush the dust off (especially if it’s old) and drop the needle on the record. Then you just let the music wash over you (preferably with a nice cold beer in hand). It’s not the same with CDs.

That’s a difficult question to answer. I think there’re so many factors to it all. I think that the world doesn’t need major record labels re-issuing records that you can find in a record shop easily.

I imagine this is not particularly environmentally friendly and I find it pointless. There are not many pressing plants in the world and surely they could be put to better use by pressing new music by current artists. If it’s helping get people into music then that’s cool. I just hope they’re supporting their locals as much as they can.

I am a fairly new collector. I started about 3 years ago.

32

Rick James – “Reflections” All The Great Hits and Charlie Parker All Stars. Both purchased in Stockholm, Sweden.

I collect all genres. I love music (Good music). I don’t limit my enjoyment to only one genre. I think it’s virtually impossible to do so. It’s like good food. You can’t just like one type of good food.

Rougly about 600-700 and counting

I have several colored records. But mostly all are black. I like simplicity.

I have several. John Coltrane, Miles Davis, The Roots, Nas, TuPac Shakur, Kanye West, Sting, The Doors, Cesaria Evora…To name a few.

Full albums

I have 2 turntables. 1 Akai professional and 1 Audio Technica 220.

Ahhh. Maybe artists. Grew up listening to Roberto Carlos and Julio Eglesias and Cesaria Evora. So any of their songs reminds me of my childhood.

Online stores/sellers. Local stores. Also at record shows/events.

Excitment. When I buy a new record I just want to play it right away. See how it sounds.

I very often listen to them. That’s the whole reason I buy them. To enjoy them.

I like everything about a vinyl record. Sound. Artwork. Feel of it. Everything.

I buy both new remastered and old original prints.

I have let only a few friends borrow 1 or 2 of my vinyls. I typically don’t lend them out. I love to take care of my things. Unfortunately most people are careless.

Yeah a good artcover makes it nicer. But I’ll buy any record I like regardless of the cover.

I think vinyls sound better and it’s also the feeling I get from playing vinyls. I do listen to a lot of digital music on my iPhone. But vinyl just brings out a different type of feeling. I like to touch them and they look nicer. Ha!

I love it. I hope it keeps growing and growing. Save the culture. Play Vinyl!!!

I started collecting vinyl at the age of 22 in 2008, the following year my best friend and I traveled all over the United States following our favorite bands, (Umphrey’s McGee, Phish, The Disco Biscuits ect…) from town to town. We would kill time before the shows at local record stores and the bug began

16

It was The Strokes – Room on Fire, bought in the winter of 2003. I was 16.

Grateful Dead, prog rock, jam bands, classic rock, electronic jam, pop punk, alternative, blues, soul, bluegrass, folk and so much more!

A little over 1,000. Lost count after that!

I do have lots of colored records, I love getting limited releases on record store day that are splattered with color or two tone in color!

My favorite band is The Disco Biscuits from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. My favorite singer is Daniel Johns from the band Silverchair. My favorite musician is guitarist Trey Anastasio from the band Phish.

I prefer full albums, nothing beats listening to an album from end to end.

I have 2 turntables. A portable one for those beautiful Colorado park days – Crosley Cruiser Deluxe Portable Turntable. My home turntable is Audio-Technica AT-LP120.

Oh yes, as a kid my brother and I would drive out to Colorado from Texas in the summers. We would listen to the Beatles white album over and over again! I vividly remember looking out the window over the landscapes and singing ever word of that album especially Ob-la-di, ob-la-da!

At my local record store, Independent Records in Colorado Springs, CO. Also at local thrift stores and estate sales! Recent estate sale find, original pressing of King Crimson – In the Court of the Crimson King for $1!

Usually relief if I have been hunting it down for a while. I keep a list in my phone of vinyls I am looking for, always exciting crossing one off!

I listen to my records all day every day! I even created my own hashtag on Instagram and post the current album I am listening too! #marionsvinyl

I love all these things! Nothing is better when u tear into a new vinyl, that smell of fresh pressed vinyl. I even enjoy the feel of old records, especially when someone in the past has put there name on the cover or the album itself. It tells a story of the unknown.

I have swapped records with friends and even thrown listening parties where everyone brings a vinyl to listen to.

The cover and the art is always a bonus that comes with the music. I buy records to listen to the music and rock out!

I love the feel of the album in my hands. Even getting up to flip the album didn’t bother me. I haven’t downloaded a song in over a decade! Vinyl all day every day!

I love that people are getting excited about vinyl again! My brother got all of my fathers albums and my mother gave hers away in the early 90s. I had to start my collection from scratch! It’s been such a fun process collecting all of my favorite bands albums. From Talking Heads to The Get Up Kids! Traveling really helped my collection grow, going to local record stores is the most fun. Chatting up about your favorite bands and digging in crates is my favorite thing ever!

Sam: I started collecting vinyl about 6 years ago, my aunt was throwing away a load of her old records so I sifted through them first and took a few to keep.

Nat: Funnily enough, Sam got me my first record ‘Enemy of the World’ by Four Year Strong. I’ve been hooked ever since. It’s a deadly addiction, that’s for sure!

Sam: I technically bought a 7″ single of blink-182s “Not Now” when I was 16 but more for the fact they were my favourite band not the fact it was vinyl. I was probably 19 when I actually bought my first proper album on vinyl.

Nat: I was 17 when I started collecting vinyl properly.

Sam: It was Nirvanas “Nevermind” and placebo’s “Without You, I’m Nothing”.

Nat: I went and bought American Footballs self-titled and AFI’s ‘Burials’, straight after Sam got me Four Year Strong’s record.

Sam: Anything that takes my fancy really. Started off by only buying albums I considered classics but now it’s the only way I purchase music. If I had to narrow it down I’ve probably got more pop punk/emo records in my collection than anything else.

Nat: Anything that I think I’ll still be spinning in years to come. The odd bit of pop punk, but I love metal music particularly Architects and Deftones, but I’ll spin anything from Eminem to David Bowie. I won’t lie, I’m dying to get a few One Direction too.

Sam: 70 including singles

Sam: Yeah I have a fair few coloured vinyls and a couple of picture discs as well.

Nat: Coloured records are even worse to get addicted to than your normal black 180 gram! I’d say the majority of my records are coloured, but in all honesty, I’m not fussed on the colour as long as the record is decent.

Sam: My favourite bands are Motion City Soundtrack and blink-182. My two favourite singers are Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash, and my favourite artists are Tom DeLonge, Justin Courtney Pierre and Dan “Soupy” Campbell.

Nat: My top three favourite bands are Deftones, Foo Fighters and blink-182. My favourite singers are Frank Sinatra, Morrissey and George Michael. My favourite artists are Charlie Simpson, Dave Grohl, Rou Reynolds and Chino Moreno.

Sam: Albums mostly, but I love digging through old singles in record shops too.

Nat: Albums too. It’s effort having to get back up so quickly to change the 45!

Sam: Just the one now. A Murphy classic. I used to have a Bush one as well but I don’t recommend it.

Nat: I have one which is pretty basic to be honest. But in next month I’ll have a brand new one. No doubt it’ll be up on our Instagram account

Sam: Too many to mention, some happy, some sad. If I had to pick one it would be “Daylight” by Matt and Kim. It reminds me of summers back in my hometown with my friends when we were teenagers.

Sam: I try to mostly buy from independent stores like banquet records in Kingston or Truck store in Oxford. However I do use HMV occasionally as well.
Nat: I buy from Banquet records, HMV, Amazon, the Vinyl Vault in Cheltenham, and Specialist Subject Records in Bristol.

Sam: If it’s an album I’ve been looking for a while there’s definitely a child like sense of achievement. That’s the best thing about searching through record stores, finding hidden gems.

Sam: All the time. I definitely believe they’re meant to be seen AND heard.

Sam: I think as long as the record is in good condition and sounds great when on the turntable then I’m happy.

Sam: Both. There’s some great record shops that only sell used records.
That’s been where I’ve come across some of my best finds.

Sam: Not as of yet. We’ve given vinyl away on our page before though!

Sam: If a record has an interesting cover it definitely grabs my attention but I can’t say I’ve ever bought a record on the way a cover looks I’m afraid.

Sam: I think it’s a much more personal way of listening to music. Its so easy now for people to only listen to the singles by a band or artist rather than immerse themselves in the whole record. I think if you’re playing a vinyl then you’re commuting yourself to it.

There’s just something about the process of it as well. Taking it out the sleeve, setting it down gently and then putting the needle on that just makes it feel special.

Sam: I think it’s great. It’s definitely given a resurgence to people actually purchasing music and for lesser known bands it’s a way to actually generate money for music that doesn’t just come from selling merce. Ever since getting into the vinyl community as well it’s great to see so many people passionate about music and with a means to share it as well.

I know you can easily purchase music on line as well but it’s also brought about so many more independent music shops which seemed like a thing of the past. So that’s fantastic.

Dj Capu and his records collection: a big journey through the fabulous 80s, with Depeche Mode, Pink Floyd, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Kiss, Pet Shop Boys, madonna and many others.

Dj Capu talks about his passion for vinyl records and his job like a dj in the discotheques golden age.

 

(For Listening to the interview you have to stop the music, go to the bottom of this page and click on the music player)

I am a late bloomer actually! I started collecting about two years ago, and it has very quickly become an obsession.

I was 20 years old when I bought my first record.

My first record was “Immortalized” by Disturbed. I was raised in a strict Christian household, and Disturbed was one of the first rock bands I ever heard and I fell in love with them. “Immortalized” was a preorder and I thought the record looked like a cool package, so I ordered that! When I received the record, I didn’t even have a turntable to play it on, so my girlfriend at the time bought me a record player, and I have been collecting ever since!

I collect all genres! I prefer heavy metal, but I have everything from comedy, to country, to classical, to instrumental! I believe music speaks to you, and you should listen to whatever you enjoy!

My collection is still fairly small since I have only been collecting about 2 years, but I have over 150 Records!

I have many color variants on many different records! Some with color splatter, some different solid colors. My most colorful vinyl is “The Desaturating Seven” by Primus, and it has a beautiful rainbow splatter!

It’s very hard to choose a favorite of any musician or band! I listen to so many genres that it becomes very difficult to narrow it down. I will say that I own more Iron Maiden music and memorabilia than any other artist! I have always been fascinated by Iron Maiden’s imagery, as well as their music. I have Iron Maiden figures, pins, patches, cups, records, and even a bar runner!

I enjoy both! Normally I prefer the album, but to me, the singles feel like novelties!

Currently I have only one record player, it is an iLive All-In-One Turntable. It’s nothing fancy, but I am saving up for a more vintage turntable with bigger speakers for even better sound.

The album Where The Mind Wants To Go/Where You Let It Go by I The Mighty was a record that came out in a very difficult time of my life. I had just ended a long-term relationship, My ex-girlfriend took my dog, and I felt like my world was falling apart. But when I heard the song Degenerates, it made me feel like the singer Brent Walsh knew exactly how I was feeling. At one point in this song, he says:
“My head was heavy with thoughts when I got home.
I started to focus on my fears, I thought of dying alone.
But how I hate to get caught in pointless thought.
Self-pity gets me nowhere.
I guess we’ve all got things we’re still working out.”
This album has helped me on so many occasions, and it will definitely remain one of my all-time favorite records.

I buy my records primarily from local record stores because I believe it’s important to support your local businesses! I also purchase some of my albums online.

Whenever I purchase a new piece of vinyl, I feel like a kid with a new bike. I can’t wait to go home and try it out! It’s a feeling that is indescribable, but a feeling that you can never get enough of!

I believe that some records probably deserve to remain untouched, but I believe music is meant to be played, and LOUD. There’s no greater feeling than listening to a new record, and taking in every note, line, and verse.

All of these things together create the whole experience! There’s something special about having a tactile piece of music that you can enjoy. The smell of old records, the weight of the vinyl in your hand, there truly is nothing like it.

I will buy anything that interests me! I have records dating back to the early 1960’s, and I also have brand new albums that came out this year! I’m definitely not picky!

I haven’t done any trades, but there are definitely some record collectors I have found on Instagram who I really respect! I would never be envious of another collector’s pieces, I would only want to have a beer with them and listen to some of their collection!

I LOVE a well done cover. My philosophy is that if you do a cover of a great song or artist, make sure you do it well. One bad cover can ruin an artist for me.

I actually love collecting CDs as well! I bid on CDs on eBay, and I also love digging through the CD bins at thrift stores. I have found some hidden gems countless times! I also use MP3 and streaming services for my music because I am a delivery driver during the days. I enjoy the simplicity of having any artist at my fingertips, but I also firmly believe in buying physical music from artists you enjoy, because streaming services do not pay their artists nearly enough for the music they provide.

I couldn’t be happier about this resurgence in vinyl sales! My father grew up with records, and now that they are popular again, he loves to collect them and listen to them with me whenever we get the chance! There’s no better feeling than holding a record in your hand, looking at the artwork, reading the lyrics, and truly experiencing music the way it was intended.

I started collecting vinyl when I was in Middle School in Seoul, South Korea.
Some of my favourite vinyls were from 1989 from South Korea.
Now I’m living in US and keep getting a new & used records.

I bought my first records when I was 14.
It was my first original vinyl, which was licensed by Oasis records in Korea.

Mostly pop, I don’t like a rap and Heavy Metal. I prefer to listen and enjoy something a bit more soft and easy listening.
Bubble Gum pop is just fine with me! My collection is specially focused on female artists.
I am also very focused on western pop music and some Japanese, not many of K-pop (Sorry for that).

739 albums, 199 singles to vinyls as of today.

Yes, I have several colored vinyl, I recently bought Dido’s “No Angel”, and also have several specialist pictured vinyl. My favourite new one is from Michael Jackson.

My one and only female artist is Madonna (she is everything)! My favourite male artist is Michael Jackson. My favourite group is Garbage.

Absolutely! I have several maxi singles, and sometimes, if the cover design is especially good, I add it to my collection.

I have special one for my bedroom, and a less impressive Crosley one for my main level, but I will buy one more for basement.

I remember fondly, speaking with my former lovers with the phone sometimes when I was younger.
I used to set the background playlist ahead of time, and sometimes I often use Mariah’s “Can’t Let Go” and Wilson Phillips’s “You’re In Love”.
Even today these songs can bring a small tear to my eye. It was very moody at that time.

I have a local records shop named ‘Mills Record Company’ in downtown Kansas City which feels like my private heaven.
I always find something after digging around and also they are my go to for new releases.
Of course, I using lot of online shops as well, and my favourite used one us Discogs.

I’m still always excited when buying new records, it’s not just a music, it’s art. It made me feels like I am always getting new art in my life.
I especially love that fresh smell and that first time you hold a new album with my own hands! It is really awesome.
I think only true collectors might understand this feeling.
This is a purpose on life, nothing else. Vinyls are life.

I listen to music everyday, and so everyday is a post or review day.
Yes, I conserve my all items but never hide or keep it unopened. I always open and enjoy it as often as I can.
I don’t want to sell them too at all because I already sold too many of my original 80’s collection once (huge mistake) and now regret it very, very, much.
I shouldn’t have to sell old vinyls or just given they away to someone else.

First thing is music and second is cover design also prefer Gatefold form. I don’t mind the noise of the sounds. I can ignore it easily.

Yes, I love a new records and old one from used. I want to buy something old specially wanted. Change CD to Vinyls.

Yes, I did too many times and still very jelaous to the other people’s collection. I gave away some records to my old friends for free because they liked them.

Definitely! Cover design is one of the most important element to me! I’m a graphic designer so I always appreciate, and admire, good design. Cool music with nice design cover? I can not resist!

CD is cold and too small, No valuable for cover. MP3? Just checking the songs first, that’s all. I love vinyls because it’s big! It looks like some kind of art pieces!

I never imagined this return to vinyls again- and that the vinyl world would be so alive and well, but now I’m so glad that so many people have found the joy they can bring! I’m so happy that I can focus on the music releases I love the most!

I think I was around 13 when I first discovered vinyl through what was left of my parents’ record collection. It’s how I discovered classic rock.

I remember them telling me they used to have quite a few more records but sold them at a garage sale and I asked them why they would ever do that! I was especially upset that they had gotten rid of Dark Side of the Moon, Sgt. Pepper, and Led Zeppelin II, albums I ended up renting on CD from the library or buying on CD.

Some of my favourites from what was left of their collection were Pink Floyd – The Wall, Cat Stevens Greatest Hits, Led Zeppelin IV, The Beatles – Abbey Road, Bob Dylan Greatest Hits Vol. II, and a very beat up copy of The Band’s self-titled album. I also really loved listening to the Grease Soundtrack since it was a play that was done at my summer camp.

My parents had two turntables, one with a belt drive, and another with direct drive. My first listening experience was with the belt drive with a belt that needed replacing. I remember listening to Abbey Road for the first time and the pitch would wobble a lot. Then I switched to a turntable I still use, the Technics SL-D2. I also remember learning the guitar solos for Led Zeppelin – Stairway to Heaven, and Pink Floyd – Mother and playing along with the record, which was pretty cool.

I first started collecting when I was around 15. I was able to buy more records from working at McDonald’s. I’m pretty sure the first record I ever purchased was the MxPx 17 7″ because it had a couple of songs you couldn’t get on any of their CDs. I ended up collecting their entire discography on vinyl. I didn’t have a credit card at the time, and I remember paying for some orders with money order before I had Paypal set up.

I was a pretty strict Christian at the time and mostly listened to Christian bands. I’m not Christian anymore, and I’m not knocking anyone who is, it’s just for the sake of telling my record story. I started going to some hardcore shows and grew my collection with the Norma Jean vinyl box set, which I kind of miss now, and a few mewithoutyou albums, which I also miss.

At the time I started feeling guilty for listening to bands like Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden because I felt they conflicted with my faith at the time. I remember trying to find some Christian classic rock & metal sounding bands. I remember having the debut albums from Petra and Whitecross. Petra had kind of an Eagles sound to them, and Whitecross sounded like a lot of glam bands, but I remember being super embarassed at the lyrical content.

I eventually branched out a bit around 2007, and got the Bad Brains comeback album Build a Nation, which is a sweet tri-colour vinyl, and all of Modern Life is War’s albums, and some other hardcore albums. I started to feel guilty as a Christian again for the music, and decided to just sell my whole collection, and convinced my parents to sell a lot of what was left of their collection. What was left of their collection, we sold to our neighbor along with the Technics turtable.

As I grew older, and stopped being religious, I started listening to a a lot more music again. I started buying back CDs I got rid of but missed something about the way vinyl sounded. Eventually I worked up the courage to call my neighbor up and asked if he wouldn’t mind selling back the turntable and records to me. He said that he wouldn’t mind at all, and that it had all just sat in his house!

I started going to shows again, and buying records at some of the shows, but I hadn’t trusted the way I had setup the needle from when I was younger. I ended up purchasing a new turntable, a Project RPM 5.1 with an Ortofon 2M Blue on it, but I also purchased an Ortofon 2M SE Mono needle which I ended up putting on the Project and the 2M Blue went on the Technics. They were setup with all those fancy gadjets that measure VTF, weight, etc.

Then the serious listening began!

My preference is more metal oriented, but I collect quite a few genres. Punk, Pop-Punk, Alternative Rock, Rock, Classic Rock, R&B, Reggae (especially the stuff from Studio One), Soul, Funk, Jazz, Indie, Hip-Hop, Country (but not modern country-pop), to name a few.

849 according to discogs, but some are box sets!

I tend to scout out the colour vinyl if a version exists. Sometimes they go for a lot if they’re a popular band and the variant is sold out, so I try to stay on top of things for new releases. Sometimes I’m torn between how limited the colour is and how cool it looks. Sometimes I’m a little relieved if they only put out a standard black vinyl because people are less likely to flip them.

Slayer for sure is one of my favourites and I have a ton of variants from them. I’m a little uncomfortable with a lot of their use of Nazi imagery, but there’s other bands that actually hold to the ideology which is worse.

I’m a huge Beatles fan and I also like Against Me! a lot!
I like a ton of bands, it’s hard to pick a favourite! I’m also constantly discovering and loving a lot of new artists or ones I’ve missed from the past.

Albums for sure, but I’ve always liked the idea of b-sides on singles.

I’ve got 2, one for stereo and one for mono. The one I use for stereo is my dad’s old Technics SL-D2 with the Ortofon 2M Blue.

The one with the Mono needle is the Project RPM 5.1 with the Ortofon 2M SE. The needle was designed for The Beatles in Mono box set, and it sounds amazing with it! I have a few mono Jazz records too and the needle really shines with those. Thankfully a lot of old mono albums get reissued.

My mono collection is definitely smaller, but it always sounds amazing with that needle!

I tend to remember where I was when I first heard a song or album. When I hear In Utero, I’m reminded of a walk I took while listening to it for the first time on my discman.

When I started going to shows again and seriously collecting, the Metz debut was one of the albums I bought, and when I listen to it, I remember coming home from their show, or watching the trippy music for “Get Off” with a friend.

Some albums or songs either still make me cry when I listen to theM or made me cry at some point, and I’m reminded of when I’ve seen the artist perform them live in my city. Some examples are the song “Weighed Sin” by Chad VanGaalen or anything from Benji by Sun Kil Moon.

These days, usually from Vinyl Me, Please. I like the variety of genres they put out, and that they have exclusive variants. Other times I shop locally.

I feel really happy! I usually wait until I have the vinyl for the first listen, and it’s a special experience dropping the needle and hearing the warm sound.

It depends. If I have more than one variant, I try to play the least rare one. But some records sound so good and I have to play them, even if they’re rare.

I don’t like if it smells too bad. Seriously, I’ve had records with mold that have given me an allergic reaction from the mold and I had to get rid of them. I got a seller banned from discogs because he refused to refund me on a Beatles box set that was full of mold. Cigarette smoke I’m not a fan either, but it’s not as bad as mold.
Ideally it’s nice if a record has a cool colour and sound. I like both those things!

I strongly prefer new or nm-. I’ll occasionally buy a more used record if it’s hard to find or a good price.

I’ve done some trades with people online, but I don’t like doing it anymore and would advise against it unless you can test it on your system first or a system that is set up properly. I’ve gotten ones that were in less good condition than the ones I was trading. Sometimes a record looks okay visually, but plays bad.

I prefer if it’s in nice shape, but the record is more important at the end of the day. I like when artists get creative with their covers, especially gatefolds. The big album art is something I’ve always appreciated about vinyl too.

More so for earlier records, I like that the process was all analog. There’s something cool and authentic about that! But even with newer vinyl, sometimes the mastering is a bit quieter and dynamic.

Like Slayer’s Repentless. I really don’t like the CD master. It’s way too loud. The loudness wars is a real problem with CDs. With mp3s or streaming, I don’t like the fact that the music can stop or get interrupted if the internet cuts out or your computer interrupts you with some notification. There’s just a nice warm clean sound with vinyl too!

I think that it’s great, but I wish producers would pay more attention to detail in the manufacturing process. It’s too rushed!

Warped vinyl seems much more common these days, or lots of pops or surface noise, records being off centre, sibilance. These issues are much more rare with earlier records.
I also have a love-hate feeling about record store day.

A local record shop in my city refuses to participate because they force you to stock certain albums, even if the store owner thinks they won’t sell. And it delays production for smaller bands and non-RSD records. There’s a lot of stuff that seems to get put out that’s unecessary, but there’s always at least a few things I end up wanting too.

At first I became Michael Jackson fan in 80’s after I saw Motown 25 performance of Billie Jean on Soviet TV: it completely blew me away after all those soviet singing heads. I became obsessed but, unlike people in a free world, we couldn’t go to record store and buy whatever we wanted: Soviet record company Melodia was a monopolist and if you wanted to get something foreign – the choice was pretty poor. I mean, Michael Jackson and Madonna weren’t the names everybody knows. They were prohibited. They even took off songs from licensed albums for words like “I want you”, so seeing Madonna rolling on stage at VMA’s in wedding dress was something unimaginable.

My father, who worked for transportation company that was responsible for export and import of stuff to Western world, risked a lot when he bring Barbra Streisand “Woman In Love” 7” from Germany. Of course we had “black market” of records and since Estonia, where I am from, was one of the “least Soviet” republics in Union, we didn’t had it as bad as in Russia, where markets were raided by militia and people got jailed for selling foreign records. But still it was  very expensive for young person to buy on those markets. Luckily my father were fortunate enough to sneak some Madonna and MJ vinyls from Germany and I learned my English by translating lyrics on the inside envelopes. That’s why I’m a bit upset when I don’t find song texts in many releases now a days.

If we’re talking about a record that I wanted to buy and my parents got it from me – it was definitely some Alla Pugacheva record. She was our Soviet Madonna, Tina, Barbra, Cher and everything else. She was the first who wasn’t just a singing head. Her records were sold out long before most of us even knew it was released. Record Store Day haven’t seen lines to record store like a line to a record store to buy Alla’s new LP.

But we talk about a record that I bought with my own money: I still have it. I bought it on that black marked after saving for a very long time. It cost 25 rubles when normal salary in USSR was about 150. It was Michael Jackson’s Motown compilation “Love songs”. I was a bit upset when I heard that he was a kid when those songs were recorded, but in the same time it was Michael anyway, so I was happy.

I eat them all. In music I need a melody first of all, so my tastes vary from German disco gods “Modern Talking”, Shawn Mendes and boy bands, to “Fall Out Boy”, “Garbage” and bands like “Tender”. I mostly buy albums that contain at least 50% of music that I like. That’s why I miss time of singles: for example James Bay’s last album is not something I could listen to, but I would be the first in line to buy “Pink Lemonade” as a single.

At the moment my collection is not something to impress: I cheated on vinyl with CD’s, I confess this sin. Now most of my collection is Michael Jackson records, but I do buy a lot. In last 1.5 years since I came to my senses and started my collection from scratch, I bought over 100 record.

Albums for you can enjoy them longer with no need to turn to the other side.

Actually when I started my vinyl collection again I planned to only collect colored vinyl. I don’t care what people say about it’s quality: I think it’s that case when everyone is an expert. I just love it. Unfortunately most interesting colored vinyls are usually metal music, for whatever reason, but still there are more and more releases in nice colors. To be honest – I hate when lables like Rhino release re-issues of pop classics on black vinyl: come on, we have that already.

Michael Jackson

I have 2 Pioneer turntables.

Oh, most of my life I remember through music. I remember moments because of songs while other people remember songs because of moments.

I mostly buy online. I love record stores, but I never have enough time. And I hate that to get to something you like – you have to go through tons of David Bowie re-issues.

Oh, it’s hard to explain… Impossible! It’s not like “Oh my god, I need to get home to listen to this!”, cause it’s not always a moment you get is a moment to listen to it. Everything has it’s own moment in life and even in a day.

No, no, no: a lot of people may disagree, but to me records are living only when you spin them. It’s like… you know, Soviet grandmothers never had too many nice things in their lives, a lot of then went through WW2, and as funny as it may sound, when someone gave them tea of coffee in some cute can – they kept it like a treasure, cause it was something beautiful comparing with their grey life. Many of them never even tasted that tea, they die and their kids just throw it out. I don’t know if it makes sense but that’s what I thought about when I read this question.

All things together. I already said about inner sleeve with lyrics and color, but cover is important too. I have some records with damaged cover, records with a story, with memory. Like my first LP: I had a friend who clued photos of singers to her original vinyl record sleeves and I had to do the same – I thought it was so fun and nice and I honestly believed it looks better! I won’t buy used record with very damaged cover, cause it’s not my story, not my memory.

Yes, I do buy used vinyl: some music they just don’t re-release…

I did few times in 90’s and I’m very sorry for that now. Not because of the records itself, but for some exact copies for how they got to me.

It’s just beautiful. And not just in sound but looks too: that’s why I started my Instagram page @beautyofvinyl It’s mostly for myself, I enjoy doing it, but some people seem to like it too and it only makes me happy. I have mp3 playing at my work and I download things, but at home I enjoy the sound of vinyl.

Oh, once my partner’s 13 y.o. niece visited us and saw the record player. We haven’t seen her for the rest of the night: she was just in that room watching record spinning. When she was leaving she said she saved for new laptop but now she wants a record player. Obviously we got her one for her birthday along with her first vinyl (DNCE on clear vinyl) the Happiest girl in the World! So what I think about it? Future is vinyl!