I think what has changed the most about sound in our lives is that we used to own our music. Now most of us rent the license to play the music. It’s not ours anymore. And that’s the attraction to vinyl, to hold the sound in your hands and possess it without clicking Yes to a huge legal document.
There is something to be said for being able to grab a physical object that belongs to you, any time you want. I wonder if that's one of the babies we are inevitably throwing out w/the bathwater of inconvenience.
-"They even threw in some pics of recording with Ray Charles (I would too, Billy!)," Ray and Billy famously teamed up for the tune "Baby Grand", which I assume is there.
-In most cases with albums of this era, lyrics, album credits and such would either be printed on the inner gatefold of the album sleeve, or on a separate sheet of paper included with the album. In the CD era, the sleeves or booklets accompanying the disc took over that function.
Yes to "Baby Grand." I had no idea how badass this song was when I was 11, but I get it today. I was all in on "Matter of Trust" and "Running in Silence", the first two tracks that set "Baby Grand" up. What a record.
I vaguely recall that we had a bunch of acoustic guitar artists and some children's fairy tales on vinyl. Mom would sometimes put those on for me as I fell asleep and then she'd go out with the dog. That's never been an issue. Until one day, the vinyl record finished before she got home, and it suddenly clicked in my brain that I was all alone at home and I had a pretty big freakout. For a while after that, I had this fear of being home alone.
I wouldn't make a good Kevin, is what I'm saying.
This wasn't really about vinyl records, but here we are.
I'm not sure my traumatized younger self would agree with the “really good” qualifier, but I know what you mean. I can't quite remember how old I was, but I might ask my mom to see if she can.
I would hang out with my sister and her boyfriend and listen to music and go through their records. The Rolling Stones Sticky Fingers with the zipper on the jacket fascinated me and I read a story recently on how Mick Jagger asked Andy Warhol to design it. They included the letter Mick wrote to Andy. It’s really good and apparently I wasn’t the only one fascinated with it.
What a killer album cover! I mean, it's like Mick Jagger's crotch, right? The interactive zipper thing is really cool, and i would inevitably gravitate toward stuff like that as a kid. Eventually, we started calling these things "gimmicks", especially as the 1980s ended and comic books began to put shiny things on the cover in order to sell more to collectors. We were quite cognizant of being pandered to, and we did not like it one bit.
Iconic; caused all kinds of production, stocking and cost of materials probs. The Who's Next cover also featured rock stars and their junk. Me, I was a sucker for the holographic cover the bifold cover, the alternate cover the glow-in-the-dark cover I would buy into every comic book gimmick
Dude, I'm gonnna tag some deep divers here and get some additional context on the record side. Holographic covers were the ultimate in gimmicks! I got the Wolverine hologram card when Marvel Cards first came out in like 1990 and thought I had won the lottery.
Tons of problems for everyone but the consumer (and sometimes even us!).
Led Zepplin’s III comes to mind, as does the original sleeve for New Order’s Blue Monday. Every copy sold cost the label. The band did it agains with a limited run of their Republic album, which looked was made to look like an inflatable life jacket (orange, vinyl, and puffy). Hard to describe, and even harder to stock.
That very much sounds like something I would have done with one of my bands, just to screw over the record company. I kind of couldn't see past my own nose most of the time, you know?
I think what has changed the most about sound in our lives is that we used to own our music. Now most of us rent the license to play the music. It’s not ours anymore. And that’s the attraction to vinyl, to hold the sound in your hands and possess it without clicking Yes to a huge legal document.
There is something to be said for being able to grab a physical object that belongs to you, any time you want. I wonder if that's one of the babies we are inevitably throwing out w/the bathwater of inconvenience.
-"They even threw in some pics of recording with Ray Charles (I would too, Billy!)," Ray and Billy famously teamed up for the tune "Baby Grand", which I assume is there.
-In most cases with albums of this era, lyrics, album credits and such would either be printed on the inner gatefold of the album sleeve, or on a separate sheet of paper included with the album. In the CD era, the sleeves or booklets accompanying the disc took over that function.
Yes to "Baby Grand." I had no idea how badass this song was when I was 11, but I get it today. I was all in on "Matter of Trust" and "Running in Silence", the first two tracks that set "Baby Grand" up. What a record.
I vaguely recall that we had a bunch of acoustic guitar artists and some children's fairy tales on vinyl. Mom would sometimes put those on for me as I fell asleep and then she'd go out with the dog. That's never been an issue. Until one day, the vinyl record finished before she got home, and it suddenly clicked in my brain that I was all alone at home and I had a pretty big freakout. For a while after that, I had this fear of being home alone.
I wouldn't make a good Kevin, is what I'm saying.
This wasn't really about vinyl records, but here we are.
That's a really good memory, though. Do you recall how old you were? I'm currently searching my mind for moments just like this.
I'm not sure my traumatized younger self would agree with the “really good” qualifier, but I know what you mean. I can't quite remember how old I was, but I might ask my mom to see if she can.
I am going to be seeing my mom next month, and I'm gonna interview her! Mom, if you read this, save up some extra energy for me.
Yes, so now current recording technology changes that energy into a digital format. What comes next?
I'm not at all convinced that we don't operate along similar lines (binary, digital).
Perhaps our understanding of music will change
I would hang out with my sister and her boyfriend and listen to music and go through their records. The Rolling Stones Sticky Fingers with the zipper on the jacket fascinated me and I read a story recently on how Mick Jagger asked Andy Warhol to design it. They included the letter Mick wrote to Andy. It’s really good and apparently I wasn’t the only one fascinated with it.
What a killer album cover! I mean, it's like Mick Jagger's crotch, right? The interactive zipper thing is really cool, and i would inevitably gravitate toward stuff like that as a kid. Eventually, we started calling these things "gimmicks", especially as the 1980s ended and comic books began to put shiny things on the cover in order to sell more to collectors. We were quite cognizant of being pandered to, and we did not like it one bit.
Iconic; caused all kinds of production, stocking and cost of materials probs. The Who's Next cover also featured rock stars and their junk. Me, I was a sucker for the holographic cover the bifold cover, the alternate cover the glow-in-the-dark cover I would buy into every comic book gimmick
Dude, I'm gonnna tag some deep divers here and get some additional context on the record side. Holographic covers were the ultimate in gimmicks! I got the Wolverine hologram card when Marvel Cards first came out in like 1990 and thought I had won the lottery.
Tons of problems for everyone but the consumer (and sometimes even us!).
Led Zepplin’s III comes to mind, as does the original sleeve for New Order’s Blue Monday. Every copy sold cost the label. The band did it agains with a limited run of their Republic album, which looked was made to look like an inflatable life jacket (orange, vinyl, and puffy). Hard to describe, and even harder to stock.
Really? the labels lost money on all these gimmicks? Must have driven the suits crazy!
Not sure if all of them lost money, but Blue Monday sure did!
That very much sounds like something I would have done with one of my bands, just to screw over the record company. I kind of couldn't see past my own nose most of the time, you know?