http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/1b290758-d6b1-11dc-b9f4-0000779fd2ac.html?ncli...

In the last year or so I've picked up many LPs. Often finding them in perfect condition for around 50p. I even invested in a vacuum record cleaner which makes a huge difference.

Love the sound, love the whole record experience. Still have over 1000 CDs which I generally don't play. If I want digital then that's what computers and iPods are for.

I started buying vinyl again about 5 years ago, mainly second hand but also some more recent releases. The sound is undoubtedly different from cd being, as you say, warmer and also, in my opinion, better balanced between bass, mids and treble. As more and more albums are being re-released on vinyl this makes the the whole thing much more accessible again. The main problem that I can see is that allegedly (and in my opinion probably) vinyl lps that were released in the 80s were of a lesser quality as companies tried to tempt us away from this format towards cd. However, many lps from the 50s, 60s and 70s carry very high quality recordings and are well made and well worth getting hold of if a good example can be found. I tend to find record fairs rather expensive and get most of mine at flea markets (I'm very lucky to have family in Berlin whose local flea market often has excellent examples for a couple of Euros), and eBay can be good, especially where people are offering several lps in one lot. I'm rather lucky insomuch that the FPO likes having records, cds and books around the place because she thinks it gives the house character.

are pretty good vinyl hunting grounds. In amongst the TOTP LPs and brass bgand comps is soem por sap whose FPO has finally ordered him to get rid of his records 'and don't come back with em!'. I regularly go to one where a guy is selling mint copy originals of Neil Young, Dylan, Cohen and the like for 2 quid a throw. Including foreign pressings.

No I'm not telling you where it is

I have always had vinyl, never saw the point in buying my collection again so just invested in a good quality turntable. The vinyl revival story does the rounds every so often but it is very much a dead cat bounce. I now tend to buy the odd thing second hand as I resent how vinyl has become a premium product with, an often, 50% mark up against CD. I probably have around 900 records as against 700+ Cd's, the CDs are catching up fast though. Overall I think vinyl at its best is better than CD (soundwise) but it is a bit finicky.

it is the superlative format, as any fule (with decent ears and a decent hifi) kno. I'm always amused by visitors remarking "wow, you have vinyl!" or "ooh, records!" when they visit my place. Yes - it never went away, kids!

I will concur, though, that the big heavy records are possibly not the most practical format for portable listening, etc :)

As for the premium price that new vinyl releases attract when compared to the CD equivalents, that's simply down to economics. Preparing parts for and pressing (say) 2000 copies of a vinyl LP, for the niche market which will buy it, is not cheap.

..still buying it, and the wife knows which part of it is valuable (about a third), although its all precious to me.
I had a field day when people cleared out their vinyl in the 90s..ah those were the days, "Bryter Layter" on pink rin for 10 quid..

My Father-in-Law recently bought an old wind-up Columbia gramophone. I have to say that the sound, while not exactly hi-fi, is so evocative of an earlier era. I was completely bowled over by it because it sounded exactly and one would imagine it would. He got a nice selection of 78s too which have been great to explore.

I wonder if music technology is the only one (from vinyl (not necessarily shellac) to MP3) where each 'advance' has resulted in a diminution of quality and effectiveness. Certainly one could argue that things aren't made to last as they were, but they tend to work better - I'm not sure that it could ever be said that MP3s or cds work better than vinyl, they're just more convenient.

..have done for music what tights did for finger-fucking.

that when you play an LP you want to listen to more, whereas with a CD you just want to turn it down.

I think it comes down to "How much do you love Music?"
Who has the time?...seriously?
Vinyl will now always be a niche market and those that endeavour will either be filthy rich or on the Dole,for those are the only two with time on their hands.

You could argue the same with EQ Pre-sets.
Nobody understands or cares.

I made the same mistake 20 years ago when, before moving to London for a new career, I sold my old vinyl. I was also seduced by the CD age for all the same reasons.

But recently I've got back into it and have a sort of personal project where I browse the vinyl shops in Soho, Camden etc and pick up old 2nd hand classic rock albums, especially ones I enjoyed growing up and with excellent artwork, like Deep Purple's Machine Head, Rainbow Rising, early Rush and early AC/DC. Come to think of it, I might go out and buy a fistful tomorrow.

Two great bits by Michael Bywater on the LP in his book "Lost Worlds: What have we lost and where did it go", (go to it at
amazon.co.uk and search inside for"LP"-pages 166-7 and also
"Texture"-pages 235-236).

Particularly liked his explanation of why the runout groove is the music of the spheres ...and his simple concise summation "the computer makes everything retrievable, but it doesn't retrieve everything".

"I was going to buy Them Crooked Vultures new album but they want £22 for the vinyl."

"Vinyl? Do you even have a turntable?", I asked.

"I'm thinking about buying a USB one."

"Why don't you just buy the CD?", I responded.

"There's no point. I've already got a [naughty unpaid for] download so why would I want the CD? It's just a piece of plastic that sits unplayed. Vinyl at least has attractive packaging."

Could this be the future? Vinyl for home listening and MP3s for everything else.