Mind you, I never wanted to see the large format and gatefold packaging go away. I would spend hours drooling over the illustrations, large photographs and theme concepts that later would translate to a career in Design and Album cover art.
Now I am back to feverishly "picking" through the thrift stores in hope to find a gem here and there. Today, many people from my parents generation (80's) are passing on and their kids are dumping their "worthless" collection. Old hippies in their golden years are dumping their collection for digital remasters. This means some fun albums are to be had.
There are challenges I have found in the process of hunting:
- Stores like Goodwill and Salvation Army are quite aware of what they have now, and pull back valuable records for online auction or a special "Collector's Corner."
- Prices have gone up to up to $3 an album, and some have been marked to market prices.
- Most of the inventory left in bins are artists like Andy Williams, Lawrence Welk, 101 Strings, Sing Along with Mitch and Barbara Streisand including Christmas variations from these artists. Yuck.
- When you do find, say, the first Ventures album, the vinyl is missing or scratched to shit.
- Knowing when stores replenish their supply of records before the other collectors clean it out
There are records to still be found though, despite these challenges.
If the store locations receive record donations at a local level vs. having them delivered from their distribution center, most of the albums are un-edited.
The experience of cleaning records, repairing and cleaning up jacket covers has become a fun hobby.
Listening to the warmth and richness of original recordings on vinyl is not the same with digital remasters.
- Mind you, it is great to hear remasters too since many are re-mixed from master tapes allowing you to hear alot of nuances that was not audible on their original counterparts.
For example "Here Comes the Sun" was always a pretty clean recording on vinyl, but the remastered White Album pulled out alot more of the Moog, organ and guitar playing from George.
Re-capturing the feeling of opening up a 12"x12"canvas, admiring the art, pulling out the vinyl is something I have missed.
The hisses and pops on some of the records gives it that familiar "vintage" sound.
Reading the lyrics on the album sleeves is so enjoyable.
Much more of an experience than downloading a faceless track.
I am also learning tricks and tips for cleaning up records I wish I knew as a kid which I will share on future entries:
- Wood Glue for removing grit and stripping the vinyl down to near new
- Home Made cleaning solutions
- Cleaning techniques for 78s
Most exciting is digitizing and remastering albums on my own using Audacity software. This is extremely exciting since many 78s are going to have a lot of noise. Some albums will never be released as digital versions.
This blog is devoted to picking stories, obscure covers, gems found, music samples (before/after) and techniques used to support my habit.
Stay tuned in...
