Scrapbook Notebook Series Scrapbook #6 | Page 18

Why We Love Vinyl LPs and their covers create a synaesthetic experience that CDs simply can’t match. Lauren Mortimer spins some vinyl . . . Since the Original Dixieland ‘Jass’ Band released the first ever jazz record, Livery Stable Blues on 26th February 1917, vinyl has been responsible for bringing the sound of popular music to homes worldwide. And despite the continued threat of other mediums to record and play back sound, vinyl records have not only stood their ground, but in recent times have actually seen the decline in sales heralded in by the introduction of the CD halted and reversed. Time and again the music industry told us that vinyl would not last and would be superseded by more advanced technology. Unfortunately, what the music industry failed to take into account is that people do not necessarily want listening to music to be a pragmatic task. The turning of a 45 single record, the crackle from the speaker, and the large sleeve required to house LPs are all unique charms of vinyl. I started collecting vinyl before I had the means to play them. The ownership of something more akin to memorabilia, rather than the simple means to listen to music, created a buzz that a CD case cannot match. With the purchase of record decks my collection has flourished and the enjoinment of interaction with my favourite songs has increased as the fizz of a second hand record emanates from within. And it seems that I’m not the only one. Vinyl is experiencing a resurgence, one that enthusiasts have been predicting for years. In 2008, 1.88 million vinyl albums were bought, the highest number since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking LP sales in 1991 and nearly double the number reported for the previous twelve months. Previously the majority of sales increases had been seen by independent traders, especially those dealing in second hand wares and those operating at specialist fairs. However, the trend has now translated to the larger retailers and to brand new stock. The history of music is aided by its direct relatio