Vinyl is back, as you know. 

Once USA Today starts writing about the strong resurgence, even grandmothers start chatting about it, mostly wondering if those old albums in the attic are worth a fortune or not.

“Perfect Sound Forever” was the marketing slogan for the compact disc when it was rolled out in the 80’s, and I must very shamefully admit my belief in the slogan took me down a massively expensive path. Because I didn’t take good care of my records in high school and college, my initial infatuation with the crackle-free  pure clarity of CD’s led me to replace all of my favorite LPs in CD format. OUCH!

Perhaps this happened to you, also.

Then, when it became apparent to my ears that CD’s weren’t really offering “perfect sound forever,” (and that CDs were barely able to outlast the 8 track tape in terms of total years of popularity with consumers) I began buying my album favorites AGAIN in LP format. Financial pain, part two! 

IT’S NOT YOUR FATHER’S TURNTABLE ANYMORE

If you are thinking of getting back into vinyl, or even thinking of giving it a try for the first time, my initial soundbyte for all is “The technology of the turntable has not stood still from what you may remember.”

Listening to music on vinyl today is far more amazing than how you recall it from college, or from the days when your dad or mom played those Herb Alpert & Tijuana Brass Records on the Motorola console that also served as a showy piece of living room furniture.  I’ll discuss today's entry options for music nirvana and equipment costs in later blogging.

But why is vinyl strongly rising again?  

Yes, the sound is MUCH better than what the armies of iTunes subscribers are listening to. But the answers are more elusive and complicated than just “vinyl has better sound.”

The people who actually care about the experience of music ownership are increasingly turning back to vinyl because it gives you a physical experience that's more fulfilling than a simple CD purchase. My already huge love for Van Morrison tripled when he began offering vinyl-only "bonus tracks" to those buying his new albums beginning about ten years ago. Wow! -- Nice statement....It was the other way around for years. Van is the man!

There's something wonderfully interactive about putting on a record, listening to a side, and then flipping it over to hear the other side. And, lets not forget album art. This blog will frequently dive into the satisfying beauty and fun relating to the art associated with LPs. 

Vinyl isn't just music. It's an experience. And one that's worth paying for. And not just by old hippies. Even the millennials agree. And anyone buying the latest Kanye West or White Stripes album on vinyl automatically gets a free download enclosed with the album anyway. A great value proposition!

There’s much to discuss ahead in future posts….welcome to the blog!

--Cuthbert