I saw where Vinyl record albums outsold CD's for the first time in thirty years. I wasn't really surprised by that as I don't think many are buying albums these days. I admit I don't keep up with the latest music and all of that. I couldn't say the last time I purchased any music, in any format. My impression is that the kids today just download individual songs to create their playlists. I did that buying 45 RPM records and stacking them on the turntable in the order I wished to hear them. Seldom did I purchase an entire album, too expensive, almost five dollars! And everyone knew a lot of the songs on there weren't that good, if they were they would be released on a 45. I still have a couple of albums and a few 45's today, just for nostalgia. I don't have a way to play them. I'm thinking the purchase of these vinyl albums today are for that reason, nostalgia. I read where an album today can cost you in the mid thirties!
I remember buying a cd player for the first time some twenty odd years ago. They were touted as crystal clear, just like being in the room with the band. No need for that big old stereo set anymore. Oh I did have one of those at one time, you know the type. A tall cabinet containing the turntable, the tuner, the graphic equalizer , booster all hooked to huge speakers. No, you could just put that stuff in a yard sale, a cd didn't require any of that, it was like digital magic. I admit to being skeptical as I had an eight track player, a cassette player and a Sony Walkman. But I was impressed with the sound quality and the ease of use. Just push a button and you could go to any track you wanted, you could even rearrange the order if you wanted to. Yes finally the ideal solution. Well until the internet showed up and I could just stream whatever song I wanted to hear. I could purchase a single if I wanted although I never have. Guess it is because I remember when a song was released and now they just drop them! Makes sense I suppose, if you dropped those vinyl albums or 45's they might crack! It was bad enough when they got scratched but a crack, that was pretty much the end of that. Remember having to put a penny on the tone arm to prevent the record from skipping? Yeah, that happened to the best ones from constant playing.
Today if I'm not listening to music through headphones on my computer it will be through that Google Home device. Hey Google , play George Jones! It plays and that is pretty cool. The sound is great with me and I can turn it up and down just by saying so. You can't get any more convenient than that. Yes I have a sound bar hooked to the television for that surround sound experience. Can't say the last time I turned it on though, don't like the volume that loud. And it has to be loud to have the effect it is supposed to have. Well, I have it and I suppose that is what counts. I haven't outgrown the desire to have toys, even the ones I don't play with. I wonder if there is still a record club? You know those clubs where you got the first ten albums for one penny, all you had to do was buy like a thousand more over the next year or so. I think they did that with cassettes and cd's too. I never subscribed to any of that. I expect there is some site where you can download that offer in the same scheme. I don't miss records or turntables or any of that. I'm not much of an audiophile. I will say this, if you are listening to classic country artists like George Jones, Merle Haggard, Conway Twitty, Loretta and the like, it does sound best on an old radio, transistor will do, but one with vacuum tubes are the best. I hear the great guitar players today all want those amplifiers with the tubes in them too. Guess they hear something I don't or they are trying to hear what I did. I'm amused that so many are now, spinning the vinyl, shades of the Big Bopper. I don't recall what they call it when the disc jockey began sticking their hands on the turn table and jerking the record back and forth. Do they still do that? Well what goes around comes around. Even records.
I remember buying a cd player for the first time some twenty odd years ago. They were touted as crystal clear, just like being in the room with the band. No need for that big old stereo set anymore. Oh I did have one of those at one time, you know the type. A tall cabinet containing the turntable, the tuner, the graphic equalizer , booster all hooked to huge speakers. No, you could just put that stuff in a yard sale, a cd didn't require any of that, it was like digital magic. I admit to being skeptical as I had an eight track player, a cassette player and a Sony Walkman. But I was impressed with the sound quality and the ease of use. Just push a button and you could go to any track you wanted, you could even rearrange the order if you wanted to. Yes finally the ideal solution. Well until the internet showed up and I could just stream whatever song I wanted to hear. I could purchase a single if I wanted although I never have. Guess it is because I remember when a song was released and now they just drop them! Makes sense I suppose, if you dropped those vinyl albums or 45's they might crack! It was bad enough when they got scratched but a crack, that was pretty much the end of that. Remember having to put a penny on the tone arm to prevent the record from skipping? Yeah, that happened to the best ones from constant playing.
Today if I'm not listening to music through headphones on my computer it will be through that Google Home device. Hey Google , play George Jones! It plays and that is pretty cool. The sound is great with me and I can turn it up and down just by saying so. You can't get any more convenient than that. Yes I have a sound bar hooked to the television for that surround sound experience. Can't say the last time I turned it on though, don't like the volume that loud. And it has to be loud to have the effect it is supposed to have. Well, I have it and I suppose that is what counts. I haven't outgrown the desire to have toys, even the ones I don't play with. I wonder if there is still a record club? You know those clubs where you got the first ten albums for one penny, all you had to do was buy like a thousand more over the next year or so. I think they did that with cassettes and cd's too. I never subscribed to any of that. I expect there is some site where you can download that offer in the same scheme. I don't miss records or turntables or any of that. I'm not much of an audiophile. I will say this, if you are listening to classic country artists like George Jones, Merle Haggard, Conway Twitty, Loretta and the like, it does sound best on an old radio, transistor will do, but one with vacuum tubes are the best. I hear the great guitar players today all want those amplifiers with the tubes in them too. Guess they hear something I don't or they are trying to hear what I did. I'm amused that so many are now, spinning the vinyl, shades of the Big Bopper. I don't recall what they call it when the disc jockey began sticking their hands on the turn table and jerking the record back and forth. Do they still do that? Well what goes around comes around. Even records.
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