Vinyl Guy

I decided to pick up a new hobby and buy some vinyl records.

I ordered one of those Victrola suitcase players that is probably cooler looking than it is functional, but it will be good enough as a start. I can use it in both my office at work and at home. Supposed to arrive Friday.

In the meantime, I bought a few records today so I can be prepared. Was looking for things I thought would sound cool on the player, reminded me of my youth, and that I just think I'll like. First batch includes:

* 10cc -- Ten Out of Ten -- I like a couple of their songs, this probably sucks but was only $3
* The Who by Numbers -- grandfathers of power pop, my favorite genre, this was the only Who album on hand and only $8 so I had to get it, has Squeeze Box on it
* Go-Gos -- Vacation -- the best girl band ever in my opinion and one of my overall favorites, couldn't turn this down for $7
* John Mellencamp -- Scarecrow -- from the middle of my high school years
* Artful Dodger -- Babes on Broadway -- another power-pop band I've enjoyed, don't know a lot about them but figured I'll learn a bit more for $8
* ELO -- Out of the Blue -- spent a little more on this at $14, but I always enjoy their music so it's gonna be worth it as a double disc, I mean, it is their most successful album
* Albert Hammond -- It Never Rains in Southern California -- I don't really know much about him but I enjoy his son's music, so for $6 I'll find out if the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, at least I know the title song

I'm usually streaming my music, discovering new things through Spotify. Just wanted to branch out and have a little fun. Buddy at work owns 4,000 records, so we'll have some good conversations.

Next batch I want to get some James Brown-type, classic Motown, soul, maybe some Prince. Then a few '70s like Neil Young, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd. Plenty of record stores around, and might look for some yard sales as well.

What does everyone else enjoy as far as vinyl goes?

 

For years we had an old upright phonograph with steel needle from my grandmother's house, circa 1920s. My parents finally decided to sell it, a rarity they thought would be worth big bucks. They drove it at some effort to Lambertville and the antique shops. When my father walked into the first shop, he blanched. The store was packed with upright phonographs.

I think they paid the shopkeeper to take it off their hands.

 

Randomly there was a discussion of ELO’s Out of the Blue on vinyl amongst my family tonight.

 

I got back into vinyl a few years ago. I already had a decent collection from the pre-CD days. Now I'm up in the vicinity of 1,100 records.

I've got a ton of 80s New Wave-type stuff from back in the day. Lately I've been getting a lot of 70s funk and soul.

@TheSportsPredictor , if you find you like the format you're going to want to upgrade from the Victrola at some point. The sound quality isn't great, which you can live with, but they also have a tendency to skip like hell because there's no counterweight for the tonearm. That'll get pretty frustrating.

Also, as I post this Butch Walker's "American Love Story" is just $10.87 on Amazon.

 

Out of the blue is the first album i ever purchased.

 

Wasn't my first but it was pretty close. I still have my copy - gave it to my 15 year old last year when I set up an old turntable in his room.

 

Gwen and her mom went in on one back in the early 1980s. We've dragged it from house to house (at least it has wooden wheels) and it's fun to wind up and play, but I looked up valuations not long ago and yeah, it's worth more as a place to keep my keys and loose change.

 

Nerd alert: I asked the wife for "From Out of Nowhere" to add to my ELO collection.

 

My daughter has a Cure and Styx album covers hanging in her room right now because they look cool.

Goodwill has albums. You might get lucky.

 

Ive read that about the Victrola. Someone actually put a nice comparison in one of the Best Buy reviews talking about the type of sound that made it skip. It came down to a great deal on it; I probably will upgrade, but this will get me going.

And you can bet I’ll get some Butch vinyl. FYI, today (for 25 more minutes) is the 20th anniversary of the release of Ready, Sex, Go. Never put on vinyl and doubt it ever will be, as Butch lost the masters in that fire several years back.

Do you remember for how much?

 

Didn't realize this was the anniversary. That was the album that got me into Butch and the M3.

I was reading an old Sycamore Meadows-era interview with Butch that made me (slightly) hopeful. He was asked about the potential for "Letters" ever being on vinyl and he said it wasn't going to happen because he didn't own the rights to it. I had thought that it was lost in the fire but this made it sound like it was actually out there somewhere.

I think I've got all of his vinyl releases except that 1969 album. Sycamore Meadows and that stupid Christmas record are now insanely expensive.

 

I've got 600-700 vinyl albums packed in boxes in my garage, along with my old stereo components, which I haven't had set up for 17 years.
Along with 300-400 CDS and maybe a hundred cassette tapes.