Best Album Cover

Discogs.com is the reference point most everyone I deal with uses.

 

In semi-related news, I knew I should have bought one of those Phonolog binders - the staple of any good record store - when I had the chance!

 

Funny you should mention CD players, Coco, I'm trying to fix one.

A Nakamichi CDP 2 that develops a common problem over time according to the Internet. Stupid thing is the newest (1991) main component I have and it gets fussy. All of my gear is from the 50s -70s. Solid state and vacuum tube.

I'll be recapping a set of KLH 20 speakers this weekend, so if you want to talk speakers..

The sound really is a product of the chain. What kind of source, speakers, interconnects, the space..everything has an impact on the final product.

Tonight I'll be switching between the Friday night Blues block on 88.5 FM here and a turntable from about 1960. Idler drive that I've brought back to life. Sounds really nice.

And to topic, this cover is holographic and when it came out we all thought is was the coolest thing ever:

 

OK, inspired by @Machine Head , here's my lineup...

Squeaky Clean Vinyl record cleaning machine. Guy in Canada makes them with a 3D printer. It does a fantastic job.

Spin Clean. I'll be honest -- haven't used it once since I got the cleaning machine. It works, but it's kind of a pain in the ass.

I have a stylus cleaning kit and the same carbon fiber brush MH linked. Use the carbon fiber brush every time.

MoFi inner sleeves. Love these things. They're much sturdier than the typical plastic-type inner sleeve.

Sleeve City Outer Sleeves. They're heavy, perfectly clear, and big enough to handle double LPs.

 

Yeah, the Spin Clean is a process, but it's worth it. Scrubs loose embedded crud. I also have a hand-held clamp device I use on tough ones. I use a paint edger as the scrubber. I'll see if there's a link somewhere online for the clamp.

I do ten revolutions each way on the SC and then vacuum until dry as I can get the record. Some do more revolutions on the SC, some do less.

To topic:

 

One thing I forgot to mention is that I used distilled water in the Spin Clean. We have terrible city water and have a water softener.

I figure if I'm going to all this trouble I'm going all the way and not use tap water to clean.

Well, all the way is to add in ultrasonic cleaning between the Spin Clean and vacuum, but I'm not quite there yet.

This is where the picture of Lou Reed "Rock and Roll Animal" goes, to stay on topic.

 

What's an Armworth?

 

I figured you'd know that one. My friend had the cool cover version. I never did.

He also had Marantz gear in the early 70s. High end stuff.

I had a Lloyds all in one system. Fucking Lloyds.

 

That was one of the buried treasures when my brother gave me all his vinyl way back in the day. That collection got destroyed about 20 years ago in a basement flood.

 

That sucks.

Got "Joe's Garage" too?

 

That was in there, although I wore out the "Joe's Garage" cassettes in high school. Benefits of having a brother grow up in the late '60s through late '70s.

I really miss ALL the Zappa records on vinyl.

 

Make one your second purchase.