Day 234 – Music to my ears

by The Philosophical Fish

August 21, 2016 – After watching last night’s Tragically Hip performance streaming from Kingston, I was thinking about the evolution of music and how we listen to it.

Once upon a time music was only available as a live performance.

Then we learned how to record it in the most amazing manners. The first recordings were made to paper or glass, around the 1860’s. By the late 1870’s Edison had developed the phonograph cylinder, and the first phonograph disc with grooves was developed by 1887.

The first electrically cut discs were in production by the 1920’s. This particular phonograph was built in 1924 (according to the plate) and plays thick, heavy, 78rpm records that could take your head off if thrown by a ninja.

Radios began to appear in living rooms and we could listen to live broadcasts of dialogue and live and pre-recorded music.

Vinyl LP records were in production by 1948, and 45s were on the market a year later. By 1957 vinyl records were in stereo and we were hooked on the latest runes, waiting impatiently for each new release by our favourite bands.

And I don’t think there has been a media with the staying power since.

Cassettes, 8-tracks, laserdics. When CDs hit the market in 1982 everyone thought that was the end of vinyl. Then there were digital audio tapes, digital compact cassettes, minidiscs, DVDs.

Then it seemed like physical media would disappear altogether. MP3s, WMA, ACC, Ogg, FLAC….

I bought a digital turntable years ago and recorded all of my vinyl into digital format for listening on my computer and on my iPod. It took forever to record them all. Unlike a CD, which can be pushed into a player and ripped and tagged in mere moments, a record has to be played, from start to finish, both sides. After recording it needs to be manually split into tracks, and each track manually identified and labelled.

But it was worth it to hear music I hadn’t heard in years. I have a very eclectic collection of vinyl, many records were never mainstream and herald from the club days.

And, although I gave the turntable to a friend so he could record his vinyl, I never gave up the records. They went into storage, in the very back of the crawlspace, tucked away in a tote. I’m not a packrat, definitely anything BUT a hoarder, but I haven’t seen fit to let those go yet. There are too many memories wrapped up in them, and they can still be played and enjoyed.

And while most of those physical media formats have all but vanished, and digital media downloads have largely been replaced with streaming audio, the vinyl record has not only been buried, but it has been resurrected.

There is nothing quite like spinning a record. There is a nostalgia, a warmth, to the sound.

Taking an LP out of its sleeve, tilting it to the light to look for scratches, blowing any dust from the grooves. Gently setting it over the centre spindle and viewing it for warping. Setting the speed to 33 ⅓ rpm and turning the power on the set the platter in motion. Lifting the head and setting the stylus gently on the edge of the record and hearing the first few crackles as the needle moves gently inward…..and then the music starts.

It was a ritual.

And I’m glad that ritual is still with us.

No CD can ever replace the mesmerizing rotation of vinyl on a turntable.

(This is a 1924 Victrola that needs a new home, along with the strange collection of 78 rpm records that go with it.)

116 Photos in 2016 – 12. Spin / spinning

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30 comments

MrStefaan August 22, 2016 - 12:31 am

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Heiming1124 August 22, 2016 - 12:42 am

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Photos By Clark August 22, 2016 - 12:43 am

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Heather Halliday Darin August 22, 2016 - 1:19 am

To,d Mike about the victrola needing a new home and before I finished, I hear “can we get it, can we get it?” LOL

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Linda Herbert August 22, 2016 - 1:23 am

Great post. Would love to see pictures of the Victrola, they are so cool. We bought a digital turntable to record our LPs but the recording quality sucked. We just use it to listen to them now.

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Paige Ackerman August 22, 2016 - 2:40 am

I did quite well with most of my vinyl when I recorded it. A couple of albums were damaged and skipped, but I’d say 95% were great. I did the first batch on an old Kenwood marble turntable that Kirk connected for me, and I got a workout running back and forth between the living room and the computer in the bedroom at the start and end of each side 🙂

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Linda Herbert August 22, 2016 - 4:30 am

Ha, ha, I can picture the mad dashes! ? Even if we were able to record ours at high quality I’m pretty sure Casey wouldn’t part with it, so I suppose it’s irrelevant that ours sucks at recording! We only have ~6 feet total so it’s not too bad…well except when moving. ?

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Linda Herbert August 22, 2016 - 1:24 am

Also if Mike changes his mind let us know .

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Paige Ackerman August 22, 2016 - 2:11 am

It’s the one in the middle  

Kirk is sending me the photos he took to post it online. It does still work, and it’s totally cool and so much fun!

I’ve had it for probably 20 years, and it was from my grandparent’s basement where it had languished for many many years before I took it. Our old cat scratched the top of it, it needs a good cleaning after being in storage for the past ten years, and would benefit from refinishing, but it’s not in terrible shape.

We just don’t have a spot for it in this place and it needs a good home where someone else will enjoy having it.

Photos to follow.

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Paige Ackerman August 22, 2016 - 2:18 am
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Paige Ackerman August 22, 2016 - 2:19 am
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Paige Ackerman August 22, 2016 - 2:19 am
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Paige Ackerman August 22, 2016 - 2:19 am
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Linda Herbert August 22, 2016 - 4:22 am

It’s lovely!

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Heather Halliday Darin August 22, 2016 - 2:25 am

I messaged you Paige.

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Paige Ackerman August 22, 2016 - 2:29 am

Got it. 🙂

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Gillian Everett August 22, 2016 - 4:26 am

Nice angle and great idea for the topic
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Linda Herbert August 22, 2016 - 4:31 am

Love that you found an old advertisement for it!

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FotoNing August 22, 2016 - 6:20 am

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Maxinux40k August 22, 2016 - 10:30 am

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Angela.Dee August 22, 2016 - 12:14 pm

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annakenny79 August 22, 2016 - 2:08 pm

Great shot. Love the idea for the theme.
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Randomographer August 22, 2016 - 3:46 pm

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Missy2004 August 22, 2016 - 5:47 pm

Super shot

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Tor Magnus Anfinsen August 23, 2016 - 2:55 am

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RJT11 August 23, 2016 - 5:29 am

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louisawilliamsphotography August 23, 2016 - 10:53 am

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sure2talk August 24, 2016 - 12:07 pm

I love this, it takes me back to childhood and visiting my nan who played us records on a turntable similar to this. Super light and dof.
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quiltsdp October 7, 2016 - 1:40 am

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