You remember those, usually black in color, discs that we used to call records. The really old records played at 78 RPM, but many of us played, or still own, 45's and 33-1/3's. Those 33-1/3 LP records were first introduced by Columbia in 1949 and they were dominant for about 30 years. The discs were made of vinyl (some old records were wax or shellac) and the medium morphed into high fidelity sound and stereo for the masses. Let me also say that we liked our 45's too. Those cheaper, two-sided singles, gave us the latest hits before the albums came out.

Heck, of course we liked our records. That's how we first heard Elvis.

We first heard the Beatles on vinyl too.

That is how it used to be but, for the most part, once the compact disc came out, in the early 1980's, vinyl started to fade away and made way for those shiny little discs.
It did not make everyone happy that vinyl was replaced with CD's. Many of the discriminating audiophiles claim that the CD just does not have the sound quality of vinyl. The difference, they say, is analog vs digital. The analog process was direct -- when an artist or instrument was recorded a groove in the record was directly impacted by every nuance of a voice or an instrument. With digital, to a much larger degree, averaging, limiting and compression takes place. Another argument is that the tiny CD does not lend itself to the lavish artwork that was incorporated into the covers of some albums.
Now, I think that most of us still like our CD's for convenience and the fact they tend to stay trouble free. With vinyl, while it might be an authentic sound, often we are not careful and we end up with noisy records -- sticky grooves, scratches, skips. I cannot tell you how many times the wife and I would buy some LP album, then wreck it that first week. CD's are more rugged. I think I have only damaged, beyond repair, two CD's. In each case I dropped them in gravel and put huge gouges in the surface.
So where am I going with all of this history? Well, I got a surprise yesterday. I went to Fred Meyer, a major retailer here in the northwest. While browsing the CD's, I saw that they have a small rack of 33 1/3 RPM vinyl albums -- the LP's, a higher quality medium than the old 45's.. The sign above them says; "Music the way it is meant to be heard."
I knew that some vinyl records were still being pressed. But, for the most part, I only see vinyl in used record stores. I decided to do a bit of reading on the topic and found that vinyl has been making a comeback in the last few years. Downloads (10% of the market share) are seriously cutting into CD sales (89% market share) and vinyl is now at .2% of the market share. That might not sound like much but, according to a story in Time, Warner Music reported a 30% increase in LP vinyl sales in 2007. That is a ray of hope to a bummed-out music industry that is not selling the product it used to sell. Based on the trend, it looks like those folks with turntables can keep them spinning with old, and new, music for many years to come.

Many audiophiles are excited about this trend in recorded music. The record companies realize that the vinyl market is still small, but they want to move more product. So they will serve that niche market. I understand that, at many college campuses, it is very cool to have a turntable. I saw a store the other day that sold only vinyl and turntables and hi-fi accessories. We have some younger friends, 30-year-olds, and they prefer their turntable and records to their CD's. It is, historically, a good thing that vinyl is making a comeback. No doubt about it, some of our greatest moments in recorded music were first preserved on record -- Click here.
There is an addendum to this post. Analyzing the facts, it makes sense that Fred Meyer, the Pacific Northwest, and specifically the Seattle area, would be leaders in this trend of the old becoming new again. After all, Seattle has always been at the forefront of trends in music -- from Ray Charles pioneering rock n' roll, to the garage bands of the 1960's, to Hendrix, to Nirvana and the whole grunge scene,
And wouldn't you know it, two of our old Active Rain buddies, one who lives in the Seattle area and the other (a very part-time employee) who visits on weekends for the nightlife, are at the forefront of making the old new again.
Below, for your eyes only, is the ad slick for a new Seattle billboard that is going to be going up next week. It will be promoting a Seattle radio station that plays innovative music that, they say, flys under the radar. (You can click on the billboard below, to go to their site.) And who are they counting on to get the public interested in their station? You got it, these two cool cats. Or, as they say: "Where's the sandbox mama, these two cool cats have got to go!"

For "Stories Behind the Music" click on the guitar 
Steven L. Smith
Bellingham WA Home Inspections

