Are you an OCCASIONAL vinyl buyer?

[BillF]

With all due respect to committed vinylists, having bought vinyl for thirty years from the late fifties till the end of the eighties, for the last twenty years I've preferred the CD format. Yet I occasionally still buy a vinyl disc - very occasionally, as I find I've only bought a dozen in the last twenty years while amassing hundreds of CDs. When I come to analyse my reasons for these occasional purchases, I find the discs can be sorted into the following categories:

Items on wish list but unavailable on CD at the time of purchase

Bob Brookmeyer, Blues Hot and Cold (Verve) (used)

Basie at Birdland (Roulette) (new)

George Coleman, Big George (Affinity) (used)

The Gerry Mulligan Songbook, Vol 1 (World Pacific) (new)

Seen in record store and bought on impulse

Art Pepper, The Way It Was (Contemporary/Boplicity) (used)

Al Cohn, Cohn's Tones (Realm/Savoy) (used)

Bill Holman, In a Jazz Orbit (VSOP/Rex) (used)

Jo Jones Special (Vanguard/Pye) (used)

Introducing Carl Perkins (Dooto) (used)

Mel Lewis, 20 Years at the Village Vanguard (Atlantic) (used)

Vinyl mistaken for CD!!

Bob Florence, Westlake (Discovery) (used) Bought it from the French site Priceminister and didn't notice the "33 tours" that indicated it was vinyl!!

And finally, the tragedy!

Stan Levey/Red Mitchell, West Coast Rhythm (Affinity) (very used) Two great looking 1954-55 sessions which have never been on CD as far as I'm aware, but LP proved to be absolutely unplayable!

So, any other occasional vinylists out there, or are you 100% CD or 100% vinyl? How do your CD/vinyl experiences compare with mine?

Edited December 13, 2009 by BillF

[A Lark Ascending]

I've not bought any vinyl since the late 80s - always hated the format. CD took all the fear out of playing a record for the first time.

Today I'm one step beyond what you are suggesting, Bill. 90% of my purchases are via download. I only buy on CD if it is unavailable on a download site. I've learnt to do without the packaging; and I'm far from an audiophile and so don't wrestle with all the angst about sound quality.

[sidewinder]

Very simple for me - preference for (original, if possible) vinyl for the listening pleasure and CDs for the I-Pod and convenience factor. Having said that, I've been listening to more CDs of late.

Good to mix and match !

[BillF]

Very simple for me - preference for (original, if possible) vinyl for the listening pleasure and CDs for the I-Pod and convenience factor. Having said that, I've been listening to more CDs of late.

Good to mix and match !

Interesting to see downloading mentioned by both of you. I'm not into this, but jazz radio and free streaming are important media for me.

[Teasing the Korean]

Never stopped buying vinyl.

Buy CDs too.

Buy what I come across at a good price, whatever format.

Love finding great stuff on CD, love finding great stuff on vinyl even more.

Like CDs more these days - I can listen in the car or at work.

[ghost of miles]

I pretty much buy vinyl only if the CD is unavailable. That said, I've picked up quite a # of titles over the past 4-5 years, in part because Landlocked Music here in town gets in so much cool jazz vinyl that's either OOP or prohibitively expensive in the CD format. Just the other day I bought Teddy Edwards' IT'S ABOUT TIME, which probably won't show up on CD any time soon unless it's as part of a pirate-label operation. But I much, much prefer the CD format.

[Clunky]

1977- started buying vinyl ( as a child)

1987 - bought CD player and abandoned vinyl ( kept what I had with occasional bargain additions from Fopp )

2003- bought a decent TT- started buying vinyl again, roughly 50:50 vinyl to CD

2009- bought a 78 rpm TT- started buying 78s !!!

I love the look and feel of vinyl, the sound often but not always surpasses that of CD. In honesty vinyl playback is more about nostalgia and feel when all logic suggests that CD is better and cheaper. Still roughly 50;50 vinyl to CD ratio. Not interested in downloads.

[sidewinder]

Just listening to one CD which surpasses any version I've heard on vinyl - Don Ellis 'Electric Bath' on CBS/Sony. They did wonders with this one.

As per clunky, I don't bother with on-line downloads either (other than boots from 't'other site')..

Edited December 12, 2009 by sidewinder

[porcy62]

I'd say NO to the question in the thread's title.

I buy only vinyl of the old stuff, including those faboulous classic sets from Decca, EMI and DG.

I used to compare CD and vinyl for the best sounding version, after a while I realized it was a waste of time, life is too short for spending it looking for the best sounding version of Kind Of Blue or A Love Supreme or Revolver, so much great music out there.

Now I go for vinyl, whatever they sounds.

I found that used records are more fun, pure and simple: looking for them, inspect them, cleaning them, for most people this is an hassle (easier to look for the best bargain cds on amazon and no bad suprises like scratch or pops and clicks), for me it's a pleasure.

I still buy cd of the new stuff and of the very old stuff like Ellington and Bix because today's remastering of these classics is a huge step forward compared to the analog era's ones.

The downloading is totally useless for me: I can't listen to music at work, I use the motorbike for commuting, so portable devices like iPod are out.

[jeffcrom]

I started buying CDs almost as soon as they came out, but I'm glad to say that I never got rid of my turntable. I mean that literally - I use the same turntable I bought in 1978. Now I buy more CDs than vinyl, but my turntable probably gets more playing time than my CD player.

And like Clunky, I bought a turntable for 78s earlier this year. I had a box of 78s I hadn't heard for almost 20 years, and have (for better or worse) multiplied my 78 collection several times in the last nine months.

I use my iPod for the convenience, and for the occasional download of an item I can't find in any other form.

[colinmce]

As a music buyer, I'm not picky. I have a limited budget so I buy used more often than anything, and vinyl can be very cheap. Thus I buy it when I see a title I want for a good price, despite whatever CD issue might be available-- just don't care about that sort of thing.

[porcy62]

Just listening to one CD which surpasses any version I've heard on vinyl...

Twisted by the Dark Side, young Sidewinder has become. Meditate on this I will.

Edited December 13, 2009 by porcy62

[thelbc]

Dude, who cares...do what you want...you seem weird to catogorize things like this...gives me the creeps!!!

I'm surprised that Chuck Nessa guy hasn't ripped your lame ass a new one.

Edited December 13, 2009 by TheLBC

[clifford_thornton]

What a post by LBC...

I buy vinyl occasionally every week.

Edited December 13, 2009 by clifford_thornton

[brownie]

I have run out of space for vinyls! Have enough to keep me very happy until it will be time to go!

I am not buying them any more except for the very rare one. Last time this happened was a couple of months ago when I came upon an original French Polydor 'Sammy Price avec Lucky Thompson'. Condition was better than acceptable and the price better than right!

I buy CDs nowadays. No downloads!

[sidewinder]

I have run out of space for vinyls!

I'm pretty well there too. Otherwise it will be extra racking in the garage !

[JohnS]

I've not bought any vinyl for years. The last one was more than ten years ago when I bought a copy of Steve Reid's Odyssey of The Oblong Square (still sealed) for a very good price. I'd still be tempted if I saw something I really wanted but like others here I have more than enough to keep me going. In fact I'm trying hard via ebay to get the vinyl collection down to essentials.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

I think I'm a bit like TTK in this. I buy what I can get and afford in whatever medium it comes in. Over the past 5 years, the albums I've bought have been on

CD 755

DL 89

K7 22

LP 43

The number of K7s is down a lot, because I haven't had a holiday in Africa, but have to make do with short trips to Paris.

I've stopped buying 45s and 78s

MG

[A Lark Ascending]

In the end I don't think there is any overall superiority of one medium over another. Each has its strengths and weaknesses.

I think most of us decide on a preference beyond the rational (in the same way we might prefer one style of garden or wallpaper [actually, I prefer paint!] over another). It's easy then to get blind about what others hear. With vinyl I always hear the clicks, pops, inner groove distortion, wow and flutter - and if it's not there I'm waiting for it. I know others can just tune out (in the same way that I have no awareness of differing sound quality between downloads and cds - but then I've never 'A/B'd' a recording in my life).

Apart from the relative cheapness of the format, it's the instant availability of downloads that have led me in that direction. I know I'm not typical amongst (older) music obsessives in that regard - apparently the record companies in the UK still sell 90% of their catalogue via CD with only 10% on download. Partly suspicion of the new technology, partly its association with youth and superficiality, partly a lack of awareness as to just how far the quality has come on in a few years, partly a failure of the record companies to successfully market non-pop music in the new formats (too hung up on worrying about illegal file-sharing). When you open up iTunes you see such a glitzy, glossy, kiddie-pop front page and it takes a bit of time to navigate to the gems that lie within. With e-music there is no differentiation between the careful, high quality release and the bargain basement repackages. To grab the specialist audiences these sites need to get better at doing the equivalent of a record shop having its new releases on display and core catalogue in an obvious place, with all the cheapo versions lying in a separate bargain area.

I miss three things with vinyl:

a) The big sleeves.

b) The 20 minute sides - awkward in some longer pieces, but in most music having to change sides really did help you focus.

c) The way the 20 minute sides made performers really think about album track sequencing. Very hard to do this over 70 minutes - but on the LP you had two points where you could make a real impact with maximum concentration; two points of ending (where you could drift into the ether or end with a bang). I never really feel that sense of architecture on CDs of new material - tends to feel more like a sequence of tracks.

Edited December 13, 2009 by Bev Stapleton

[Hot Ptah]

I buy both CDs and vinyl, whatever is in front of me with music on it that I want to hear.

Used vinyl can be very inexpensive these days.

[sidewinder]

Just listening to one CD which surpasses any version I've heard on vinyl...

Twisted by the Dark Side, young Sidewinder has become. Meditate on this I will.

Please accept my apology for transgressing, o wise one vinyl-master..

[michel1969]

I'd say NO to the question in the thread's title.

I buy only vinyl of the old stuff, including those faboulous classic sets from Decca, EMI and DG.

I used to compare CD and vinyl for the best sounding version, after a while I realized it was a waste of time, life is too short for spending it looking for the best sounding version of Kind Of Blue or A Love Supreme or Revolver, so much great music out there.

Now I go for vinyl, whatever they sounds.

I found that used records are more fun, pure and simple: looking for them, inspect them, cleaning them, for most people this is an hassle (easier to look for the best bargain cds on amazon and no bad suprises like scratch or pops and clicks), for me it's a pleasure.

I still buy cd of the new stuff and of the very old stuff like Ellington and Bix because today's remastering of these classics is a huge step forward compared to the analog era's ones.

The downloading is totally useless for me: I can't listen to music at work, I use the motorbike for commuting, so portable devices like iPod are out.

same opinion here... as often with Porcy ! ... anyway, in the recent days i bought much more CD's than LP's because i focus on jazz actuality, new releases, etc... Buying LPs is completely different, i buy LPs for collecting purposes. I like them pricey , so i do not buy very often...

[clifford_thornton]

Considering what is on your blog, I am not surprised.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Considering what is on your blog, I am not surprised.

Indeed.

Hey, Michel! Can you post nice big pix of

Houston Person - Basics - Muse

Houston Person - Very personal - Muse

Jack McDuff - The re entry - Muse

?

Special request for the sexiest album sleeves thread

MG

[aparxa]

I've just started buying vinyls and it remains occasional. Buying items I already have on CD and really like if it is cheap. Buying items I thought was unavailable on CD if there are quite cheap. And buying all the huge sales when it is extremely cheap. No brand new vinyls so far and nothing bought online. Pops and scratches are part of the whole package but bring some style.

Besides, any good vinyl stores in Shanghai ?