Back in the mid to late 1980’s I was a DJ with a South Jersey based company called Sound Decision. Through that experience I had a chance to spin music for weddings, parties and events armed with two turntables and a microphone. Additionally, we also carried a truckload of cassettes…Yes, cassettes, they were having a moment back in the mid-80’s. And to be honest, you can carry a lot more music on cassette, rather than the heavy load of a crate of vinyl. Lately, vinyl is having a comeback. For baby boomers and genX, we have always been the pack rats of ‘stuff’. From pet rocks, to beanie babies and cabbage patch dolls. We love to collect. Our latest is the flash from the past of vinyl. This topic is on my mind because I just received a record player for Christmas from my brother and I am missing the blessing of millions of hours of music that was lost through moving and a flood in my basement that damaged thousands of my vinyl gems. Gone are the days of hours spent in the record store flipping through the titles… liner notes are a much missed lost art. I love the idea of the return of vinyl, and hopefully that will also usher in a return to stores that feature those sweet discs. Although, I must admit, I don’t get all the feels when I’m in the electronics section of Walmart like the days of hours lost in the Sam Goody or the myriad of record stores downtown Philly around 8th and Market. The number of 12” cuts that I trolled for fractions on the dollar back in the day… it is missed. Today the toll for vinyl admission starts in the $20 - $30 range and climbs… but to have and listen to a Thriller on vinyl…yeah, I may have to bend to the band and pay to play with vinyl again. I know I’d love to have those albums that warrant a full side A and B play like Thriller, or from my 7th grade self, Parliament Funkadelics Mothership Connection, and of course, my entire Lady Tee collection. What is on your must have vinyl list?
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