Music Makes My World Go 'Round-The Vinyl Edition

Vinyl.

I adores vinyl. Actually, adore is too weak of a descriptive word. Love is much better.

Take two: slaps a piece of wood down on the table

I loves vinyl. While I may have been pulled kicking and screaming into the modern times by becoming a 21st Century Digital Boy, vinyl has always been my first true passion.

So take a seat in my Mustang convertable and join me in a musical road trip, as I explore my extensive vinyl collection, as well as the various back roads that I will explore whenever I feel the need to take a road into the unknown. When you see this *, it denotes that a future post will cover it in greater detail.

We'll first start off this road trip by introducing you to my record collection. I have, at last count, about 2,500 albums and about 1,000 45's. I acquired these in the usual ways.

1} I purchased new or used (Intergrity n' Music is an excellent store for slightly used music in all genres, with a heavy specialization in Jazz).
2} I acquired through non-nefarious means (got as leftovers from friends, co-workers and family).
3} Received as gifts (brother would find stuff while on road trips or doing home improvement jobs. got a batch of about 100 45's that my brother found on the side of the road one day).

I have about 90% of the most frequently used albums properly stored away (heavy duty wooden cubes that I got at a place called the Mill Stores, with the remaining 10% stashed away in large storage tubs.

I have almost every genre* imaginable that could be found during the time frame of the mid-1950's through the early 1990's. I also have about twenty or so boxed sets* scattered throughout my collection. I have an extensive reissue* collection as well.

As for the 45's, I haven't actively pursued or purchased them in a couple of years. The reasoning is pretty simple. I prefer to by the album for the song, because the true adventure in music lies in not listening to the occasional hit from an artist (that's why I loathe greatest hits collections), but from exploring the album from which the hit song came from.

I want to close out this particular post by sharing a strange tidbit about myself. Before sticking my collection in a database, I originally put it on index cards. First the albums went on 5x8's, then the songs were crossed indexed on 3x5's. This took me about six years to do. Now, in order to keep myself occupied while doing this, what do you think I listened to? That's right, music.

And what music?

That's right, my entire music collection. I listened to (at the time) all 1,000 albums, all my boxed sets, and all of my 45's while doing this. From the beginning to end. Good music. Average music. Mediocre music. I listened to it all.

I loves vinyl.

But more importantly, I loves music.