The lure of the LP format

Even though I grew up with a record player at home — an old cabinet-style phono system that my dad bought, I really only started collecting LPs two years ago. I’ve been a hardcore collector of cassette tapes and CDs. I began collecting cassettes when I was 14 (my first album being The Police’s Synchronicity) but was a bit late joining the CD bandwagon because I couldn’t afford to buy a CD player until I was already in the work force and earning a steady salary. In the decades that I’ve been collecting I’ve amassed more than 400 cassettes and almost 2000 CDs. But I’ll tell you a secret — I love looking at the ten LPs in my collection the most.

There’s something about LPs that make music more concrete, more in-your-face. It makes me feel closer to the artists more than a cassette or a CD does. I really can’t pinpoint why LPs  make me feel more strongly about music. I guess I can name a number of factors. First, the analog source is so much warmer that it sounds organic. It doesn’t sound clinical like what you’d hear from CDs. And the pop, hiss and crackle gives it that added character that you won’t find anywhere else. The preparation that you need to do before you play a record could also be a big contributor. Records need to be loved and pampered. You have to carefully remove it from its sleeve, give it a good buff to remove any dirt and then lovingly place it on the turntable. It’s a ritual that is now but gone in the digital age. And the oversized artwork helps too. It’s a visual cue of what you will experience sonically.

I think that’s the reason why LPs, like good music, will never die.