A Bit About Vinyl - No, Not the Gimp Wear!
Vinyl records. Black, round, made of plastic. They look boring. But oh no, they’re anything but boring.
It all started in 1877 when the rather sulky looking Thomas Edison invented the phonograph. “Hello, I’m an American!” it probably said in Edison’s oddly dull and squeaky voice.
Things improved in the 1930s when light bulbs started popping over people’s heads. Vinyl + record player = Joy! Very clever. 🙂 But then WWII came along and made it all go away for a while. 🙁
After the war, vinyl was back! The 1950s and the age of Rock n Roll saw rapid progress. New vinyl records came in all different sizes, like Betamax vs VHS, but the 12-inch vinyl LP format won out. They could hold a whole symphony and were vaguely durable.
The 60s and 70s were vinyl’s glory days. Records enabled subcultures! Punk rock! Disco! Which led to some very silly outfits. Big collars, tight pants, hair everywhere – if vinyl could see, it would have been frightened and slightly proud.
But then cassettes and CDs emerged. They ushered in an age of “convenience” and alleged “sound quality.” Bah. Vinyl held strong for those who knew that little crackles and pops just made music more interesting. Like the raspy quirks in an old Alfa Romeo’s exhaust note.
Now vinyl is back again! Sales are up. Turns out even today’s young people agree: vinyl just feels right. Its big cover art, its earthy sound. CDs are boring as a vegan lunch. Digital even more so. So let’s raise a pint to vinyl! A classic that keeps coming back. Like Top Gear on Dave. Cheers!
