Back to the basics

[astrangerwithcandy]

Seeing as how everyone is bitching and bickering lately I thought it might be good to take things back. What was your first record and what made you want to switch to vinyl as your preferred medium?

For me growing up we had a turntable in the living room and I remember listening to my parents Alice Cooper records on it a lot but after we got rid of the turntable I never gave vinyl a second thought. Years and years later I came across Brand New's Deja in the clearance bin at HT and decided to pick it up. Nostalgia and memories got stirred up and the rest was a wrap.

[postvillasblues]

Deja in a discount bin? Such luck!

[batman]

I first took an interest in vinyl from the Circa Survive message board a little over 3 years ago. A bunch of people on there talked about how much better vinyl sounded than digital formats. I wanted to buy the CS picture discs as collectibles at first, but then decided to buy a turntable as well based on the positive comments about the sound quality of vinyl--I found this place shortly after and the rest is history. A good friend of mine ended up just giving me 10+ duplicate records he had including a copy of Deja Entendu and The Alchemy Index box as well as a couple from Minus the Bear and Portugal the Man. That was my "starter kit" I guess. 3 years later and I couldn't imagine not listening to new music on vinyl. I just counted my collection when switching to a larger expedit a few days ago and I've broken the 300 mark...

[somethingvinyl]

In 1998, I was 17 turning 18, in high school and wanted to learn how to DJ. I got a 70's stereo with phono/tape/etc and bought the first soul record I found. It was The Manhattans - "There's No Good in Goodbye" (which I still own). I wasn't aware that it took more than just a record player and a single record to scratch. Whereupon getting the info and knowing that I would have to spend more than the $20 or so I had already spent to get more equipment, I gave up immediately. But I had a fondness for the sound. I kept buying thrift store records. Eventually, I realized a lot of my favorite punk bands had put out 7"s that had songs on them that I couldn't get anywhere else. So, I bought 7"s to start and then eventually it became an obsession.

[circuit bored records]

About eight years ago I opened up an eBay account and got into the habit of buying tons of CDs I used to own as a kid. I had ordered what I thought was MU330's Chumps on Parade on CD but when it came it was a record. At first I enamored with the larger album artwork, especially after diving back into CDs with their shitty tiny art booklets. Picked up a turntable shortly after that and the rest, as they say..

[astrangerwithcandy]

A good friend of mine ended up just giving me 10+ duplicate records he had including a copy of Deja Entendu and The Alchemy Index box as well as a couple from Minus the Bear and Portugal the Man. That was my "starter kit" I guess.

That's pretty funny because unbeknownst to my friend I'm doing the same thing. He has a dozen or two rare albums that are just collecting dust but I've been buying doubles and hooking him up. When I move I plan on upgrading my sound system, turntable and all, and I'm going to give him my old turntable.

[astrangerwithcandy]

Deja in a discount bin? Such luck!

Ha yeah I found an OG Artist in The Ambulance in there as well back in the day. It was way before vinyl became as big as it is now so I guess no one cared.

[lexicondevil]

I got into rock music because of Kiss. I bought Kiss Alive at a K-Mart. The only choices were cassettes or records back then. Regular gasoline was also under a dollar a gallon.

[lexicondevil]

Oh and I also thought this was going to be a Christina thread.

[brandon260]

I was looking through No Sleep's webstore, going to buy the digital download for Won't Be Pathetic Forever, when the 7" was basically the same price. Grabbed the 7" just to have a physical copy. Last year's RSD was when I really realized how much stuff there is exclusive to vinyl, so I bought my turntable the next day.

[jase]

Back when I was about 13 I had long hair and listened tk a shitload of that Seattle sound. I woke up one day ad couldn't stand it anymore. I started to offload all my tapes and CDs to friends. One friend gave me an old oi! Record comp in exchange for Alice in chains live and unplugged.

I've still got that record and a couple more now. I never realized but that's 18 years 0.o I'm getting old

[daegor]

I had a few records prior to it, but I think the turning point for me was Zao - Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest...

[josh83]

I remember picking up a few bargin bin records from second hand stores back when some friends and I would skip school, still have a few like the Cure's Faith and Fresh fruit for rotting vegetables by the Dead Kennedy's. Wouldn't be till a few years later when I had a full time job I started collecting records seriously that would have been about over 10 years ago now. Good thread by the way.

[mymirrorspeaks]

I was getting tired of my cd's getting lost and scratched up in my car and the jewel cases getting broken. Then the iPod came along and basically rendered my cd collection obselete. I was missing the collection/tangible aspect of the music I was acquiring when my sister bought me an orange vinyl 2xLP version of Is A Real Boy. The larger artwork and colored wax grabbed me instantly. Been hooked ever since.

[plasma36]

My parents (especially my dad) are huge music people, and their CD, cassette, and vinyl collections are extremely impressive, so I grew up with a turntable in the house and knowing what records are. There's a huge book/CD/magazine/vinyl/etc sale that happens twice a year in Ithaca where people donate things and the proceeds go to help the public library, and either in 2007 or 2008 I decided to buy some cheap (25/50 cent) records as an alternative to CDs, because they were the same price and I didn't see the CD copies. I'm pretty sure I got some Yes, Jim Croce, and Allman Brothers in that first haul. When I started going to underground shows, I realized modern bands had their music on vinyl too, and my first new vinyl purchase was Tera Melos's "Drugs to the Dear Youth" 10". I love the large artwork, and because listening to vinyl is a more interactive experience, it's almost always more enjoyable and meaningful than just listening to the mp3s or a CD. Listening to an hour-long album on CD can be overwhelming, but with vinyl you can take breaks and focus on each side individually. My collection is getting dangerously close to 300 records, which is bad because I'm a college student who should be spending money on more important things, but I'm addicted.

I should note that I still buy CDs here and there, and I still enjoy my CDs. I'm a huge proponent of physical media, vinyl seems to be the epitome of that.

[jhulud]

Oh and I also thought this was going to be a Christina thread.

As did I...Ha!

[suchashorttime]

i was interning at a distro / label, pretty much full time, for a summer. even though i wasn't getting paid, i'd get a record every now and then as a sign of gratuity. one of them was a first press on gaslight anthem's sink or swim on black. i was so excited about this band after hearing the demos before sink or swim dropped, i started re-assembling the stereo i had left at my parents house just so i could listen to it. from there on out, i completely stopped buying CDs, and found digital too impersonal. it started slow, but after i graduated from college and started making grown-up money, shit got real. my name is sean, and i'm an addict.

[kylekrische]

Dad had a player. Saw my favourite record at the time, Milo Goes to College, on vinyl. Grabbed it and never looked back.

[maneatingcow]

I got into Vinyl for the same reason all guys do. Chicks dig the 12"s.

In reality I started around 13 when vinyl was cheaper than CDs. I'd usually buy hardcore albums on vinyl and more pop punk on CD. Hardcore I'd always want to sit down and listen to where pop stuff I'd like listening to when riding my bike or when I got older was better for listening to in my car.

As I got older I moved away from music almost entirely and would almost exclusively listen to music in my car so CDs were the only thing. So all I would do is pick up CDs. About a year or two back I repurchased Propagandhi's "Todays Empires Tomorrows Ashes" on CD for the 6th time. That made me realize I'm way to careless with CDs. (Something I perhaps should have learned after the 2nd or 3rd time buying it but meh)

A big part of what did get me hooked on vinyl again was hunting around searching for some rare mid 90s stuff that I loved. Specifically finding The Strikes "A Conscience Left to Struggle With Pockets Full of Rust", I mother flipping love that band. So it turned into a whole deal of trying to create a collection of must have albums.

A smaller part of the reason I got into Vinyl is quite honestly resale value. I'm a pretty cheap guy when it comes to some things. So downloading an album for 12 bucks always just seemed crazy expensive. Purchasing a Vinyl Record I have something that I love and I have something that holds some resale value. Most of my records are non variants with little value but I purchased for 10-15 bucks and I can sell them for 5-8 bucks if I ever need some cash.

[burnthealbum]

I've been into vinyl my whole life, on account of my parents huge amount of vinyl. All kinds of oldies, motown, classic rock, etc. As a kid it was listening to John Denver and the Muppets Christmas LP, that got me into listening to vinyl. Unfortunately all through the ninties while I was buying CDs I didn't even realize they still pressed vinyl for all the new stuff coming out. After I got out of school I started on my own collection, coming up on 6 years now. I have about 400 12", 90 7", a few 10", would easily be double that if I ever had extra money. I believe my first vinyl was If These Trees Could Talk s/t, but I can't really remember.

[necroscope]

I'm old enough that vinyl was still going when I was a kid. I always had a record player and lots of kid's records like Star Wars, Spider-Man, etc...the story telling types.

The 1st music record I remember owning was the Another One Bites the Dust single from Queen...I have no idea how or why I had this record.

In my teenage years I mainly had cassettes and CDs, they were just easier to get at the time.

Messed around a bit with records on and off in my 20s, but had a lot of other stuff going on.

5 years back in my early 30s I got the record bug again, mainly thru playing music and wanting to release stuff that way. Started trading with people and buying a lot again. Having a lot of fun with it, and since I have no real interested in downloads/Ipoops, etc... records are the way to go for me.

Helluva lot more fun to play and collect too.

[dethrock]

I had a few 7" from local bands from when I was in high school but never had anything to play them with. Then like 2 years ago I heard We Are The Union and needed to get their album. It was on vinyl and came with the CD so I bought it on Interpunk.

When my dad saw the record he magically remembered that he had an old turntable and amp and gave them to me. From then on like 99% of the music I've bought has been on vinyl.

[sharkticon]

My Dad has been buying records since he was a teenager. His first job was working for a local record store. He worked hours in exchange for taking home whatever he wanted. His collection sits around 30,000 records right now. I worked at another record store in my hometown right out of high school. So I started buying things I liked with my discount. Incubus's "Morning View" and Brand New's "Deja Entendu" cost me ~$10 each. Once I started a real job/career and had more disposable income to play with my collection exploded into the monster it is now.

[Guest]

started with my moms collection. years later, first records i bought myself were Deja and Sgt Peppers (never to see it any other way!) from aurel exports.

[madtired]

Can't remember my first record b/c I was only a few years old, but I know that I used to go to sleep every night when I was 5 with my fisher-price record player playing the return of the jedi storybook picture disc.