New-to-vinyl converts talk about the joys of playing LPs

I've heard the naysayers for years, the ones that say vinyl is a fad, or that kids buy records just because they think LPs are cool. But the fact is vinyl sales keep going up year after year. I'd be the first to admit that playing an LP is more of a hassle than listening to Spotify, so why do people who grew up listening to CDs and files invest in a turntable, and search out their favorite music on LP? Why do they do it?

(Credit: Steve Guttenberg/CNET)

Recently, I talked with a few music lovers who grew up in a mostly digital world, and are just now starting to play LPs.

I first chatted with Ariel, a 34-year-old woman who just bought a turntable. I could hear the excitement in her voice as she recounted her memories of playing her dad's reggae records when she was 7 or 8 years old. Ariel has his collection now and appreciates the richness of those old LPs. The Rolling Stones "Beggar's Banquet" has been in heavy rotation lately, and Ariel noticed that when she plays LPs she's more likely to stop multitasking and really focus on the music. She kept saying, "Records are beautiful, they're beautiful," and noted that listening to 1960s and 1970s music that was originally released on vinyl is like reading literature in the original language -- the music makes more sense. Ariel still listens to a lot of music on the go, but appreciates how much more rewarding the vinyl experience is.

Matt, 40, just recently got a... [Read more]





by Steve Guttenberg via CNET