Skip to main content

Vintage Vinyl

In this episode - Vintage Vinyl . . .

Turntables are making a big comeback; why? Listening to music should be a multi-sensory experience.

Harmony, rhythm, and the deep expression of emotion. Like a warm, gentle rain in the springtime cascading around you the room is filled with a resonant, rich, melodic sound. My emotions welled up, and tears come to my eyes.

Ok, I get it, we need to step back to get some perspective here.

Recently a visit to Lou's Records in Encinitas, California, inspired me to dig out my Vintage vinyl LP record collection. I selected the Carpenters Singles 1969- 1973. This musical duo reigned from 1969-to 1982 with the rich, full melodic voice of Karen Carpenter.

They were one of the biggest-selling groups of the 1970s. "No fewer than ten of their singles went on to become million-sellers, and by 2005 combined worldwide sales of albums and singles well exceeded 100 million units."

The tactile sensory experience of music begins with the album cover itself, carefully slide the record from its sleeve, place it on the turntable, check the playback speed, clean the disc with a DiscWasher (remember those), place the tonearm, and enjoy!

The song I selected was Superstar written by Bonnie Bramlett and Leon Russell. This Richard Carpenter arrangement became the duo's third No. 2 single on the Billboard Hot 100.

"One of the elements that made the music of the Carpenters distinctive was Karen's use of her low register," says Richard Carpenter. "Though present in jazz and country music, there were few contralto singers in popular music at the time. However, Karen's wide vocal range spanned about three octaves."

Wow, what an engaging sound!

Sitting quietly, listening, my thoughts whirled through time. Reliving the feeling of pure joy that transcends the present and suspends you in space looking at yourself from the past.

Huh, all those years wasted, experiencing the music through earbuds - headphones that became smaller and smaller. It was easy to rationalize then. Technology provided you the convenience of carrying hundreds of digital albums in your pocket, the iPod. No hassle just plug in and turn it on.

To paraphrase a quote from Field of Dreams, "It's expediency we have and peace we lack."

But there's more - technology now allows you to get unlimited music on-demand through Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Pandora, and many other streaming services. Don't forget that monthly fee!

However, while transferring my original LP recording to digital MP3 files I fell in love once more with the sonorous sound that emanates from a turntable, stereo amplifier, and quality speakers. An experience simply not possible with CDs or MP3 files.

The hectic pace of life had robbed me of the true joy of a rich, full, musical experience.

So, if you have a Vintage record collection do yourself a favor. Pull out one of your favorite albums, clean it, place it on your turntable, lean back in your easy chair - relax, transcend time, and relish the experience all over again.

I'm Patrick Ball; thanks for listening. See you in the next episode.

Labels:

Comments

Anonymous said…
The Carpenters? Yes...her voice is unmatched...a true love of N.R. But you I think are more entranced by Elton John with lyrics by the great Bernie Taupin. How well do you remember the Chicago concert? Did you go alone or with someone else to enjoy the experience? What was Elton wearing? Did you have front row tickets or more toward the back? Did you stay the night in Chicago go or travel back to your home town? What are your favorite Elton songs?
August 31, 2020 at 1:04 PM
Anonymous said…
I'd like to be a guest on your show but it could only be on Wednesdays and you'd have to tell me how to do it...I'm elderly and don't understand today's tech...
August 31, 2020 at 1:49 PM
Patrick B. Ball said…
Hello Anonymous, Who are you? I've been trying to figure this out from your comments. More information, please.
August 31, 2020 at 2:49 PM
Anonymous said…
I'm shocked and appalled that you've failed to recognize me. I'll give you two clues that will clear things up. In our youth when entering your parent's home it was imperative that one removed one's shoes. It's becoming obvious now isn't it? Clue number 2....this was many years later...you'll remember my surprise when you told me about meeting the actor (now deceased) Claude Akins. A great character actor. I also remember him in the tv series called 'Movin On'...it only lasted one season but was a superb program during its short run.
September 2, 2020 at 8:34 AM
Post a Comment

Most Popular of All Time

The Gopher Problem and the High Powered Solution

Vacationing in Maine this week, just a short drive down the coast from Freeport, it is hard not to think about the outsized impact one frustrated outdoorsman had on the gear we all use today. Bad equipment can ruin a perfectly good day on the water or the trail, but it takes a special kind of vision to turn cold feet into a century-old empire. This is the story of the company we now know as L.L.Bean, but more importantly, it is a masterclass in integrity, learning from failure, and standing behind your work. In 1912, Leon Leonwood Bean faced a persistent problem: returning from expeditions in the Maine woods with cold, wet feet. Instead of complaining, he got creative. He had a local shoemaker stitch waterproof rubber soles onto the flexible leather uppers of a hunting boot. He called it the Maine Hunting Shoe and mailed a flyer promising perfect satisfaction. Then reality arrived. Ninety of his first 100 pairs failed when the rubber separated from the leather. Not an effective product...
Post a Comment
Read more

On Becoming Real

Some things get better with wear: old shoes, old friendships, and old books. Especially old books. A new volume arrives with crisp corners and a spine that hasn’t yet learned to bend. An old one has been somewhere. It has traveled through time in the hands of people who may no longer be around to tell us what they found inside. The copy of The Velveteen Rabbit (first published in 1922) on my desk is one of those books. My friend Don Hanley gave it to me. This late-1950s Doubleday edition features William Nicholson’s original illustrations and cream paper boards softened by age. Worn corners, a split spine, and colored tabs mark passages worth revisiting. Don didn’t hand me a keepsake. He gave me homework. When we talked about the book recently, he pointed me straight to the nursery conversation between a young rabbit and an old Skin Horse. The rabbit had noticed the mechanical toys around him—the ones with internal gears, bright paint, and stick-out handles that seem terribly impressiv...
Post a Comment
Read more

Engineering Beef Stew

On July 2nd—Day Two of what I call The Great Un-Working —I sat down with my morning notebook to map out this new chapter of my life. One goal made the list in bold ink: Learn to Cook. At seventy, I was adding a skill most people master before they’re old enough to drive. Before you judge me, understand our household ecosystem. Lori is a phenomenal cook. For decades, she’s made meals so effortless and delicious that restaurants seem unsatisfying . My contribution to the culinary arts during my bachelor years–tuna mixed into Kraft Mac & Cheese. Let’s just say I wasn’t threatening her spot on the Food Network. But retirement changed the equation. I’m officially off the clock while Lori is still working. And I had a lovely thought: Wouldn’t it be wonderful if she came home after a long day to find dinner waiting? She loved the idea. Then came the question that haunted me for weeks: “What do you want to make?” I had no idea. Apparently, the first step in learning to cook is deciding wh...
Post a Comment
Read more

When the Universe Calls in Sick

Take Thoreau’s Advice . . .  Four weeks ago, we stood on the shore of Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts, trying to channel Henry David Thoreau. Before leaving, I bought a pocket-sized copy of his essay, Walking . It’s slim because nineteenth-century transcendentalists didn’t have notifications interrupting their urge to wander. Thoreau’s counsel is disarmingly simple: step away from modern life's machinery and let the landscape recalibrate your perspective. Back home in Vista, I took that philosophy straight into the backyard. Thursday morning, ink-black, pristine skies arrived. I aimed my refractor at Jupiter, whose light has bathed Earth since mastodons roamed the plains. It felt cosmic. Profound . I left the telescope mounted overnight, convinced the heavens were on retainer for an encore at daybreak. Naturally, the universe called in sick. By sunrise, a wall of coastal fog had rolled in off the Pacific, sealing the valleys beneath a damp, gray Tupperware lid. After about th...
Post a Comment
Read more