During the time we are all living through, I have been digging deep into the world of vinyl. It's been my comfort food and my distraction.
Don't tell my wife, but in the course of like four months, I've purchased what I would normally buy over the course of an entire year....
If you're going through these kinds of things too, it might be fun to see what others think about those glorious vinyl circles many of us love so very, very much.
Today Chad McMurray of Rivetskull tells us about how he spins vinyl. Check out their debut on BANDCAMP.
This is going to sound a bit odd… but the one that really stands out to me on vinyl as other worldly, is The Police album Ghost In the Machine.
Though there are many possible answers to this question, that one for some reason was cut/pressed by aliens or something.
2. I was laying in bed one night and couldn't sleep and I figured, it was time to start buying records. How did you come to the idea that it was time to start buying vinyl instead?
This is a 2 part question. As a kid it was vinyl or cassette tapes. Cassette tapes were great for convenience and portability. The album sounded better and was more of an experience, not to mention the amazing artwork and liner notes.
So 45’s were my jam and if I really wanted to risk the bucks for the full album, I’d go for it. Keep in mind I was like 12-13 years old. Fast forward past high school…the invention of the compact disc and later MP3’s, I like many others found myself going that way too for a number of reasons.
It wasn’t until around 2008 I think, I was bartending at a live music venue that I owned in Seattle and a customer came in with a small stack of vinyl records and just gave them to me!?
I didn’t even have a turntable at the time, but that made me want to get one again, so I did. The first record from that stack I played, was the Beatles White album.
And from that point until today, I’ve been back at it beefing up my collection buying old original pressings, new bands, and old reissues on 180g vinyl. I still had some records from my childhood, but a lot were missing.
I realized I really missed that experience of what music used to be. And these days, you usually get a download code anyway if you really want that portable version.
3. For my old stuff, it's vinyl worthy, for new stuff, it's all vinyl if available. Do you buy everything on wax or do you have a vinyl worthy category?
I definitely have the “worthy” category especially when it comes to older bands from my childhood.
Not all vinyl from back then sounds amazing, but a lot of it did. I still buy older/used vinyl than I do new stuff. At $30-$40 a pop these day for some of the new releases, I really want to make sure I’m going to love it!
I like buying vinyl from local or touring bands as well. It says to me, that they “get it” and I want them to know there are a bunch of us that still “get it” too.
4. My second living room is where I keep it all. Upstairs, my 1971 Sherwood 7100-S, Receiver, 1975 Pioneer PL-200, and 70's Sansui 5 way speakers. Tell us all about your vinyl set up.
I have a pieced-together system that just sort of happened. Currently, a newer Teac turntable that has USB out. My dad ordered it when he was in the hospital fighting cancer.
He wanted to digitize a bunch of records when he got out, but unfortunately, that never happened. So that is a special turntable for me. I have some old JBL 3 way speakers that I don’t even know where they came from!?
When you own a bar/live music venue a lot of weird shit just shows up. But I re-coned the woofers recently myself and they have always sounded great.
My receiver is a 2000’s Sony…nothing too special, but it works. I have an old Marantz in storage in Seattle (I live in Los Angeles now) that I need to get out some day and get some work done on it.
5. Do you read the lyrics and go over the inserts when you're spinning?
Sometimes I do. If I already know them I won’t typically. I just like to be in in the zone.
6. When someone says, I'm stupid for buying records, I tell them, thanks, more limited edition colored vinyl for me, what's your answer?
People would never say that to me!! Ha!!
7. My first album ever was Live Evil by Black Sabbath, so I'm stuck on live albums. What's the best live album on vinyl?
I’m not a huge fan of live albums. There are some fantastic ones though, so don’t get me wrong. Also being an audio engineer and producer, quality is big for me.
A lot of older live albums didn’t sound that great to me, but the energy was something else. Today it’s a different story as the technology has evolved. But a few that stand out would be my first live album which was Kiss -Alive.
But would also have to include Judas Priest -Unleashed In The East. And on the other side of the coin, Genesis- Seconds Out and Peter Gabriel-Plays Live.
Within the last few decades it would have to be Porcupine Tree- Arriving Somewhere and Snarky Puppy does pretty much all of their albums live…which is insane.
8. Tell me about your latest vinyl release.
We are working on it! Should be available later this summer!
9. Listening to records is my comfort food for my soul. As mentioned earlier, I have a living room dedicated to it. I normally drink a beer or two whilst listening to music I love. Describe your normal listening experience.
I’ll put it on while I’m working sometimes just to have a break from Spotify or digital stuff. But I prefer to sit on the sofa, with a beer or shot of whisky… maybe some of my favorite herbal substance and just listen.
Look at the cover art, jacket and reminisce about that time, if it’s an older record. If it’s newer, same.. but I’ll sometimes dive into what the band is up to today, etc.
I normally prefer to do that alone, unless the company is such that we are on the same wavelength.
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