London, on my drive across the great province of Ontario to Michigan, is where I finally got to enjoy my first poutine...which is not a metaphor.
It's also where I finally entered the hallowed halls of The Beer Store...the provincial beer outlet where I gladly contributed to Canada's healthcare system.
I also bought a Montreal Canadiens toque in the store....anyway... Abandoned Souls is a heavy rock band from this very fair city.
Check out their video HERE.
1. Listening to Black Sabbath's eponymous debut the night I got it blew me away. What's the album that sounds the best on vinyl compared to digital sources?
My favourite album on vinyl is still Judas Priest’s British Steel.
I love the production on that record and the low, flat sounding kick drum, and short decay on the toms, suits the songs perfectly. It must have something to do with the way the album is mastered for vinyl that makes it sound so great, because the digital versions seem lifeless in comparison.
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?
I walked into an antique store one day on a whim (it was more of a junk shop actually) and there was an area in the store with a huge used vinyl selection.
I picked up a lot of great stuff that day for about five to ten bucks a piece, including some Billy Joel and The Police, among others. That experience restarted my quest for vinyl.
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?
Whenever I have the opportunity, I comb through the used bins to see if I can find any hidden gems from the past.
I don’t buy new music on vinyl; however, I have been purchasing and receiving as gifts, new vinyl releases of classic jazz albums from greats like Miles Davis and John Coltrane.
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.
The center of the setup is a Rega turntable, along with an Onkyo home theater receiver (not audiophile quality, but it has some decent current) and a small Bose surround system.
I’ve been trying to keep things minimalist, so this is a nice and compact bare-bones setup.
5. Do you read the lyrics and go over the inserts when you're spinning?
When I was a kid I used to go over every inch of the liners, but with being in the music business for so many years the mystique of the liner notes has worn off, unfortunately.
Now I just put a disc on and listen.
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?
Some people are just casual listeners who put the local radio station on for the commute to work – it’s background noise to them.
People like that do not find value in the work that the artist has put into creating their music and therefore do not find value in owning a tangible piece of that work, and that is fine. It is unfortunate for artists, but fine nevertheless.
Some people are casual watchers of sports but would never buy a team jersey or pay to go to a game either.
Personally, I purchase music, whether on vinyl or otherwise, because I find value in it.
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?
It is hard to pick just one, but you can’t go wrong with Kiss Alive.
Scorpions World Wide Live and Judas Priest Unleashed in the East are classics too.
8. 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 will often throw on some jazz while cooking dinner, but for more serious listening I will sit on the couch with some Scotch whiskey or a beer.
Alcohol aside, I do enjoy the ritual of choosing the record, pulling it out of the sleeve, grabbing the brush and dusting of the disc, and finally setting the needle down.
The process is not so different than listening via cd’s and tapes, but very different than listening through digital streaming and downloading.
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