The Wonderful Nostalgiac Sound of Vinyl

Posted by joanne on July 17th, 2009 at 10:30am

Back when I was a kid, vinyl records were the medium utilized by diehard music fans to listen to their favorite songs. Eight tracks were going out of style very fast and the hottest fad was the cassette tape. Even with the passing of the eight tracks and the appearance of the cassette tape, lots of music fans, like matt nathanson, stuck to the accepted vinyl records for their listening pleasure.

We have come a long way since the hay day of vinyl records. CDs are all the rage nowadays with good reason. The audio quality is truly pure and you almost feel as if you are in a sound-proof room when you focus your listening skills on the CD player. You can simply sit back with an xs energy drink and enjoy the tunes. The clean sounds are a major improvement from the vinyl records that hissed as they played.

Then again, it is that crackling sound that is only presented by the vinyl records that I find so pleasing. There is something about that sound that is so awesome to listen to especially when I’m in a nostalgic mood. Maybe it is because the crackling sound is tied so strongly to the songs I loved when I was a kid. I just can’t seem to separate the two.

I discovered my love for the unique antique sounds of the crackling vinyl records inadvertently. A dear friend of mine offered free disc jockey services for my wedding. Of course I did not reject the nice wedding present. There was a catch. My friend plays vinyl records, nothing else.

This was not really a hitch for me. I wanted to forego all of the stylish pop-chart music of today and focus on older dance music and classic songs available on vinyl records. My friend started playing dinner songs at the reception. He chose classic Irish music for the wedding meal. It’s not hot new music, but it’s pretty.

The entire reception hall fell quiet during the prayer. Once the prayer ended, the DJ positioned the needle on the record and the hushed room filled with soft crackling sounds followed by pretty Irish music. The transition was magnificent and the memory of the moment the crackling sounds overtook the reception hall still gives me chills. You simply could not copy that with a compact disc.

Technologically, we have come a long way when it comes to music. However, we must not entirely let go of the little gems from our past. The haunting sounds of the crackling vinyl records help us truly touch the past even if for just a minute.

Under Recreation and Entertainment