“I pretty much listen to music almost constantly. Like most people in the city I walk the streets with my headphones in streaming music, I sit at work making playlists on Spotify, and listening to albums people have uploaded to Youtube.”
“The way I look at music formats is similar to how I look at red wine. Often I’ll just want to get drunk, convenience is the key, a box of wine can be drunk anywhere, a bag can be smuggled into events/bars and has more filthy booze than a bottle. If I am at home though, and I have the money, I’ll want to enjoy the wine, enjoy the flavours, and eventually get drunk.
Luckily I was a child when it was fashionable to chuck out your high quality analogue hi-fi separates system and vinyl and buy some tacky Aiwa Hifi and a bunch of CDs. At the age of six I inherited a Technics record player, Technics amplifier, some big old wooden speakers, and a super fine collection of sixties rock ‘n’ roll, soul, prog, psychedelic rock, and was instantly hooked.
My first love was a compilation by Island Records that was released in 1970 called Bumpers. I probably chose it because of the bright yellow cover. I listened to it obsessively whilst everyone else was listening to Now! compilations. It was an introduction to psychedelic rock, folk, reggae, and weird wail-ey prog rock stuff. I still listen to it now occasionally; it’s warm and fuzzy and feels like an audio blanket.
When I love an album I have found on the internet, I go to Rough Trade East and buy it on vinyl. The new releases never sound as good as my old albums—sometimes I think if an album has been made entirely digitally, what’s the point in transferring it back to analogue? I mainly buy new releases on vinyl for the cover art. Nothing beats a beautiful gatefold to help you get lost in an album.
One bad habit I inherited from my dad was the love of a drink, and to put records on and then leave them out of their sleeves on the side. Whilst this would make most purists feel sick, it’s what gives my collection it’s personality—some of the records I have had for years are covered in pops and clicks and scratches. I have come to know them and expect them to be there. They become part of the song and make my copy of that album completely unique, they make the song mine. If you don’t like surface noise, go download yourself a FLAC or whatever.
I love vinyl because it’s the bumps in the plastic hitting the needle, being amplified a million times and then being chucked out of your speakers, punching you in the heart. Vibration has always been associated with emotion, digital/numbers/maths is a cold food for the brain only.
If I was to list my favourite vinyl records (not favourite albums) they would be: Bumpers – Island compilation, Delany and Bonnie – Home, The Beatles – Abbey Road (original pressing and fucked), Super Furry Animals – Fuzzy Logic, LCD Soundsystem – LCD Soundsystem, Pavement – Crooked Rain, Rolling Stones – Sticky Fingers, The Fall – This nations saving grace, Elvis – In Memphis, 13th Floor Elevators, The Creation – Painterman, Talking Heads – Fear of Music, Television – Marquee Moon, Otis Reading – Love Man.”
—John Ridgard, Coves
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Of the UK import 12″ single, there are only 100 available in the US and 200 in the UK. The “Beatings” 12″ consists of the track “Beatings” and a remix by Lynchmob Beats.
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