“That bead of sweat. Do you remember? What part of the body was it? I don’t think anyone knows. But Hall and Oates H20 is definitely the first album cover in my parents collection that caught my eye.”
“It was leaned up against their dark wood record cabinet that housed their wood grain Rotel player. Vinyl was on its way out, and my brother and I were on a steady diet of Dead Milkmen, early Chili Peppers, and Iron Maiden tapes. Anything remotely related to adult contemporary would spark a protest. Blasting Christopher Cross’s “Sailing” was how they got us out of the house on the weekends.
But even my bleached hair and vision street wear attitude couldn’t shake a song like “Maneater” on vinyl. That heavily delayed sax solo through the bridge? It’s undeniable. I’m not saying the album was without its faults. The song, “Italian Girls” features this line: “I eat, I eat, I eat so much pasta basta, I’m so full and yet so lonely.” Regardless, that record would stay with me through the rebellious years, foreshadowing the musical direction I would eventually head in.
After about 10 straight years of pop punk, Jawbreaker, Screeching Weasel and the like, a friend I worked with brought in a record he thought I would enjoy. It was wrapped in a modified burlap sack with the artwork hand stitched to the front. This was Three Mile Pilot’s Chief Assassin to the Sinister, a masterpiece of art and craftsmanship, every record beautifully assembled and unique to its owner with plenty of goodies inside. Before I even dropped the needle, it was my all-time favorite piece of music.
This is half of what is great about vinyl. The format provides a setting. Through the artwork, the artists have a chance to sit you down and explain where they are coming from. And the other half; when I put it on, I listened. You can actually watch the mechanics of the sound, you see the needle traveling the grooves, you understand how the sounds comes out. You are connected to the music. That record includes all kinds of ambient soundscapes that take you from song to song.
Hearing that mellow crackle of the vinyl throughout is part of that album to me. Listening to that record completely changed my musical life but also helped me fall in love with records. I have nothing against iPods, I’m not sure I could survive my work day without one. But when I get home, and I really want to listen to music, I always prefer the tradition of putting on a record. WIth everything moving so fast outside, it’s nice to take the time to play a record. It feels like a small amount of devotion to repay what music gives me.
On current rotation is Brightblack Morning Light’s 180 gram white vinyl pressing of Motion to Rejoin, spinning gracefully on the same dark wood record cabinet that houses the wood grain Rotel player. Try firing your iPod back up in 30 years and see what happens.”
—Daniel McKenzie
Identical Homes’ brand new release A. Hydrophelia is on store shelves right now via Parks & Records—and we’ve got the beautiful picture disc version of the full length (above) to award one of you.
Simply tell us in the comments below what other amazing picture discs this beaut will sit alongside in your collection, and the most deserving art collector will find this record in his or her mailbox. We’ll choose one winner with a North American mailing address a week from today, July 29!
