“I don’t think I appreciated the artistry behind an album until I started collecting vinyl.”
“One of my friends had boxes of records he wanted to get rid of before he moved to a different state and he dumped them at my house and I got to look through – judging an album by it’s cover was always fun and spinning the mysterious ones was enjoyable too. Not to mention, the album art of the seventies is just so amazing. (Can we talk about Captain and Tenille?)
I proceeded to steal a bunch of vinyl classics from my parents and then finally became a regular at neighborhood record stores. I bought modern and vintage records and some would come with surprises. I got a Simon and Garfunkel record that came with an absolutely brilliant double exposure poster of the two of them with the 59th street bridge. And I absolutely loved Radiohead’s In Rainbows packaging. I love the hands-on experience of vinyl and the opportunity for bolder artwork choices.
I think the most profound realization I had when I fell in love with vinyl was the understanding of time. I have never been good with time. Growing up with a bunch of right brained music types doesn’t lend itself to very strict schedules so I kind of float about. And besides, time is totally a social construct.
But putting a record on and listening to one side and then flipping it over to listen to the next is a revelatory experience. You can watch time pass while listening to the sounds pressed in the vinyl. It caters to so many of my senses at once and forces me to quiet my ADD mind and focus on one band, one album and one side at a time. I’m sure a DJ would say otherwise, but this is my experience.
Of course, I still listen to music digitally but I do buy my favorite records on vinyl. It gives that music staying power in my life. I know that I will always be able to leaf through my collection and listen to Lykke Li’s Youth Novels and think of being a senior in college – so lost yet so sure of myself. Or feel that transportive feeling that comes from my copy of Van Morrison’s Moondance. Or feel like I am outside of time and space listening to a real Elvis record – wishing I could have seen the King in person.
Vinyl takes us places in an intentional and beautiful way. Music triggers our emotions but the physical pressing of it is some kind of magic.”
—Jessica Rotter
Jessica Rotter’s debut album, Plains is available now.
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