“Full disclosure: I’m not a vinyl collector. I wish I was, really. But I’m not.”
“I grew up in a musical family listening to cassettes and CDs (rather ironic given said musical family also owned the first record store in St. Louis). But my connection to music has always fallen more towards song and technique than fidelity.
Yes, vinyl sounds better. And not just better, stunningly so. It’s real and visceral and tactile. Yes, the first time I heard Aretha on vinyl was life changing. Yes. And yet I don’t own a single vinyl record.
But I have made one.
The process of creating a vinyl record, the mastering and the remastering, the cutting and stamping and proofing…that process, that technique I feel for. Time and craft in an instant world is everything to be admired.
So, no I don’t collect vinyl. But in recent years my brother and I have restarted our mother’s collection (the original was tragically lost in a number of segmented, cross-state moves in the early ’80s). Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Who; all the necessities and counting. The sound track of my childhood, now bursting forth in all its intended, hi-fi glory. And it really is better.
Other fun vinyl facts: I did stumble upon my grandfather’s first record up for auction on eBay. His name’s Joe Gerst and he’s playing pedal steel on “Who You Were Before.”
—Katie Buchanan
“Who You Were Before” comes from Glow, Katie Buchanan’s debut full-length album which is in stores now. On vinyl.
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PHOTO: LEXI LAMBROS
