My Brothers and I, The TVD First Date

“I had a vinyl collection before I had an actual record player. I’d go to a record store and see a cool LP from an artist I really enjoy or an old school best seller on discount and figured I should buy it, because I’d eventually get something to play this thing on.”

“After some time, and as my personal collection of unlistenable vinyl got a little bigger, my parents took out their collection from the attic to basically quadruple what I had accumulated. I’d spend hours just looking at the covers, opening up the albums and reading the descriptions. (Still no listening).

Around the same time, my grandparents had begun the process of moving homes. As it just so worked out, they discovered a record player that they had in storage that they weren’t using. They asked if I had a record player, to which we all know by now was a no, and gifted me their old one. It was in need of a new needle, but otherwise was in great condition.

I researched record player needles on the internet and found one that I thought would work. Well, as it turns out they don’t make some types of needles anymore, because they don’t make some types of record players anymore either—so why would they? Anywho, I ordered it online and checked the mailbox everyday for nearly a week.

I distinctly remember being as giddy as I’ve ever been when I opened the mailbox that day and saw a small package with my name on it. I couldn’t keep from smiling as I walked home to go attach it. I ran upstairs and opened the packaged carefully and took out this small tooth like thing. I was praying the needle would fit, as I remember the seller wasn’t positive it would. To my relief: It did, it fit!

I don’t remember what record I played first, but I do remember that the feeling of listening to vinyl was mesmerizing. It’s a trip that sound comes from a lacquered, plastic-y, round thing with grooves in it. The sound was so full and wonderful it was like you were in the same room with the musicians, unlike any recorded sound I had heard before.

A few records I remember burning through were, Manna by Bread, Teaser and the Firecat by Cat Stevens, Year of the Cat by Al Stewart, Mystery to Me by Fleetwood Mac, Brothers in Arms by Dire Straits, and a ton of Elton John. Each album I listened to, I was taken to another place. Vinyl is a special thing, because it’s not only an audible attachment that the listener is gifted, but a physical one. You can see, smell, feel the music and immediately understand why this was, and still is, such a special time in recorded music history.”
—Jordan Roach