“I will never forget the first time I heard music on vinyl. It forever changed the way I hear music which in turn changed my life.”
“It was 2007 and I had just turned 16 and gotten a car. I had also just gotten my first home recording setup for Christmas (a Digidesign 002 for the nerds) and was starting to hear records differently… less as a listener and more as a piece of art that somebody made. At some point I decided to get Bright Eyes’ I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning on vinyl. I think I mostly decided to do this because I wanted to drive across town to the record store (The Disc Exchange) in my new car and tell my friends!
When the record came in I drove to get it and also bought a crappy record player because I didn’t even have one at this point. I remember the few days before this because I had to get some speakers and a receiver as well, so I drove around collecting everything I would need from friends.
One of the big moments came when I returned home from the record store. My dad saw me carrying everything into the house and was blown away by the fact I thought vinyl was cool. He was kind of making fun of me, but also said he had a few records in the attic that I could have so I went and grabbed the ones I recognized. It was Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours, The Beatles’ “White Album,” and I think a Styx record.
Okay, so I finally got down to the basement where I had my little recording setup. I laid everything out on the floor and eventually figured out how to wire the speakers. This was the moment. For some reason I decided to put an old record on first, I guess to save the moment of listening to Bright Eyes in case something was wrong. I chose Fleetwood Mac… good decision!
I placed the record on the turntable upside down (side B) because I had no idea what I was doing. This caused the record to start halfway through when I dropped the needle. To my amazement, sound started immediately! And it wasn’t just sound, it was the lone kick drum and acoustic guitar of “The Chain.” I will NEVER forget the moment of that song playing through those old lo-fi speakers. It was the vibiest thing I had ever heard.
I listened to the whole record just laying there on the carpet. I think it was the combination of that limited bandwidth setup, the fact that I alone had figured out how to make it work, and not to mention discovering one of the greatest songs of our time in such a dramatic way. Either way, the impression it made will forever mark a turning point in my obsession with music. I find myself chasing the feeling I had when I first heard that song on that setup.
Vinyl has come in and out of my life since that moment, but it will forever represent pure listening to me. Not necessarily for the fidelity, but something about the act of pulling out the massive sleeve with the artwork and placing the thing on the turntable. It demands so much intention, and I know I’m in a healthy musical place anytime I find myself listening to vinyl.”
—Garrett Sale
Push Ups, the sophomore release from William Wild, the project of musician Garrett Sale, is in stores now.
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PHOTO: DILLON MATTHEW
