You made me rethink how I listen music and I noticed that I hate streaming. I hate storing music on computer and think about duplicating on every device I might want to listen it. I created my own streaming server so I only have to install app on phone and computers, but that was not what I wanted. I noticed that I actually want that physical media that I can pick from a shelf, put id in a player and listen to it. I know that Vinyl is not for me due to space constraints in my small apartment and because it is just not for me. As I have some CDs from years I had a CD player and also used to listen CDs in car I bought a small CD player, a great bookshelf speakers and some extra CDs. That is the experience I wanted, music listening now is with a purpose, not just background noise. Actually your album release sparked me to think about it. I listened to just one song and I knew I want your album and pay to you for your work as directly as possible. Thank you! Can't wait for the album to arrive.
Oh, you are incredibly welcome and thank YOU for this outstanding album! Just walked in from the mailbox this morning in Kentucky, USA and opened up my autographed CD. 🥰
Hi Mary Can be difficult to ship single albums, consider having a few meet and collect events say London, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Sheffield. Maybe you could tie in with a tour. I am sure the savings on packing and posting could contribute to the cost or you could have a collect ticket option say £10? Or more if needed, then you could meet and maybe have another £10 for a personalised signature. You could bring some CDs, merchandise and spare albums as I am sure some may buy extras. I have my CD now and will be ordering the Album. Oh and print a sleeve insert with the story of the Album. Sleeve candy is highly prized especially if it is only in the first 500-1000 copies or so.
The digital copy may be played on digital media player BUT CD can be played on not just pottable CD players perhpas Gaming Consoles with CD/DVDs. I still have a yellow Sony CD Sports walkman player, and my original stereo system with a JVC CA-D8T triple disc compact disc player, tuner deck AM/FM stero system. Also, I have maintained keeping my CD/DVD player (burning software may not have) installed in my PC. Recently, I have acquired some older artists LP that I didn't get before the CD/cassettes versions that were released. Am looking and shopping around for 3 speed Record player/turntable to hook up to that aforementioned stereo.
Former Record store guy rant: In the late 80s record labels began remastering decades of content to take full advantage of the far superior quality of the Compact Disc. Audiophiles marveled at the sound quality of the CD, and the word "digital" became synonymous with high quality. The CD also never wore out as tape and vinyl does, and can be played a thousand times with no degradation. Today, record labels are remastering all of their content released throughout the late 80s, 90s to the 2010s to REMOVE dynamic range and frequency response so they can print these releases on vinyl, effectively lowering the quality of releases never meant to be available on vinyl. When the CD price point reached $15-$20 per album, consumers scoffed at the high price, but now consumers are willing to pay $45 for a lower quality, degenerative format. I predict that as vinyl continues to grow as the dominate physical format, at some point listeners will rediscover the CD, and wonder why that format was ever abandoned, and we'll see a resurgence of the CD. Right now, the cheapest thrift store CD player will out perform even the most expensive turntables, and CDs are currently cheaper than vinyl...So...
I still maintain that my vinyl copy of Abbey Road sounds better than my CD copy. I don't know if it's some sort of placebo effect but the vinyl edition sounds brighter and less muffled, especially noticeable on Here Comes the Sun.
Besides enjoying the activity of playing a vinyl...there are many like me who lived to read the album covers front and back while the record played. CD's became efficient, but they could never take away the bond of a spinning frisbee and an album cover lover!
You haven’t heard a high quality record player if you think that a cheap CD player is better. Many CDs were mastered with compression, especially the so called improved remasters of the 90s. The original records had a greater dynamic range and sound better for it.
I'm 66 ..just given my niece my Akai stacker stereo system and 250 vinyl that have been stored away for 20 years... some of them likely first pressings.. including my all time favourite and inspiration to start playing..( America ....self titled ... followed by Homecoming )...oh well, let's call it early inheritance.
I'm old AF and worked in a record store in my youth and later a recording engineer back when on big corporation and the government were only ones with computers. The great music era of the 70's. My big issue with vinyl today and especially old albums being brought back on vinyl is who is mastering these albums were any of the people in involved with remastering an old album work on the original session. Mastering vinyl isn't like CD or digital formats mastering vinyl correctly does alter the sound so back in the day the recording engineer and producer were involved in the mastering so the could hear and okay the sound. With vinyl there are limits in how much time can be put on a side of a records and the more time you put the shallower/tighter the groove is and that affects bass response and dynamics. Also all vinyl gear back in the day had to support the RIAA curve well all but one major label did as well as makers of record players. See RIAA curve reduced some frequencies so to make better groove sized on the record, then the record players the electronic in them had circuit to bring back those frequencies to the original sound. Now anything that is going to mess with frequencies will mess with sound that is part of reason the recording engineer and producer of the record were involved with the mastering for vinyl. So who's doing that today seems like a lot of recording artists are just sending there master off and someone not involved with the recording is mastering for the vinyl version. Also back in the day there were issues with the quality of the vinyl being used. The best was 100% pure virgin vinyl, but with the boom in music in 60's through 80's record company had to start using a mix of pure vinyl and recycled vinyl. Then how often stamper plates were replaced in pressing machines and on and on. Vinyl is a world of it's own.
VInyl today is mastered from digital files since everything is recorded digitally. So any supposed "analog sound benefit" of vinyl is completely bogus since the 2010's.
I partially agree with you. The sound I like the most was the early CD's when they were taking the old analog recorded masters and then transferring them to CD. So you still had the warm aspects of the original analog recording, but on a CD with greater dynamic and frequency range and more time could be put on a CD than a side of a vinyl album could hold.
@@DojoOfCool I don't know man, some of those early vinyl to CD transfers were terrible. For the metal and goth genres anyway. Some of those CDs even came with a note apologising for the loss of sound quality!
All depends on who did the remastering to CD. There were a handful of engineers who were known for great remastering old albums to CD and they took there time and really made sure the sound was the same. Then there were record companies that just wanted jump on the CD bandwagon and just want quick remaster of their entire catalogs to CD. Some of that stuff was just done in batches and not album by album. As the old saying goes you get what you pay for.
Hey Mary - Congrats on the release...I'm a BIG advocate for CDs, but - The one thing I've missed the most about vinyl is the 12 X 12 art format. Your album cover is beautiful and deserves to be hanging on the wall with the rest of my now vintage collection of album covers.
I bought a record deck amp etc a few years ago when i retired and i love it sounds sound is great,good selection of my youth from 60’s Bert Yansch, early folk, west coast, CSN & Y Joni, Van M,Yes, a great mix, most still play well..considering the period.
I do enjoy your blend of career news and facts about the music business. I think the way you're doing it (without being a slave to a record label) is the future. Great video as always Mary 😊
I need to check out your music. Very informative presentation. I'm a long term vinyl fan as well as a long time high end audio dealer. In my view the one reason you didn't mention for embracing vinyl is the sound. I listen to a lot of classical and with an analog recording there is often just. a "rightness" to the sound that CD's often lack. There are, of course, disadvantages to the format that can be partly avoided with really good turntables and ultrasonic cleaning techniques. A good friend of mine reissues classic Blue Note jazz releases under the nickname "The Tone Poet" (given to him by a recording artist). Thanks again for posting this.
I was one of the ones that asked if your recording would come out in vinyl. I started my vinyl collection in 1964 with Meet the Beatles and now have just short of 800. I wanted to support you so I ordered the CD but I will definitely pre-order the vinyl album. Thanks for giving it a shot
As a kid, I used a number of tube Cb's. 1966~ (Some UK call them valves). Vacuum tubes light up and pass a very complex amount of fidelity at low gain. Things were going over into transistors that are basically an 'on off' switch at very high speeds just Like digital tricks the ear. Transistors. Way cheaper to make but they sounded awful. On CB, everyone sounded the same
As a owner of a new fancy turntable, I was asking these same questions, who makes vinyl anymore. How do smaller artists handle the costs? Is it worth it for the big labels to put out content on a LP format. I lost my rock n Roll collection of lps from the 60-80s which Ill have to replenish from the used bins. Love to have Vinyl from new and contemporary artists as well.
i have a large vinyl collection.I currently have it in storage as i moved about over recent years.A love of vinyl is not based on logic .It is an emotional bond .Ido not buy much these days as i have no where to put it and its a bit pricey.I am tryiing to get all my tunes in one place for a few years in the hope that one day it will be with me where ever i end up.Most of my records are with my brother but i have got some others scattered here and there.I have a digital set up bu t in an ideal world i would have the Pioneer hybrid decks which can play vinyl and mp 4s -3s which would let me have everything in one place.I would like to live my final days surrounded by my collection.Heres hoping
Just ordered the vinyl Mary 👍 Looking forward to adding another great album to my ever growing collection 🎶 Started to buy music on vinyl since 1972 and stopped doing that when the CD was introduced in 1983. But since I missed the enjoyment that vinyl brings on so many levels I returned to that format 15 years ago.
I preordered! I usually prefer other musical genres but Mary is such a compelling artist and business person that I decided to buy her album. I love vinyl for special albums and high-end listening on my tube gear. I also love streaming digital because of the convenience and ease of finding new music.
As an older person, I loved and hated vinyl. I collected and sold vintage records, including 78 rpm discs. With 78's I've had to use needles to clear dirt that caused skips. Cleaning vinyl records is easier, but it is almost impossible to avoid dirt and noise. So, I was glad to move to cd's as a physical medium. I still love playing newly purchased records the first time.
I agree. I hated having to deal with degradation on vinyl and the occasional pops and clicks that you sometimes get even on brand new records. But, looking back, vinyl had a ritual around it which tended to make listening to music a special thing. Yes, you could put a record on for background music, but there was a hassle in doing so, and then having to change the record every 20-25 mins. I reckon most people didn't usually bother. These days, music is so easy and accessible, but I wonder if it's too easy. the effort involved in putting on a playlist from a streaming service is negligible, and it will play music all day with no effort. You can even schedule it to come on automatically. Whilst people listen to a lot more music now, I'm not sure many people actually choose and listen to music as mindfully and critically as they used to. Technology has driven people to have short attention spans and reduced patience because changing to something else is instant and is just a tap or a swipe away, instead of a 1-2 minute manual process. And that is changing how music is made and made available. The album and the song were things that were defined by the limitations of a media. To get a new record you used to have to wait until your local store had stock, and then go down and buy it. I remember waiting literally weeks for anticipated releases, and then putting in an order at the local record store in advance to make sure I got it. These days, music is defined by RUclips and TikTok. New songs are often only 2 minutes long, and there's little song development as there's no time and you don't want listeners to get bored with your intro and swipe to the next song. Being more than 2 minutes is inefficient because most listeners will have moved on before then, and the social media monetisation has already kicked in. The notion of an album of songs is practically dead. My concern with the resurgence of vinyl is the potential health issues it might cause, because vinyl is quite toxic.
I've had plenty experience with vinyl, cds, and cassette tapes. CDs are my absolute least favourite, I'd be more than happy to never touch a CD again. Cassette tapes are underappreciated- the primary problem with them is that decent tape players are hard to find right now.
@@winterburden You dont even explain why you feel that way. Theres no rational reason to have issue with CDs over vinyl and cassettes which objectively have more issues that come with them. My guess is you just find CDs boring, which is fine. I understand finding older tech interesting and wanting to collect.
I am old enough to remember what a hassle it was to keep vinyl clean. I also remember like yesterday the experience of listening to a CD the very first time. Brothers in Arms by Dire Straits. The sound blew me away. While I apreciate rhe effort you are making for your fan community, I will not follow you here. But I would love to see you live. Please come to NW Germany!! Dortmund or Cologne would be perfect. Love what you're doing.❤
Fantastic. I left a comment about wanting vinyl when you announced this. I felt kind of bad about it as I know some of the logistic issues you would have been facing . Super happy to see this announcement
Pre-ordered your cd and looking forward to getting it in the mail. Already downloaded it on phone and computer. Sounds great! Yes, would love to see you here in Birmingham...Alabama not UK!
Great news! I still have a CD player in my car, so I bought your CD to listen to while driving. But I will also be getting the vinyl release, because I love the physicality and art of it, I mainly buy vinyl.
Dear Mary. So happy that you are now going for vinyl as well. One thing. Please make sure that the product is flawless. Not so long ago I ordered record from one of my USA favourite artist. Unfortunately after a long wait it arrived unplayable due to manufacturing issues. Not from transport! A second arrived also with a clear flaw. fortunately this copy was playable. after this I gave up. Needless to express the disappointment. Not to blame the artist but the manufacturers quality control. Succes to sell many many copies.
I think its great that your new album is coming out and you will be getting some of it in vinyl. As a 50 year old i have travelled from Vinyl, to cassette, to CD, to rewritable CDs and MP3, downloaded MP3, iPods, iPhones and …. Now i am back to collecting vintage audio equipment and vinyl. There is just something more satisfying about the search, the sound and the inconvenience lol. it forces you to engage in the listening process. To be present with your music.
Just received your CD Mary & thanks so much for all your work. 👏👏 One of the things I love about vinyl vs CD is their presentation but yours is outstanding. The gorgeous artwork, book and folder have a beautiful aesthetic compared to a crystal case packaged CD. Looking forward to playing it. 🎵🎶🎶❤
Vinyl has been ordered. My only comment as i see you are waiting till next year. At least wait till spring. As a vinyl lover of old and still winter is the absolute worst time for shipping vinyl freezes and becomes very brittle in the cold. Like laquer on a les paul or tolex on an amp. Happy to wait and have it delivered safely.
I also think hip-hop and electronic genres kept it alive throughout the 90s as producers, DJs, and turntablists going "crate digging" were a boon to the resurgence by the late 2000s. As a format it was the easiest to creatively manipulate on the fly for sampling etc. As for me I also don't own a CD player anymore, but still rock vinyl. I look forward to checking out your album in spite of the wait!
Hi Mary, Love your show ! OMG, I hated Records ! I'm 62yrs. so, all my early yrs. were vinyl ! When I first heard the same studio recordings now on CD, I was blown away on the clarity and at the same time, pissed off mad for the poor reproductions on vinyl. Mainly all vinyl is missing the bottom end and that infuriated me ! Good luck on your new 'Album' !! Cheers!
Btw a lot of people with a DVD player, blu ray player or 4K blu ray player can also play CDs on those. I like Vinyl for the feeling of nostalgia and time travel, however vinyl doesn’t really have better sound than a CD. The nostalgic warm sound of vinyl is actually distortion from compression due to the physically limited dynamic range of vinyl. People complain about compression on CDs but that is a production issue and not a format problem. CDs are actually uncompressed with a much wider dynamic range. So for great sound CD is my preference, but I also prefer vinyl for the larger artwork and retro feel so I hope to get both formats.
I don't have a CD player. I don't have a turntable. That said, I'd rather get the vinyl version of your album (... and just did!) because, of the two machines, I'm more likely to get a turntable in the near future.
Just finding you on RUclips Mary. Congratulations on your new album. I'm not sure if this helps or if it is already commented on since this video came out, but Metallica bought a vinyl pressing plant a year or two ago to help artists like you be able to get their albums to the masses. Maybe it's just interesting tourist information at this point or perhaps good information going forward for you or other independent artists. Love your voice and your videos. Nice work and I hope your career goes in the direction you hope it will.
I know the real reason vinyl has made such a big comeback. It has to do with CD's, but not in the way most people think. CD was released in 1982, and it started to get popular in the late 80's and early 90's. During that time, people that took sound quality and music playback seriously, started to notice things about CD's that didn't sound good. CD's did some things really well, but not everything. Because of this, all through the 90's a lot of people were really pushing the industry for a new digital format that fixed some of the issues with CD's. Finally, in 1999 Sony released a new format called SACD. For the most part, everyone was happy with it, and it was clearly better than CD's at the time. Like any format, it took a few years to get going, but SACD was on the way to becoming the new standard. In 2007, Sony announced that they would no longer be supporting the format, and walked away from it. That pissed off a lot of people. All this time waiting for something new, and when it happened they invested time and money into adopting the new format. At that point, no one trusted the industry, so they went back to records as the new format to replace CD's. And around 2007-08, the worlds supply of new turntables all but disappeared because so many people were buying them. The waiting list to buy a turntable from most companies was about 6 months to a year. This isn't the only reason vinyl has made a comeback, but its the biggest, by far. Some of you reading this may not understand what I meant about CD's no sounding good. Most of the problems were early on, not long after when CD's first came out. Since then, the industry has came up with a lot of ways to improve the way they sound. Modern CD players are much better compared to older units. There are still a differences between the two formats, but nowhere near as big as it used to be.
Some of the the early complaints about "not sounding good" had more to do with the massive S/N of the digital format and digital mastering really accentuating the limitations of the analog equipment used to record and mix the album. When it can't hide behind the noise floor and distortion of the turntable or tape deck, many of the analog recordings really sounded bad. Some of the early D/A converters and algorithms were suspect as well. Finally, people were used to the "warmth" that a phonograph cartridge or tape head added to what they were hearing. It's technically less accurate than digital because it's filtering the signal and introducing some distortion, whereas the CD sounded "dry" or "sterile" to some people. The most accurate isn't usually the most pleasant to the ear.
Thank you for the music and info, well done, peng work indeed. I must say I believe the earliest sound ever captured was the Petrachus Pot (sound recovered from urn) from an unknown artisan from the Bronze Age? Oh, I’m not completely certain about this. Even so it must be close to this time frame.
When Fraunhofer released the DOS version of their encoder, I converted all mi LPs into MP3. They were very good when I was on the move, but they were horrible with piano pieces, loud intros, etc. I begun buying CD very late and only because LP weren't available anymore. Starting 2007, I bought the LP of what I previously acquired on CD, and stopped buying CD altogeter. I mostly buy classical music on LP, and Deutsch Grammophon has been very receptive for customers wanting LPs, not CDs. Thanks for the video Mrs. Spender. Greetings from the UK Anthony
I started collecting vinyl as a kid in the 70’s. By late 80’s I started to DJ. Today I still buy vinyl it has become expensive but I feel the sound quality is like no other format. Good luck with your music career it can be very rewarding.
Our SSH CD arrived yesterday. Thanks for packaging a recording that looks as good as it sounds! In a world of downloads and streaming it's a welcome return to the world I knew exploring new music in the 1970's.
OH! I am interesed in vinyl just at the moment I can't get it. Maybe soon. Though I do have to say, I just LOVE all of the artwork, and hope that you will eventually have some merch. Hope to see you in or around Chicago! ✌💜
Another great video. I have over 600 vinyl LP's from the 60's - 80's, but all bought at yard sales in the late 80's when they were 25 cents apiece because everyone was buying CD's. The only other point about vinyl, that no one seems to be talking about, is the incredible amount of waste. Vinyl is a very spoilage intensive process and records are definitely not good for the planet. I know, bummer. I work in a warehouse that is shared with an upstart record pressing plant and I see a huge amount of waste vinyl going into the dumpsters. Especially when they are running orders of colored and mixed color albums. In one case it took them two weeks and about 6 standard size garbage cans of trash to make a 1,000 copy run of an album order.
Awesome that you will be able to provide vinyl to those that want it !!! And excited to hear your live days when you send it out.... from one of your 1000 true fans...
I have over 3000 Vinyl Frisbees that I still cherish to this day! Super. Sexy. Heartbreak belongs in my Gallery! Since I still play my vinyl's, many of my favorite albums have been duplicated so my total number of albums is closer to 4 grand and of course diamond tip needles are not free!🤣 I will take the plunge and get in line for your tunes and no worries about waiting...as our Moms always told us "Good Things Are worth The Wait"😉 Cheers From Across The Pond In Ohio 👋
Ok, the last time I bought an actual vinyl record was in the mid 1980s. It definitely *did not* cost $50!! LOL!!! I just never thought about the price increase for vinyl since I last purchased it, but it makes total sense -- even when "mass produced" it's still a niche product, and isn't produced in nearly the numbers needed to gain the economy of scale seen in the '70s and '80s. Plus, inflation alone since the mid '80s accounts for a hefty increase all on its own. So, while I completely understand the price, it still kind of shocked me.
Having been a subscriber for so many years now (your channel was one of the first I subscribed to), of course I ordered a vinyl copy to go with my signed CD.
In the 80's, while my friends were getting CDs, I was still collecting vinyl. CD players were still too expensive for me, and the cost of CDs was still high at the time. $15 for new CDs (used CDs were rare then), compared to LPs, which I would buy for $8-10 for new releases, and $1-4 for used. As a result, my LP collection grew. I still have a large LP collection, as well as CDs. I still like having the larger artwork and being able to read liner notes.
Argh! I donated my whole stereo system, including turntable and speakers, several years ago. Gave my 150+ vinyl album collection to my niece's husband. Now I buy/download from iTunes. But I'm old, so I'm not your market demographic to begin with. I hope the vinyl experiment is a success…
I just bought a new 47 year old refurbished and restored SL 1900 (in fact last Saterday). It has new guilded terminals and all. Great feeling. And crate digging, I found some gems.
Album ordered on vinyl 🤘🏻 Can’t wait to receive it 😊I’m interested in the dynamics on it, as it’s my experience that vinyl’s today are engineered with higher dynamics today, mainly because the compression most sound engineers and producers either choose themselves or are forced to by record companies for digital releases are removing the 3D sound image, depths and dynamics, where the sound engineer on vinyl can’t compress the sound due to the RIAA standard. Unfortunately someone introduced the loudness war in the early/mid 90’s - destroying good music. Digital media is superiour to the analouge media, unfortunately the lack of willingness to keep dynamics just because it has to sound loud also destroys good music on that account.. shame on producers and record companies on that account. *hah* someone will propably rant over this comment 🤷🏻♂️ not my problem 😏
I think you’re right, however, the loudness war started due to the portability of music. Listening on a pocket sized player in the street, or in the car means quiet passages are lost, so producers pushed the volume up to maximum all the time using compression. It results in a fatiguing sound which is hard to listen to for extended periods. When mastering albums, there are two camps. The lazy, money grabbing type take the compressed CD master and play it straight to the cutting lathe, after RIAA adjustment, of course. To me this is just cynical. On the other hand, those who care master records the way it should be done, which is to use a higher sample rate uncompressed digital file as the start point. Some compression is still applied along with centralising the lowest frequencies where necessary, to allow it to fit onto the available space and be trackable by a stylus. However, this is no where near as much, as the end product is, more often than not, played in a quiet environment.
Vinyly...we get to the root of the album...I love it. It just sounds more organic and genuine. My favorite store in E. Lansing Michigan was "Flat Black and Circular" Which I would go to on lunch at work at Michigan State University's Grounds Department. Third Man Records was launched by Jack White (featuring the Third Man Record Booth), and distribution center, and the world’s only live venue with direct-to-acetate recording capabilities. Third Man is an innovator in the world of vinyl records and a boundary pusher in the world of recorded music, aiming to bring tangibility and spontaneity back into the record business and issue releases that leave no doubt in the minds of listeners that music is indeed sacred.
That was a fantastic History of Vinyl summary! For me personally, I'll add the post-Napster guilt factor. When I started to be able to download an artists' entire discography in one click and I also started noticing CDs and records sold at live shows were the same price (circa 2007-2011 here in Canada), I started supporting artists by buying their vinyl; especially smaller indie acts.
Don't forget the role played by cassettes in the demise of vinyl. I originally bought all my music on cassette, and did my co-op in a cassette manufacturing facility back in the early 90s.
I knew people long before the digital era that either bought cassettes or vinyl exclusively. The tape buyers wanted something to play in their car, but I've seen more than once where they'd buy a brand new tape, shove it into their cheapo tape deck only to be eaten and ruined. I bought vinyl and made my own cassettes on higher end tapes than the pre recorded versions. If anything happened to them, I could just make another and still own some of those records to this day.
Cassette was for making mix tapes or a back up copy or a beloved LP (even back then I recognised that playing an LP could damage it). Oh, and hunting those C120's for recording the Annie Nightingale request night themed specials from Radio 1!😜 Her show was a gateway to a lot of artists I would never hear of otherwise, many I still love today!
What I'm most impressed with is the different facial expressions in each of your thumbnails, RUclipsrs suddenly discover they can show surprise, shock, anger, disgruntlement or disappointment in 10 different ways. Looking forward to seeing your future thumbnail faces as well as your great reports of course 😉👉👏
They also pre down mastered the vinyl to 16 bit 44khz. The higher resolution mastering now allows vinyl to shine again. The original early 50s to 70s recordings are amazing.
Good concise history on vinyl to its current state. There is a really great podcast called “Women in Vinyl” that goes into detail about the trials and tribulations of the indy vinyl industry. They have guests that talk about the mastering of the sound, tooling of machines, to the economics and politics of business.
This is a great in-a-nutshell history lesson of voice recording. Good luck on your vinyl journey (expect a new series on that alone in the next few months).
Growing up in the 70's and 80's, I started out buying vinyl, then switched to cassette tapes due to their portability and sturdiness. My friends got into CrO2 tapes for better clarity, however unless you had a tape deck that could handle them, a regular tape player would stretch out the tapes. I wanted to move on CD, however the prices were high at first. CD prices dropped after awhile. I got the impression it became known that manufacturing CD's was probably cheaper than making cassettes. In college I had a friend that continued to buy vinyl. The local record stores had a shrinking section of new vinyl, constantly being replaced by CD racks.
I asked my favorite record shop, the beautiful Fingerprints in Long Beach, Calif., about business lately & they indeed confirmed that LP records that don't sell can't be returned, unlike CDs. I don't have room for many more LPs, so CDs are cool!
You never know if someone is going to ask for the album in reel to reel format (15ips). I don't know the psychology behind vinyl demand, but I have a tiny collection of vinyl records. There is something magical about the sound being in physical form. It is especially magical when it is a recording that hasn't been remastered and released in digital format.
Started the video, immediately paused, pre-ordered and now continuing listening to the story how hard it is to release a vinyl record. I will probably be surprised by my own purchase when it arrives somewhere next summer 😂
I'll see how the experiment goes before pre ordering the vinyl that's expected to come along in July 2024.. A lot can change in the world and my life in10 months to gamble on it. If it goes well, I'll order when you have inventory.
Fabulous and highly interesting history! Thank you so much. Love 'n Light best & cheers, Sean Sadly 'n not sadly, had fav platter / speaker tech in the 70's 'n 80's, not goin' back. Don't even by physical books any more.
I went to college in the late 70s and early 80s. CDs weren't an option, and vinyl provided the best fidelity. I had a fairly extensive vinyl collection, say 100 +/- 50 albums. When CDs first came out, they were very expensive, and the players even more so, but I was excited by the new technology. In particular, I was impressed by the lack of hiss, pops, skips and other imperfections rampant in analog technologies. And today, CD is my preferred media (even to non-physical digital, for much the same reason that I prefer physical books to e-books: the user interface is better.). I don't even own a turntable anymore. The only thing I do miss is the extensive liner notes and artwork that came with the 12-inch format. Many CDs come with a single cover sheet with a track listing and that's it. No lyrics, no BTS, no whimsical backstories for the tracks, nothing. That used to be a large part of the joy of buying an album...
💔 Get your VINYL copy of my album *Super. Sexy. Heartbreak.* here:
bit.ly/supersexyvinyl
You made me rethink how I listen music and I noticed that I hate streaming. I hate storing music on computer and think about duplicating on every device I might want to listen it. I created my own streaming server so I only have to install app on phone and computers, but that was not what I wanted. I noticed that I actually want that physical media that I can pick from a shelf, put id in a player and listen to it.
I know that Vinyl is not for me due to space constraints in my small apartment and because it is just not for me.
As I have some CDs from years I had a CD player and also used to listen CDs in car I bought a small CD player, a great bookshelf speakers and some extra CDs. That is the experience I wanted, music listening now is with a purpose, not just background noise.
Actually your album release sparked me to think about it. I listened to just one song and I knew I want your album and pay to you for your work as directly as possible. Thank you! Can't wait for the album to arrive.
Oh, you are incredibly welcome and thank YOU for this outstanding album! Just walked in from the mailbox this morning in Kentucky, USA and opened up my autographed CD. 🥰
definitely interested
Hi Mary
Can be difficult to ship single albums, consider having a few meet and collect events say London, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Sheffield. Maybe you could tie in with a tour. I am sure the savings on packing and posting could contribute to the cost or you could have a collect ticket option say £10? Or more if needed, then you could meet and maybe have another £10 for a personalised signature. You could bring some CDs, merchandise and spare albums as I am sure some may buy extras. I have my CD now and will be ordering the Album.
Oh and print a sleeve insert with the story of the Album. Sleeve candy is highly prized especially if it is only in the first 500-1000 copies or so.
The digital copy may be played on digital media player BUT CD can be played on not just pottable CD players perhpas Gaming Consoles with CD/DVDs.
I still have a yellow Sony CD Sports walkman player, and my original stereo system with a JVC CA-D8T triple disc compact disc player, tuner deck AM/FM stero system. Also, I have maintained keeping my CD/DVD player (burning software may not have) installed in my PC.
Recently, I have acquired some older artists LP that I didn't get before the CD/cassettes versions that were released.
Am looking and shopping around for 3 speed Record player/turntable to hook up to that aforementioned stereo.
Former Record store guy rant:
In the late 80s record labels began remastering decades of content to take full advantage of the far superior quality of the Compact Disc.
Audiophiles marveled at the sound quality of the CD, and the word "digital" became synonymous with high quality. The CD also never wore out as tape and vinyl does, and can be played a thousand times with no degradation.
Today, record labels are remastering all of their content released throughout the late 80s, 90s to the 2010s to REMOVE dynamic range and frequency response so they can print these releases on vinyl, effectively lowering the quality of releases never meant to be available on vinyl.
When the CD price point reached $15-$20 per album, consumers scoffed at the high price, but now consumers are willing to pay $45 for a lower quality, degenerative format.
I predict that as vinyl continues to grow as the dominate physical format, at some point listeners will rediscover the CD, and wonder why that format was ever abandoned, and we'll see a resurgence of the CD.
Right now, the cheapest thrift store CD player will out perform even the most expensive turntables, and CDs are currently cheaper than vinyl...So...
I still maintain that my vinyl copy of Abbey Road sounds better than my CD copy. I don't know if it's some sort of placebo effect but the vinyl edition sounds brighter and less muffled, especially noticeable on Here Comes the Sun.
Well said.
Nothing against vinyl until something better was available.
Besides enjoying the activity of playing a vinyl...there are many like me who lived to read the album covers front and back while the record played. CD's became efficient, but they could never take away the bond of a spinning frisbee and an album cover lover!
You haven’t heard a high quality record player if you think that a cheap CD player is better. Many CDs were mastered with compression, especially the so called improved remasters of the 90s. The original records had a greater dynamic range and sound better for it.
Shhhhhh don't tell everyone, I'm building a massive cd collection through music magpie and charity shops 😂
Thanks!
I can't wait for your 8-track release and the tour video on laserdisc.
How many people will get these references?
I prefer the Betamax over laser disc
Oh, hello. I can only listen to music recorded on the side of a vase and movie clips on a kinetoscope.@@shaybapple
@@clintonroushff7068 How many will still be able to play both.
(I can, needs some dusting though)
@@shaybapple When you would have said Video 2000 instead of Betamax...
I'm 66 ..just given my niece my Akai stacker stereo system and 250 vinyl that have been stored away for 20 years... some of them likely first pressings.. including my all time favourite and inspiration to start playing..( America ....self titled ... followed by Homecoming )...oh well, let's call it early inheritance.
Received my signed CD copy just today! Great album Mary and it really is a fantastic looking product too. Thank you!
I'm old AF and worked in a record store in my youth and later a recording engineer back when on big corporation and the government were only ones with computers. The great music era of the 70's. My big issue with vinyl today and especially old albums being brought back on vinyl is who is mastering these albums were any of the people in involved with remastering an old album work on the original session. Mastering vinyl isn't like CD or digital formats mastering vinyl correctly does alter the sound so back in the day the recording engineer and producer were involved in the mastering so the could hear and okay the sound. With vinyl there are limits in how much time can be put on a side of a records and the more time you put the shallower/tighter the groove is and that affects bass response and dynamics. Also all vinyl gear back in the day had to support the RIAA curve well all but one major label did as well as makers of record players. See RIAA curve reduced some frequencies so to make better groove sized on the record, then the record players the electronic in them had circuit to bring back those frequencies to the original sound. Now anything that is going to mess with frequencies will mess with sound that is part of reason the recording engineer and producer of the record were involved with the mastering for vinyl. So who's doing that today seems like a lot of recording artists are just sending there master off and someone not involved with the recording is mastering for the vinyl version.
Also back in the day there were issues with the quality of the vinyl being used. The best was 100% pure virgin vinyl, but with the boom in music in 60's through 80's record company had to start using a mix of pure vinyl and recycled vinyl. Then how often stamper plates were replaced in pressing machines and on and on. Vinyl is a world of it's own.
VInyl today is mastered from digital files since everything is recorded digitally. So any supposed "analog sound benefit" of vinyl is completely bogus since the 2010's.
I partially agree with you. The sound I like the most was the early CD's when they were taking the old analog recorded masters and then transferring them to CD. So you still had the warm aspects of the original analog recording, but on a CD with greater dynamic and frequency range and more time could be put on a CD than a side of a vinyl album could hold.
@@DojoOfCool I don't know man, some of those early vinyl to CD transfers were terrible. For the metal and goth genres anyway. Some of those CDs even came with a note apologising for the loss of sound quality!
All depends on who did the remastering to CD. There were a handful of engineers who were known for great remastering old albums to CD and they took there time and really made sure the sound was the same. Then there were record companies that just wanted jump on the CD bandwagon and just want quick remaster of their entire catalogs to CD. Some of that stuff was just done in batches and not album by album. As the old saying goes you get what you pay for.
Bernie Grundman is mastering everything, he's been tied up in a room for about 5 yrs and just fed work non stop
Hey Mary - Congrats on the release...I'm a BIG advocate for CDs, but - The one thing I've missed the most about vinyl is the 12 X 12 art format. Your album cover is beautiful and deserves to be hanging on the wall with the rest of my now vintage collection of album covers.
Mary just keep moving forward. A record is a great idea and brings back nostalgia in music history. Great plan
I bought a record deck amp etc a few years ago when i retired and i love it sounds sound is great,good selection of my youth from 60’s Bert Yansch, early folk, west coast, CSN & Y Joni, Van M,Yes, a great mix, most still play well..considering the period.
I do enjoy your blend of career news and facts about the music business. I think the way you're doing it (without being a slave to a record label) is the future.
Great video as always Mary 😊
Just pre-ordered the vinyl, looking forward to it!
Anxiously awaiting my CD on this side of the pond.
Just preordered the vinyl. Look forward to spinning it
Finally a vinyl release! See you in the preorder records
And I'd love to see you live
When I was young, all we had were vinyl, reel2reel tape, and radio. I remember listening to Yes LP on my console player. Good memories.
Yeah I don't think I can wait that long to hear Mary...guess I'm just gonna have to get both
I need to check out your music. Very informative presentation. I'm a long term vinyl fan as well as a long time high end audio dealer. In my view the one reason you didn't mention for embracing vinyl is the sound. I listen to a lot of classical and with an analog recording there is often just. a "rightness" to the sound that CD's often lack. There are, of course, disadvantages to the format that can be partly avoided with really good turntables and ultrasonic cleaning techniques. A good friend of mine reissues classic Blue Note jazz releases under the nickname "The Tone Poet" (given to him by a recording artist). Thanks again for posting this.
Glad you're taking the plunge, Mary. Best of luck in your endeavours for this vinyl project...
I was one of the ones that asked if your recording would come out in vinyl. I started my vinyl collection in 1964 with Meet the Beatles and now have just short of 800. I wanted to support you so I ordered the CD but I will definitely pre-order the vinyl album. Thanks for giving it a shot
As a kid, I used a number of tube Cb's. 1966~ (Some UK call them valves).
Vacuum tubes light up and pass a very complex amount of fidelity at low gain.
Things were going over into transistors that are basically an 'on off' switch at very high speeds just Like digital tricks the ear.
Transistors. Way cheaper to make but they sounded awful. On CB, everyone sounded the same
As a owner of a new fancy turntable, I was asking these same questions, who makes vinyl anymore. How do smaller artists handle the costs? Is it worth it for the big labels to put out content on a LP format. I lost my rock n Roll collection of lps from the 60-80s which Ill have to replenish from the used bins. Love to have Vinyl from new and contemporary artists as well.
Got my pre-order before the video even ended 😂 I'm stoked
i have a large vinyl collection.I currently have it in storage as i moved about over recent years.A love of vinyl is not based on logic .It is an emotional bond .Ido not buy much these days as i have no where to put it and its a bit pricey.I am tryiing to get all my tunes in one place for a few years in the hope that one day it will be with me where ever i end up.Most of my records are with my brother but i have got some others scattered here and there.I have a digital set up bu t in an ideal world i would have the Pioneer hybrid decks which can play vinyl and mp 4s -3s which would let me have everything in one place.I would like to live my final days surrounded by my collection.Heres hoping
Just ordered the vinyl Mary 👍
Looking forward to adding another great album to my ever growing collection 🎶
Started to buy music on vinyl since 1972 and stopped doing that when the CD was introduced in 1983. But since I missed the enjoyment that vinyl brings on so many levels I returned to that format 15 years ago.
Just received my vinyl today yayyyyyyy!!!! So so happy to get this!!
I preordered! I usually prefer other musical genres but Mary is such a compelling artist and business person that I decided to buy her album. I love vinyl for special albums and high-end listening on my tube gear. I also love streaming digital because of the convenience and ease of finding new music.
As an older person, I loved and hated vinyl. I collected and sold vintage records, including 78 rpm discs. With 78's I've had to use needles to clear dirt that caused skips. Cleaning vinyl records is easier, but it is almost impossible to avoid dirt and noise. So, I was glad to move to cd's as a physical medium. I still love playing newly purchased records the first time.
No it's not
I agree. I hated having to deal with degradation on vinyl and the occasional pops and clicks that you sometimes get even on brand new records.
But, looking back, vinyl had a ritual around it which tended to make listening to music a special thing. Yes, you could put a record on for background music, but there was a hassle in doing so, and then having to change the record every 20-25 mins. I reckon most people didn't usually bother.
These days, music is so easy and accessible, but I wonder if it's too easy. the effort involved in putting on a playlist from a streaming service is negligible, and it will play music all day with no effort. You can even schedule it to come on automatically.
Whilst people listen to a lot more music now, I'm not sure many people actually choose and listen to music as mindfully and critically as they used to. Technology has driven people to have short attention spans and reduced patience because changing to something else is instant and is just a tap or a swipe away, instead of a 1-2 minute manual process.
And that is changing how music is made and made available.
The album and the song were things that were defined by the limitations of a media. To get a new record you used to have to wait until your local store had stock, and then go down and buy it. I remember waiting literally weeks for anticipated releases, and then putting in an order at the local record store in advance to make sure I got it.
These days, music is defined by RUclips and TikTok.
New songs are often only 2 minutes long, and there's little song development as there's no time and you don't want listeners to get bored with your intro and swipe to the next song. Being more than 2 minutes is inefficient because most listeners will have moved on before then, and the social media monetisation has already kicked in.
The notion of an album of songs is practically dead.
My concern with the resurgence of vinyl is the potential health issues it might cause, because vinyl is quite toxic.
I've had plenty experience with vinyl, cds, and cassette tapes. CDs are my absolute least favourite, I'd be more than happy to never touch a CD again. Cassette tapes are underappreciated- the primary problem with them is that decent tape players are hard to find right now.
@@winterburden You dont even explain why you feel that way. Theres no rational reason to have issue with CDs over vinyl and cassettes which objectively have more issues that come with them. My guess is you just find CDs boring, which is fine. I understand finding older tech interesting and wanting to collect.
Yesss! Just pre-ordered the vinyl. Great channel. Love your music, attitude and outlook.
I am old enough to remember what a hassle it was to keep vinyl clean. I also remember like yesterday the experience of listening to a CD the very first time. Brothers in Arms by Dire Straits. The sound blew me away.
While I apreciate rhe effort you are making for your fan community, I will not follow you here.
But I would love to see you live. Please come to NW Germany!! Dortmund or Cologne would be perfect.
Love what you're doing.❤
? Just keep the record in the sleeve when it isn't being used and buy a player with a dust cover?
Fantastic. I left a comment about wanting vinyl when you announced this. I felt kind of bad about it as I know some of the logistic issues you would have been facing . Super happy to see this announcement
Mary, I LOVE that you said: “phonograph, gramophone, or turntable.” Please, never change !! ❤️
Pre-ordered your cd and looking forward to getting it in the mail. Already downloaded it on phone and computer. Sounds great! Yes, would love to see you here in Birmingham...Alabama not UK!
Great news! I still have a CD player in my car, so I bought your CD to listen to while driving. But I will also be getting the vinyl release, because I love the physicality and art of it, I mainly buy vinyl.
I was early ordering my CD and it sounds fantastic. I also requested the vinyl version so it should be no surprise to you that I’ve ordered my copy 😊
Dear Mary. So happy that you are now going for vinyl as well. One thing. Please make sure that the product is flawless. Not so long ago I ordered record from one of my USA favourite artist. Unfortunately after a long wait it arrived unplayable due to manufacturing issues. Not from transport! A second arrived also with a clear flaw. fortunately this copy was playable. after this I gave up. Needless to express the disappointment. Not to blame the artist but the manufacturers quality control. Succes to sell many many copies.
I think its great that your new album is coming out and you will be getting some of it in vinyl. As a 50 year old i have travelled from Vinyl, to cassette, to CD, to rewritable CDs and MP3, downloaded MP3, iPods, iPhones and …. Now i am back to collecting vintage audio equipment and vinyl. There is just something more satisfying about the search, the sound and the inconvenience lol. it forces you to engage in the listening process. To be present with your music.
Thanks Mary for a smart and efficient historical overview!
I received my email yesterday that my CD label has been generated!!!!!!! Super excited!!!
Just received your CD Mary & thanks so much for all your work. 👏👏 One of the things I love about vinyl vs CD is their presentation but yours is outstanding. The gorgeous artwork, book and folder have a beautiful aesthetic compared to a crystal case packaged CD. Looking forward to playing it. 🎵🎶🎶❤
Vinyl has been ordered. My only comment as i see you are waiting till next year. At least wait till spring. As a vinyl lover of old and still winter is the absolute worst time for shipping vinyl freezes and becomes very brittle in the cold. Like laquer on a les paul or tolex on an amp. Happy to wait and have it delivered safely.
I also think hip-hop and electronic genres kept it alive throughout the 90s as producers, DJs, and turntablists going "crate digging" were a boon to the resurgence by the late 2000s. As a format it was the easiest to creatively manipulate on the fly for sampling etc.
As for me I also don't own a CD player anymore, but still rock vinyl. I look forward to checking out your album in spite of the wait!
Very interesting, thank you Mary.
Hi Mary, Love your show !
OMG, I hated Records !
I'm 62yrs. so, all my early yrs. were vinyl !
When I first heard the same studio recordings now on CD, I was blown away on the clarity and at the same time, pissed off mad for the poor reproductions on vinyl.
Mainly all vinyl is missing the bottom end and that infuriated me !
Good luck on your new 'Album' !!
Cheers!
Just bought your vinyl sight unseen and hearing unheard… Godspeed!
Best of luck with the album Mary 🍀
Yes! I want the vinyl! Just pre-ordered...
Btw a lot of people with a DVD player, blu ray player or 4K blu ray player can also play CDs on those.
I like Vinyl for the feeling of nostalgia and time travel, however vinyl doesn’t really have better sound than a CD. The nostalgic warm sound of vinyl is actually distortion from compression due to the physically limited dynamic range of vinyl. People complain about compression on CDs but that is a production issue and not a format problem. CDs are actually uncompressed with a much wider dynamic range. So for great sound CD is my preference, but I also prefer vinyl for the larger artwork and retro feel so I hope to get both formats.
I don't have a CD player. I don't have a turntable. That said, I'd rather get the vinyl version of your album (... and just did!) because, of the two machines, I'm more likely to get a turntable in the near future.
Just finding you on RUclips Mary. Congratulations on your new album. I'm not sure if this helps or if it is already commented on since this video came out, but Metallica bought a vinyl pressing plant a year or two ago to help artists like you be able to get their albums to the masses. Maybe it's just interesting tourist information at this point or perhaps good information going forward for you or other independent artists. Love your voice and your videos. Nice work and I hope your career goes in the direction you hope it will.
Hey...I just came across your gem of a RUclips channel & have just subscribed. Now giving Super Sexy Heartbreak a listen. Lovely stuff.
I know the real reason vinyl has made such a big comeback. It has to do with CD's, but not in the way most people think. CD was released in 1982, and it started to get popular in the late 80's and early 90's. During that time, people that took sound quality and music playback seriously, started to notice things about CD's that didn't sound good. CD's did some things really well, but not everything. Because of this, all through the 90's a lot of people were really pushing the industry for a new digital format that fixed some of the issues with CD's. Finally, in 1999 Sony released a new format called SACD. For the most part, everyone was happy with it, and it was clearly better than CD's at the time. Like any format, it took a few years to get going, but SACD was on the way to becoming the new standard.
In 2007, Sony announced that they would no longer be supporting the format, and walked away from it. That pissed off a lot of people. All this time waiting for something new, and when it happened they invested time and money into adopting the new format. At that point, no one trusted the industry, so they went back to records as the new format to replace CD's. And around 2007-08, the worlds supply of new turntables all but disappeared because so many people were buying them. The waiting list to buy a turntable from most companies was about 6 months to a year. This isn't the only reason vinyl has made a comeback, but its the biggest, by far.
Some of you reading this may not understand what I meant about CD's no sounding good. Most of the problems were early on, not long after when CD's first came out. Since then, the industry has came up with a lot of ways to improve the way they sound. Modern CD players are much better compared to older units. There are still a differences between the two formats, but nowhere near as big as it used to be.
Some of the the early complaints about "not sounding good" had more to do with the massive S/N of the digital format and digital mastering really accentuating the limitations of the analog equipment used to record and mix the album. When it can't hide behind the noise floor and distortion of the turntable or tape deck, many of the analog recordings really sounded bad. Some of the early D/A converters and algorithms were suspect as well. Finally, people were used to the "warmth" that a phonograph cartridge or tape head added to what they were hearing. It's technically less accurate than digital because it's filtering the signal and introducing some distortion, whereas the CD sounded "dry" or "sterile" to some people. The most accurate isn't usually the most pleasant to the ear.
Thank you for the music and info, well done, peng work indeed. I must say I believe the earliest sound ever captured was the Petrachus Pot (sound recovered from urn) from an unknown artisan from the Bronze Age? Oh, I’m not completely certain about this. Even so it must be close to this time frame.
This is great news, but I'll have to give it some thought. Including shipping the record will cost me around €70! That's a lot.
When Fraunhofer released the DOS version of their encoder, I converted all mi LPs into MP3. They were very good when I was on the move, but they were horrible with piano pieces, loud intros, etc.
I begun buying CD very late and only because LP weren't available anymore. Starting 2007, I bought the LP of what I previously acquired on CD, and stopped buying CD altogeter. I mostly buy classical music on LP, and Deutsch Grammophon has been very receptive for customers wanting LPs, not CDs. Thanks for the video Mrs. Spender.
Greetings from the UK
Anthony
I started collecting vinyl as a kid in the 70’s. By late 80’s I started to DJ. Today I still buy vinyl it has become expensive but I feel the sound quality is like no other format. Good luck with your music career it can be very rewarding.
Our SSH CD arrived yesterday. Thanks for packaging a recording that looks as good as it sounds! In a world of downloads and streaming it's a welcome return to the world I knew exploring new music in the 1970's.
So glad you were able to make this happen! Preorder is in.
I am one of those prefer vinyl people. It encourages me to pay attention to the music. Also, I ordered.
Just pre-ordered the Vinyl, I'm sure it will be well worth the wait 🙂
OH! I am interesed in vinyl just at the moment I can't get it. Maybe soon. Though I do have to say, I just LOVE all of the artwork, and hope that you will eventually have some merch. Hope to see you in or around Chicago! ✌💜
My copy of Super Sexy arrived today. It's a stunning presentation. Everybody buy it!!
Where are you? UK or USA? I’m in the US and waiting.
@@mikecumbo7531 UK, NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, so it didn't have to travel far! Hope you get it soon. Church Bell on it too!
Another great video. I have over 600 vinyl LP's from the 60's - 80's, but all bought at yard sales in the late 80's when they were 25 cents apiece because everyone was buying CD's. The only other point about vinyl, that no one seems to be talking about, is the incredible amount of waste. Vinyl is a very spoilage intensive process and records are definitely not good for the planet. I know, bummer. I work in a warehouse that is shared with an upstart record pressing plant and I see a huge amount of waste vinyl going into the dumpsters. Especially when they are running orders of colored and mixed color albums. In one case it took them two weeks and about 6 standard size garbage cans of trash to make a 1,000 copy run of an album order.
Awesome that you will be able to provide vinyl to those that want it !!! And excited to hear your live days when you send it out.... from one of your 1000 true fans...
Ordered. Will be glad to have your work in my vinyl collection 😊
I have over 3000 Vinyl Frisbees that I still cherish to this day! Super. Sexy. Heartbreak belongs in my Gallery! Since I still play my vinyl's, many of my favorite albums have been duplicated so my total number of albums is closer to 4 grand and of course diamond tip needles are not free!🤣 I will take the plunge and get in line for your tunes and no worries about waiting...as our Moms always told us "Good Things Are worth The Wait"😉 Cheers From Across The Pond In Ohio 👋
Ok, the last time I bought an actual vinyl record was in the mid 1980s. It definitely *did not* cost $50!! LOL!!! I just never thought about the price increase for vinyl since I last purchased it, but it makes total sense -- even when "mass produced" it's still a niche product, and isn't produced in nearly the numbers needed to gain the economy of scale seen in the '70s and '80s. Plus, inflation alone since the mid '80s accounts for a hefty increase all on its own. So, while I completely understand the price, it still kind of shocked me.
Just ordered my copy! Very reasonable shipping costs to Canada too
Ordered! Was hoping you would release it on vinyl!
Having been a subscriber for so many years now (your channel was one of the first I subscribed to), of course I ordered a vinyl copy to go with my signed CD.
In the 80's, while my friends were getting CDs, I was still collecting vinyl. CD players were still too expensive for me, and the cost of CDs was still high at the time. $15 for new CDs (used CDs were rare then), compared to LPs, which I would buy for $8-10 for new releases, and $1-4 for used. As a result, my LP collection grew. I still have a large LP collection, as well as CDs. I still like having the larger artwork and being able to read liner notes.
Argh! I donated my whole stereo system, including turntable and speakers, several years ago. Gave my 150+ vinyl album collection to my niece's husband. Now I buy/download from iTunes. But I'm old, so I'm not your market demographic to begin with. I hope the vinyl experiment is a success…
I just bought a new 47 year old refurbished and restored SL 1900 (in fact last Saterday). It has new guilded terminals and all. Great feeling. And crate digging, I found some gems.
Album ordered on vinyl 🤘🏻 Can’t wait to receive it 😊I’m interested in the dynamics on it, as it’s my experience that vinyl’s today are engineered with higher dynamics today, mainly because the compression most sound engineers and producers either choose themselves or are forced to by record companies for digital releases are removing the 3D sound image, depths and dynamics, where the sound engineer on vinyl can’t compress the sound due to the RIAA standard. Unfortunately someone introduced the loudness war in the early/mid 90’s - destroying good music. Digital media is superiour to the analouge media, unfortunately the lack of willingness to keep dynamics just because it has to sound loud also destroys good music on that account.. shame on producers and record companies on that account. *hah* someone will propably rant over this comment 🤷🏻♂️ not my problem 😏
I think you’re right, however, the loudness war started due to the portability of music. Listening on a pocket sized player in the street, or in the car means quiet passages are lost, so producers pushed the volume up to maximum all the time using compression.
It results in a fatiguing sound which is hard to listen to for extended periods. When mastering albums, there are two camps.
The lazy, money grabbing type take the compressed CD master and play it straight to the cutting lathe, after RIAA adjustment, of course. To me this is just cynical.
On the other hand, those who care master records the way it should be done, which is to use a higher sample rate uncompressed digital file as the start point. Some compression is still applied along with centralising the lowest frequencies where necessary, to allow it to fit onto the available space and be trackable by a stylus. However, this is no where near as much, as the end product is, more often than not, played in a quiet environment.
Vinyly...we get to the root of the album...I love it. It just sounds more organic and genuine. My favorite store in E. Lansing Michigan was "Flat Black and Circular" Which I would go to on lunch at work at Michigan State University's Grounds Department. Third Man Records was launched by Jack White (featuring the Third Man Record Booth), and distribution center, and the world’s only live venue with direct-to-acetate recording capabilities. Third Man is an innovator in the world of vinyl records and a boundary pusher in the world of recorded music, aiming to bring tangibility and spontaneity back into the record business and issue releases that leave no doubt in the minds of listeners that music is indeed sacred.
That was a fantastic History of Vinyl summary! For me personally, I'll add the post-Napster guilt factor. When I started to be able to download an artists' entire discography in one click and I also started noticing CDs and records sold at live shows were the same price (circa 2007-2011 here in Canada), I started supporting artists by buying their vinyl; especially smaller indie acts.
Don't forget the role played by cassettes in the demise of vinyl. I originally bought all my music on cassette, and did my co-op in a cassette manufacturing facility back in the early 90s.
I knew people long before the digital era that either bought cassettes or vinyl exclusively. The tape buyers wanted something to play in their car, but I've seen more than once where they'd buy a brand new tape, shove it into their cheapo tape deck only to be eaten and ruined. I bought vinyl and made my own cassettes on higher end tapes than the pre recorded versions. If anything happened to them, I could just make another and still own some of those records to this day.
Cassette was for making mix tapes or a back up copy or a beloved LP (even back then I recognised that playing an LP could damage it). Oh, and hunting those C120's for recording the Annie Nightingale request night themed specials from Radio 1!😜 Her show was a gateway to a lot of artists I would never hear of otherwise, many I still love today!
What I'm most impressed with is the different facial expressions in each of your thumbnails, RUclipsrs suddenly discover they can show surprise, shock, anger, disgruntlement or disappointment in 10 different ways. Looking forward to seeing your future thumbnail faces as well as your great reports of course 😉👉👏
Love my physical media, my CD turns up tomorrow.
They also pre down mastered the vinyl to 16 bit 44khz. The higher resolution mastering now allows vinyl to shine again. The original early 50s to 70s recordings are amazing.
Way more than 5 of us! I'm grabbing vinyl and CD
Just received my cd (here in the US) today. Beautifully packaged and great tunes!!
Wow this is well done. Love the research that went into this.
Well researched and informative video, Mary. Thanks for sharing.
Good concise history on vinyl to its current state. There is a really great podcast called “Women in Vinyl” that goes into detail about the trials and tribulations of the indy vinyl industry. They have guests that talk about the mastering of the sound, tooling of machines, to the economics and politics of business.
This is a great in-a-nutshell history lesson of voice recording. Good luck on your vinyl journey (expect a new series on that alone in the next few months).
Fabulous history lesson. Thanks.
Growing up in the 70's and 80's, I started out buying vinyl, then switched to cassette tapes due to their portability and sturdiness. My friends got into CrO2 tapes for better clarity, however unless you had a tape deck that could handle them, a regular tape player would stretch out the tapes. I wanted to move on CD, however the prices were high at first. CD prices dropped after awhile. I got the impression it became known that manufacturing CD's was probably cheaper than making cassettes.
In college I had a friend that continued to buy vinyl. The local record stores had a shrinking section of new vinyl, constantly being replaced by CD racks.
I asked my favorite record shop, the beautiful Fingerprints in Long Beach, Calif., about business lately & they indeed confirmed that LP records that don't sell can't be returned, unlike CDs. I don't have room for many more LPs, so CDs are cool!
You never know if someone is going to ask for the album in reel to reel format (15ips). I don't know the psychology behind vinyl demand, but I have a tiny collection of vinyl records. There is something magical about the sound being in physical form. It is especially magical when it is a recording that hasn't been remastered and released in digital format.
The album is a stunning listen!! The vinyl has been ordered.
Started the video, immediately paused, pre-ordered and now continuing listening to the story how hard it is to release a vinyl record. I will probably be surprised by my own purchase when it arrives somewhere next summer 😂
Hello Mary, Vinyl ordered. Greetings from Stuttgart/Germany
I'll see how the experiment goes before pre ordering the vinyl that's expected to come along in July 2024.. A lot can change in the world and my life in10 months to gamble on it. If it goes well, I'll order when you have inventory.
I would like to have one of those records in a frame on the wall. The artwork is gorgeous.
Hello Mary,
Do you have any iOS or Android app of yours to teach guitar?
Fabulous and highly interesting history! Thank you so much. Love 'n Light best & cheers, Sean Sadly 'n not sadly, had fav platter / speaker tech in the 70's 'n 80's, not goin' back. Don't even by physical books any more.
If you're ever in Montreal I'm coming out!
Vinyl in July, Yes!
I’ll have a vinyl Mary and happy to pre order
Ordered
I went to college in the late 70s and early 80s. CDs weren't an option, and vinyl provided the best fidelity. I had a fairly extensive vinyl collection, say 100 +/- 50 albums.
When CDs first came out, they were very expensive, and the players even more so, but I was excited by the new technology. In particular, I was impressed by the lack of hiss, pops, skips and other imperfections rampant in analog technologies.
And today, CD is my preferred media (even to non-physical digital, for much the same reason that I prefer physical books to e-books: the user interface is better.). I don't even own a turntable anymore. The only thing I do miss is the extensive liner notes and artwork that came with the 12-inch format. Many CDs come with a single cover sheet with a track listing and that's it. No lyrics, no BTS, no whimsical backstories for the tracks, nothing. That used to be a large part of the joy of buying an album...
Yes! When they drop, I'll be there, credit card in hand. Can't wait.