From the Crates: My Introduction to Vinyl

Vinyl. Audio pressed onto a disc, spun around on a turntable, and reproduced with a needle. In the early days of sound recording, this was the way we listened to music. However, with the development of newer technology like CDs and the advent of digital audio, vinyl fell to the wayside...until recently. In the past 10 years, vinyl has made a resurgence and collectors and hobbyist can't get enough of it.

My introduction to vinyl came from my mom. We were cleaning out our house in the Poconos and found her old radio/turntable combo. I was intrigued so we brought it back home to Long Island and dug out her small collection of albums and 45s (singles). I picked up her copy of Michael Jackson's Thriller and placed it on the platter. Watching the arm drop onto this spinning piece of plastic and suddenly I'm listening to those iconic opening chords to one of the most popular songs of all time. I was hooked.

Soon enough I found myself in my hometown record store with my dad; the smell of deteriorating cardboard, cubbies filled with hundreds of albums, a Miles Davis album playing over the store speakers. As I sifted through the stacks I picked out 2 albums: Fleetwood Mac's Rumours and Led Zeppelin's Physical Graffiti. From that moment on, my collection flourished. Through many trips to record stores, thrift stores, and gifts from friends, I have purchased and acquired a decent collection. This mini-series is here to document some of my favorite records along with some fun facts I've learned over the years.