The Vinyl thread

[steelcaressed]

OK...My wife was kind enough to get me a turntable for Christmas.

 

The coolest thing about that is now I have about 200+ new albums to listen to that I have not heard in over 15 years. (That was when the kids killed my last functional needle on my old turntable.)

 

So, together w/ my 17 y/o son, we broke out some of my old stash. Here's the list after two days:

 

Judas Priest - Sad Wings of Destiny. (That one is a picture disc. And NO, I don't mean a DVD!)

 

Pentagram - Pentagram. (A local DC band previously known as Death Penalty from the late 80's. Very heavy.)

 

Y&T - In Rock We Trust (OK Earl, let's hear it!)

 

Witchfinder General - Death Penalty. (A different kind of heavy, in the up-tempo British tradition w/ a very old-school, Ozzy-like singer.)

 

Iron Maiden - Live After Death. (This one is from the Powerslave Tour, and features Dickenson singing an unbelievable version of "Phantom of the Opera!)

 

Motorhead - I Got Mine. (This one is shortly after fast Eddie left. It's still Motorhead though. This particular EP features 3 songs, playable at 45 rpm's.)

 

That's it for the last two days.

 

 

Now, this thread is intended for thoughts about old music that you used to love, and a rekindled relationship w/ that music. Please feel free to join me as I document my journey through my old vinyl collection. Additionally, please weigh in w/ your own thoughts, and add any of your observations and/or experiences w/ music you haven't listened to in a very long time.

 

 

Here's my first notation:

 

My older collection is rather eclectic, but features a lot of heavier stuff. My CD collection is missing a great deal from this genre that I used to love. Witchfinder General in particular is a very old favorite of mine, obscure though they be. It's wonderful to get to listen to those crunchy riffs and high-pitched vocals again after all those years.

 

Most of the other selections were hand picked by my 17 y/o son.

 

I picked Y&T for him, since he leans towards flashy, candy metal. He really liked "In Rock We Trust." Personally, I find it sounds remarkably similar to Def Leppard w/ slightly edgier guitar work, and more masculine vocals.

 

Tomorrow, I'll let you know what he and I think of "Screaming for Vengeance" and "Creeping Death." (The latter is another picture disc by Metallica, and has the title cut and Blitzkrieg on it. Should be fun!)

 

I'm a very lucky man to be able to share this experience w/ my son.

 

Join me tomorrow, same bat-channel.....

[TheRocinanteKid]

I love listening to vinyl. I'm not sure I agree with the whole "The sound quality is better on vinyl" stuff but I do think they have a certain feel that you no longer get with CDs or MP3s and whatever.

 

When I was maybe 4 or 5 records were still pretty widely available in shops and my Dad sometimes bought them in place of CDs and would play them on the turntable on the top of our old stereo. As LPs became less and less popular my Dad stopped buying them and the turntable was only used when I decided to put toy cars on it and spin them around or something. Went into the loft a few years later when we got a new system minus a turntable.

 

When I started getting into Classic Rock proper, when I was like 13 or whatever my Dad got me the old system down and put it in my room and took me to a second hand record shop in the city where I bought a few vinyls of my own (David Lee Roth's Skyscraper and Black Sabbath's Master Of Reality are ones I specifically remember). I guess I just fell in love with it. Sadly the old system broke and I had to go without vinyl for almost a year before my Dad bought me an amp and a turntable. I went mad on that thing, almost caught up with my CD collection with the amount of vinyl I bought... Mainly second hand stuff, most new bands putting out vinyl are of no interest to me and just do it for fashion, never intending their music to be played on turntables.

[J0N]

QUOTE (TheRocinanteKid @ Dec 27 2007, 02:04 PM)

I went mad on that thing, almost caught up with my CD collection with the amount of vinyl I bought... Mainly second hand stuff, most new bands putting out vinyl are of no interest to me and just do it for fashion, never intending their music to be played on turntables.

[GeddyRulz]

I've got to remember to ask for a turntable next Christmas. I, too, have about 200 records that haven't been heard in years, some of which I'll never replace on CD - because they're not available, or just because.

 

Looking forward to playing Klaatu's first album and the sappy Seals & Crofts soundtrack to the Robbie Benson film "One on One." Okay... I'm a weirdo. Shoot me.

[ILSnwdog]

I've got a real nice Technics turn table. Now, if I could just find my albums. I don't know where they ended up after we moved into our current home. I have a 4 day weekend coming up. Maybe I could take an hour and see if I can dig them up, and then I can give Loverboy a spin. EVERYBODY'S WORKIN FOR THE WEEKEND!

 

Actually, I think the first album that will get a spin will probably be Asia's first.

[rushbass]

Cool post - sharing the vinyl experience with your son!

 

Alas, I got rid of all my vinyl years ago...

[third hand grace]

I have my turntable (Rega) packed away right now (13 year old and a 4 year old)! but I can't wait for the day to break it back out again.

 

I have hundreds of albums on book shelves (which reminds me that I probably should rotate them so they do not warp.

 

I MISS the ARTWORK, and the experience.

 

Kids today have no idea what they are missing out on.

I think it is interesting that the ipods have something called "cover flow" now, some attempt at art appreciation?

[treeduck]

I've still got a lot of vinyl knocking about, a lot has gone but I've still got 200 albums or so and (Ilsnwdog) a Technics turntable...

 

[steelcaressed]

QUOTE (GeddyRulz @ Dec 27 2007, 10:42 AM)

I've got to remember to ask for a turntable next Christmas. I, too, have about 200 records that haven't been heard in years, some of which I'll never replace on CD - because they're not available, or just because. Looking forward to playing Klaatu's first album and the sappy Seals & Crofts soundtrack to the Robbie Benson film "One on One." Okay... I'm a weirdo. Shoot me.

Yes, you are a weirdo.

 

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to hide my Seals and Croft album, and all my John Denver stuff too. There's even a Little River Band album in there somewhere.

 

And by the way, that's a perfect way to put it: "...some of which I will never replace...just because."

[treeduck]

QUOTE (steelcaressed @ Dec 27 2007, 01:51 PM)

QUOTE (GeddyRulz @ Dec 27 2007, 10:42 AM) I've got to remember to ask for a turntable next Christmas.  I, too, have about 200 records that haven't been heard in years, some of which I'll never replace on CD - because they're not available, or just because. Looking forward to playing Klaatu's first album and the sappy Seals & Crofts soundtrack to the Robbie Benson film "One on One."  Okay... I'm a weirdo.  Shoot me. Yes, you are a weirdo.   Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to hide my Seals and Croft album, and all my John Denver stuff too. There's even a Little River Band album in there somewhere.   And by the way, that's a perfect way to put it: "...some of which I will never replace...just because." *checks to see if steelcaressed is a woman like D-13*

[steelcaressed]

QUOTE (treeduck @ Dec 27 2007, 02:53 PM)

QUOTE (steelcaressed @ Dec 27 2007, 01:51 PM) QUOTE (GeddyRulz @ Dec 27 2007, 10:42 AM) I've got to remember to ask for a turntable next Christmas.  I, too, have about 200 records that haven't been heard in years, some of which I'll never replace on CD - because they're not available, or just because. Looking forward to playing Klaatu's first album and the sappy Seals & Crofts soundtrack to the Robbie Benson film "One on One."  Okay... I'm a weirdo.  Shoot me. Yes, you are a weirdo.   Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to hide my Seals and Croft album, and all my John Denver stuff too. There's even a Little River Band album in there somewhere.   And by the way, that's a perfect way to put it: "...some of which I will never replace...just because." *checks to see if steelcaressed is a woman like D-13*       All right Ducky....it's a good thing for you this is a family-friendly board.     Get a haircut freak!

[treeduck]

QUOTE (steelcaressed @ Dec 27 2007, 01:59 PM)

QUOTE (treeduck @ Dec 27 2007, 02:53 PM) QUOTE (steelcaressed @ Dec 27 2007, 01:51 PM) QUOTE (GeddyRulz @ Dec 27 2007, 10:42 AM) I've got to remember to ask for a turntable next Christmas.  I, too, have about 200 records that haven't been heard in years, some of which I'll never replace on CD - because they're not available, or just because. Looking forward to playing Klaatu's first album and the sappy Seals & Crofts soundtrack to the Robbie Benson film "One on One."  Okay... I'm a weirdo.  Shoot me. Yes, you are a weirdo.   Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to hide my Seals and Croft album, and all my John Denver stuff too. There's even a Little River Band album in there somewhere.   And by the way, that's a perfect way to put it: "...some of which I will never replace...just because." *checks to see if steelcaressed is a woman like D-13*       All right Ducky....it's a good thing for you this is a family-friendly board.     Get a haircut freak!

[Ru5h F@n]

QUOTE (steelcaressed @ Dec 26 2007, 11:41 PM)

OK...My wife was kind enough to get me a turntable for Christmas. The coolest thing about that is now I have about 200+ new albums to listen to that I have not heard in over 15 years. (That was when the kids killed my last functional needle on my old turntable.) So, together w/ my 17 y/o son, we broke out some of my old stash. Here's the list after two days: Judas Priest - Sad Wings of Destiny. (That one is a picture disc. And NO, I don't mean a DVD!) Pentagram - Pentagram. (A local DC band previously known as Death Penalty from the late 80's. Very heavy.) Y&T - In Rock We Trust (OK Earl, let's hear it!) Witchfinder General - Death Penalty. (A different kind of heavy, in the up-tempo British tradition w/ a very old-school, Ozzy-like singer.) Iron Maiden - Live After Death. (This one is from the Powerslave Tour, and features Dickenson singing an unbelievable version of "Phantom of the Opera!) Motorhead - I Got Mine. (This one is shortly after fast Eddie left. It's still Motorhead though. This particular EP features 3 songs, playable at 45 rpm's.) That's it for the last two days. Now, this thread is intended for thoughts about old music that you used to love, and a rekindled relationship w/ that music. Please feel free to join me as I document my journey through my old vinyl collection. Additionally, please weigh in w/ your own thoughts, and add any of your observations and/or experiences w/ music you haven't listened to in a very long time. Here's my first notation: My older collection is rather eclectic, but features a lot of heavier stuff. My CD collection is missing a great deal from this genre that I used to love. Witchfinder General in particular is a very old favorite of mine, obscure though they be. It's wonderful to get to listen to those crunchy riffs and high-pitched vocals again after all those years. Most of the other selections were hand picked by my 17 y/o son. I picked Y&T for him, since he leans towards flashy, candy metal. He really liked "In Rock We Trust." Personally, I find it sounds remarkably similar to Def Leppard w/ slightly edgier guitar work, and more masculine vocals. Tomorrow, I'll let you know what he and I think of "Screaming for Vengeance" and "Creeping Death." (The latter is another picture disc by Metallica, and has the title cut and Blitzkrieg on it. Should be fun!) I'm a very lucky man to be able to share this experience w/ my son. Join me tomorrow, same bat-channel.....

Wow the last time I owned a record was 1986. It's been a while since then. I had about 300 records of all sorts of artists. I can't remember them all now. Alzheimer's sinking in I guess.

[steelcaressed]

Right now my son and I are listening to Black Sabbath - Mob Rules. Not exactly one of my favorites back in the day, but still solid. Iommi was definitely progressing w/ his sound at this point. We recently saw the old animated "Heavy Metal" movie, and the title track was certainly inserted at a very appropriate point in the film.

 

(As a side note, I think I'm going to hide that old copy of "Born Again" before he finds it.)

 

Earlier today, we listened to Metallica - Creeping Death. As mentioned before, it's a picture disc EP. It features the title song, Blitzkrieg, and Am I Evil? Here's a brief description. It's definitely vintage sonically. Speed was obviously very important to them at the time.

 

Earlier in the day, I noticed he was listening to some older Sabbath.

 

He seems to be enjoying this as much as I am. He was introduced to a vinyl skip for the first time. He thought it was part of the song at first.

 

More tomorrow. I think we'll start w/ Iron Maiden - Killers.

[steelcaressed]

Got to half of Iron Maiden - Killers. I remember why I liked it so much now. Though D'ianno doesn't have the range (or the completely over-the -top pipes) of Dickenson, he could perform effectively.

 

All of the first half of the album (there's a bygone term) is written by Steve Harris, which is why the subject matter is all related to literature and historical figures. He's also prominent, his rumblings keeping time along w/ drummer Clive Burr. Burr was excellent back then as well. I'm not too sure what happened to him aftrer McBrain replaced him.

 

The opening track, "The Ides of March" is a wiry instrumental interspersed w/ occassional staccato drum sequences and odd tempo changes. It works.

 

"Wrathchild" follows. Not my favorite, though the opening lick by Harris will get your attention. The snychronized playing is also alluring, but not enough there to really pull me in.

 

"Murders in the Rue Morgue," a musical adaptation of the Edgar Allan Poe mystery, is a bit slow and boring in the beginning, but the tempo goes nuts after a short intro. D'ianno is at his best on this one. He really nails the notes on the up-tempo bridge, and during the chorus, his speedy delivery is right on. Overdubbing during the solo spoils it a bit. The solo is the weakest portion of the song, straining to sound like Priest.

 

"Another Life" opens w/ an insane drum pattern and some great guitar work. You can really hear how young the band is on this one, in a good way. Again, Harris w/ that speedy bass rumbling along dominates, even during the solo.

 

"Ghengis Khan" is easily my favorite on this side. Harris' trademark gallop is interspersed w/ lots of up and down fretwork. He really mixes it up well. It also features a sweet guitar duel. (Of note, my son tells me that the middle sequence was ripped off later by Papa Roach in "Last Resort." He's right.)

 

The sixth track, "Innocent Exile," opens w/ another bassline, which is almost predictable at this point. The thing is, the lines are inventive and unique, so I never really tire of them. Lyrics are weak, but the solo again has an insane tempo, and the band is completely together all the way through. A great musical effort.

 

(This was the first time my son got to hear most of this, and he's a Maiden fan for sure. It was a lot of fun to watch him as this played. "Another instrumental?" was what he said when Ghengis Khan played.)

 

 

Side two tomorrow.

[third hand grace]

I have only the first 3 songs on my iPod, none of the others do it for me.

I totally agree w/ your comments about DiAnno.

Anyone know what became of Burr?!?!

[Revizx]

I pick up Vinyl regularly.

I just picked up Dokken - Tooth and Nail yesterday.

[rushgoober]

i used to have tons of albums. back in the 80's i started getting into late 60's music and most of it wasn't reissued, so i had to find originals. in the late 80's the reissue market on vinyl went crazy, but by the early 90's it moved to cd's and i had also been buying cd's since the early 80's. by the mid 90's, so much of what i had was available on cd, or i'd already made cassette tapes of it that were easier to listen to that i saw no more point of keeping my vinyl so i sold all of it. it was a fun era though. the artwork was much better big, but i sure did get tired of having to turn over albums every 20 minutes...

[fritz44]

Not a fan of the Maiden, but the band quite often donate things to an MS charity, on account of their former drummer (Burr?) having the disease.

 

I could be wrong on the person with the MS.

[steelcaressed]

QUOTE (third hand grace @ Dec 29 2007, 12:24 AM)

I have only the first 3 songs on my iPod, none of the others do it for me. I totally agree w/ your comments about DiAnno. Anyone know what became of Burr?!?!

Here's the wiki article on Burr. As mentioned on the previous post by fritz44, he does indeed have MS. He bounced around from band to band after his three record stint w/ Maiden. Bad career move for a very solid metal drummer.

 

 

[steelcaressed]

Iron Maiden - Killers, side two.

 

Killers - The rhythm section opens this as well. There is some great fretwork during an extended intro that is simply mouth watering. The solo is ahead of its time also, frenetic and surprisingly fresh. Harris again keeps the band towing the line. His playing is the catalyst that makes them unique. Solid song all the way through.

 

Twilight Zone - Another song performed in attack mode. Di'anno really shows his pipes on this one (and his limitations.) His technique on this one is the harbinger of things to come. Dickenson would use some of the same techniques w/ much greater effect. Oddly enough, on both of these tracks, there is a fair amount of backing vocals. The album doesn't credit anyone w/ that role, but it's certainly not just overdubs of Di'anno. The backing vocals are not the standard Def Leppard monotone shout/chants that most 80's metal bands employ, and they really fill the song out. They don't make the song by any stretch, but they add a certain amount of charm.

 

Prodigal Son - The anomaly on this album. A soft acoustic opening, slowly adding instruments and building in strength and fullness of tonality. They show that they are not just a straight forward metal band that never comes out of attack mode here. Di'Anno is impressively well-placed in the mix. The solo is smooth and fitting, and the drums just soft enough in the mix not to overpower a moving piece of music. Harris' omnipresent rumbling again binds all the pieces together smoothly. They play the intro three times during the song, which helps them avoid a fade-out, but it comes at the expense of dragging things out a bit.

 

Purgatory - Back to the attack. Bass front and center. A duet featuring Di'Anno and the lead guitar. Frenetic, wall slamming pace. And just when you think it's similar to all the other up-tempo numbers on the record, it shifts in speed and style, becoming exceptionally melodic . You can feel the youthful energy on this one.

 

Drifter - There's a bit of a blues influence on this one. The effect on the solo is impressive, but much of the rest is not. Harris is insane on it, as usual. I don't think he ever plays slow. The vocal performance is passable considering the lyrics are not.

 

Great album that I have missed for quite a few years now.

 

 

I'm not sure what's up next. I'll figure that out later.

 

[Syaoran_2001]

I grew up listening to my parents records and when I was in high school, I started building my own record collection. My vinyl collection now is around 500 some records. I've got records spanning almost all genres, but mostly classic rock from the 60's and 70's. I own most of the Beatles catalog, including some pretty rare discs such as Introducing to the Beatles (mono) and the original error pressing of A Hard Day's Night. I also have most of the Rush catalog on vinyl minus FBN, CoS, HYF, Presto, Vapor Trails and Feedback. I prefer listening to music on vinyl; CD's and MP3's just don't have the same sort of feel. A lot of albums just don't sound right if they're not coming from a record.

[goose]

Very cool thread, similar to one I had anticipated starting. For Christmas, my wife got me a turntable that is supposed to interface with my PC to convert analog to MP3 files. I was so fired up, like Steelcaresseed, to get to hear my vinyl after a long hiatus caused by my children's destructive tendencies.

 

So, I unpack the thing, get a an old copy of Women & Children First, load the software, plug in the USB and..."Unable to read device". Over and over I get this message. Ahhhhh....!

 

[Drumnut]

QUOTE (fritz44 @ Dec 29 2007, 12:04 PM)

Not a fan of the Maiden, but the band quite often donate things to an MS charity, on account of their former drummer (Burr?) having the disease. I could be wrong on the person with the MS.

 

[Maiden Freak!]

 

Right on the MS, here is the Maiden sites page on Clives' MS. My first intro to Clives' drumming was on 'Killers' on such songs as 'Wrathchild' & 'Murders In The Rue Morgue.' 'Remember Tomorrow' from the first album 'Iron Maiden' was one of my favorite Clive/ Paul DiAnno cuts. 'Phantom of the Opera' is one early Maiden song you can't bring up without mentioning Clive as well. Anyone have a copy of 'The Soundhouse Tapes' laying around?

 

[/Maiden Freak!]

Edited December 31, 2007 by Drumnut

[steelcaressed]

QUOTE (goose @ Dec 31 2007, 12:56 AM)

Very cool thread, similar to one I had anticipated starting. For Christmas, my wife got me a turntable that is supposed to interface with my PC to convert analog to MP3 files. I was so fired up, like Steelcaresseed, to get to hear my vinyl after a long hiatus caused by my children's destructive tendencies. So, I unpack the thing, get a an old copy of Women & Children First, load the software, plug in the USB and..."Unable to read device". Over and over I get this message. Ahhhhh....!

Good luck w/ that. Perhaps you can get some help in Reverse Polarity (for free )

 

My new one is a self-contained unit w/ a retro look. There's a catalogue where you can order spare needles. I think I'll be purchasing and stashing two of those real soon as I still have two little ones running around wreaking havoc.

 

That was a sweet gift from your wife. Don't forget valentines day!

 

Great choice for a first album too. I may have to dust off my copy, if I can locate it.

 

And D-Nut, thanks for posting that discography of EP's for Maiden. Very cool. I'll probably have to clean up the drool puddle when my son gets a look at it. (I'll use his new Def Leppard shirt. )