The return of the vinyl Record Shop…

[LHC]

I seem to recall being told by one of the staff on the WH Smith audio counter - wow, remember those, folks? - that many returns were because people would buy the LPs in order to tape them. Because "the customer is always right" they couldn't do a thing about it.

That may have been their suspicion, but I doubt they had any real evidence to justify it. I can certainly remember having to return LPs repeatedly as the pressings were so bad. I returned Abbado’s recording of Un Ballo in maschera on DG three times before giving up on ever finding an acceptable copy, and getting my money back.

I was told by the staff at my local record shop that PIL’s metal box was especially notorious in the record industry, as several sides were all but unplayable. In this case, it wasn’t so much the quality of the vinyl used (although this was as poor as usual), but a mix of the manufacturing process and packaging (the three discs were stored in a round metal case) that caused problems with this release.

The sense of relief when CDs were introduced, and you could buy a new release secure in the knowledge that you could listen to the whole disc without the dread of confronting clicks, pops and crackles all the way through, was tremendous.

[richardfinegold]

That may have been their suspicion, but I doubt they had any real evidence to justify it. I can certainly remember having to return LPs repeatedly as the pressings were so bad. I returned Abbado’s recording of Un Ballo in maschera on DG three times before giving up on ever finding an acceptable copy, and getting my money back.

I was told by the staff at my local record shop that PIL’s metal box was especially notorious in the record industry, as several sides were all but unplayable. In this case, it wasn’t so much the quality of the vinyl used (although this was as poor as usual), but a mix of the manufacturing process and packaging (the three discs were stored in a round metal case) that caused problems with this release.

The sense of relief when CDs were introduced, and you could buy a new release secure in the knowledge that you could listen to the whole disc without the dread of confronting clicks, pops and crackles all the way through, was tremendous.

I remember the manager of a store that I worked in arguing with a customer about a return. It think it was the Sex Pistols album. The manager insisted that his personal copy was from the same lot and tracked just fine. The customer insisted he try to play the copy in question as the store had a turntable for displaying records, and the cartridge on this copy looked like a small craft in a Winslow Homer painting

[Bryn]

It got to the point that I used to seek out records that were pressed either in the Netherlands or Germany and avoided British pressings as much as possible.

I remember that even Saga records made a point of stressing that some of their releases were pressed in Germany, the wonderful complete Debussy solo piano works from Livia Rev being a case in point. (So annoying that three items were omitted from the later CD release.)

[Piazolla]

When records started to make a come back some years ago now I thought it was just a fad, well, it certainly wasn't and I've even now found myself getting quite keen on collecting vinyl. There are record shops in most towns and of course charity shops too and I love browsing and coming home with a batch under my arm and playing them on my 1960's Bush record player.
There is certainly a magic involved here, I guess nostalgia is having an influence here, but it's nice to see a large range of ages keen on enjoying records be it expensive newly released issues or cheap scruffy originals.
Classical, easy listening, jazz, even 1950's-1970's pop, I love it all and it's a real treat switching on the old record player waiting for the valves to warm up and relaxing!

[Old Grumpy]

Bad news for vinyl fetishists:

https://inews.co.uk/culture/music/putin-threatens-harry-styles-album-russia-heavy-metal-ban-impacts-vinyl-1614741