Yet another essay on the resurgent popularity of vinyl records, this one from Max Ufberg for The Pacific Standard.
For all its sonic and physical imperfections and lack of portability, “[v]inyl offers a sense of sentimentality – of mortality, even – that only imperfection allows,” Ufberg concludes:
http://psmag.com/magazine/the-humanness-of-vinyl
(via http://www.artsjournal.com)
Reprised postscript from yours truly: Grooved records can be played even if they are damaged. In other playback media – cassette or 8-track tape, compact disc, mp3, soundstream – a flaw equivalent to a scratched surface or slightly warped disc would make the recording unplayable.
Don’t get me started on the price of new vinyl, or the difficulties consumers face in acquiring decent turntables, cartridges and tuners/amplifiers with preamps that accommodate turntables.
Letter V 