Old 45s V MP3s

[big band heaven]

I was doing some sorting out today and came across a box with some of my old 45s in. Record wise my main area is 78s but I have also ammassed about 1000 45s over the years. It seems to me that although music today is on tap 24/7 anywhere you go - there still is nothing like putting a piece of 7 inch black vinyl on a turntable and letting it spin. Playing an MP3 just isn't the same at all.

I scanned a few lables and art work covers - so if you fancy a walk down memory lane feel free to have a look. If you click on a photo you can view them close up.

A selection of my old 45s

[Aerodyne]

As always, Richard, you've brightened the day. Some long-lost memories there, trapped between the grooves of vinyl. I agree entirely with you; there is nothing like the pleasure of placing a disc on a turntable. Especially with LPs, where the big cover usually carried a great image and some useful information. Classical music was especially well catered for in this country by HMV - I have many LPs with quite stunning sleeve cover images and backed by informed comment and recording details. British composers such as Delius and Vaughan Williams could be found in the HMV catalogue and at that time - 1960s - rarely elsewhere.
The times have moved on but the far-too-easy availability of MP3s and their evanescent quality (i.e. you can't pick 'em up and examine them for scratches, or read the labels or sleeves) make them in some strange way of less value. The damage done to the recording industry is almost total. We will never see the likes of it again, more's the pity. I'm not often a great fan of the past, despite appreciating what went before for the engineering and skill that created it, but in this case I'd make an exception. I like CDs, certainly - but I have a very warm regard for analogue discs.
Thanks for this!
Tony

[fido]

Looking through a box of stuff I rescued from my parents garage I found that there is some classical music on 7". I would guess they were bought by my mum, as dad would have gone for 78s or later on LPs. Amongst the usual songs from musicals there are things like Overture Miniature from Tchaikovsky Nutcracker Suite, Fetes No.2 from Debussy Nocturnes (EP), Tchaikovsky and Greig Piano Concertos both on one side of an EP and Rondo Capriccioso parts 1 & 2 by Saint-Saens (this latter is one of my own favourites so that will certainly get an airing!).

[ucl82]

Tony, vinyl is still very much available and always have been. My vinyl collection (approx 750 LPs) spans from 1950s LPs (and a few 78s) to 2011. The record industry loves vinyl and it sells well, sales have been increasing every year since 2002. Last year new vinyl sales were at their highest since 1991.
A big issue is made out of sound quality as well, all the major four record labels (Warner Bros, Sony BMG, Universal and EMI) have put a lot of time and money into remastering older albums and producing high quality new vinyl which is pressed all over the world. Many new LPs come with a free copy of the CD or a voucher to download an MP3 version of the album. This means you get the sound quality and artwork of the vinyl, along with the portability of the digital file and all for around £15.

[tiv48]

if you realy want to hear vinel at its best get hold of any mobile fidelty half speed mastered pressings, i only have one (Abbey Road by the Beatles ) but nothing can beat the quality. well maybe the master tapes!
rob t

[Joe]

Two huge boxes of singles went in last week's auction for £22. I didn't look closely at them but they were catalogued as ranging from the 1950s to '80s. I was surprised at how cheap they were as I'd have thought some dealer would have been after them as it wouldn't take many decent ones to be into profit. I suppose there isn't the demand for singles now when you can buy a down-load for 79p or nick it for free.

- Joe

[Joe]

I've got a foot in both camps. I agree with liking the hard-copy, I certainly can't see myself getting into these 'cloud' things, but at the end of the day it's the music I'm interested in and things like the sleeve design are completely irrelevent as far as I'm concerned and just shove the cost up.

I agree with you about not de-clicking things. I like listening to my old singles on the computer or whatever but still getting the crackles.

- Joe

[Aerodyne]

Sleeve design irrelevant? Surely you jest, sire... some of the most innovative and brilliant popular art was created for LP covers. After all it was what caught the eye of the buyer. Perhaps its me, but I like to know about the composer and the artistes, when and where the recording was made and so on. To read this on a big 12" X 12" card was more satisfying than attempting to read printed CD info from miniscule page to miniscule page.
In fact, I'd say that such details as a gorgeous sleeve and intelligent liner notes add greatly to my listening pleasure. But then, I'm talking mostly jazz and classical, such as Billie Holiday, Stan Getz, Charlie Parker, Delius, Glazunov, Prokofiev etc. Maybe it is all of a lesser importance with today's music, or pop in general. Then again, maybe not!

As for de-clicking, here's an example of how it should be done. Alan Dell wrote the sleeve notes for a very extended set of 12" LPs in the 1970s. The set contained every studio track laid down by Glenn Miller. Some of the stuff was from very worn masters or even more worn 78s. Remastering engineer Trine Crouch spent many hours with tape spicer, cutting out all the scratches, clicks and drop-outs and fitting in a little 'similar' sound to mask the missing part.
The result were very listenable and ostensibly original sounding tracks, exactly as originally recorded - the damage due to the passing of time was negated and the Miller sound, of its 1938-1942 time, became great to hear. Noting added - no echo, no false stereo, just clean audio.
-Tony

[Joe]

I've nothing against professional restoration. I meant that I enjoy listening to the same RECORDS, as opposed to the same SONGS that I grew up listening to, albeit as MP3/WMA files.

If sleeve notes do say anything worth reading then fine, and perhaps they are better in other genres, but often those CD booklets just contain irrelevant photographs, the Arctic Monkey's 'Favourite Worst Nightmare' being a case in point.

As for looking attractive that can work both ways as they can be as off-putting as encouraging. I've got singles in picture sleeves which I turned inside out: Debbie Gibson's 'We Could be Together' and Transvision Vamp's 'Landslide of Love' spring to mind yet both these songs would be in any top ten I were to compile.

There is a lot of music which I find completely life-enhancing but I wouldn't know the artists if I met them. I've never had access to MTV and wasn't even an avid watcher of 'Top of the Pops' so music is usually heard on the radio and about the only time I see contemporary artists is on things like Glastonbury and now I haven't got a television won't be doing that.

I accept that I'm in a minority, especially for people my own age and above, but to me music is aural and paying much attention to the packaging of a record makes as much sense as going to an art galley to listen to the frames.

Each to there own.
- Joe

[tiv48]

jo how can you say art work irrelevant here are some classics
rob t