I Need That Record! documentary

[rcarlberg]

Anybody seen this?
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1274725/

i ran ran across a copy yesterday and had to pick it up. Never heard of it before. Looking forward to watching it this weekend.

[interbellum]

I guess I've seen it in the stores sometimes, but never bought it. I do however have a similar documentary: Vinylmania:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2057499/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

Most sad piece in it is the story of a collector who saw his complete collection ruined by water.

[rcarlberg]

The best part is the website for this movie -- it has a link where you can buy it at Amazon!

[hippypants]

Yes, Netflix has a copy too if you want to see it.

[rcarlberg]

I love the idea of using online vendors to sell a documentary on the death of local retail.

[Digital_Man]

According to what an audio salesman told me last year, vinyl is selling better than cds these days. Last year around 8 million vinyl albums were sold. Not bad for a medium many people thought dead only ten years ago. So no, in my opinion the independent record stores aren't going anywhere. The big chains are gone though(fortunately or unfortunately depending on your perspective).

[klothos]

According to what an audo salesman told me last year, vinyl is selling better than cds these days. Last year around 8 million vinyl albums were sold. Not bad for a medium many people thought dead only ten years ago. So no, in my opinion the independent record stores aren't going anywhere. The big chains are gone though(fortunately or unfortunately depending on your perspective).

but the question that remains to be answered: Is vinyl just a passing fad at the moment? I hope not, as kids have been very much into records and record players for the past few years..................but the more and more I see people hunched over their phones, thumbing themselves into their own private universes through their little handheld technological wonders, its hard for me to fathom that it will be a young generation mainstay....lets keep our fingers crossed (when not thumbing our phones)

[trurl]

According to what an audo salesman told me last year, vinyl is selling better than cds these days.

Well... I suspect that just means that neither is selling to anyone but old fogeys. The kids are all downloading.

[rickawakeman]

We attended a free screening last year at Historic Northampton of the film with the director, who iirc is local (may be an alum of my alma mater, Hampshire College in Amherst MA, and again iirc began this project as his "Division Three" project, akin to a thesis). Enjoyed the doc, but ironically here in Northampton we have several great record stores (though we continue to lament the loss of our beloved Main St. Records and Dynamite Records), including Newbury Comics and Turn It Up!

Yup, memory served. Here's a feature from Hampshire's website (I am Hampshire College 77F; meaning I entered Hampshire in the Fall of 1977, as did my wife!) Same director did the "Danny Fields" doc.

https://www.hampshire.edu/alumni/bre...-rock-and-roll

[Birdy]

Thanks for the link, I'll try to catch this a.s.a.p

A few observations from my perspective as a retailer:

1. This is NOT a fad. LP's are gaining momentum with every week, month, year. Our stock has gone from about 400 titles around 4 years ago(new and used) to 1000 used and 3000 new as of right now. I actually built six new bins 3 years ago
and totally revamped my floor space to accommodate all this.

2. It's not just "old fogeys" who are into vinyl or just kids. We have a clientele that ranges from 15/16 year olds, to people in their 30's/40's, to guys in their 60's, who either have re-discovered their love of the format or are discovering this for the first time. I have a kid who is 16 who is totally dedicated to building a collection and has bought a nice system, comes in to ask about record care etc so this is pretty exciting to see

The main problem now facing the LP momentum is that there aren't enough manufacturers around the world actually pressing LP's to keep the labels stocked on titles. It's one thing to make 500 titles in a steady stream, it's another to make 10,000, so the tail on this beast which is back-ordered titles keeps growing. This results in a sometimes very long wait to get titles back in and some titles just don't get remanufactured right now, producing a future "collectors" market on some of these titles. If there is no increase in investing in pressing plants and making new equipment, it will likely remain as status quo.

Our sales on LP/CD are about 50/50 right now. A year ago it was about 30% LP/70% CD. For indie retailers, if vinyl doesn't keep going, it's going to get very tough.

[rcarlberg]

Not to derail my own thread or anything, but I think it's WONDERFUL that vinyl is selling so strong. There are definite advantages to the larger format covers, and the fact that there is no viable "LP-R" means that any LPs you encounter have had to undergo a kind of industry gauntlet to get pressed, and thus are likely to be music with more "weight" to it (for lack of a better term).

However, I can't see it as anything but a fad. I expect it'll pass, if not in a year or two then certainly by five or ten. The music industry is undergoing a serious shakeup, and digital music downloads are just too high profit to roll over and die in front of the "vinyl revolution." Independent record stores cannot and will not dictate the direction of the industry. Other means of distribution will arise, other players, other consumer options.

The LP format is not the future, I have to believe.

[Digital_Man]

Well... I suspect that just means that neither is selling to anyone but old fogeys. The kids are all downloading.

That's what my brother thinks too but I disagree. I think most old fogeys have given up on vinyl by now. I would guess that the majority of vinyl buyers are younger hipster types in their early twenties(in other words college age). I don't think old fogeys would just suddenly pick up on vinyl again out of the blue(not that there aren't any older folks catching on). I think trends tend to start with the younger crowds therefore I'm pretty certain it's with the college age crowd(mostly) that has discovered it and helped pick it up again. That age tends to rebel against the mainstream more than any other age group.

[klothos]

the majority of vinyl buyers are younger hipster types in their early twenties(in other words college age). I don't think old fogeys would just suddenly pick up on vinyl again out of the blue(not that there aren't any older folks catching on)

bingo..........in the college town closest to me (Gainesville), three vinyl stores have appeared in a year-and-a-half after decades of none and - yes - its those hatted bearded hipsters digging into vinyl

[Digital_Man]

Not to derail my own thread or anything, but I think it's WONDERFUL that vinyl is selling so strong. There are definite advantages to the larger format covers, and the fact that there is no viable "LP-R" means that any LPs you encounter have had to undergo a kind of industry gauntlet to get pressed, and thus are likely to be music with more "weight" to it (for lack of a better term).

However, I can't see it as anything but a fad. I expect it'll pass, if not in a year or two then certainly by five or ten. The music industry is undergoing a serious shakeup, and digital music downloads are just too high profit to roll over and die in front of the "vinyl revolution." Independent record stores cannot and will not dictate the direction of the industry. Other means of distribution will arise, other players, other consumer options.

The LP format is not the future, I have to believe.

People thought that about prog too and here we are!!! You seem to see things in black and white. I understand where you are coming from but here's the thing. Vinyl has been around longer than any other music format. Truth be told like prog it never totally went away it just went very underground(kind of like prog in the 80's and 90's). It is possible for a niche market to survive. I think that's what vinyl is and will continue to be. I say if prog can survive so can vinyl. Maybe vinyl won't last long in the mainstream but I think it will be able to sustain itself especially if cds can. If anything it will be cds that get totally phased out and not vinyl imo.

[rcarlberg]

You could be right. Although I look forward to the next digital format after CDs, perhaps memory sticks or cards with music and performance video and Internet tie-ins. LPs will be vulnerable to competition from such HUGELY more capable formats, even more so than the present Compact Disc.

[arturs]

Well... I suspect that just means that neither is selling to anyone but old fogeys. The kids are all downloading.

Every semester I survey my students (college seniors, typically 21 or so). About 200 go through my classes every year and this year not a single one said they had (1) bought a vinyl LP or a CD OR (2) purchased a download. 1 isn't shocking maybe but 2 was, for me. It is all Spotify and Pandora right now. Last year one guy admitted he liked buying CDs.

[rcarlberg]

Every semester I survey my students (college seniors, typically 21 or so). About 200 go through my classes every year and this year not a single one said they had (1) bought a vinyl LP or a CD OR (2) purchased a download. 1 isn't shocking maybe but 2 was, for me. It is all Spotify and Pandora right now. Last year one guy admitted he liked buying CDs.

Shoot, that doesn't surprise me at all.

I do 90% of my listening on custom Pandora channels these days. It's much more convenient, and portable, and surprising.

I'm fixing to sell my 2,500 LPs sometime this summer, and giving serious thought what to do with my 4,000+ CDs/CD-Rs.

[trurl]

Well, "purchasing" a download is another thing again That's for real losers. I do believe there is a hipster element into vinyl... it's tough though to print new vinyl. The market doesn't seem to be there for a mid level band yet. Steve Wilson and Tull can sell super mega editions that include vinyl. Glass Hammer, not so much, at this point.

[GuitarGeek]

Well, "purchasing" a download is another thing again

Or for people who don't want to be ripped off by Allen Klein from beyond the grave. Yourself

Seriously, I bought the downloads of the Rolling Stones albums from Amazon, and made my own custom "deluxe editions" of 12X5/Rolling Stones No. 2/The Rolling Stones, Now!, Out Of Our Heads/December's Children, Aftermath and Between The Buttons.

And there's a lot of music that's only available as downloads now. I don't like it, but if there's no other option, what are you going to do? (shrug)

At any rate, I don't see the appeal of the vinyl research, except for the album covers. I'll never forget the pops that occurred during the guitar/flute bit that leads into Apocalypse In 9/8 on my LP copy of Foxtrot, or the scratch that occurs on the first downbeat during the title song on my copy of Jefferson Starship's Wind Of Change, or the scratches during the title song on Hawkwind's Quark Strangeness And Charm. I don't have any of that on the respective CD editions I have of those albums.

[JKL2000]

but the question that remains to be answered: Is vinyl just a passing fad at the moment? I hope not, as kids have been very much into records and record players for the past few years..................but the more and more I see people hunched over their phones, thumbing themselves into their own private universes through their little handheld technological wonders, its hard for me to fathom that it will be a young generation mainstay....lets keep our fingers crossed (when not thumbing our phones)

How young are the people into records? I'm thinking not many "kids" really. More you folks. I think you're right about the future.