Spin the Black Circle

There's something magical about buying a new record. Ripping off the plastic covering, spreading the cardboard open, sliding the vinyl disc out. The album art, the creative inside casing, the Thank Yous, the excitement of putting the record on the player and dropping the needle down. There's just something about it that makes listening to music so amazing.

Now, dissenters will claim that no musical quality can come close to the digital prowess that CDs can offer. And they're totally right. As an electrical engineering student, I know the science behind analog and digital. Everything I've learned should tell me that CDs should sound superior to records.

The problem is, they don't. Sure, sometimes there's a bit of hissing or buzzing if the record is dusty or if the needle is dirty. But the overall sound is warmer, richer, and more enjoyable to listen to. One of my Professors, the very one who taught us everything we know about digital and analog systems, after going through all the specifics of digital music sampling, and after explaining to us how digital is the best way to accurately recreate the sound; after all this he threw up his hands and admitted that he still thinks records sound better.

Maybe all of us record listeners are shutting our ears for the sake of nostalgia (and for myself, nostalgia for a time before I was born). Maybe we just want to like records because it allows us to snub trendy mp3 players for chic cool turntables.

All this could be true. Yet, as I sit here listening to my newly purchased copy of Radiohead's In Rainbows on vinyl, it somehow sounds better than it has ever sounded before. Better than listening to the mp3s that were sampled at 160kbps through my $150 headphones. My speakers are emitting a warm sound that seems to envelop the entire room. Sure, the drums may not be as sharp as they are on a digital copy, but the rest of the sound seems to be superior.

"But wait," you interrupt. "Even if a record sounds better, I'd rather have a way of getting it onto my iPod." Herein lies the biggest pitfall (in my opinion) of record sales. Portability of music is probably the most important thing to people nowadays. Take a look at headphones, for example. Over-ear headphones are cheaper than in-ear ones, and the sound is also exponentially better. Consumers, however, prefer the in-ear buds, which allow more portability. So, for someone who doesn't want to illegally download a digital copy of an album they just purchased, records seem to be a pretty silly purchase.

I would concur, though I myself think that as long as I've purchased a copy of the album, be it in analog or digital form, I should be able to download a digital copy of the album. I think that it should be the responsibility of the record companies to provide record purchasers with digital copies to go along with their analog purchase. The buyer just spent 20 bucks on a record- throwing in some digital downloads would be nice. And it's not like this would cost the record companies anything- downloads are absolutely free.

My Morning Jacket has taken this a step further. Included in each of their records (at least in the ones that I saw in Record and Tape Traders) is a CD copy of the album purchased. Wow! What innovation! How corteous of them! They took my download idea a step further and actually included a physical CD. When I saw this, I put down my $12.99 CD of their 2003 album It Still Moves and picked up the $19.99 record and CD combo and marched right to the checkout counter.

While paying for my two records (In Rainbows and It Still Moves, in case you've already forgotten) I realized that both of these bands found a way to give their fans free digital copies.

Radiohead brilliantly gave them away for free on their website. I say brilliantly, because tons of fans still decided to purcahse the album. In Rainbows had the most sales of any record in all of 2008. It could be that all Radiohead fans are pompous audiophiles who refuse to listen to anything digital, or it could be that these fans were so appreciative of getting an amazing album for free that they were willing, nay, wanted to go out an purchase a copy of the album.

And MMJ's decision to include CDs with their records is just another all-star move by an all-star band. If you've ever been to an MMJ show, you'll know that these guys are all about the fans. When these guys played MSG on New Years, they seemed genuinely overjoyed to be playing such a venue on such a night. They were like little kids, and they kept thanking the fans over and over again. So, the fact that these guys decided to give a little bit back to their fans is no surprise to me.

So, musicians, we'll make a deal with you. We'll stop downloading all of your music and we'll purchase your records. Just make sure to throw in some digital goods along with the package.

Radiohead- Like Spinning Plates

Pearl Jam- Spin the Black Circle

Olin & the Moon- Records

Buy Radiohead, Pearl Jam, and Olin & the Moon @ Amazon.com