WEBVTT - Monologue: You Should Get Into Vinyl

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<v Speaker 1>All Zone Media. Hello, and welcome to your weekly Better

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<v Speaker 1>Offline Monologue. I of course amed Xytron, and this week

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<v Speaker 1>I'm going to be talking about something completely analog vinyl. Okay,

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<v Speaker 1>it's not completely analog. There's some electricity anyway. Now, some

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<v Speaker 1>of you might have paid attention. Now. I've been talking

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<v Speaker 1>the last few months about my mental health journey and

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<v Speaker 1>all that shit, and a big part of feeling better

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<v Speaker 1>about myself has been finding ways to relax. I'm not

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<v Speaker 1>like a lot of people, so I've had to I

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<v Speaker 1>have to teach myself things. I really have to sit

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<v Speaker 1>down and say, like, look, Heed, you're gonna try and

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<v Speaker 1>work out what relaxing feels like. And I've literally had

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<v Speaker 1>to teach myself and I'm getting close. And a lot

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<v Speaker 1>of this has been about returning to older music and

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<v Speaker 1>letting things just kind of play instead of pecking around.

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<v Speaker 1>So the older music in questions like Joe Cocker, Charles Mingus,

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<v Speaker 1>Lee Morgan, Derond do Van Morrison. And as part of this,

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<v Speaker 1>I decided to get into vinyl because I was walking

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<v Speaker 1>around with my dear friend Tory Elliott wired and she

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<v Speaker 1>said we're gonna go on a field trip and I said,

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<v Speaker 1>I don't like change. Where are we going? She took

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<v Speaker 1>me to Music City in in New York City and

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<v Speaker 1>it was just full of Vinyl, and I thought, you

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<v Speaker 1>know what this looks like fun. I want to get

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<v Speaker 1>one of these every week I'm in New York. So

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<v Speaker 1>I have been doing so and it's been great. Genuinely,

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<v Speaker 1>it's been wonderful for me. And I want to kind

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<v Speaker 1>of walk you through why and how vinyl works, because

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<v Speaker 1>surprisingly enough, there's not been a ton about it. There's

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<v Speaker 1>been a lot of audio pervert stuff and there's been

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<v Speaker 1>people saying, oh, Vinyl's having a resurgent fuck all that.

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<v Speaker 1>I just want to talk about listening to him. So

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<v Speaker 1>if you don't know how it works, it is delightfully analog.

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<v Speaker 1>And I did not know how it worked before, so

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<v Speaker 1>I had to look it up. So a record player

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<v Speaker 1>is made up of a few pieces. The platter where

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<v Speaker 1>you put the record, the belt that spins the platter,

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<v Speaker 1>the spindle, which is the thing that you put the

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<v Speaker 1>record on like the hole in the record goes on that,

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<v Speaker 1>the motor which turns the platter to spin set record,

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<v Speaker 1>under tone arm which holds the needle, or the stylus

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<v Speaker 1>which sticks on to the record and goes along the

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<v Speaker 1>grooves of the record, sends the signals to the cartridge,

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<v Speaker 1>which is the little box on the top of the

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<v Speaker 1>stylust that takes the vibrations and turns them into electric

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<v Speaker 1>call signical signals that play music signicholls. We're not editing it.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm just gonna let that one fly. Now. If I

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<v Speaker 1>miss the piece there, do not bother correcting me. I'm

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<v Speaker 1>not going to edit it. I'm not going to fix it.

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<v Speaker 1>But in simpler terms, it's quite literally a record player

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<v Speaker 1>go BurrH Now, I basically only spend my money on

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<v Speaker 1>diet coke and going to baseball, so I allowed myself

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<v Speaker 1>a little bit of an extravagance. So I got myself

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<v Speaker 1>the Orbit basic turntable from Uturn Audio, which is the

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<v Speaker 1>wirecutter's budget pick, along with their Ethos speakers, which sent

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<v Speaker 1>me back about a ground. You can go cheaper on

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<v Speaker 1>record players than speakers, but I think this is absolutely

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<v Speaker 1>a place where you get what you pay for. Based

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<v Speaker 1>on a little googling, it seems getting a cheaper record

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<v Speaker 1>player can literally destroy the records, because if the needle

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<v Speaker 1>and the cartridge aren't good, it scrapes them. I didn't

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<v Speaker 1>really understand why, but it sufficiently scared me. I'd also

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<v Speaker 1>already bought the other things, so it didn't really scare

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<v Speaker 1>me that much. I should know. I've got the all

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<v Speaker 1>Big Basic because it has a preamp built into it,

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<v Speaker 1>meaning that you can just plug it directly into some

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<v Speaker 1>speakers rather than having to get a separate amplifier. If

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<v Speaker 1>you're not super technical, just know that this means I

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<v Speaker 1>plug go red and yellow cables, red and white maybe

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<v Speaker 1>into a speaker, rather than a giant box that has

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<v Speaker 1>a bunch of other stuff. I also got something called

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<v Speaker 1>a Q lever, which is a little arm that delicately

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<v Speaker 1>raises or lowers the arm and the stylus onto the record.

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<v Speaker 1>You need one of these. You must have one. It

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<v Speaker 1>might ape like hands would probably just shove the needle

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<v Speaker 1>repeatedly into the record, destroying a beautiful relic of the sixties. Anyway,

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<v Speaker 1>all this took about ten minutes to set up, and

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<v Speaker 1>it was mostly because it was learning how record players

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<v Speaker 1>work as like when, and also I was on two

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<v Speaker 1>hours of sleep. I'm thirty nine years old. I shouldn't

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<v Speaker 1>be taking a red eye. You have to loop the

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<v Speaker 1>belt around the platter which the round bit and then

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<v Speaker 1>click some stuff into place, then connect the speakers with

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<v Speaker 1>the cables that come with it, and there you go.

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<v Speaker 1>You just kind of start playing records. Now, as far

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<v Speaker 1>as actually getting records, I'm a nasty freak, So I

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<v Speaker 1>decided to go to a website called discogs dot com,

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<v Speaker 1>which is both a great place to organize what records

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<v Speaker 1>you have and by the ones you've done. I decided

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<v Speaker 1>to get a selection of classics from the sixties and seventies,

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<v Speaker 1>originals Joe Coccus with little help for my friends, Charles

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<v Speaker 1>Mangus Is Black Saint and The Sin Lady, Lee Morgan's Cornbread,

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<v Speaker 1>Van Morrison's Moondance, in part because I wanted to hear

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<v Speaker 1>them as they were played on release, and in part

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<v Speaker 1>because these are records that came out with my mum

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<v Speaker 1>was in her twenties, which is when I moved to

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<v Speaker 1>New York. So I was kind of like, mather fuck it,

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<v Speaker 1>play records like my mum. I also got a few

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<v Speaker 1>newer records and remasters of things like Queens of the Stone

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<v Speaker 1>Age's Songs for the Deaf and working with the Miles

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<v Speaker 1>Davis Quartet, as well as this insanely high end limited

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<v Speaker 1>edition pressing of Miles Davis's Kind of Blue because I

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<v Speaker 1>was curious and I had some Amazon credit. Now, the

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<v Speaker 1>reason I got such a selection was I was curious

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<v Speaker 1>whether things sounded different based on how old they were,

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<v Speaker 1>and whether the whole vinyl sounds better thing was a myth.

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<v Speaker 1>And the answer is yes, they do sound different, and no,

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<v Speaker 1>it's not really a myth at all. The original fam Mingus,

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<v Speaker 1>Morgan and Morrison all sound different old, but not in

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<v Speaker 1>a way that's crackly or bad. The percussion feels a

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<v Speaker 1>bit more present, and the bastones are a bit more forceful.

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<v Speaker 1>It feels I don't even know how to say it,

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<v Speaker 1>because I'm not a music journalist, but it feels round her.

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<v Speaker 1>It feels more alive, and I realized this might be psychosomatic,

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<v Speaker 1>a thing I'll say later, but and I'm going to

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<v Speaker 1>be honest, like Cocker's help. With help from my friends,

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<v Speaker 1>I've listened to this album a great deal digitally. It's

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<v Speaker 1>down pitch and it has a softer field to it,

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<v Speaker 1>and it just sounds different in a nice way. Describing

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<v Speaker 1>sound with words is difficult, which is why I'm not

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<v Speaker 1>a music journalist. But the way these record plays was

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<v Speaker 1>and is incredibly special. And what was heartening was even

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<v Speaker 1>the cheaper by which I mean thirty bucks records I got,

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<v Speaker 1>like Herbie Hancock's Imperior and Ile or Aren't Blackie's Caravan,

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<v Speaker 1>they still played marvelously. And I must say Caravan is

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<v Speaker 1>a fucking incredible record. Just the drums at the beginning

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<v Speaker 1>is insane. I stood up and I did the Leonardo

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<v Speaker 1>DiCaprio pointing thing at my record player. And all of

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<v Speaker 1>this is possible because we kind of live in the

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<v Speaker 1>golden age of vinyl. We've got these dedicated audio engineers

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<v Speaker 1>who dig out master tapes and perfectly press them onto

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<v Speaker 1>these gorgeous records and they sound amazing. And my favorite

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<v Speaker 1>example of that is this UHQR pressing of Miles Davis's

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<v Speaker 1>Kind of Blue or mentioned earlier, and it came from

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<v Speaker 1>this company called Analog Sounds, and it just sounds insane,

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<v Speaker 1>like the instruments are in the room and Miles Davis

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<v Speaker 1>is watching. We write a post saying what if Anthony

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<v Speaker 1>boor Daines saw JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. I don't think Miles

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<v Speaker 1>Davis would love that. I think I think Charles Mingus

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<v Speaker 1>might have liked jojo, but I don't think Miles Davis

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<v Speaker 1>would have. This is based on my very thin knowledge

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<v Speaker 1>of jazz history. Email me if you have any thoughts

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<v Speaker 1>about this, what famous musicians would or would not like jojo?

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<v Speaker 1>But nevertheless, the UHQR stuff is insane. I'm going to

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<v Speaker 1>put a link to them in the notes I'm going

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<v Speaker 1>to there's a story from the Times I believe about them.

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<v Speaker 1>It's just there are people dedicated to vinyl right now,

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<v Speaker 1>more dedicated than any tech ceo, and they love it

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<v Speaker 1>and perhaps it will destroy them like a cursed ambula,

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<v Speaker 1>but they have found this incredible way of recreating music.

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<v Speaker 1>I guess if you could even call it that, and

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<v Speaker 1>it sounds just bonkers. I've already ordered a few others

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<v Speaker 1>because I really wanted to hear Steely Dan's dirty work

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<v Speaker 1>on an extremely expensive vinyl. And I'm not even being sarcastic.

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<v Speaker 1>That song is a complete banger. And if you disagree

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<v Speaker 1>with me, you're simply wrong. I love listening to vinyl

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<v Speaker 1>and it's changed how I listen to music for the better.

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<v Speaker 1>The convenience of digital audio means that I have this

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<v Speaker 1>kind of bad habit. I imagine some of you do

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<v Speaker 1>as well. I skip around, I repeat songs. I find

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<v Speaker 1>myself stuck in these musical ruts. I'm just listening to

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<v Speaker 1>one or two songs again and again and again because

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<v Speaker 1>of my emotion, or stay because I want to feel

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<v Speaker 1>a certain way up, because I want to sustain or

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<v Speaker 1>mood or banish a mood. And while that can be useful,

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<v Speaker 1>kind of takes the fun out of music at times.

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<v Speaker 1>Vinyl obviously naturally forces you to sit with at least

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<v Speaker 1>one side of it, and I found myself keeping going regardless,

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<v Speaker 1>like I'll flip it o now. Redditors and engineers will

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<v Speaker 1>argue that vinyl does not sound better, but I am

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<v Speaker 1>moron fully disagree. I've listened to LPs I'll Sleep when

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<v Speaker 1>You're Dead maybe one hundred times in MP three that song.

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<v Speaker 1>That album even got me through college. Without it, I

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<v Speaker 1>would have probably got on the train out of Aperistwyth

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<v Speaker 1>and simply never returned. I wouldn't have gone back to

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<v Speaker 1>London either, But that album helped me. And I will

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<v Speaker 1>tell you the vinyl based version is different. The sensor

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<v Speaker 1>more insistent. It feels dystopian and brutal. It's overwhelmingly dire,

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<v Speaker 1>and it's because vinyl sounds warmer and more present. And

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<v Speaker 1>I don't know if this is all in my head.

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<v Speaker 1>I really do not, but I am someone that is

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<v Speaker 1>naturally a bit cynical, and I'm just having more fun

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<v Speaker 1>listening to music than I ever have in my life.

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<v Speaker 1>Instead of those loops, instead of finding myself kind of

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<v Speaker 1>just using music as a tool, as just a thing

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<v Speaker 1>that exists in my life, it's become this deliberate, not

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<v Speaker 1>even moodsetter, because sometimes you know, you might feel like

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<v Speaker 1>an album, you don't feel like a song, and you'll

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<v Speaker 1>find yourself really enjoying something you didn't really think of.

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<v Speaker 1>Marjorie with a little help of my friends. For example,

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<v Speaker 1>a song that I on my MP three's would skit

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<v Speaker 1>every time has this warm Hammond organ shit to it.

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<v Speaker 1>This just sounds marvelous. And you can also talk about

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<v Speaker 1>music in this incredibly insufferable way like I am right now.

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<v Speaker 1>But I don't know insufferable or not. I'm having the

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<v Speaker 1>time of my fucking life with this, and I really

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<v Speaker 1>recommend you do too. The ritual of putting on a

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<v Speaker 1>record feels good, the sounds amazing, and we're in this

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<v Speaker 1>digital age defined by convenience of a joy, and it's

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<v Speaker 1>a deliberacy and a way of focusing more. Even if

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<v Speaker 1>it's on in the background, it feels more significant. I

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<v Speaker 1>don't know, I'm talking in the wanky way that i'd

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<v Speaker 1>usually make fun of AI people for. But this is music.

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<v Speaker 1>You can be emotional, you can be esoteric with the

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<v Speaker 1>things you love. You're not hurting anyone. Telling people that

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<v Speaker 1>vinyl is super period or makes you feel better because

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<v Speaker 1>it is a very personal experience and you can quite

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<v Speaker 1>literally travel back in time. You can pick up things

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<v Speaker 1>from the sixties or the seventies and hear it as

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<v Speaker 1>they were then. And yeah, there are some crappy vinyl pressings.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm hearing that No Doubt's Tragic Kingdom just doesn't have

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<v Speaker 1>a good vinyl release, which sucks because that's one of

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<v Speaker 1>my favorite albums. But it's helping me return to albums

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<v Speaker 1>I love and listen to them deliberately and with just

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<v Speaker 1>a whole new different sound stage. I guess you'd call it.

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<v Speaker 1>I don't know whether or not this is exact or our,

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<v Speaker 1>whether it's anything more than just the ritual and the

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<v Speaker 1>environment that's making me feel this way. I feel fucking

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<v Speaker 1>good doing it, and I can't. I just cannot recommend

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<v Speaker 1>it enough. Give it a go if you've been considering it.

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<v Speaker 1>I found peace and happiness now peace, and I think

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<v Speaker 1>you will too,