Why vinyl records rule

I have been collecting vinyl records for more than 30 years and am surprised as any to witness the resurgence of LPs over the last couple years. Music lovers who jettisoned their turntables for CD players are coming back to the 12-inch platter and rediscovering what was so great about it from the beginning. A record has personality, like a favorite old shirt, a girlfriend’s perfume or the way your grandparent’s house smelled. It’s a sense memory that never goes away. If you grew up with vinyl, chances are you have at least one story to tell that revolves around a certain record. CDs? Do you remember in detail removing the plastic from your last compact disc purchase or Internet download? Of course not. But I remember as a 10-year-old back in 1977 dropping $6.98 for Pink Floyd’s Dark Side Of The Moon and coming home, unwrapping the plastic that revealed a gatefold cover with lyrics that were legible. Best of all, there were 2 posters tucked into the packaging. That album still sits in my collection today and has as much value to me as any “rare” record. CDs will never – ever – spark the imagination like vinyl.