Your Record Collection - How Cool Were You!?

While a contentious split can create the loss of many beloved objects and possessions – and this was certainly the case as my ex refused to give me any of the kid’s pictures – I was pleasantly surprised when, fairly early in the apoplectic, apportionistic, redistribution process, I asked for some of the vinyl records, and she said “take them all!” (I made up “apportionistic”. There is just such ownership given to contentious re-distribution, I needed something new.)

It is true that neither of us had a turntable – but there are many memories tied up in music, and I thought it would be nice to be able to drag them out some day.

That day came this last weekend. I found a turntable that will play thru your computer. So now I can put all my vinyl recordings in my i-tunes – to be forever available with the 1,000 other songs already on my i-pod. I was quite excited as I started going through albums I had not perused in 20+ years. Here are a few initial thoughts that went through my head as I started looking through my stack of black, vinyl gold!!

• “Where did this soundtrack from “Tron” come from?”
• “What was I thinking when I bought Xanadu? Wait. I know what I was thinking. And it wasn’t about music.”
• “I wonder if Phillip Bailey can still hit those high notes?”
• “When was it I thought Bob James was cool?”
• “Cruisaders! Now that IS cool!!”

And so it went. Time to start spinning some of these babies!! As I revved up the turntable and let the disks fly, the following were some more thoughts as I continued down this sentimental journey:

• “This Kansas album isn’t quite the Rock Opera Masterpiece I used to think it was.”
• “That French Kiss album cover is still sexy! At least, the woman is sexy; Bob is ugly with a capital UG! It’s good to be a rock star!!”
• “All right, what's wrong with this picture? The coolest album in here I inherited from my parents!! Ray Charles and June Carter!!”
• “If I inherited that one, where are Herb Alpert and his Tijuana Brass?”
• “I know every word to Styx Cornerstone! (How embarrassing)”

One of the more conflicted moments came when I realized I really missed hearing some of these songs with the scratches and skips, the way I originally learned them, (B-B-B Benny and the jetsB-B-B Benny and the jetsB-B-B Benny and the jets…….) and that digitally recording them will preserve those scratches and skips “electronically, forever!”

There were a few gems in the collection – all 9 of Beethoven’s symphonies by the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra when their Brass and Wind sections were the best in the world – and in pristine condition – but mostly, I realized something that was hard to admit to myself – a lot of the music I loved so much kind of sucks.

Well, I’ll just pick through the lot and keep the stuff that I still like - or is nostalgic. Traveling Willburies, Double Fantasy (every other track/sans Yoko), Monty Python, Strause, ELO (yeah!), Soundtrack to Big Chill…. And I’ll take a positive spin on my music taste…..

It’s not that my music tastes used to be questionable. It’s actually that my music tastes have improved!

Oooh look!! Kiss!!!