Blogger Diary: My Favorite Vinyl

I recently developed a bad addiction… to record collecting.  My love of vinyl is not a new thing, but I never had a record player until my boyfriend got me one for my birthday this past November.  Now, a whole new world has opened up.  The act of collecting records is so much more than just having them in your possession. It’s the hunt. I don’t like buying the new, remastered versions of old classics, I want to find vintage copies. Since the record player made its way into my home I have visited several record stores and spent countless hours hunched over crates of used records breathing in a scent that is not so different from old library books.  As you flip through endless stacks one by one, anticipation builds, never knowing what treasure is hiding behind the next record. When you do find one of those rare treasures it’s such a gratifying feeling, turning it over carefully in your hands and sliding out the vinyl to check for scratches.  And then it’s yours and you get to listen to it, and appreciate its sound, in the way it was truly meant to be heard. In the brief amount of time I’ve been collecting, I’ve acquired a few records that have become instant favorites and prized possessions. Check them out, and listen to a playlist of my favorite tracks below!

highway 61 revisited vinyl

Bob Dylan – Highway 61 Revisited

I found this at Long In The Tooth, a great record store in Philly.  It was on top of a stack behind the counter and at first, I walked out without it. I barely made it around the corner before I ran back and asked if I could buy it, and I’m so glad I did.  Not only is it mono, which is really old (they pretty much stopped making mono records in the late 60s, having moved to stereo), but it’s just an amazing record and I love the photo of Bob on the cover. Favorite tracks: Queen Jane Approximately, Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues.

sticky fingers vinyl

Rolling Stones – Sticky Fingers

My boyfriend found this one for me and it’s the best Stones album I’ve found yet.  I love the album artwork by Andy Warhol, which features a real zipper. There’s also a list of names on the back of the record that I imagine are previous owners… it’s kinda cool to think about all the places this album might have been.  Favorite tracks: Sway, Can’t You Hear Me Knocking.

white album vinyl

Beatles – The White Album

This is the first album I ever bought, years before I had a record player. I found it at a thrift store in Ocean Beach, San Diego, buried under a stack of Elvis albums. I bought it even though I couldn’t play it, just because it’s my favorite album of all time.  Favorite tracks: I’m So Tired, Happiness Is A Warm Gun, Sexy Sadie.

crosby stills and nash vinyl

Crosby, Stills & Nash – Crosby, Stills & Nash

I found this one at Amoeba in San Francisco and it was one of those albums that I bought not only for the music but because I love the cover! It’s one of my favorite photos, and I’m considering getting a frame for it.  I love the photo on the inside, too (below). Favorite tracks: Suite: Judy Blue Eyes, Long Time Gone, Helplessly Hoping.

crosby stills and nash vinyl

derek and the dominos layla

Derek & The Dominos – Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs

This album is in pretty rough shape but I bought it anyway because it’s one of my favorites.  I love the collage of photos on the inside so much! Favorite Tracks: Bell Bottom Blues, Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad?

allman brothers live at fillmore east vinyl

The Allman Brothers Band – Live At Fillmore East

Lastly, this record was a gift from my sister and her boyfriend, which made it even more special than it already was.  It’s a classic, and I love that two songs are so long they take up entire album sides. Favorite tracks: Statesboro Blues, Whipping Post.

Do you collect vinyl? I’d love to hear what your favorite records are!

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Eva
11 years ago

great finds Julia! My favorite to date is Alice Coopers Greatest Hits. I have been collecting vinyl for a few years, but I do not have a recod player to play them yet…haha.I am getting one next month – it’s an old stereo (huge) buying it from a friend. She has purchased it new ions ago and I cannot wait to get my hands on it…Thanks for the tracks, I will keep my eye out when shopping.

Sweet pea
11 years ago

Sgt Pepper just because my dad had/has it, and I used to study the cover to see who all I could spot when i was little. Now that I’ve really gotten into music, I love Elton John’s Madman Across the Water and Led Zepplin II. Just seeing those album covers makes me happy…

Belinda
11 years ago

Julia, it’s wonderful to see young people discovering the joy of vinyl. Nothing like it. I listened to those in their heyday (and mine :-D), saw a few in concert and still reminisce when I hear them. If one must have an addiction, vinyl records is a good one to have.

Bonnie
11 years ago

Buckingham/Nicks (gatefold) – Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham’s first (and only) label release before joining Fleetwood Mac. Also the gatefold Rumors album. I used to study that album in elementary school and plan how I could grow up to be just like Stevie.

Hannah
11 years ago

Leonard Cohen- The best of
comforting whenever you feel lonely or sad! My favourite track is Chelsea Hotel, I always picture the beautiful encounters Cohen and Janis Joplin must have had when he sings about her :)

Stephanie
11 years ago

This is amazing!

@bonnie YOU HAVE BUCKINGHAM NICKS??? It is my life goal to own it! Stephanie will be my wedding song and it has been my favorite song my whole life! ah I just got too excited. Whew.

5 years ago

Thank you for an interesting blog…

I’m very late coming to this discussion, but I rediscovered vinyl records a few years ago after being quite content with digital music. In my teenage years vinyl was all I knew, but then in the 80s the new elixir for all our music woes (CDs) was birthed and a very swift media campaign convinced most of us that digital is better than vinyl.

I suffered grief and a profound sense of loss when I discovered that vinyl records were no more being sold. I was slow to migrate to CDs, being somewhat content with cassettes. But I longed for the generous material that was often included with the albums.

My ears were tuned to enjoy digital sound and even come to be convinced that it was superior to analogue. However, now as I mostly listen to analogue, I think my ears have been retuned to that format. Yes, I still listen to digital music, but I can’t help thinking that it lacks something special. Vinyl is usually more expensive than CDs or iTunes, but I think the extra cost is worth it.

As for cleaning vinyl….. I shall try your recipe for the spray on fluid, but probably only on one that is not so precious to start with, until I am convinced that it is safe. (I’m sure it is, but one can’t be too cautious).

My favorite vinyls include: U2’s Joshua Tree, Larry Norman’s So Long Ago the Garden and anything by The Beatles.