Tom Dunne: Back to the future as the vinyl resurgence powers on
The vinyl resurgence continues apace. On a business level the stats are great: Sales topped $1bn in the US last year after 14 years of consecutive growth.
A new print plant opening there will be the biggest in the country. In the UK the number of small indie shops has increased from just over 300 to 407.
Record Store Day – I’ve given up trying to make people say ‘shop’ – also goes from strength to strength.
It may have been highjacked by the major labels, but with over 400 exclusive releases it’s hard not to be tempted to peruse the shelves. And there are gems to be had.
A friend has even contacted me for advice on opening a shop near me. A few years back this might have seemed laughable, but now, looking at the decks piled high in our local Golden Discs, the walls straining under the weight of new releases and the buyers ranging in age from Generation Z to Boomers, it doesn’t look that mad at all.
But the real joy is one of life’s simple pleasures, that of walking into a shop and just being surrounded by new and classic albums, established and emerging talent, is still there to be savoured.
That simple tactile joy of picking up new releases from Fontaines DC or Big Thief while your eyes feast on other cover art is alive and well.
Many of the Record Store Day releases will appreciate in value after you buy them. And if you have old records many of them are appreciating all the time.
Anyone with one of the original 1000 hand numbered copies of U2’s first single release, ‘U23’, could now possibly sell it on for just less than €5000.
That said, one of the old joys of record collecting, that of the ‘Hard to Get’ release has almost vanished.
Anything that is sought after has probably been re-issued on 180gm vinyl by this stage. Originals will still command a premium but better value, better printed re-issues are everywhere.
Which makes for some odd Record Store Day exclusives: Grateful Dead’s appearance at the Wembley Empire Pool (4/8/1972) will be available over five vinyl albums; It’s ‘Tubular Bells II’ as opposed to ‘volume 1’ from Mike Oldfield (why?) and some of the home demos from various artists seem a little (understatement) shall we say, ‘obscure’.
But then there’s a 12 inch of ‘Waterloo Sunset’, a 12 inch of Sandie Shaw (with the Smiths) doing Hand in Glove, and a picture disk of Cure’s Pornography, Blondie’s ‘Sunday Girl’ EP on two 7 inch singles or the theme from BBC Radio 4 Shipping Forecast on 7 inch. What’s not to love?
But in terms of classic albums, available again possibly for the first time in years, I will point you in the direction of these six. Albums on which reputations were earned and which will repay endless listens.
Who remembers Folktronica? Yes, an early 2000s mix of folk-influenced music and stunning beats. Orton was key here. This is the 2nd album, won her a Brit Award and a 2nd Mercury Prize nomination. The William Orbit mix of the title track is worth the price of admission alone.
Ride on Live is such an important part of Christy’s work that the studio albums can sometimes get overlooked. This is a gem with the title track, Lisdoonvarna and other songs from Bobby Sands and Pierce Turner.
Their debut from 1987 has never been bettered. Songs of, and for, Glasgow with singles such as Dignity and Chocolate Girl. Creatively they were on fire.
Stepping out of the craziness of the Specials, Terry Hall, Neville Staples and Lynval Golding delivered a series of fantastically esoteric and unique singles from ’81 to ’83.
Standout is Our Lips are Sealed, but they did also seemingly discover Bananarama along the way!
Tracks chosen by Record Store staff members, always a body of opinion worth seeking out, this spans 1974 to 1996 and features People Have the Power, Dancing Barefoot, Because the Night and my favourite, Piss Factory.
Somehow this album turned 20 this year!. Described pretty much universally as a “masterpiece” on its release, Mike Skinner was often referred to as the “Shakespeare of Hip Hop.”
It’s worth it for Weak Become Heroes alone.
