How strange is the supposed vinyl revival?

Interesting piece from The Week suggests there is something strange happening with the uptake in LP sales, witnessed while other media show diminishing numbers. Of course, the numbers are not that impressive in absolute terms but I do think there is something in the material pleasure of  a record and its sleeve that adds to the experience of ownership and use. The ritual of playing music on a turntable may not be as convenient as iTunes but it does involve you in the moment.  Anyway, its interesting to see this story run and run. 

Tom Waits on vinyl reminds me of the pleasure we all seek

Like many of you, I suspect, I get the daily emails from PopMarket and Soundstage Direct offering vinyl or CD bundles for sale. In a moment of seasonal weakness I looked at the the 4 LP bundle of Tom Waits 70s albums for $64 and thought, why not?  Well I'm glad I did. These Rhino 180g releases came well protected and were so appealing that I ignored one of my own rules and played one without cleaning. The Heart of Saturday Night is an album that I cannot say transcends time for me because I have very specific memories tied to songs on it and boy, did they ever come flooding back to me as I played it. How does it sound? Better than the CD releases I picked up in the 1990s, but that might not be the toughtest test. For now, this is my definitive copy. Great pakaging, and a thick enough slab of super clean vinyl to cause me to adjust the Minus K platform to accomodate the weight (yes, review of the Minus K is really forthcoming, watch this space). For now, it's time to sail away on some great Waits lines and airs....all cooler than a well-diggers ass!