...for vinyl, vinyl, vinyl!
To some of my close friends vinyl is always in season and it has become that way for me too most of the time, but the onset of Spring and Sunshine really wears my needle down.
There are a few reasons for this:
1. My turntable is on a stand right near the door leading to our tiny back porch. Porch drinks are a necessity in my world and enjoying them without proper musical accompaniment is unthinkable and downright un-American.
2. The majority of my vinyl collection consists of hard rock, metal and jazz: all genres beautifully suited to a huge glass of whatever my latest beer geek fixation mandates at the moment (Yesterday it was Maudite and side 1 of Toys in the Attic for a lazy afternoon interlude).
But continuing on this seasonal theme, a larger transition has solidified in my listening patterns over the past few years and weather is definitely the predominant factor.
In the winter I listen, almost exclusively, to black metal, doom and noise. I don't have a lot of this type of stuff on vinyl, so I mostly resort to CDs and headphones.
But as soon as the weather breaks and Spring starts seeping in...It's definitely time to break out the Aerosmith, Van Halen, Grand Funk, Mountain, ZZ Top, etc.
Don't get me wrong: a great album or song is a great album or song and will get played any time of the year when the mood is right.
Zeppelin, Sabbath, Motorhead, Ramones, AC/DC and many others are never out of season in my household, much to my wife's chagrin.
Darkthrone also gets airplay year-round, long after winter loosens it grip here in the mountains of Parts Unknown.
It's just funny that Winter has solidified into being Black Metal season, while Spring is dedicated to the glories of hard rock and not-quite as Heavy Metal.
One of the other great things about used vinyl is you can take a chance on an obscure record or band for a few dollars. You win some, you lose some; but the losses are easier to absorb when they amount to only 3 or 4 dollars at a time.
I've been trying to dig up more obscure, lesser known hard rock records the past few years.
Spun Mountain Climbing! (which I scored randomly at my one and only trip to Used Kids Records in Columbus) on Friday and was really digging its general heaviness. Not that Mountain is super obscure or anything, but I know there are lesser known groups out there in the bins who purveyed a similar heaviness and vibe.
I can do without "Theme for an Imaginary Western" (even though I like the soundtracks for many real ones). That's the sort of dated 60's style song I'm glad is mostly extinct.
"Mississippi Queen" sure is bruising.
It's one song classic rock radio righteously beat into the ground (more on this phenomenon soon).
Of course, during the winter I must have seen at least 2 or 3 copies of Mountain's other records Nantucket Sleighride and Flowers of Evil in the bins, but now when I'm ready for them...they've vanished. I remember thinking at the time that these records would in no way be heavy enough to satisfy my Winter Ears. And even though I just extolled the virtues of cheapness inherent in buying vinyl, I didn't want to buy these records and have them sit around until May when I'd had enough of Merzbow and Leviathan.
Damn you maladjusted Seasonal Listening Disorder!
More on vinyl, classic rock and wrestling very soon.
Don't get me wrong: a great album or song is a great album or song and will get played any time of the year when the mood is right.
Zeppelin, Sabbath, Motorhead, Ramones, AC/DC and many others are never out of season in my household, much to my wife's chagrin.
Darkthrone also gets airplay year-round, long after winter loosens it grip here in the mountains of Parts Unknown.
It's just funny that Winter has solidified into being Black Metal season, while Spring is dedicated to the glories of hard rock and not-quite as Heavy Metal.
One of the other great things about used vinyl is you can take a chance on an obscure record or band for a few dollars. You win some, you lose some; but the losses are easier to absorb when they amount to only 3 or 4 dollars at a time.
I've been trying to dig up more obscure, lesser known hard rock records the past few years.
Spun Mountain Climbing! (which I scored randomly at my one and only trip to Used Kids Records in Columbus) on Friday and was really digging its general heaviness. Not that Mountain is super obscure or anything, but I know there are lesser known groups out there in the bins who purveyed a similar heaviness and vibe.
I can do without "Theme for an Imaginary Western" (even though I like the soundtracks for many real ones). That's the sort of dated 60's style song I'm glad is mostly extinct.
"Mississippi Queen" sure is bruising.
It's one song classic rock radio righteously beat into the ground (more on this phenomenon soon).
Of course, during the winter I must have seen at least 2 or 3 copies of Mountain's other records Nantucket Sleighride and Flowers of Evil in the bins, but now when I'm ready for them...they've vanished. I remember thinking at the time that these records would in no way be heavy enough to satisfy my Winter Ears. And even though I just extolled the virtues of cheapness inherent in buying vinyl, I didn't want to buy these records and have them sit around until May when I'd had enough of Merzbow and Leviathan.
Damn you maladjusted Seasonal Listening Disorder!
More on vinyl, classic rock and wrestling very soon.
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