PunBB

It's two different listening experiences for me.

Where I hear the most music is in the car -- there usually random play off of a few thousand tracks on my phone.

Where is listen to more music is at home -- the whole album on vinyl.

Both are different experiences. Luckily I never got rid of much od my teenage vinyl collection, and then I made the investment in a good turntable and system a few years ago. It is nice to sometimes take an hour or two and listen to an album end to end. I did find it was a real challenge -- my mind had definitely become wired to skip from track to track, with one song then making me think of another song. On the phone I'd be skipping around, on vinyl it forces me a bit more to listen to the whole album and appreciate how it's sequenced and the artist's intent.

cochise Wrote:

arewhyehen Wrote:There is something beautiful about a record. Not only the quality of the record, but the fact that it almost forces a listener to listen to an album front to back and IN ORDER. Not only in the quality an artist intended, but the way they intended with track listing

I agree to both points. Even when an album is a bit worn and scratchy, there is just a "warmth" to the sound that you can not get from any other source. CD's at times to me just sound too crisp and, surprise, surprise, digital in sound. Perhaps a crisp clear sound where you can pick up every last nuance is great for some music, but to me I'd take that warm sound that comes from an album any day.

And same with listening to an album back to front. I know I'll sound old by saying it, but kids these days have no idea what it was like opening an album for the first time, throwing on head phones, hopping on the bed and closing your eyes to take in the album. Nowadays, its hop online, grab a song from this artist, or that artist, pop it onto your player and that's that.

But kids don't look at an album (or CD) as telling a story, they all seem to suffer from what I call music ADD and don't have to patience to soak it all in. Heck, some don't even have the patience to listen to a full song before hitting "next" anymore. Even if they do, their ipods are always just on shuffle or random, so on to the next artist, on to the next, on to the next.

Gone are the days of the idea of a concept album because of this. Anyone ever try to listen to a Pink Floyd album on random??? No matter how great the song is, half the albums brilliance just disappears when you don't listen to it front to back.

Enough of my old man ranting, I need to go chase those neighbors kids off my front lawn.

I was expecting to get ripped apart for my rant, but it's good to see there are still other people out there who think the same. I am 29, so when I was growing up, everything was on CD's, but in high school I fell in love with vinyl and haven't purchased anything but records since then.

I agree with you on the feeling of opening a record for the first time and just sitting back and listening to an album. There aren't a lot of people who do that any more. Even as mentioned above, so many people only download 1 or 2 songs from itunes that they heard on the radio or TV or whatever.. It's sad, because I think that song would be enjoyed much more if you listened to it in order with the entire album. For example, When I listen to anything by Trent Reznor, I listen to the entire album, because his albums are like one long song...Each one builds and sets up for the next. That dude is a genius.. He's not for everyone but that dude spits out raw emotion in everything he does..

I actually saw a kickstarter campaign for a new record player that is wireless and connects through bluetooth to your stereo and phone so you can choose the song it plays. It can recognize the grooves and skip songs and repeat, etc. I thought it was pretty cool at first, but it really does remove everything that makes listening to a record special...Everything from dropping the needle, to flipping the record manually to listening to each side in its entirety. It almost makes it digital so you are back to being able to listen to only a select few songs and changing half way through a song, etc.. Not sure most of the old school listeners will buy into it, but maybe some of those listeners who are on the fence about all the work of vinyl and enjoy flipping through music quickly will buy into it and come over to the vinyl side..

edgoffin Wrote:It's two different listening experiences for me.

Where I hear the most music is in the car -- there usually random play off of a few thousand tracks on my phone.

Where is listen to more music is at home -- the whole album on vinyl.

Yeah, that's just expected though. Obviously vinyl isn't portable, so there are different formats for the car/office. For me that is where my Pono (HD music player) comes in handy.

Good news, music lovers! Looks like Ontario-based Sunrise Records will be taking over the leases on 70 vacant HMV locations across Canada. I'm curious to know what these guys are going to do differently from HMV in order to stay profitable. From the sounds of it they're going to be selling most of the same products (music, movies, toys, t-shirts, etc..).

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"We recently learned that HMV would be closing the doors on all remaining Canadian stores by April 30, but it turns out that another music retailer will be taking over many of the vacated spaces.

Ontario-based chain Sunrise Records has negotiated contracts with mall landlords to take over the leases on 70 HMV locations across Canada. Launched first in 1977, Sunrise currently operates nine stores in Ontario.

"Sunrise has always strived to offer superior service and a wide range of products at reasonable prices to its loyal customers," Sunrise Records president Doug Putman said in a press release. "We are excited to bring Sunrise nationwide, and would like to thank all of the suppliers and landlords who worked so closely with us to allow us to be a destination for physical music in Canada."

Putnam bought the Sunrise chain in October 2014, following the shutdown of the chain's Toronto's locations due to increased rent.

The move could be considered a risky one, given that HMV's closure has been chalked up to "the constant and significant shift in the way media is consumed by customers."

According to Neilsen Music Canada [via the National Post], compact disc sales dropped another 19 percent last year, while streaming rose 203 percent, racking up a total of 22 billion streams across services including Spotify and Apple Music.

Nevertheless, Putnam maintains that his goal is to make all Sunrise stores profitable by 2018. HMV, meanwhile, was reported to have been losing $100,000 a day before announcing its plans to close.

In addition to selling CDs and DVDs, Putnam revealed that the company plans to branch out into selling board games, toys and pop culture apparel, as well as an increased focus on selling vinyl. Unlike CDs, vinyl sales grew by 29 percent last year in Canada, shifting 650,000 units.

"We want to support independent Canadian artists more than ever," Putman added. "We feel it's an obligation, not to mention we love discovering talented new artists."

Furthermore, Sunrise Records has extended an invite to the 1,340 HMV employees who will soon be out of work to apply for the 700 positions that will be available at its new locations.

So far, agreements have been reached for locations in Edmonton's West Edmonton Mall, Burnaby's Metrotown location, Winnipeg, Hamilton, Mississauga and Saint Bruno, QC. There were about 30 locations (including Toronto's Yonge and Dundas Superstore) at which Sunrise were unable to reach a deal with landlords. A more extensive list of new locations is expected to be announced once lease negotiations have been finalized."

The new locations will begin to open in April 2017.

direwolf74 Wrote:So far, agreements have been reached for locations in Edmonton's West Edmonton Mall, Burnaby's Metrotown location, Winnipeg, Hamilton, Mississauga and Saint Bruno, QC. There were about 30 locations (including Toronto's Yonge and Dundas Superstore) at which Sunrise were unable to reach a deal with landlords. A more extensive list of new locations is expected to be announced once lease negotiations have been finalized."

The new locations will begin to open in April 2017.

Oddly enough, was at the Cataraqui Town Centre in Kingston last week and after passing by HMV with their closing sale, I also walked by Sunrise Records which is now closed there. They drastically downsized their square footage quite a while ago, but now are completely closed. I wonder if they are closed with plans of taking over the HMV location at the mall, or gone for good from that area?

I can't complain too much though, I am from Belleville, we are still lucky enough to have a Sam The Record Man :thumb:

I saw this article as well. Personally I think it's a pretty bad idea expand to that many stores all at once. Better to start testing in markets they feel will be most successful and then open a few more at a time if they work out well. I could see this move killing the chain all together if it fails...

I do love the fact that they want to start supporting local Canadian artists. That will be awesome!


Has anyone ever watched the documentary on Tower Records? The Rise and Fall of Tower Records. It was done by Colin Hanks. Very well done. It's super interesting and definitely the same situation that HMV and Sunrise are facing.

arewhyehen Wrote:

sonichka11 Wrote:I'll bet it's just a passing fad. Equipment is expensive and cumbersome and as mentioned you need to spend a decent amount of cash to get the best quality out of your vinyl. Records are also way too expensive and only good for use in a dedicated space in your home. No portability. Digital is the logical step in technology that we've been moving towards and the vast majority won't go backwards to vinyl.

Yeah, makes sense, since records have only lasted as a source of music for over 100 years, while others such as 8 tracks and cassettes and CD's have all become pretty obsolete. All while the overall sales of music has declined, and vinyl sales continue to rise.

Comments like these and some of the above frustrate me. There is something beautiful about a record. Not only the quality of the record, but the fact that it almost forces a listener to listen to an album front to back and IN ORDER. Not only in the quality an artist intended, but the way they intended with track listing.

An artist carefully picks the track listing order to enhance your listening experience of an album and how you progress through it. It is just as important to creating an album as anything else. Listening to an album and skipping back and forth to your favourite tracks only is not how an artist intends for you to listen to it.

And as far as the quality goes on music (specifically digital). An artist spends months and month (if not years) on writing music for an album and then recording it over and over until it's perfect in studio. They record at the highest quality so that you get the exact feeling they intend. So many times there are subtle things added to enhance the song that might not be heard on a compressed file, yet people insist on listening to shit streaming services or watching on youtube. I find that insulting to the artist. The excuse that equipment is too much money is bullshit...people just don't care.

But trying to have this conversation with some people is like trying to have a conversation with a Trump supporter... :nooooo

I think you missed my point. I 100% agree with every single one of your points regarding why records are desired by some. The tangible quality, the process of listening, the sound quality, the order of the songs...etc etc etc.....all are reason I ADORE vinyl. I am one of those people that buys the high end equipment and buys vinyl to do all of the above. My point was that vinyl will never be a very popular format because the majority of people do not have the money, the equipment nor the ear for sound quality. My brother has shitty factory speakers in his jetta. It sounds horrific yet he can't tell. My sister laughs at my musical ear.

The other thing is you can't listen to a record while in your car or at the gym or at work. You can't buy a record to rip to a disk or my ipod (you technically could but what a bloody nuisance when downloading takes seconds). A tiny percentage of people buy records and it might grow a bit, but in our culture with present day technology records will never be the main source of music listening.

arewhyehen Wrote:Has anyone ever watched the documentary on Tower Records? The Rise and Fall of Tower Records. It was done by Colin Hanks. Very well done. It's super interesting and definitely the same situation that HMV and Sunrise are facing.

Excellent film! I'm a sucker for a good music doc, and that one is one of my favorites from the past couple of years.

Speaking of Colin Hanks, I just watched his new HBO documentary about the terrorist attack in Paris during the Eagles of Death Metal show. Pretty scary, heart-wrenching stuff.

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I have bought every Hip album on release day since Day For Night, and here's the format:
DFN = cassette
TATH, PP, M@W, IVL, IBE = CD
WC, WATS, NPLA = digital download
MMP = Vinyl (w/ digtial download)

My first copies of the EP, UTH and RA were on cassette too. When I think of those albums I had on cassette, I think of the song order in terms of SIDE A and SIDE B. Like, SIDE A of DFN ends with Nautical Disaster and SIDE 2 starts with Thugs. For all the CD or digital download albums, obviously, there's no SIDE A/B and those the track lists have a different meaning to me. I don't know what track 1 of SIDE B of PP even is, for example. I miss albums having SIDES. That divide down the middle really accentuates the track sequencing. Vinyl is a reconnection to that. After a decade or so of mix-'em-up playlists and the shuffle button, vinyl is a great way to experience albums again.

Moof_Milker Wrote:When I think of those albums I had on cassette, I think of the song order in terms of SIDE A and SIDE B. Like, SIDE A of DFN ends with Nautical Disaster and SIDE 2 starts with Thugs. For all the CD or digital download albums, obviously, there's no SIDE A/B and those the track lists have a different meaning to me. I don't know what track 1 of SIDE B of PP even is, for example. I miss albums having SIDES. That divide down the middle really accentuates the track sequencing. Vinyl is a reconnection to that. After a decade or so of mix-'em-up playlists and the shuffle button, vinyl is a great way to experience albums again.

Reminds me of Tom Petty's Full Moon Fever when CD's were taking over!

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sonichka11 Wrote:I think you missed my point. I 100% agree with every single one of your points regarding why records are desired by some. The tangible quality, the process of listening, the sound quality, the order of the songs...etc etc etc.....all are reason I ADORE vinyl. I am one of those people that buys the high end equipment and buys vinyl to do all of the above. My point was that vinyl will never be a very popular format because the majority of people do not have the money, the equipment nor the ear for sound quality. My brother has shitty factory speakers in his jetta. It sounds horrific yet he can't tell. My sister laughs at my musical ear.

The other thing is you can't listen to a record while in your car or at the gym or at work. You can't buy a record to rip to a disk or my ipod (you technically could but what a bloody nuisance when downloading takes seconds). A tiny percentage of people buy records and it might grow a bit, but in our culture with present day technology records will never be the main source of music listening.

My Mistake. I remember reading this at the same time that someone else ripped on vinyl and my mind started writing before I computed everything. :oops:

direwolf74 Wrote:

arewhyehen Wrote:Has anyone ever watched the documentary on Tower Records? The Rise and Fall of Tower Records. It was done by Colin Hanks. Very well done. It's super interesting and definitely the same situation that HMV and Sunrise are facing.

Excellent film! I'm a sucker for a good music doc, and that one is one of my favorites from the past couple of years.

Speaking of Colin Hanks, I just watched his new HBO documentary about the terrorist attack in Paris during the Eagles of Death Metal show. Pretty scary, heart-wrenching stuff.

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I almost bought tickets to the first Paris show. I was living in Ireland and wanted to see Gary Clark Jr and EODM while they were both on tour over there. They played 4 days apart in Paris and 2 days apart in Germany.....the only reason I went to Germany instead.

When I had seen everything that happened, I was pretty shaken up thinking I could have been there myself. I ended up getting a ticket to go to the second show last February. I met a ton of the survivors. I hung out all day with the original 18-20 survivors from the rail. The survivors got into the venue an hour early, but because I had been with them all day, they requested that I come with them for support. We walked in and the band was waiting for us to give us a hug and tell us they loved us. I let them all get their spots on the rail and then took an open spot of someone who either couldn't face coming back or may have passed.

All day the venue was surrounded by about 50-60 police officers with machine guns. We had to go through security and metal detectors about 3 times before getting into the venue. Some of the stories I heard that day were absolutely horrific. To have them face their fears and come back was so brave. There were death threats and bomb threats towards the band for that second show as well. The atmosphere was so tense. The second Jesse came out on stage and hit the first note on his guitar, the place exploded. That's probably not a great word to use, but everyone just seemed to relax a bit more and the music took over.

I definitely made some amazing friends that day. A bunch who I still keep in touch with often and even met up with 6 of them in Portugal when I was there.

The show was also broadcasted on a french tv station and you can see me in that as well as the HBO documentary...

Jesse smashed one of his guitars that kept breaking a string and threw it in the crowd. My friend Emilee caught it. She is one of the survivors they interview in the HBO doc. I got hit with the volume knob and kept that. The band signed the guitar for her after the show, which she let me get a photo with. Jesse came up to me and handed me his guitar pick and told me he loved me. Davey got custom picks made that are shaped like his flying-V guitar but look like the Eiffel Tower.

That show along with Neil at Massey Hall and The Hips Kingston show are my top 3 shows I have ever been to...


Emilee, with one of the greatest pieces of concert memorabilia ever..





Me trying not to run with the guitar..haha




Custom picks and Jesse's volume knob.





A few shots from the show...I have a ton more if anyone wants to see.

Holy shit! Great story, man. Thanks for sharing. Sounds like it was quite an experience. That photo of Jesse with the French flag guitar is awesome. You should blow that one up and get it framed if you haven't already.

:thumb:

direwolf74 Wrote:Holy shit! Great story, man. Thanks for sharing. Sounds like it was quite an experience. That photo of Jesse with the French flag guitar is awesome. You should blow that one up and get it framed if you haven't already.

:thumb:

Yeah, I want to do something with it. It's been the background on my phone since the night of the show.

I could have went into crazy detail on the show, but I know most people wouldn't read it. Haha It was a hell of an experience to say the least..

I have passed on seeing EODM a few times since this because I am not sure I am ready to yet. This one is still pretty emotional to think about and I like that. I want to cherish it a little longer..

Amazing story Arwhyehen. No problem on that other post mix up. We can all get a little heated when it comes to discussing music, me included!