I tweeted that I was really enjoying CDs at the moment and the ease of use compared to vinyl. I don’t think this is a revolutionary statement, but I touched a nerve with the vinyl obsessives.
Before I delve further, let me explain my situation. I mainly work from my man cave that provides me with a good place to write, read, store stuff or just look into space. Whilst I am in there I listen to music. Now as you would imagine the internet reception is a touch iffy as its at the bottom of my garden and the router is at the front of the house. Contrary to BT’s outrageous claims and terrible adverts the internet is a bit patchy, and often non-existent. So, to stream music I must use my phone and its lovely 4G. This works well but I burn through my data allocation quickly; so its either boom or bust there as well. This leaves my superb music system and stack of vinyl and CDs. I tend to ignore the radio because I am sick to death of the news and weather constantly being told.
I have no doubt that vinyl is better. Its sound is better, and it just feels and looks nicer, I am a vinyl fan. However, when it comes to just putting on some music you have chosen yourself and playing it in the background nothing beats CDs or streaming. Now as I have said I can’t really stream so I need my CD collection. Also, I have noticed a nice little shift in the industry again. I recently went to a superb concert by the brilliant Deaf Havana. It was a small gig at Rough Trade in Nottingham which required the purchasing of the album to get your ticket. No problem I ordered the CD as I know it will get played more. I picked it up on the day and it’s a fantastic box set which supports an equally brilliant album (‘Rituals’ listen to it now!). It felt like real effort had gone into the package and it is now signed and has pride of place in my collection (of course KMMR bought the Vinyl…)(Editors Note: Of course I did because I couldn't care less about CDs).
So, perhaps the shift is happening, and CD’s are getting better packaging and getting away from the plastic case with an inlay that’s printed in miniature? I hope so.
Back to the point...
If I am writing I like to sit at the computer with a drink and get into the ‘zone’. This is impossible when listening to most vinyl LPs as every time I get going the bloody thing finishes and I must get up and turn it over! Also, I invariably get distracted by the cover or my collection and either sit reading the bloody cover for the umpteenth time or rearrange my vinyl yet again. This stops me doing the very thing I started out to do and kills the rare opportunity I get to spend some time on my next book (yes there will be one eventually…). If I put a CD on, then the whole album is available, and I can restart the thing with the remote without hardly lifting my hands from the keyboard! Hey presto an answer!
Plus, as a bonus I have started digging through my old, discarded CD collection and finding some forgotten gems which I don’t have on vinyl.
Then there’s the cost. A few years back I bought the entire Arcade Fire back catalogue on CD for less than £40, there is no way I could do that on vinyl.
Finally, I have just been alerted to a post on Gumtree where a person is selling their entire CD collection for £20. Sure, there will be some crap in there, but I might just go for it and see what happens! If I am successful I will do a post to let you know how it went…
In conclusion CDs are easier for me most of the time but I still love my Vinyl collection.
So, for the time being, in the man cave if nowhere else in the world, CDs rule.