There’s a great line from Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason in this about the importance of vinyl, he maintains “the vinyl record is the equivalent of whether you have a tea bag or the Japanese tea ceremony, the tea ceremony is the right way to approach music.” Not a fan of streaming then is Nick and being honest neither am I. I’ve always been a physical product guy and am re-discovering vinyl again after many years listening to cds.
This documentary attempts to explain why vinyl is making a comeback and more importantly why it hasn’t gone away quickly like other trends. There are many interviews with small independent store owners, buyers young and old and musicians all extolling the virtues of the album. Collecting vinyl is a communal thing, there is ownership involved and a true love of not only the music but the artwork too. One of the people interviewed loves the smell of vinyl in a shop. There is passion from the contributors and a genuine sense of disbelief at times that the market is not only still there but growing.
So what of the future? Independent shops could be in danger as bigger chain stores try to get in on the action and some contributors warn of openings with a poor business model and a “we love vinyl lets open a shop” attitude. This coronavirus sure won’t help either and you have to wonder what the toll will be on stores when and if they re-open after a period with little or no income.
Overall I did enjoy the documentary, very well put together and worth a viewing but at only 43 minutes found it a little short and the dvd had no extras. It did make me want to pick up film contributor Graham Jones books The Vinyl Revival And The Shops That Made It Happen and Last Shop Standing.
Richie.
