You ever open a brand new CD and crack open the liner notes and catch a whiff of the print paper? lol

I love saving the promotional stickers on the outside if I can. Even if it is a brand new CD, it will sometimes highlight a few song titles from the album, giving away the planned singles.

I never stopped buying and listening to records, that's what I'm used to. When I had a car I put a cassette player in it instead of a CD player. Downloading makes no sense to me, and it doesn't sound good anyway.

Cinny said:

You ever open a brand new CD and crack open the liner notes and catch a whiff of the print paper? lol

YES!!! I thought I was the only one who loved the smell a brand new CD booklet! I swear, if CDs ever do go away and the industry forces us to download everything as an MP3, that is the day I will stop buying music.

I love digital products, but I will never stop buying physical CDs, mags and books. I especially love removing the CD shrink-wrap, reading the liner notes, looking over the lyrics and production credits and examining the overall packaging and design. That excitement never wanes.

Identity said:

I love digital products, but I will never stop buying physical CDs, mags and books. I especially love removing the CD shrink-wrap, reading the liner notes, looking over the lyrics and production credits and examining the overall packaging and design. That excitement never wanes.

Same here.

And the smell! I bought the last Pet Shop Boys album in vinyl, and the smell was delicious!

CDs? Please. They smell like nothing. Now, vinyl...

I still buy current releases on vinyl. Some just scream for it.

Genesia said:

CDs? Please. They smell like nothing. Now, vinyl...

I still buy current releases on vinyl. Some just scream for it.

Well, the actual discs don't smell like anything, but the liner notes often do, depending on the paper stock and ink.

I remember even new cassettes smelling like that because they used a card stock and would punch the folds in, with tiny slivers of paper dust ... okay let me stop.. lol

Cinny said:

There are things about the physicality of albums I can't seem to give up.

there's not one file in my computer library that does NOT have a physical counterpart somewhere on my shelve

Cinny said:

I love saving the promotional stickers on the outside if I can.

hehe, me too. I still have an album with all those old stickers from vinyl albums. I remember the Sign O' The Times sticker was too big for the album size

but I rarely continued to collect them after the shift from vinyl to CDs

[Edited 8/7/13 0:55am]

I've been far too OCD over the past decade to have kept my physical music collection. I'm coming to hate clutter with my whole heart.

Yesterday, though, I had lunch at the home of a friend, whose partner has maintained a vinyl collection. I played one of his LPs, and I have to say there is something about the delicateness of vinyl that I hadn't noticed I've missed. From retrieving the disc from its sleeve to very carefuly dropping the needle, the care with which you must handle the related elements almost confers a certain preciousness to the music. And if you clumsily engage the ritual, one day you'll suffer degradation of the music or even damage that altogether prevents its enjoyment. There's something awesome in that.

[Edited 8/7/13 3:48am]

Lammastide said:

And if you clumsily engage the ritual, one day you'll suffer degradation of the music or even damage that altogether prevents its enjoyment.

If you scratch a record, you might hear some pops and clicks, but when you scratch a CD, it's unplayable. I've also had discs get 'CD rot', and you can't play it either. I've never worn out a record, but I've seen other people play a particular 45 so much, the record turned white or the grooves worn away.

Lammastide said:

I've been far too OCD over the past decade to have kept my physical music collection. I'm coming to hate clutter with my whole heart.

Yesterday, though, I had lunch at the home of a friend, whose partner has maintained a vinyl collection. I played one of his LPs, and I have to say there is something about the delicateness of vinyl that I hadn't noticed I've missed. From retrieving the disc from its sleeve to very carefuly dropping the needle, the care with which you must handle the related elements almost confers a certain preciousness to the music. And if you clumsily engage the ritual, one day you'll suffer degradation of the music or even damage that altogether prevents its enjoyment. There's something awesome in that.

I totally get that.

Same reason I can't believe how scratched some people let their discs get (when I inspect them to buy them used).

Back in the 80's, when I would buy albums, I liked the special perks some had to offer. There were always those double albums that were an endless audio orgasm (thank you Led Zep). It was amazing to open them and sometimes find a poster (thank you Prince for the "Purple Rain" one with Wendy & Lisa holding on to each other). Then I discovered the gate-fold records (I still have them from the Family, Sade, and Duran Duran). Along came the 12" and I was in Dance Heaven. You are right... There is nothing like the smell of a new disc, but vinyl was a way to really appreciate it. In the 90's, I finally got into CDs -- just in time for them to start going away. Now it is my prefered way to buy music just because of what you mentioned about having it to hold in your hands, the ability to read all the liner notes, and the occasional surprise.

Lammastide said:

I've been far too OCD over the past decade to have kept my physical music collection. I'm coming to hate clutter with my whole heart.

Yesterday, though, I had lunch at the home of a friend, whose partner has maintained a vinyl collection. I played one of his LPs, and I have to say there is something about the delicateness of vinyl that I hadn't noticed I've missed. From retrieving the disc from its sleeve to very carefuly dropping the needle, the care with which you must handle the related elements almost confers a certain preciousness to the music. And if you clumsily engage the ritual, one day you'll suffer degradation of the music or even damage that altogether prevents its enjoyment. There's something awesome in that.

[Edited 8/7/13 3:48am]

Perfectly said.

MickyDolenz said:

Lammastide said:

And if you clumsily engage the ritual, one day you'll suffer degradation of the music or even damage that altogether prevents its enjoyment.

If you scratch a record, you might hear some pops and clicks, but when you scratch a CD, it's unplayable. I've also had discs get 'CD rot', and you can't play it either. I've never worn out a record, but I've seen other people play a particular 45 so much, the record turned white or the grooves worn away.

I've loaned out my discs before and got them back pretty scratched up but they still played. Still don't know about that disc-rot stuff. I have CDs in my collection that I purchased back in the mid 80's and they still look and play like brand new. I have over 2000 CDs and never had one that didn't play. Had plenty of scratched-up vinyl over the years. I could still play them but the sound was horrible. I don't miss the popping, crackling and skipping of vinyl not one bit.

omg new vinyl is kind of better than old vinyl. You get two albums..garunteed sound quality compared to one album smashed together tracks..

Plus just the art alone and the feel of the cover..staring at it over and over trying to make sure you see everything front to back reading every line.

kitbradley said:

MickyDolenz said:

If you scratch a record, you might hear some pops and clicks, but when you scratch a CD, it's unplayable. I've also had discs get 'CD rot', and you can't play it either. I've never worn out a record, but I've seen other people play a particular 45 so much, the record turned white or the grooves worn away.

I've loaned out my discs before and got them back pretty scratched up but they still played. Still don't know about that disc-rot stuff. I have CDs in my collection that I purchased back in the mid 80's and they still look and play like brand new. I have over 2000 CDs and never had one that didn't play. Had plenty of scratched-up vinyl over the years. I could still play them but the sound was horrible. I don't miss the popping, crackling and skipping of vinyl not one bit.

I have a Chick Corea CD from the 80s that looks like it is rusting between the plastic. It's weird! I bought it used though, so it may have come from a climate much less dry than where I live.

deebee said:

I don't really have much of an affective connection with CDs, and I think people are probably right that that's something you can more readily have with vinyl. I do like to get a physical 'thing' though, if I'm paying for it - something I can hold in my hands, rather than just spending money on a bit of code I could get for free off the internet; so, I do favour CDs over downloads in that sense. I was thinking the other day about how out of touch with present-day thinking that is, and how today's yoots likely see things completely the opposite way: that the physical CD is just a pointless, cumbersome add-on to the listening experience they want. Bah, humbug, I say. Their jeans are too small and their glasses are too big. I am off to listen to a CD and take a nap. Now, wharrrr did I put the one I want, dagnammit??

My jeans and glasses fit perfectly well, thank you!

Lammastide said: