I’m trying to clean out stuff I’ve been saving for years in boxes and plastic totes, and I’ve unearthed my vinyl record collection. My Facebook friends advise me the albums are, for the most part, worthless.
I can’t vouch for the records’ quality. I have a record player that I bought in 1978, but I no longer have the amplifier I got at the same time. That means I can’t listen to them to hear what they sound like.
Some have gotten plenty of use. I bought most of them during my high school and college years between 1970 and 1978. There are some others they I bought in young adulthood. Embarrassingly, there are a few “disco” albums among those.
Whether a function of my age or the times, I don’t listen to music the way I did in my youth. I recall spending hours on lazy weekend afternoons listening to Elton John’s “Honky Chateau,” Deep Purple’s “Made in Japan,” or Neil Diamond’s “Hot August Night.” Those are album names, not necessarily song titles. Even after I started working after college, I would occasionally light a couple of candles and relax just listening to music — no reading, no TV. Just me and the tunes. The pressed vinyl may not be worth much today, but the memories and feelings evoked by the music are precious.
I don’t listen that way anymore. Although music is in the background every day while I work, and I’ve even got a playlist running as I write this. But I can’t remember the last time I just sat back and listened, just for the enjoyment of hearing the melodies, harmonies and rhythms.
I’m sure the change of habit has something to do with sharing a house with somebody else. It’s easier to watch a TV show or read a book than it is to agree on something we’d both like to listen to at the same time, even though our musical heritages and tastes are similar (except for her fondness for country music). It’s always easy to purchase just the songs I like and put them into playlists, and “albums” don’t seem to be constructed to listen to all in one sitting.
Anyway, that still leaves the question of what to do with the albums. Some of them have fantastic artwork. Others have fun liner notes to go along with the lyrics. I’m thinking about framing some of the covers, and I’m scouring Pinterest for other ideas. Let me know if you have any suggestions.
In the meantime, here’s the list of what I’ve got:
|
Neil Diamond |
Hot August Night |
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George Carlin |
Class Clown |
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Robin Williams |
Reality … what a concept |
|
Robert Plant |
In The Mood (EP) |
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Donna Summer |
Bad Girls |
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Bee Gees |
Spirits Having Flown |
|
Amii Stewart |
Knock on Wood |
|
The Section |
Fork it Over |
|
Ten Years After |
A Space in Time |
|
Bad Company |
Run With The Pack |
|
Deep Purple |
Made in Japan |
|
The Doobie Brothers |
What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits |
|
Grand Funk |
We’re An American Band |
|
Neil Diamond |
Jonathon Livingston Seagull |
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The Mistletoe Orchestra |
Happy Holidays |
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Chicago |
Chicago |
|
Assorted artists |
A Christmas to Remember |
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Barry Manilow |
Barry Manilow Live |
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Duran Duran |
Rio |
|
Neil Diamond |
The Jazz Singer |
|
Pablo Cruise |
A Place in the Sun |
|
Eagles |
Their Greatest Hits |
|
Outlaws |
Ghost Riders |
|
Seals & Croft |
Diamond Girl |
|
The Knack |
Get The Knack |
|
George Harrison |
Thirty-Three &1/3 |
|
Pink Floyd |
The Final Cut |
|
Lionel Richie |
Can’t Slow Down |
|
Styx |
Kilroy Was Here |
|
Joan Jett & The Blackheads |
I Love Rock-n-Roll |
|
Pat Benatar |
Benatar Live from Earth |
|
Genesis |
Genesis |
|
Bryan Adams |
Reckless |
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Pat Benatar |
Crimes of Passion |
|
Crosby, Stills & Nash |
CSN |
|
Heart |
Dog & Butterfly |
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Heart |
Passionworks |
|
Styx |
The Grand Illusion |
|
Men At Work |
Business As Usual |
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Supertramp |
Breakfast in America |
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Ted Nugent |
Cat Scratch Fever |
|
Stevie Nicks |
The Wild Heart |
|
Elton John |
Ice on Fire |
|
Yes |
Going for The One |
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Jerry Goldsmith |
Star Trek: The Motion Picture |
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Billy Joel |
52nd Street |
|
Billy Joel |
An Innocent Man |
|
Jefferson Starship |
Red Octopus |
|
Boston |
Boston |
|
Billy Joel |
Songs in the Attic |
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Alice Cooper |
Welcome to My Nightmare |
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Kansas |
Point of Know Return |
|
Billy Joel |
The Nylon Curtain |
|
Rush |
Permanent Waves |
|
Various Artists |
Miami Vice soundtrack |
|
Rick Wakeman |
Journey to the Center of the Earth |
|
Rick Wakeman |
The Six Wives of Henry VIII |
|
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic |
Handel: Messiah |
|
Jeff Beck |
There and Back |
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Jeff Beck |
Blow by Blow |
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Elvis Costello & The Attractions |
Armed Forces |
|
Huey Lewis & The News |
Sports |
|
The Alan Parsons Project |
I Robot |
|
The Alan Parsons Project |
The Turn of A Friendly Card |
|
Rush |
A Farewell to Kings |
|
Supertramp |
Paris |
|
Bruce Springsteen |
Born to Run |
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Phil Collins |
No Jacket Required |
|
Neil Young |
Comes A Time |
|
Simon and Garfunkel |
The Concert in Central Park |
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Supertramp |
Crime of The Century |
|
Herb Alpert |
Rise |
|
The Police |
Synchronicity |
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Pink Floyd |
The Wall |
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The Who |
Quadrophenia |
|
Queen |
Jazz |
|
Styx |
Equinox |
|
Supertramp |
Even in The Quietest Moments |
|
Blues Brothers |
Briefcase Full of Blues |
|
Chicago |
Chicago 16 |