Dick Rosemont chuckles when customers in his store - Flat, Black & Circular - are surprised that vinyl records are still alive and spinning.
“They never really went away,” he said. “They aren’t carried in most mainstream places, but the novelty has become an attraction for some people.”
Many stores in the East Lansing area carry vinyl, including Flat, Black & Circular, 541 E. Grand River Ave., Vinyl Addict Records, 503 E. Grand River Ave., Spin Cycle Records, 210 Abbott Road, and Lower Level, 611 E. Grand River Ave.
When CDs were introduced in the early and mid-1980s, some people thought vinyl would go out of style because of the convenience of the new listening form.
“You can’t drive down your street listening to a record in your car,” said history senior Michael Krueger, co-owner of Vinyl Addict. “People would rather just bust in a CD and not have to worry about breaking a needle or turning over a record.”
Krueger said people who listen to records appreciate music more.
“The kids that come into my store are more in it for the love,” he said. “They don’t mind taking the time to listen to the record and appreciate it.”
Records are recorded in an analog format, which means the music is transported through a wave system, hitting all points from A to Z. CDs are recorded digitally, which cleans up the sound, eliminating all points in between and converting those sounds into digital format. Digital recording also removes extra effects found on vinyl.
“Some people find the digital format annoying to the ear,” Rosemont said.
Many independent record companies sell vinyl records.
“We still see the demand for it with the scene that we do,” said Dirk Hemsath, co-owner of Doghouse Records in Toledo, Ohio. “Kids like to collect albums, singles and stuff like that.”
Telecommunication sophomore Norman Dagle buys indie rock records every once in a while.
“It’s kind of the nostalgia of them,” he said. “The sound quality is definitely different, it gives an old feel to them.”
Hemsath said on average, 20 percent of the revenue from his label’s sales comes from vinyl.
“Records are more expensive to make than CDs,” he said. “There is more time put into putting them together.”
Rosemont said just like any type of music, there are different people who purchase different kinds of records.
“Some people are into the 12-inch techno material, then you’ve got some younger person just discovering Led Zeppelin and they think it’s fun to own it,” he said. “Some kid might think it would be neat to own the new Rancid on vinyl because it’s something his friends don’t have.”
Others buy albums because they can’t find certain music on CDs.
“I get the old stuff you can’t get on CDs anymore,” said East Lansing resident Carl Strickland, 49. “There are also a lot of old songs with different mixes available only on records.”
Animal science sophomore Kristen Daddow listens to records because she enjoys older music.
“I like the way they sound as opposed to CDs and tapes,” she said. “Sometimes you can find stuff on records that aren’t on CDs so you have to get a record.”
Chemistry graduate student Scott James said he respects vinyl because it is a smart way for smaller bands to get their music out.
“It’s an economical way to get the music I like without going broke,” he said. “I buy a lot of indie 45s from hard-core and punk bands.”
Rosemont said some people buying records probably don’t even have turntables.
“Maybe you don’t even own a turntable, it’s simply the novelty,” he said. “Albums represent another aesthetic, you have music and a product that represents some art.”
Rosemont said there are a lot of reasons people are still interested in albums.
“As long as it stays reasonably affordable and interesting, some people will continue to buy them.”
