GoodSoundClub - Romy the Cat's Audio Site

In the Forum: Analog Playback
In the Thread: My today’s views on LP culture and my audio habits.

Post Subject: Vinyl by the numbersPosted by drdna on: 6/14/2009

Paul S wrote:
The paranoia has long since set in: I am convinced that career record shoppers have already gotten to and picked over everything any place I am likely to think of to shop. I very rarely find anything really great.

Setting aside that proposition for a moment, tongue in cheek though it may be, let's look at the issues:

There hasn't been any new vinyl made to speak of in about 15 years, so there is no source of replenishment.

Of all records made, only 5% (1 out of every 20) are classical.

Of classical music: here is the top five albums sold this week (on CD of course):

   1. The Priests (some Christian/Gospel vocal group)

   2. Placido Domingo

   3. Luciano Pavarotti

   4. The Cistercian Monks (more chanting)

   5. Gergiev/Mahler No. 8

So fully 80% is vocal/popular work by volume. SO much so that, when I have received used records by mail, the sellers sometimes pad the package with old opera/vocal records used as filler to protect the "real" record. I guess when they run out of Styrofoam peanuts.

Most records are not re-sold. They are destroyed. They are put into a giant chipping machine and go into a landfill. They are considered worthless by folks who have switched to CD's (or who these days don't even know what a vinyl LP is or how that relates to MP3's) or they just can't be bothered to find a buyer for those old LP's (most music stores do not take used vinyl) when all they will net is a few dollars. Into the trash it goes!

Adrian

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