Many times in my life, I’ve been told that I’m an old soul. I like things of yesteryear. I seek out old soda fountains, my favorite movie is black and white, I enjoy going into antique stores, and I never tire of hearing tales of times past.
And I love record albums.
“Wait a minute, Amy. You DO know that there are things called iPods with iTunes on them, right?”
Yes, I know. I even have an iPod, but it’s not my thing. I’ll use it when I’m working out, but, eh, it’s just okay in my book. Here’s why.
First, I have to set the stage for you. Back in the ancient days of the 80’s, when I was a wee thing, I spent a good majority of my time sitting in front of my dad’s record cabinet. He has quite a collection and I was entranced with the covers of those albums. I would sit and pull them out-never far enough so I would lose its spot-and stare at all the creative, scary, magical covers. My spot in front of that cabinet holds some of my fondest memories of childhood.
To that I must add that I really don’t remember a time when a record wasn’t playing in my house. See, my dad breathes music. When I think of music, I think of my dad. For me, you can’t have one and not the other. I’d sit on the floor, looking at album covers for Deep Purple, KISS, BOC, ELO, Rush, Black Sabbath, and Alice Cooper to name a few. As I’d sit there, my dad would revel in telling his concert stories. He’d school me on band member names. He’d give me the bands’ histories. I soaked it up like a sponge. This became a deep source of connection for my dad and me that has continued to this day.
As I got older, cds replaced records. I like cds, too. For me, they are like miniature records. I have quite a collection going myself. Nowhere near my dad’s numbers, but he’s got some years on me. Usually when people see my cds they tend to scoff at them and make comments about getting with the 21st century. At first, it annoyed me, but now, I just smile inside because my experience with records is magical. It can’t be replaced with new gadgets. I’ll try to explain.
There is just something about shopping in a record/cd store. Not Best Buy, but a real, true blue music store. The smell of the place alone is worth the trip. In the movie “Reign Over Me,” Adam Sandler’s character collects albums. At one point in the movie he goes into a record shop and he picks up an album and holds it to his nose. He says to his friend, “I love the smell of records.” It’s true. They have a smell: Dust, plastic, old paper, and time.
My dad and I like to find record/cd stores and go and browse, whenever we have a father/daughter date. We each go our own way once in the store, hunting through the stacks, looking for a gem. As you flip through the albums, it’s so thrilling to stumble across something special. After our search, my dad and I meet up and compare our finds. We’d make our purchases and as soon as we got in the car we’d pull out a cd and pop it in the player. You just can’t get that kind of specialness buying tunes on a computer. There is no journey, no story, and no connection. This is just one way my dad and I connect. Sadly, those record stores are mostly gone now, which is so disappointing because they are such treasures.
What I’ve also learned about owning albums is that there is more than what the radio station plays. Honestly, I have the attention span of a gnat when it comes to radio. I have found that the songs the radio station plays are hardly ever my favorites on an album. Take for example, Blue Oyster Cult’s song “Fear the Reaper.” Everyone has heard it like nine million times. I like it just fine, too. But, there is another song by BOC that never gets played and it is one of my all time favorite songs. It’s called “I Love the Night.” Browsing through Itunes, I would never have picked out this song. I don’t want the most popular songs of the day; I want to discover that song on a new album that is so great that I have to play it over and over again till my soul is satisfied.
In the “Hands Free Momma” book, she talks about all the personal connections we can make without the use of electronics. To be sure, electronics are helpful and I’m not dissing people that use Itunes or Ipods. For me, though, I relish the connection of sitting in my dad’s living room listening to his latest purchases. We love to discuss which songs are great, which are so-so, and which ones prick our heart strings (pun intended) causing a flood of emotions. I wouldn’t trade those moments for all the Itunes songs in the world.
For my birthday, my husband got me a record player. So, now, I can relive my past with my family. I put my albums on while cooking dinner and I dance with my kids and husband. Every time I do, I’m transported back to my childhood when my dad would have the Royals on the tube, my mom would be making a delicious dinner, and a record would be playing in the background. Music is the background of my life, instilled in me by my dad, and it connects us even when we aren’t together. I just can’t get that same experience out of an iPod and headphones.
