Lately, I've been getting into a lot of arguments with my friends over my CD collection. The truth is I'm downright on the defensive. Taking jab's and blocking punches rather than moving forward and countering. I'm here to set the record straight. I like CD's and I don't apologize for it. I actually think it's the best medium for music. Allow me to explain why...but first a few concessions.
Vinyl sounds
fantastic; this I will concede. I don't think anyone would disagree. I also get the fact that people view the LP as a piece of art, for both historic and aesthetic reasons. They like dissecting the artwork and the packaging and the layout. I can appreciate that too. Then there are those that prefer vinyl because it's the "cool" format to listen to in this day and age. Fuck those people. I don't cater this post towards them because they'll be on the CD train as soon as it's obsolete and suddenly hip again. You know who you are.
Compact discs don't sound as good...at first. However, if you listen to your favorite albums as much as I do, then you know that vinyl does NOT hold up over time. And don't try and argue with me on this one. Grooves wear out and the sound gets flatter. Vinyl has a long shelf life as long as you don't play the album on a regular basis, which is fine for the collector I suppose, but I am anything but. The music is always my forefront. I want to listen to that tasty gem, and I want to listen to it a lot. I don't want to have to keep purchasing the same expensive LP.
Which brings me to my next point: cost. Vinyl tends to be on the pricey side and it's hard to afford it in bundles unless you work at a record store or have easy access, i.e. the five finger discount (which I would NEVER support; local record stores have enough problems without those shitheads in the mix). Now, I understand that a lot of material is released strictly on vinyl and even via cassette tapes, which have been making a strong comeback as of late too. In these cases, it obviously makes sense to purchase some fresh wax or a tape. But assuming an album is released on CD and LP and they're essentially the same I'm always going to reach for the compact disc. Why? Because I can get more of them for less. I would rather sacrifice a little bit of quality for a lot of quantity. And I know that many of you are a fickle bunch about this kind of thing, and would argue just the opposite. That's your right. I collect way too much 90's grunge to side with you unfortunately. I am a man with needs.
Compact Discs, in many ways, are more practical than vinyl. If you spend half your day in your car, it makes sense to pop in a CD. They're also easier to store and are pretty durable. As long as you keep them in the case, they'll withstand any kind of abuse, which can't be said for our waxy friend.
Now, you're probably thinking, well, why don't you just bypass the whole physical format and go straight to mp3, iPod, Spotify, Pandora, Bandcamp, Facebook, yada yada yada. You can listen to an iPod in the car and it's relatively the same quality as those shitty CD's anyway (although not really). I DO take advantage of those resources as well, but I still like to have a tangible piece of work that convey's a vibe or a theme. I never said artwork and layout wasn't important. It most certainly is. Which is why the compact disc is the best of both worlds. It is a practical, easy-to-store, physical evidence that you own an album and have the ability to dissect it aesthetically should you like to do so, although on a much smaller scale than vinyl. It is a relatively inexpensive, not quite as great sounding (but in the long run
better sounding) piece of art all on its own. And I pretty much love it.
