The Vinyl Lounge

a blog by vinyl lovers, for vinyl lovers

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Woodstock VR - Wearable Tech.

When you think of vinyl records the last thing most people would normally associate with it is recent and modern technology. At its time, vinyl records were a vision of future technology but in today’s modern world they seem to be a thing of the past. Vinyl has been replaced with streaming and iphones, and could very well soon be replaced by up and coming wearable technology.

Wearable technology is one of the fastest-advancing sectors of the wider tech industry, and is now outpacing the development of smartphones. It ranges from smart watches to airpods to virtual reality, and in today's time everything is about the advancement of technology. So how do vinyl records fit into that?

A virtual reality experience of Woodstock.

While most vinyl lovers may have been alive for Woodstock in 1969, some like myself were nowhere near being alive, and maybe some who were alive weren’t able to experience it. So wouldn’t it be a trip to be able to put on a VR headset and feel like you’re at Woodstock? Imagine feeling like you’re in the crowd in front of Jimi Hendrix playing Purple Haze, or being front row to watch Janis Joplin perform Ball and Chain. Imagine being able to experience these artists perform, some we can never see perform live again. It’s the ultimate experience, and of course taking drugs is completely optional if you want the full experience.

And sure in today’s day in age we have music festivals similar to Woodstock like Coachella or Firefly, but they don’t even come close to the energy of Woodstock. Woodstock was planned to be the biggest, and ended up even bigger than the planners intended. The crowds were so huge that they swamped the admissions gates, knocked over fences and just kept coming and coming. Because it was big and making headlines, even more people decided to go. It became a free concert because the producers couldn't handle ticket-taking.

So if there’s anyone out there with an abundance of money and looking for something to invest it in, look no further than a VR Woodstock experience. Because I’d buy it before it even hit the shelves.

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Hotel California

Check out The Vinyl Lounge’s most recent podcast reviewing Hotel California by The Eagles! Now streaming on Anchor FM and Spotify! https://anchor.fm/marissa-ruddy 

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Does music still sound good on vinyl? Check out The Vinyl Lounge’s first vlog on the world of vinyl records!

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Lynyrd Skynyrd’s ‘Street Survivors’ was the band’s fifth album, released in mid October 1977. The band members at the time of the album recording were Ronnie Van Zant as lead vocalist, Steve Gaines on guitar, backup vocals, lead vocal on "Ain't No Good Life" and co-lead vocal on "You Got That Right", Allen Collins and Gary Rossington as guitarists, Leon Wilkeson as bass guitarist, Artimus Pyle on drums, and Billy Powell on keyboard.

The album was an instant success, achieving gold certification just 10 days after its release. It would later go double platinum. The album peaked at number five on the charts, making it the band's highest-charting album to date. The singles "What's Your Name", “You Got That Right” and "That Smell," also became hits on the Billboard singles chart.

The LP is the last Skynyrd album recorded by original members Ronnie Van Zant and Allen Collins, and is the sole Skynyrd studio recording by guitarist Steve Gaines. Three days after the album's release and five shows into their most successful headlining tour to date, the band's airplane crashed en route to Baton Rouge. Ronnie Van Zant and Steve Gaines were the only two band members to die in the crash, however there were many other casualties including Gaines’ older sister who was a backup vocalist.

Out of respect for the deceased, and at the request of Steve's widow, MCA Records withdrew the original cover of flames and replaced it with a similar image of the band against a simple black background, which was on the back cover of the original sleeve. Lynyrd Skynyrd did not release another album until 1991.

As a vinyl collector, it is a sad yet indescribable feeling to own the original album that displays the flames engulfing the band members. I HIGHLY recommend adding this to your collection if you do not already own it.

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The Knack's ‘Get the Knack’ was the band’s debut album released in June 1979. The band members at the time of the album recording were Doug Fieger as lead vocals and rhythm guitarist, Berton Averre as lead guitarist, Prescott Niles as bass guitarist, and Bruce Gary on drums.

At the time, the album was one of the most successful debuts in history, selling over one million copies in less than two months and spending five weeks at number one on the Billboard 200 album chart. “My Sharona”, which was the lead single from the album, was number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for six weeks and number one on Billboard's Top Pop Singles of 1979 year end chart. The band’s follow-up single, “Good Girls Don’t” followed "My Sharona" to number one on the Canadian Singles Chart. The album itself went four times platinum in Canada and platinum in the US.

The album was recorded in just two weeks and cost only $18,000 to record and produce. This was an extremely quick and inexpensive recording at a time whereas many established artists were spending months and several hundred thousand dollars to record an album. The album was produced by Mike Chapman, who had written hits for Sweet the early 1970s and at the time had most recently produced Blondie’s breakout album ‘Parallel Lines’.

‘Get the Knack’ was the first of four albums that introduced me to the world of vinyl when I was a teenager. My favorite song from the album is “Let Me Out” which is the first song on side one of the record and “(She’s So) Selfish” is definitely another favorite, which is track number three also on side one. While The Knack may be seen as a ‘girl band’, it is worth noting that every vinyl collector should have this album as a part of their collection.

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Aerosmith's 'Rocks' was the band's fourth album, released in May 1976. The band members at the time of the album recording were Steven Tyler as lead vocals, keyboard, and harmonica, Joe Perry and Tom Hamilton as bass guitarists, Brad Whitford as lead guitarist, and Joey Kramer on drums and percussion.

‘Rocks’ was ranked number 176 on Rolling Stone’s list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. When the album was released in 1976 it reached number three on the Billboard 200. The album has greatly influenced many hard rock and heavy metal artists, including Guns N’ Roses, Metallica, and Nirvana. The album was a commercial success charting the Billboard Hot 100 with three singles, “Home Tonight” and the other two being “Back in the Saddle” and “Last Child” which both reached the top 40. The album was one of the first to go platinum when it was released and has since gone quadruple platinum.

Despite the copious amounts of drugs the band members were doing at the time the album was recorded and produced, ‘Rocks’ was considered by many fans, critics, and fellow musicians to be one of the highlights of their career. The album was also described as having captured Aerosmith at their most raw and rocking.

While I have not yet listened to the entire album, I have listened to the singles from the album and I have to say I agree with the fans and critics at the time who said this was Aerosmith's best album yet. The songs do a great job at capturing and emitting the essence of classic 70s rock, and this is THE vinyl album to own for any heavy metal rock fan out there.

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The Cars debut album, 'The Cars', was released on June 6 1978. The band members at the time of the album recording were Ric Ocasek as lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist, Elliot Easton as lead guitarist and backup vocalist, Greg Hawkes on keyboard, percussion and saxophone, Benjamin Orr as bass guitarist and lead vocalist, and David Robinson on drums and backup vocals.

The Cars started recording their album in February of 1978 and released the album in less than five months. ‘The band's debut album was a major success selling more than one million copies by the end of 1978. The album steadily climbed the charts, peaking at number 18 on the Billboard 200 chart in March of 1979 where it remained for 139 consecutive weeks. The album was also ranked number 4 on Billboard's "Top Albums of the Year" chart for 1979. The album went twice platinum in Canada in a little less than a year after it was released and by April of 1995 it had gone six times platinum in the US.

‘The Cars’ had been described as falling into the rock categories of new wave, power pop and synth-rock. At the time it had featured a large amount of technology, unlike just instruments as many bands at the time were using, on many of its tracks. This was accredited to the band's appreciation for new equipment. The album featured the three charting singles "Just What I Needed", "My Best Friend's Girl" and "Good Times Roll".

‘The Cars’ is by far one of my favorite albums that were ever released in the 70s. The new wave feel, as it was described, is probably why I am drawn to the album and the hit “Just What I Needed”, which is the third track on side one, is up there with being one of my favorite songs. Of all the debut albums to own, ‘The Cars’ should definitely be at the top of any vinyl collectors list.

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Elton John's 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road' was his seventh album, first released in October of 1973 as a double LP. It was his second album released in 1973, 'Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player' having been released only nine months earlier. Elton John served as the lead vocalist for all of the songs on the album and was on piano for any song that featured it.

'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road' has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide, is widely regarded as Elton John's best album and has become his best selling studio album of all time. At the end of 1974 the album topped the Billboard Year-End charts at number one in the US and ranked number seven on the UK Album’s Chart. The album also went certified gold in October 1973, five times platinum in March 1993, and eventually eight times platinum in February 2014. In 2003, the album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and was ranked number 91 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. It was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

The album features the hits "Candle in the Wind", "Bennie and the Jets", "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" and "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting". The album also features live favorites "Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding" and "Harmony".

Elton John is one of my favorite solo artists from the 1970s, and I believe this album blows all of his other musical work out of the water. "Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding", which is the first track on side one, is by far one of my favorite songs of all time. I highly recommend adding this album to your vinyl collection, not only because of the music on it, but because of the beautiful art work that covers the album.

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Steve Miller Band's 'Fly Like An Eagle' was the band’s ninth album, released in May 1976. The band members at the time of the albums recording were Steve Miller as lead vocalist, keyboardist and lead guitarist, Lonnie Turner as bass guitarist, and Gary Mallaber on drums and percussion.

The album reached number three on the Billboard 200 in 1976 and has since gone four times platinum in the US and two times platinum in Canada. 'Fly Like An Eagle' comes three years after the release of the band’s quite successful previous album, “The Joker”. Even though ‘Fly Like An Eagle’ may not have been the band’s most successful album, it was voted number 400 in the third edition of the All Time Top 1000 Albums in 2000. It was also ranked as number 445 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time in 2012.

The album features the singles, "Take The Money And Run", "Rock'n' Me" and "Fly Like An Eagle" which were all released within a five month span of each other.  "Take The Money And Run" was the album’s first single and was released a month before the album was.

'Fly Like An Eagle' falls under the category of psychedelic rock, along with space rock, due to the sounds heard at the end of the single "Fly Like An Eagle" and a few other songs on the album. While this is not an essential vinyl album, collectors should definitely consider adding it to their collection.

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The Go-Go's debut album, 'Beauty and the Beat', was released in July of 1981. The band members at the time of the albums recording were Belinda Carlisle as lead vocalist, Charlotte Caffey as lead guitarist, keyboardist and backup vocalist, Gina Schock on drums and percussion, Kathy Valentine as bass guitarist and backup vocalist, and Jane Wiedlin as rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist.

‘Beauty and the Beat’ steadily climbed the Billboard 200 chart after its release and ultimately peaked at number one where it remained for six consecutive weeks. It also ranked second on the Billboards Top 100 Albums chart in 1981. The LP sold well over two million copies and reached double platinum by the end of 1981, making it one of the most successful debut albums of all time.

The album features three singles, "We Got the Beat", "Our Lips Are Sealed", and “Automatic”. The band’s hit song “We Got the Beat” was first successful within the European club scene before it became popular over in the US. It ranked number 35 on the US Dance Hits chart in 1981.

The album cover is, in my opinion, one of the most iconic of all time. It features all five band members with towels wrapped around their body and head, and they all have white facial masks on. It is also a fun fact that not many know that the Go-Go’s were so short on money at the time of their album being produced, the girls had to return the towels to Macy’s after the cover shoot in order to afford food for the week.

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REO Speedwagon's 'hi INfiDELITY' was the band's ninth album and was released on November 21 1980. The band members at the time of the albums recording were Kevin Cronin as lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and pianist, Gary Richrath as lead guitarist, Neal Doughty on keyboards, Bruce Hall as bass guitarist and backup vocals, and Alan Gratzer on drums.

The album title is a play on the term Hi-Fi, which stands for high fidelity, and was a popular record playing stereo. The album art is an illustration of a pun where an act of sexual infidelity is occurring while the man is putting a record LP to play on the hi-fi stereo. The album peaked at number one on the Billboard 200 in the US and at number one on the Canadian Albums Chart, both in1981. So it’s no surprise that 'hi INfiDELITY' went on to become the biggest selling rock album of 1981. The album would also go on to be ten times certified platinum.

The album features four singles, “Keep On Loving You”, “Take It on the Run”, “Don’t Let Him Go” and “In Your Letter”. The single “Keep On Loving You” was released a few weeks before the album, while the other three singles were released mid 1981. “Keep On Loving You” is the most popular song from the album, having ranked number one on Billboard Hot 100 in 1981.

'hi INfiDELITY' was another one of my first vinyl records, and is probably in my top five favorite vinyls of all time. The single “Don’t Let Him Go”, which is the first track on side one, is one of my favorite songs by the band along with “Keep on Loving You”. This is definitely an album worth having as apart of your vinyl collection, if it isn't so already.

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