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Post being replied to

I had forgotten the joy of opening a new album by knutesteen

Sliding a Bic pen cap along the cover edge to open the shrink wrap. Ah, what a feeling. But, I had also forgotten the all-too-often experience of putting that new record on the turntable and finding my tone arm doing a dance on a warped record, or getting three songs into the first side and hearing the snap, crackle and pop of a scratched or defective record, requiring a return to Vogel's and Allwilks in Elizabeth, NJ or Just For the Record in Mishawaka, where I bought hundreds of poly liners that still protect my vinyl. CDs eliminated the crap shoot of quality control inherent in vinyl records.

Even a record I bought in the last two years, Austin's Mirror Travel's Mexico LP, originally arrived scratched. In this modern age, however, I simply sent them an e-mail and the label said to keep the defective copy and sent me a new one. I do know the label's owners, so that may have played a role.

The other good development of vinyl is the inclusion of a code in the package for a digital download, so even if you buy the vinyl you can via the computer load the album onto your portable device, as (once I'm rehabbed from knee surgery) I find I listen to more of my new music walking for exercise than at any other time.