Private Dancer

Yesterday, while on a snack finding mission at Wal-Mart I ran across Tina Turner Private Dancer and Duran Duran Seven and the Ragged Tiger  in the CD section for the low, low price of $5 each. I was looking for Mumford and Sons debut album which I had seen there only a week ago for $7 but alas, it had been sold. So, I bought Tina Turner and Duran Duran instead.

I own both of these albums already, but they are on vinyl and they live at my mom's house. I thought it would be good to have digital copies as well, you know, for when the machines force me to assimilate. I don't think our robot overlords will care about the fidelity of the analog recordings.

I was super stoked about the Duran Duran album, even if it doesn't sound as good as the record. I am now 4 albums away from having a complete set of Duran Duran CDs. I need Duran Duran, Big Thing, and Notorious. Paper Gods arrives on the 11th!!!

Interestingly enough, I found that I do care. I was taken aback by how much I hated the way these albums sounded when comparing them to my memories of the vinyl recordings. I had never noticed or cared very much before, but now it was blatantly obvious to me how much better the vinyl sounds. This was especially the case with the Tina Turner. The record sounds warm and rich while the CD was lacking. Hollow. Devoid of something essential to Tina Turner. I never thought I would be one of "those people" but here I am talking about the fidelity of the analog. Lou Reed's ghost should be proud of me.

I called an old friend last night to check in with him about a matter that has no place on my blog and soon the conversation shifted to music.

"I was thinking of you earlier today - I bought a CD of Tina Turner Private Dancer," I said.

"The only reason that should remind you of me is if it's on vinyl," he replied. He and I used to listen to that record quite a lot when we first knew one another.

"That's just it," I said. "It made me realize how much better the record sounds. I'd never noticed before."

He laughed. He'd always known records sound better.

I think I am going to have to get my records from my mom. Machines be damned.

***

In other news, I have been thinking lately that I would like to start keeping hermit crabs again. I enjoyed it when I did before, but I fear that in North Carolina they would freeze to death in the winter. Hermit crabs need a warm, moist environment and I doubt the hermit crab heater I used to have would do the job. Maybe I'll get some fish instead . . .