Unless you’ve been in a seriously deep sleep during the past decade, you know that vinyl records have made a huge comeback. This was such an unfathomable idea back in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s when the pristine digital cleanliness of sound in the compact disc was flourishing. If you’ve ever wanted to get a crystalized explanation of how and why it happened, this documentary is for you.
Released a year ago by MVD Entertainment Group, the 43-minute documentary takes a decidedly UK street-level view by featuring lots of interviews with independent record shop owners. It’s no surprise that Record Store Day annual promotion is talked about a lot.
It’s so cool to see my Russian roommate, Barry Taylor, make an appearance here. He shared a room with me during the First Arts & Music Festival in Saint Petersburg back in ’91. He’s a Professor of Culture and Philosophy, and he had a few words to say about the revival:
“I’m delighted at the idea of a return to vinyl. People who lost vinyl in the sort of sonic wars, I think there’s a recovery for that group of people, which is both nostalgia and reassurance.
“Now, it’s an aesthetic choice, so it’s part of the fabric of youth culture – again.”
It would be nice to see more of an aerial overview of the entire industry, but this documentary makes the point that vinyl is back and likely here to stay.
[MVD]
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