An Obsession With Vinyl

A walk through indie music, love and attitude

One of the biggest mysteries is the loss of my records. I had a wonderful collection built up over the years, including early singles of New Order, The Smiths, Bauhaus, Bowie, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.

The records were my lifeline back to my youth when I was surrounded by incredible music. Somewhere out there, some happy soul is listening to them right now, kicking themselves at how lucky they are.

My first foray into record addiction was listening to my brother playing The Clash and Blondie. When he went out in the evenings, I’d sneak into his room and listen to London Calling or the edgy delights of The Jam. I would sit there with a sense of trepidation because if he found me, there would be hell to pay.

His record player was a Fidelity, pretty basic and square, with small speakers. To me, listening to his records was an introduction to a magical land. A step toward adulthood, independence, and alternative culture that I’ve always enjoyed.

My brother finally gave me the Fidelity when he got a better record player, and slowly I built my own vinyl collection. Using my pocket money and, later, cash from menial jobs to feed my addiction.

No one can truly explain the beauty of record stores back then. They were almost like mythical places run by the coolest people on Earth. The one in my town was crammed full of records and as I flicked through the records, I sensed the thrill of discovery running under my fingers.

You could ask the assistant to play a record for you and listen to it in a small booth. When you’d finished they would ask, ‘Any good?’ and you’d make your decision there and then. Leaving the store in a cold sweat if you got it wrong.

I can name the places where I bought certain albums, Siouxsie and the Banshees and The Stranglers in WH Smiths, The Skids in Woolworths, The Sound in Record Exchange, London, and so on and so on.

Each purchased record brought a sense of anticipation because you never knew whether the album was any…

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