On Labour Day weekend, I visited my hometown to bring back a load of my stuff to my new place in Calgary. We could only bring back what could fit in the back of my roommate’s brother’s truck, so I had to be somewhat choosy with my selections. One thing that definitely made the cut, though, was my turntable and my record collection.
An intense appreciation for music (and the collecting of music) was ingrained in me as a child. My mom’s record collection is an impressive one, filling milk crates from the floor to the ceiling along two walls of our downstairs living room. For a time, she used to curate art installations with her records – so familiar with her collection that she could decide on a theme and choose six album covers to display as a set on the wall.
My own record collection is not nearly as impressive, especially as I’ve cohabitated with previous partners, separated from those partners and lost some of my precious albums. However, I received a beautiful vintage turntable two Christmases ago, and since then have been a bit more careful with my collection.
We moved my turntable into the empty front room and I immediately started flipping through my albums to find the right one to play first. Traditionally, this has been The Pursuit of Happiness’ debut studio album Love Junk, featuring the single “I’m an Adult Now,” but this time I chose Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska as my soundtrack as I unpacked the rest of the boxes of kitchen accessories we’d brought back with us.
Bruce Springsteen never gets old – I can remember my sister playing his Greatest Hits CD, particularly the song “Thunder Road,” until we were all begging her to stop ruining it for the rest of us. And one of the very best Valentine’s Day gifts I’ve ever received was a harmonica performance of “The River” by my dad, after he randomly showed up at the door to my apartment with a single rose. He’s a good human.
Anyway, even though my lovely turntable is in serious need of a new needle, it’s been amazing to go back and listen to some classics – the way they were meant to be enjoyed. Since I set it up, I’ve listened to Elvis Costello’s Armed Forces, Steve Miller Band’s Fly Like an Eagle, KISS’ Alive!, Elton John’s Honky Château, Blondie’s Parallel Lines, and Joan Jett & The Blackhearts’ I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll.
And I still have an entire Rubbermaid full of records that I have yet to go through. It’s like Christmas, only I don’t have to pretend to be excited all the time.
My records would sound so much better if I got a new needle though, really. Where do I find a needle for a vintage RCA turntable? Anyone?
