The Re-Rip Chronicles
This has been a strange week musically. I always clean and rip my vinyl when I get it. I always rip my records to 96KHz/24bit WAV files, then converted to FLAC (as backup) and MP3 (for regular use on my iPod). Yes, I could just download the MP3s (most vinyl comes with a free download anyway) but I like the fact that the MP3s on my iPod are uniquely mine, ripped from vinyl. A lot of digital music is over-compressed and sounds distorted to me, and due to the nature of vinyl, this almost never happens when I rip my own. The result generally sounds warmer and clearer than anything sourced from a CD master. (Look up “loudness wars” on Wikipedia for more info, or wait for my upcoming blog post on the subject!)
This week, while going through my database (yes, I have a database to help me keep track of what I own!) I discovered that quite a few records hadn’t been ripped to 96/24 yet. When I first started, my equipment was more limited and I was ripping everything to 48KHz/16bit. Now that I’ve upgraded, I want to go back and re-rip those files properly. Going through the database, it turns out there are a couple of hundred records that need re-doing! Since I don’t usually buy things I don’t like, this isn’t really a hardship. In fact, I am quite enjoying it! It does make for some strange listening experiences, though. Below is a sample of this week’s vinyl rip-a-thon:
Bob Marley – “Legend” / “Confrontation” / “Exodus”
Black Sabbath – “Sabotage” / “Vol 4” / “Heaven and Hell” / “Mob Rules” / “We Sold Our Soul for Rock’N’Roll”
Marina – “Love + Fear”
You Said Strange – “EP1”
10cc – “Greatest Hits”
The Style Council – “Our Favourite Shop”
Duran Duran – “Notorious”
The Bangles – “Greatest Hits”
The Rolling Stones – “HONK”
Public Image Limited – “That What Is Not”
Robbie Nevil – “Robbie Nevil”
The Jesus and Mary Chain – “Honey’s Dead”
I have eclectic tastes, to be sure, but this off-kilter playlist is making my head spin! Only one of those records was a fairly recent purchase and it was not really to my liking. Bonus points if you can guess which one. Hint: it’s not a new release. 😉
One thing I’ve really enjoyed is the feeling of rediscovering old friends. Yes, I already have most of these as MP3s, so it’s not as if I couldn’t hear them whenever I wanted, but the simple act of taking a record out of its sleeve, cleaning it, and placing the needle in the groove to listen to a full side uninterrupted… it’s a unique experience. I’ve been reacquainting myself with Black Sabbath’s incredible power and their mastery of the sudden tempo change, the driving bass of Bob Marley that only vinyl seems to do justice to, and the bright, clean harmonies of the Bangles. I’ve been having a wonderful time!
Speaking of eclectic tastes; have you heard of You Said Strange? I am LOVING their stuff and they definitely deserve a proper write-up. Expect a blog post eventually! They remind me of the Doors… but not quite. You really should check them out. You can stream their first two EPs on Bandcamp or pick up their album via Fuzz Club.
That’s it for now! Thanks for reading all the way to the bottom! 🙂
Here’s a sample of what’s coming up over the next few weeks as the rip-a-thon continues. Can’t Wait!
Anne Dudley and Jaz Coleman – “Songs From The Victorious City” / “Minarets and Memories (12″)”
Belle and Sebastian – “Tigermilk” / “If You’re Feeling Sinister” / “The Life Pursuit” / “The BBC Sessions”
Black Uhuru – “Now” / “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” / “Red”
The KLF – “The White Room” (UK) LP
BoDeans – “Love & Hope & Sex & Dreams” / “Outside Looking In” / “Home”
Boris Mikulic – “Break Free (12′)”
Cansei de Ser Sexy – “C.S.S.”
Catherine Wheel – “Chrome” / “Black Metallic (12″)”
The Field Mice – “Skywriting” / “For Keeps”
George Michael – “Faith”
Forgotten Rebels – “In Love With The System” / “This Ain’t Hollywood”
Frank Zappa – “Apostrophe (‘)” / “Sheik Yerbouti”
Gowan – “Strange Animal”
The Housemartins – “The People Who Grinned Themselves To Death” / “Now That’s What I Call Quite Good”
Indigo Girls – “Indigo Girls”
Interpol – “Antics” / “Our Love to Admire” / “Interpol” / “Turn On The Bright Lights”
J.J. Fad – “Supersonic (12″)”
Johnny Cash – “Bitter Tears”
Ladyhawke – “Anxiety”
Ladytron – “604” / “Light & Magic” / “Gravity the Seducer”
The Legends – “Public Radio” / “Up Against The Legends” / “Facts And Figures”
Malcolm McLaren – “Fans”
Marianne Faithfull – “Broken English”
Patsy Cline – “The Best of Patsy Cline”
The Pretenders – “Get Close” / “The Very Best of the Pretenders”
The Radio Dept. – “Clinging to a Scheme” / “Pet Grief” / “Lesser Matters”
The Rain – “To The Citadel”
The Rolling Stones – “Emotional Rescue”
Sarah McLachlan – “Fumbling Towards Ecstasy” / “The Freedom Sessions” / “Surfacing”
The School – “Wasting Away And Wondering” / “Loveless Unbeliever”
Yoko Ono & Plastic Ono Band – “Between My Head And The Sky”
Yumi Matsutoya – “The Gallery in my Heart” / “Reincarnation” / “Yuming Brand” / “Benisuziume”
PS: In case you were wondering, it was Robbie Nevil. I really thought I’d like it, and I really, really didn’t.
#MusicBoxTW
