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February 11, 2011
Led Zep II
My first record, my first LP that is, [and for those of you unfamiliar with the term LP, of which there are doubtless many, it means Long Player. As opposed to EP [Extended Play], or Single]. They were soon to be called Albums, which, in a way, they still are.
I wasn't allowed to buy records, or at least Rock Music. My mother had a PYE Black Box HiFi record player and she said I couldn't play any Rock Music on it as it would no doubt damage it. Notwithstanding the fact that Beethoven's 9th Concerto or Rachmaninov's 1812 Symphony didn't seem to do it any harm.
So I bought a second hand Decca Dansette, from where I know not, and I still wasn't allowed to buy Rock Music.
I used to play Dvorak's Hungarian Dances on it - which is pretty stirring stuff if you're in the mood. But I saved my pocket money and naughtily bought Led Zepplin II. I kept it in by sock draw, under the socks.
The thrill of owning an LP. The thick cardboard sleeve, with this image - which summed up everything rebellious to a 14 year old. Then tilting the sleeve and sliding out the white paper inner-sleeve. It was almost as good as Apple Mac packaging. From there care had to be taken not to touch the surface of the record, it's black shiny surface like anthracite, and almost as brittle. With a thumb on the edge of the record my small hand stretched to reach the paper coated centre section. The sleeve being discarded the record was held between both hands, edge on, and spun to the desired side before being placed on the record player. This was the Japanese Tea Ceremony of music listening to the instant coffee of the iPod.
When I got a bit of money and after days spent going through the Comet warehouse [and it was just a warehouse in those days] adverts in the Yorkshire Post with William Eagles, I bought the ubiquitous Garrard SP25 MkIII deck, an Amstrad amplifier and a pair of Solavox speakers which, I have to say, are still excellent to this day.
Posted by john at February 11, 2011 09:58 AM