Be the Record, Not the Needle

Photo courtesy of IStockPhoto

I’m like a record player 
I keep goin’ round
With a needle in my arm
Playin’ someone else’s sound

–  “Like a Record Player” by The Lawrence Arms

Among music purists it’s generally accepted that the best way to listen to music is on vinyl.  There is a rich and “live” quality to the sound that has never been reproduced with digital music.  My nephew Tyler’s company, Vinyl Me Please, is a cool little company banking on the return of vinyl.

One of the key components of listening to vinyl records is the needle (or stylus) on the turntable.  You can spend crazy amounts of money on the perfect setup, all in the name of hearing the record in near perfection.

Music is ultimately about the record, not the needle.  Yes, a better needle will get me better sound, but in the end I want to hear the record.  The needle is just a part of the delivery. If there were no record, I have no reason to buy the needle.

The needle’s job is to play someone else’s sound, as The Lawrence Arms so aptly put it.

Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram.  These are all great needles.

Wouldn’t you rather be the record?