Are CDs The New Vinyl?

By Kevin Yeoh  •  11 Sep 2009 in News

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Cupid was the short-lived TV series created by Rob Thomas (Veronica Mars). A remake of the 1998 series only 7 episodes aired. In the sixth episode, the main character Trevor Pierce aka Cupid shot his arrow into a radio DJ and one of the DJ’s die-hard listeners. But what I remember most is one of the lines form that scene: “Aren’t CDs the new vinyl?” It’s still got me wondering…. 

I’ve asked around and a lot of my friends disagree because apparently you can’t replace the sound of vinyl. But, while it may be of better quality in the sound department, how much space can you allocate for gargantuan discs? It seems the same can be said of CDs today with the advent of downloadable music.

Personally, I miss the days when I would rush to the music store to get my music and flip through the booklet that comes with the CD or cassette. I would memorise the producers, songwriters and engineers listed on each of my favourite tracks. Heck, even the background singers too. Gone are the days when you are promised a Serato in clubs or can find a vinyl player at home. People are going digital with online downloads, which means overlooking the ingredients used to make each track on the album.

So it still surprises me whenever my friends play cassettes or original CDs in the car. How long will record stores stay around for? Will we still be able to appreciate the CD in times to come? Will we still care about the who and what of a song or album cover art? Increasingly having people go to the music store to buy CDs is like getting someone to call you from a phone booth. It just doesn’t happen. Whether this is a good or bad thing… I’m still debating it. Let me know YOUR thoughts.