Song, by Toad

[Welcome back to Euan's monthly Sunday Supplement column here on Song, by Toad.  His writing can be found over at the Steinberg Principle, where he habitually does crazy things like confessing to liking Lionel Ritchie.  Don't worry though, I know how achingly cool my readers are - there'll be none of that sort of shit here.  And apologies for the picture.  I did a Google image search for 'the morning after' and that turned up.  I like it a lot, so I ]

I have spent a lot of time of late studying my cd collection and wondering where it all came from?! How did it get so big? How much money have I spent on cds since I really started to buy cds around about the age of 15? I guess you could say that I am somewhat of a collector. Where others have embraced the internet and started downloading music, I have tended to stay true to the physical release (behave yourselves!) and continued to buy cds. I was wondering exactly why this was the case the other night, because with Pamela’s last remaining itunes vouchers she bought both Mumford & Sons and Editors new records for about 14 quid. This is a hell of a lot cheaper than it would have cost me to buy both of these records on cd. So what is it that draws me to having the actual physical product rather than simply the music that is encoded in the product?

Well, call me old fashioned, but there’s something really romantic about going to a music shop and browsing the cds, records and of course, when I was much younger, the cassettes. There’s always been something really important about this process for me. Something I now strongly relate to my adolescence and something that was, and is, and I think always will be a pleasure rather than a process. Perhaps even a form of relaxation? For some, the ability to sit on their sofa and hit “download” is a wonderful thing. I totally understand this. You can get on with life without having to leave your home to search for a record. You can make dinner and download the new record by Frightened Rabbit, The Twilight Sad or Broken Records. It’s all so easy. But for me, there is nothing more exciting about taking a walk along to Avalanhce or Fopp or indeed any record store and just browsing. Searching out little gems. Its one of life’s little pleasures.

For me, the physical release (again behave people!) is very important. I love having a record, with the art work, the acknowledgements, the lyrics. I love the love and attention which is put into these things. Not just the music. Take the ‘Nothing Broke’ EP by Meursault for example, or ‘For The Thoughts You Never Had’ by eagleowl. Each of these records was put together by a group of people. Each piece of art lovingly created. Time and effort to make sure every detail was just right. And I love that. I love knowing that. I love owning that. Another great example is Sigur Ros’ packaging, art etc. Absolutely every detail of the album is important from the music right through to the material used for the packaging. It’s all relevant and it’s all important. And I love owning these things.

I remember being a teenager and sitting in my pal David’s room and sifting through his dad’s collection of vinyl. Everything from James Taylor, to Queen, to the Humble bums, to Abba, Neil Young and Bob Dylan. Sitting and going through all those records is one of my fondest memories of being a teenager. Whilst others were out getting boozed up and caught by the police, we were sifting through old records and learning about music. I know – what a sad little kid I was! But it was magic then and it is still magic now. Looking at my cd collection now it amazes me how much I’ve bought over the years, but I really am excited about the thought of Roddy, when he’s old enough, sitting and sifting through all those cds. Learning about music. Learning about what he likes and dislikes. Discussing these things with me. When I think of it in those terms, I’m glad I’ve not wasted my money on cds.