The Death Of Album Artwork And The Re-Birth Of Vinyl

Two conflicting news stories, both published today, state that album artwork is being murdered by the iPod, but vinyl records (which provide the largest and highest quality album artwork) are making a huge return. I’m sorry, but “the media” as an entity is developmentally disabled. I guess as long as it stirs debate it doesn’t matter if an article’s thesis is plausible.

The Independent, a UK news source, reports that iPod popularity is sounding the death knell for album artwork. The history of the medium is detailed, from the images of Elvis and the Beatles that defined a generation of music lovers to the technological development of this modern era, which has shrunk album art from slightly over one square foot to the size of a postage stamp. In order to support their case, Sir Peter Blake (designer of Sgt Peppers‘ cover) and Peter Saville (who designed for Roxy Music and New Order) are quoted. They give predictable old-world responses about how record covers used to be windows to fantasy lands where naked chicks cavorted (see: Robbie Basho) and crap like Andy Warhol’s illustration on the first Velvet Underground album were considered revolutionary. Rick Wakeman says downloads are “just killing the whole art side of music”. It’s a shame that aged folks like Mr. Wakeman are so disconnected from reality that they can’t understand how music downloads and art are actually kind of independent from each other. Is looking at a stamp-sized record cover on an iPod screen really any different than looking at a candy bar-sized image of the Mona Lisa in a textbook? In both instances the beauty and intricacy art is compromised in order to fit the medium in which its being displayed. There will always be people who buy albums and crave artwork, just as there will always be folks who travel around the globe to experience great works of art in museums. I’m sorry, but album artwork isn’t dying.

Ironically, the Los Angeles Times ran an article this morning describing the economic boom currently sweeping the vinyl market. In the very first paragraph, there is mention of record label owners excitedly inspecting new album artwork. The article (which equally as dumb as the Independent article, but for reasons unrelated to its basis) makes a point of referencing Baby Boomers and how nostalgic they feel when listening to vinyl records. Well, that’s gross. I like vinyl but I hate Boomers. Suddenly I’m conflicted about whether or not I’m happy to hear there was a 33.6% increase in vinyl shipments during the 2006-2007 year. God, ‘Boomers piss me off.

Anyway, the last two paragraphs of the LA Times article had me in stitches. In the penultimate paragraph, it is claimed that Amoeba Music in Hollywood sells 2,000 vinyl LPs a day. I’m sorry, but that is patently absurd. There is no fucking way that store sells 2,000 vinyl LPs a day. They might make 2,000 sales each day, but if they’re selling two-thousand vinyl records a day than the sky isn’t blue and Jewish girls love giving head. What a ridiculous, false claim. Let’s see an EOD report from their store. It probably looks a lot like my store’s EOD.

The final paragraph saves the best quote for last. David Gorman, co-owner of LA indie label HackTone states, “I’m seeing actual young, attractive people” buying vinyl records. Ha! I’ve been to pretty much every LA-area record store, and I’m pretty sure 98% of the clientele is the same dirty, sweaty old men we get at my store. Although…a customer-base largely consisting of dudes in need of free deodorant samples does make it more noticeable when “young, attractive people” enter the store.

I’m just glad there are so many stores around that stock vinyl. Records account for at least 90% of my spending. I use downloading or file-sharing as an educational tool, and I see absolutely nothing wrong with it. It’s not unethical; I’m not robbing any artists or labels of money. The ability to download music for free has probably led to my buying more music than I would if I didn’t have unlimited access to all the albums I could ever desire. Unfortunately, the media doesn’t care to publish informative stories about conscientious downloading and the positive benefits of digital music downloads. Only articles written about polarizing issues are going to sell papers. It’s either EVERYBODY PANIC or it’s EVERYBODY REJOICE. It’s either the death of an industry or rebirth of an industry. It’s becoming impossible to find any middle ground in the news.