Every year, record stores pull out that box of cheesy Christmas albums. But, like any other genre, there can be a few nuggets of “Silver and Gold” in any pile of stones. Some, like the 1957 red vinyl pressing of Elvis’ Christmas Album, are highly collectible and others, like The Beach Boy’s Christmas Album, have become American classics. Here are a few other Christmas records from the 50’s & 60’s to dig for. And, if you can’t find them before December 25th, most of these titles are still so popular re-pressings are easily available. These albums are listed chronologically by the original release dates. All of them are number one.
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A Christmas Album List
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Miles Davis, DeVotchKa and Black Friday
Last year I grossly misjudged just how early I needed to arrive a local store to pickup all the Black Friday exclusives on my list. Instead of a 5 a.m. departure, this year I rolled up at about 7:30 a.m, only about an hour and a half ahead of opening and walked away with an armful of releases, including everything I had earmarked weeks ago. Leading up to the day, the concerns starting. Setting in as just about every Record Store Day Black Friday release was scantily advertised with little or no detail given about the pressing or source material. These records are always a gamble, but I found a few that paid off. Continue Reading
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Direct to Disc Recording
Direct to disc recording was the predominant recording method prior to the invention of magnetic tape, churning out 78rpm discs for decades. Paired with the introduction of the LP in 1948, recording to magnetic tape began to supersede direct to disc methods. The benefits that tape offers have a lot to do with its ability to be cut, spliced, re-recorded or otherwise edited during production. With a direct to disc setup, recording proceeded through an entire LP side with no breaks. Everyone had to play precisely, without any mistakes or a lacquer was scrapped and the process started over. Continue Reading
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Making a Wantlist with Discogs
Lists are indispensable in my life. They keep me sane as a collector by allowing me to categorize what I have vs. what I want. My favorite tool, Discogs, has another handy feature that will become extremely useful this holiday season, the Wantlist. With a little configuration, you’ll get a daily email containing purchase links to albums available from Discogs sellers making it really easy to fill gaps in your collection or provide specific information to gift-givers. Stack the odds in your favor and collect a bountiful harvest of albums to start your new year off right. Continue Reading
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45rpm: An Introduction
Life at 33⅓ suits most folks just fine but some listeners want to hear the sonic nuances in the full dynamic range of recordings and have developed a fondness for the fast lane; 45rpm. The accelerated speed spans acoustic information over a larger section of the disc, etching a path that is easier for a stylus to track and thus provides greater accuracy in sound reproduction. This distinctive trait typically means that any single disc cut at 33⅓ will become a two-disc set at 45rpm. With vetted professionals like Steve Hoffman and Kevin Gray behind the reissue series from labels including Analog Productions paired with the strictly limited edition status of most of these products, both the experience and collectability value are second to none. Continue Reading
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