"The Best of Bond... James Bond" LP Set

My order of the 2021 release, "The Best of Bond... James Bond" three-record LP set arrived today. I ordered it through Tower Records.

It is the latest compilation of main title tracks to the James Bond movies from Dr. No (1962) to No Time To Die (2021). The set includes Adele's "Skyfall", a song not included, oddly, in the official soundtrack album. The CD version contains two discs.

According to 007.com:

UMe have released an updated version of “The Best Of Bond… James Bond”, a digital, 2CD and 3LP vinyl compilation featuring celebrated Bond theme songs. The new James Bond 2021 Edition includes “No Time To Die” by Billie Eilish from No Time To Die. Also now included are Adele’s “Skyfall” from Skyfall and Sam Smith’s Spectre theme, “Writing’s On the Wall,” – Oscar® winners for Best Song in 2013 and 2016, respectively.

I decided to get the LP set as vinyl records have better sound quality than does CDs. I was not disappointed.

If one is a fan of Bond movies, especially the music, this is a must-have album.

Vinyl Outselling CDs For First Time Since 1987

Above, some of my vinyl records. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Sales of vinyl records topped CDs for the first time in over 30 years.

This is not surprising to me, vinyl sounds much better than CDs in my opinion. Even though I do buy CD (mainly because my RV has a built-in CD player), I have bought several LPs and 45 rpm singles in recent years and kept all of my vinyl records that I purchased since the early 1960s. 

Back in the late 1960s on through the 1980s, I divided by purchases between cassette tapes and vinyl. For my car cassette players, I later started buying just vinyl and made cassette tape copies for my cars.

CBS News reported:

Vinyl records are back and more popular than ever. A new report found that vinyl record sales continued their more than decade-long growth in 2022, and for the first time in more than three decades, outsold CDs in the number of units. 

The report, published by the Recording Industry Association of America on Thursday, found that physical formats of music saw another year of overall growth in 2022, totaling $1.7 billion. Making up nearly three-quarters of that growth were vinyl records, which saw a 17% increase in revenues for $1.2 billion. This marked the product's 16th year of consecutive growth, RIAA said. 

It also marked the first time since 1987 that more vinyl records were sold than CDs, which saw a revenue decline of 18% in 2022. The group said that 41 million vinyl albums were sold last year, compared to 33 million CDs.

To read more, go here. 

Licorice Pizza

Above, my "relic" from the original Licorice Pizza record chain. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A post was made in the Valley Relics Group about record stores of yesteryear. 

One of them listed was Licorice Pizza. I used to spend a lot of time (and money) at the Lawndale, California Licorice Pizza. They had a great selection of 45 rpm oldie singles.

The chain of Licorice Pizza stores were acquired by Sam Goody.

However, there is a Licorice Pizza store in Studio City, California that's not part of the original chain. According to their website:

Licorice Pizza Records, an independent label in Studio City, CA, is helmed by Kerry Brown, an award-winning, RIAA multi-platinum certified music producer, artist manager, and event producer. His wide-ranging career spans more than three decades, encompassing performance, production, and marketing, with total worldwide sales of more than 50M records including works by such iconic superstars and legendary artists as Smashing Pumpkins, Miley Cyrus, Cheap Trick, Courtney Love, the Afghan Whigs, the Twilight Singers, and Ziggy Marley.

The boutique record store of the same name continues the legacy of the original, famed Southern California chain opened by James Greenwood in July 1969. New releases & vintage albums line the walls, while handpicked playlists - and free licorice - add to the atmosphere. Nurturing the local music & art community in Studio City, fashion designers and craft vendors sell their art during monthly Flea Markets. At weekly Licorice Pizza Party in-store events, local artist showcases feature our staff and their friends, many of whom grew up hearing about their rockstar parents and how cool the original Licorice Pizza was in the 1970s and 80s.

Expanding to more than 34 area locations by 1986, the chain was an integral part of Southern California’s influential rock scene, featured prominently in 1982’s Fast Times at Ridgemont High and later giving title to Paul Thomas Anderson’s critically acclaimed, Academy Award-nominated 2021 film. It was more than just a record store; it served as a meeting place and haven for fans of all ages, a club house where music obsessives – including a teenaged Kerry Brown – could hang out and discover a spectacular range of new and classic music, from punk and glam to hard rock, metal, and more. A new generation is rediscovering vinyl for the first time. It's the tastiest music in town, where you get it nicer.

I still have a 45 rpm singles Licorice Pizza rack that I bought back in the 1980s at the Lawndale store. 

More People Buying Vinyl Than CDs During Pandemic

Above, a LP I recently purchased. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

This isn't all that surprising to me. Many friends (including myself) and those in the recording industry (such as Neil Young) contend that vinyl records sound better than CDs.

So, with many people having time on their hands due to the pandemic, are buying more vinyl records than CDs for the first time since the 1980s.

According to USA Today:

Americans seem to be listening to more vinyl records amid the pandemic.  

In fact, vinyl outsold CDs for the first time since the 1980s, according to a recently released mid-year report from the Recording Industry Association of America. The report underscoring the state of the U.S. music industry captured how people's music listening has changed during the coronavirus crisis. 

With people having more time on their hands due to COVID-19 lockdowns, music streaming, which includes revenue from paid services such as Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon, grew 12% to $4.8 billion in the first half of 2020.

To read more, go here.

Hank Williams: 40 Greatest Hits

Above, the 40 Greatest Hits album. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Ever since I saw the PBS mini-series of Ken Burns's Country Music last year, I have become a fan of the late Hank Williams.

Before then, I was more familiar with his songs covered by other artists, such as Elvis Presley.

Since then, I bought the DVD set of the mini-series and watched it last week. I then decided to see what vinyl albums of Williams were available. I ended up ordering the compilation album, 40 Greatest Hits.

It arrived yesterday in the mail and I listened to it last evening. Thankfully, it is an audiophile version with better sound quality.

I highly recommend this album.

CDs In Decline, Vinyl Records On The Rise

Above, an original Thunderball soundtrack album from 1965. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

There is one trend in the music industry that I am pleased to see.

And that is the growth of vinyl records. The old analog records have been making a comeback for several years while CDs have been declining and music streaming has been growing.

Above, James Bond soundtrack 45 rpm singles. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Even in Japan, the growth of vinyl has prompted Tower Records in Tokyo's Shinjuku section to dedicate a floor to vinyl records.

News On Japan reported:

Tower Records opened Tower Vinyl on the 10th floor of its Shinjuku store on March 21. The space, once reserved for pop-up events, now houses 70,000 records, according to the company, with more than half being secondhand.

In the U.S., vinyl pressing companies are starting up (along with older pressing companies) and are struggling to meet the rising demand.

According to Arizona Public Media:

Last year, digital music hit a milestone. For the first time ever, it accounted for more than half of global music sales. Music streaming revenues rose more than 40 percent, while sales of physical recordings continued to sink. 

Yet a company in Northern Virginia has just started pressing vinyl records. 

Tucked away in an industrial park in Alexandria, Furnace Record Pressing is the country’s newest record manufacturing facility — and a seemingly batty business idea, if you haven’t paid attention to deeper trends in the music industry lately. 

Despite the overall downturn in physical recordings like CDs, vinyl sales have been on the rise for a decade now, as younger people have begun to discover the richer sound and collectable nature of old-fashioned records. But as the vinyl frenzy caught on, soaring demand quickly created a problem, says Furnace’s owner, Eric Astor. The world’s remaining pressing facilities couldn’t keep up with the crush of new business.

 To read more, go here.

Vinyl Records That Are Worth Money

Above, a display of 45 r.p.m. records for sale at Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Now that I have hooked up my "suitcase" turntable to my new CD player, I can enjoy my old vinyl records with suitable sound and volume quality (frankly, they sound better than CDs). 

As such, vinyl records are making a big comeback and collectors are constantly on the lookout for rarities.

"America's digital goddess" Kim Komando has posted an article at her website on being on the lookout for rare records that may be stashed away in your home and could bring you some serious cash.

Her article begins with:

Did you ever think vinyl records would come back in style? Believe it or not, they have. 

I remember having tons of vinyl record albums and singles when I was a child. There was nothing better than kicking back and relaxing to the soothing sounds of Miles Davis as the LP made its way around the turntable. Until of course CDs took over the music scene in the mid 1980s.

Nowadays, CDs aren't even the primary way people consume music. Most of us have moved onto streaming music with services like Pandora, Spotify, and Amazon Music Unlimited. 

But with the resurgence of vinyl, there's an opportunity for wise collectors to make some serious coin. If you had the foresight to hang on to that record collection all these years, you might be sitting on a pile gold...so to speak. 

That's why you should check out your stash and see if you have any gems that are worth some big money. Keep reading and I'll tell you what to look for.

To read more, go here. 

A Revelation

Above, the Crosley and the CD player. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A few years ago, I bought a little Crosley "suitcase" turntable so I can play my vinyl LPs and 45s. I like it except that the volume at maximum is a bit too low.

I have a Fisher stereo system that has a turntable and cassette deck, but the turntable belt needs replacing. I was about to get a new belt when my former apartment in Tarzana had two (at the same time) pipe breaks and the water that gushed out ruined the speakers to the Fisher set. So, now the set sits in the garage.

I bought a CD player for the den/guest room. Last week, I was going through a moving box and found some plug/wires for stereo systems. I decided to see if the Crosley turntable can be played through the CD player's auxiliary port. Sure enough, it worked and the sound from the Crosley now blares out of the the CD player's speakers. I can enjoy my vinyl records again!

For the past several days, I have been playing my old albums (Jethro Tull, Waylon Jennings, Buffalo Springfield, Cream, Jimi Hendrix, Elvis Presley, Poco, movie soundtracks and others) that I haven't played in years.

Having the sound come through new speakers was a revelation. I missed the rich, warm sound of vinyl. I have to agree with Neil Young, analog vinyl sounds much better than digital CDs.

Thankfully, vinyl has made a comeback in recent years, so there's plenty out there to buy.

Currently, I am debating on either getting the belt replaced on the Fisher and get new speakers for it or just buy a whole new set that includes a cassette deck (I have a lot of cassette tapes).

In the meantime, I'll just enjoy my old records with what I have.

007 On Vinyl

If one is a fan of a particular movie genre or franchise, they also would pick up tie-in merchandise.

Ever since my parents took me to see a double-feature of From Russia With Love and Dr. No, I have been a James Bond fan since.

I have a few records (vinyl LPs and 45 r.p.m. singles for those of you born after CDs took over.

In the old days, vinyl records were easy to find. One of my favorite places to find new and older 45 r.p.m. singles was Licorice Pizza (now defunct). I bought a lot of singles there. Tower Records (mainly the Sunset Blvd. store) was another great source for records.

The first 007 record I bought was in 1965 right after the release of Thunderball. It is the soundtrack album:

The next soundtrack album I bought was sometime in the 1980s, Dr. No, the very first James Bond movie:

A few years later (still in the 1980s), I picked up this compilation album, James Bond Greatest Hits:

I have four James Bond singles in my vinyl collection:

Above, from upper left to right, Live and Let Die (Paul McCartney and Wings), Octopussy
(Rita Coolidge), Never Say Never Again (Lani Hall) and A View To A Kill (Duran Duran).

I have other Bond albums on CD, but I just wanted to concentrate on vinyl.

2017 Box Sets Reissues Set Record

Music lovers will have a good holiday season this year as a number of artists will be issuing box sets.

According to Forbes.com:

The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Elvis Presley and Bob Dylan lead this year’s record crop of musical box sets. The multimillion-reissue bandwagon exceeds last year’s peak, with a lot of classic albums returning in anniversary and deluxe editions – by U2, the Eagles, Prince, Radiohead and The Smiths, among others. 

New and announced titles, including vinyl reissues, are currently running at more than 630 for mainstream artists so far in 2017, an increase from the approximate 520 number at the same point in the year from the same record companies in 2016. The number surged in the last few weeks before Black Friday, Cyber Monday and now the first weekend of December – the weekend seen by eBay as the peak time for physical sales of vinyl, CDs, DVDs and Blu-Ray, even old videotapes and cassettes. 

The artists have all put out collections, which will do much to prop up the physical CD and vinyl market. Figures from record-industry groups and eBay last month pointed towards a continuing revival in demand. This is in the face of headlines about the rise of digital downloads and streams, demise of old-fashioned discs and the closure of record stores.

To read more, go here.