Old Ideas
Columbia 88697986711
Filed between The Clash 'London Calling' and Cowboy Junkies 'The Caution Horses'
The last time I chose to buy a new release on vinyl was 'The Second Coming' by the Stone Roses. As well as sounding the band's death knell, this was also the end of the line as far as me and modern vinyl was concerned. Pressed across two LPs I anticipated a decent bit of product; leaving the quality of the music to one side, what I heard made it abundantly clear that record companies no longer gave a hoot when it came to pressing vinyl. After all, it was the same price as the CD, which was cheaper to both produce and transport and would have sold in greater quantities (though not as many as it would have if it had been released a few years earlier). Basic economics dictated that vinyl was not worth pursuing.
So almost 18 years on I've elected to spend the extra and buy Leonard Cohen's Old Ideas on LP. Many vinyl releases these days also include a code for downloading the album in MP3 format; here Columbia have included a CD (a basic edition in a plain white slip case). With a fold-out lyric insert separate to the picture inner sleeve this is a delightful reminder of former rituals, placing the album on the deck and then poring over the sleeve. Easily worth the additional expense.
