Vinyl Age: A Guide to Record Collecting Now

by Max Brzezinski

From Carolina Soul Records, one of the world's largest online record sellers, comes the definitive guide to every aspect of record collecting in the digital era.





Any music fan knows that there's nothing like the tactile pleasure of a record. Even with access to a variety of streaming services, digital technology has paved the way for the analog revival; from multiplatinum megahits to ultra-obscure private presses, millions of records are available for purchase from all over the world. Vinyl Age is the ultimate post-internet guide to record collecting.




Written by Max Brzezinski of Carolina Soul Records, one of the world's largest high-end record dealers, Vinyl Age combines an engaging narrative and incisive analysis to reveal the joys and explain the complexities of the contemporary vinyl scene. Brzezinski demystifies the record game and imparts the skills essential to modern record digging -- how to research, find, buy, evaluate, and understand vinyl in the twenty-first century.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction

256 pages, Hardcover

Published November 17, 2020

Reviews

[Bill Sleeman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Max Brzenzinski’s Vinyl Age: A Guide to Record Collecting Now was both informative and engagingly written. Unfortunately there were moments, at least for me, where the author slipped into the same sort of “I’m the expert and know best…” Record Head persona that he sought to dispel. It might be unavoidable when a former academic tries to share his knowledge – and certainly there is a lot of knowledge shared. In point of fact, the knowledge is why you get the book, and so much of the data and background was super interesting. On the other hand, the chapter devoted to genres was WAY TOO sliced and diced and seemed more show than actual go.

In fact, after a bit I began singing to myself the divisions from Brian Setzer’s Really Rockabilly

There's neo-rockabilly
There's psycho-rockabilly
There's Starbucks-Orange-County rockabilly
There's euro - ja-ja-wir machen-rockin' rockabilly
There's Western-swing-traditional-blues-
Influenced rockabilly
There's Australian shrimp-on-the-barbie-
Carry-your-surfboard-to-Sears-
To-buy-your-rolled-up-Levi's rockabilly
There's rock-a-Johnny, rock-a-Sally, rock-a-hillbilly

In spite of that distraction this is a very useful book and overall a worthwhile contribution to understanding record collecting in the 21st century. Read it if you need to know more about collecting. Rock on!

[Jorge · Rating 3 out of 5]

As an avid vinyl hobbyist, I appreciated MB's broad overview of collecting vinyl as seen through the lens of the marketing director of Carolina Soul, who bills itself as "one of the world's high-end record sellers." While it does use vinyl as the frame for the book, I found it to be less about vinyl than about how to listen to music - in any format. A former English professor, MB can veer into some pretty esoteric theories of music, especially in the chapter on Experiencing Records, where he deconstructs records into five zones. If you're looking for "deep tracks" - the songs or albums the cherished listener collects - there are many good and interesting examples. I used some to listen on Spotify. I found this aspect top be the most enjoyable and insightful part of the book. Also, fine graphics sprinkled throughout the book.

[Damien Stednitz · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a book I liked less as it went on. It’s the equivalent of an lp where all the hits are on the A side and the B side are all self-indulgent tracks.

It starts out very interesting with a fascinating take on record collecting and an incredibly thoughtful deep dive into various genres. Brzezinski is very smart and an eloquent writer. The chapter on the politics of record collecting was equally interesting. A great chapter about the need for greater inclusivity within record collecting culture. It can be just a place for white male snobbery.

Then it completely stops being a book about record collecting and becomes a book about how to “experience” records which isn’t really about records at all but just music. Theres nothing vinyl specific to this very loooooong (and I hate to say boring) chapter. It’s extremely detailed breakdowns describing songs. Listening to songs = amazing. Reading someone write paragraph after paragraph of what it’s like to listen to a given song…not so much.

Collectively the sections of the chapter starts to feel like more of a flex from the author showing how deep his knowledge is across varied genres on songs you’ve never heard of by artists you’ve never heard of. Its ironic as the chapter before flies in the face of elitist music academic snobbery but the next chapter starts to feel a little bit like that.

It’s still very well written and parts are interesting but the chapter feels more like ramblings from a record store clerk trying to impress you because he listens to the “good stuff when you just want your change so you can leave with the pop albums you bought. And again…it has nothing to do with vinyl collecting or vinyl listening it’s just a really, really academic deep dive into music tempo, voice, dynamics etc etc.

“Side A” of the book was amazing, I really enjoyed it, last two chapters were as if from a completely different book and one I didn’t want to read. I did get some interesting songs to play (digitally) from songs discussed though which was cool.

The chapter on experience records should have just been one page that says “play them.”

I don’t need an academic or book or record store clerk or really anyone to tell me how to listen to songs or what they should mean to me. I can do that part myself. That’s the best part of collecting vinyl…playing the records and experiencing the music (whatever that means to you).

TLDNR: good book, but maybe skip the last two chapters

[Deacon Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

a lot of the references and recorded music history went over my head but it was a fantastic jumping off point for genre exploration and deep record collecting that I'm yearning for as an adult. "exploring vinyl" on spotify

[Christopher Klug · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not as much about record collecting as I had hoped--quite about about music styles and experiencing records. I recommend trying to listen to the songs that are described.

[Bud Winn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting read, took many notes