I recall spending a lot of time in record shops as a teenager
Searching for the albums of my favorite artists and even standing in line for hours to buy the latest new releases
All my friends had access to two distinct collections of vinyl records at home
There were the golden oldies classics that our parents had collected but we totally shunned them
We regarded our modern music, which our parents refused to listen to, as a monumental symbol of our teenage rebellion
Listening to music at home required access to record player and the occasion was often an excuse for teenage social gatherings
You could always tell how cool somebody was walking down the street or into a room by the album cover tucked under their arm
Cassette tapes allowed us to make incredibly poor quality recordings for playing over our cheap car stereo systems
We endured the poor sound quality because we knew of nothing better back then
CD’s came along and it was instant death for vinyl and tapes, suddenly the sound quality of music both at home and on the go improved dramatically
Fast forward to today’s era of music streaming and we not only have excellent sound quality but instant access to an infinite range of artists, genres and playlists
Today I can wake up to morning jazz, workout to a fast paced pop song, blast the house with heavy rock while vacuuming, chill outside with W Hotel Miami sounds and host a dinner party with a backdrop of super cool Japanese LoFi music
If I get really nostalgic I listen to early 70s classic rock, it conjures up memories of smoke filled dimly lit rooms, crackly vinyl record players, cheap booze, acne and teenage fumblings
Cheeky Monkey Poetry 