You won’t find any if you walk into Tower Records. Even though the chain took its name from them, Tower no longer carries records. Haven’t in years. You can’t buy them at Coconuts, Best Buy, or Borders, either, but vinyl LPs aren’t dead. Consumers who swear by LPs and their warm, analog sound have to search harder to find them, but thanks to the efforts of a small community of music lovers, even smaller record stores, and a handful of specialized record labels, the LP is still breathing. In fact, the cottage industry is thriving. According to the Consumer Electronics Association, manufacturers sold 177,000 (non-deejay) turntables to dealers, totaling $28 million in sales in 2001 alone.
“Back in 1990, when people were dumping all of their records, I started gobbling all of them up because I saw them all going away. No one could believe me. I was the only fool.” That fool is Chad Kassem, who owns and operates Acoustic Sounds, the largest customer-direct LP distributor in America. While working as a short-order cook for minimum wage, Kassem began collecting records as a hobby by “buying two and selling one.” Soon after, he placed a small classified ad that attracted the attention of customers from all over the world. Within a few years, Kassem was selling 100,000 records a year out of his house.
“When the 18-wheelers started bringing pallets to my door, that’s when the neighbors called the city, and I realized it was time to get a warehouse. I had records in every room — in every bathroom!” Not bad for this Louisiana native.
Investing every dollar he makes back into his business, he’s known for superb vinyl reissues of classic blues, jazz, and pop, though it’s his recent undertaking, an astonishing remastering of the Creedence Clearwater Revival catalog, that’s earned him the most praise. Kassem also makes his own albums, recording legendary blues artists before their time passes. “That was the next natural step. Getting my own mastering facility, then my own recording studio. Now we control everything from the microphone to recording to graphic art to distribution.” Kassem’s unconventional studio is a splendid, acoustically perfect church he purchased with money he made as a dealer.
“I have two goals: Keep vinyl alive and document the last of the blues legends in high-quality sound because they are American history and are going away very soon,” he says.
This fervor has earned Kassem the attention of “60 Minutes,” NPR, and dedicated customers who “don’t mind spending more.”
Perfection doesn’t come cheap. Kassem spends thousands correcting even the slight tick in a test pressing, a flaw most wouldn’t even notice. Such precision represents Kassem’s very reasons for doing this — cost efficiency isn’t one of them.
“I fought against the big companies and won. The truth is in the sound — people can tell the difference.”
Mike Hobson shares a similar passion. He launched Classic Records in 1993 after seeing “an opportunity in the market when all the LPs dried up from major labels. Nobody came upon the idea of announcing a whole series of records that people could get excited about and look forward to.” Hobson seized the chance, and he has been remastering and reissuing entire blocks of 1950s RCA Living Stereos and 1960s Blue Notes ever since. Like Kassem, Hobson has also found that vinyl lovers are hungry for rock. Classic has reissued every Led Zeppelin album on high-grade vinyl, and just started its rollout of Peter Gabriel’s solo catalog. For the first time, Gabriel’s records will be sourced from the original master tapes (not copies) and come with gatefold sleeves, a feature Gabriel originally requested but which Geffen Records denied him.
Recently, Hobson learned that most records are not flat (as they appear and are believed to be), but concave. This led Hobson to drastically change how he presses records. Classic now makes them flat so they make more intimate contact with a turntable’s platter, consequently resulting in a demonstrably different — and superior — sound.
“It’s an obsession with the best sound and authenticity, not being satisfied with what’s there, and giving people a higher level of representation.” For Hobson, this dedication extends to the paper stock and laminate — faithfully reproducing what was originally used, on certain records, over 50 years ago. Classic’s reputation has earned Hobson the trust of major artists and record labels, and the chance to work with cherished master tapes. With coming releases from Norah Jones, Bob Dylan, and Jimi Hendrix, Classic continues to turn on generations — new and old — to the vinyl experience.
Founded 14 years ago by producer Bob Irwin, Sundazed Records stakes its belief in “vinyl for the masses.” While the label has many big-name releases, its calling card has been the mining of rock’s dustbin and reissuing Nuggets-era records from bands like the Ides of March. Sundazed has benefited from the trend of garage rock currently sweeping the country. People between the ages of 18 and 35 are now starting to discover vinyl, as well as artists such as the Sonics, the MC5, and the Mojo Men (all on Sundazed) that influenced bands such as the White Stripes and the Hives. While a Sundazed record doesn’t have the ultimate authenticity or sound of an Acoustic Sounds or Classic, it’s hard to argue with the results. Sundazed has remastered key studio albums from The Stooges, The Byrds, Albert King, and Otis Redding. Its biggest coup has been an ongoing remastering of Bob Dylan’s studio records in mono. But the bar was just raised — again with the release on Oct. 22 of Sundazed’s deluxe treatment of Wilco’s “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.”
Hobson modestly states, “The unintended genius of what we [Classic, Acoustic Sounds, Sundazed] did is that there are more turntables, cartridges, and tone arms available today for a wide range of prices than ever before. Vinyl’s heyday is now.”
Where to find vinyl in Chicago
Beverly Records, 11612 S. Western Ave.
Django’s Second-Hand Tunes, 2604 N. Clark St.
Hi-Fi Records, 2570 N. Clark St.
Laurie’s Planet of Sound, 4639 N. Lincoln Ave.
Reckless Records, 3157 N. Broadway Ave.
To order direct:
Acoustic Sounds, 800-716-3553, www.acousticsounds.com
Classic Records, 800-457-2577, www.classsicrecs.com
Music Direct, 800-449-8333, www.amusicdirect.com
Sundazed Records, 800-295-8079, www.sundazed.com
