As in Martin Amis’ classic novel Time’s Arrow, I would like to suggest an alternate world where the quality of the music we listen to is reversed.
1857. France. Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville invents the MP3. It is a tinny sound, playable through an i-pod, and is susceptible to corruption, and lacks bass and warmth.
Fast-forward to 1965, and the Mercury Record Company invents the mini disc. It is slightly better quality than the MP3, but doesn’t catch on.
Later in 1979, Sony and Philips come up with the CD. It’s larger, hence more space for artwork, and the sound quality is even better than mini disc. Problem, is, CD’s tend to skip when played in cafes and shops.
Finally, in a dramatic leap in technology, creatives and scientists come together to invent the vinyl album. Making the product bigger than the CD (12”s) the album and its mini brother, the 7 inch, revolutionise the way we listen to music.
The 12-inch cover is a perfect size for graphic designers and artists the world over to mass exhibit and experiment. The sound quality of vinyl is also a huge advancement; it has warm, loud bass, while middle and treble never sounded so good.
They have also made great developments in the player. Because of the digital nature of CDs, users found it hard to skip through music. Yet the unique arm of the record player allows the listener to place the needle on any part of the record.
The future is bright. I hear technologists are already working records that are 24” or 36” diameter – all great news for lovers of album art.
Anyway, I’m off to put on a ‘record’ on my ‘record player’, goodbye.
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