Enoch's Interview Thread

There will be an interview posted on July 1st. I am not sure about the future of this thread after that. I feel bad about that as I do want to hear from the others on the list. No hard decisions yet, but wanted people to be aware.


What's going on?
 
Interview 25:

I thank @Lee Newman for the following interview

What draws you to this forum? What do you get out of it?


Well most of us came here when Vinyl Me Please shut down their forums. I’d joined in 2016 and was a prolific poster after I found the forums.

Naturally, this outlet still has some animosity for our former hosts, but the main reason I’m here is because I have never found a friendlier place on the Internet.

We’re all the cream of the crop music heads who don’t get off on telling people their musical taste sucks. In fact with the right people backing something, folks here will rethink their own stance in a genre or group. My respect for @HiFi Guy got me over the oversatuation of Aqualung and on a journey to being a Jethro Tull fan. On the other hand, I spent the better of last year trying to figure out why so many folks I pair up well with on taste like Father John Misty. I even went to see him live, which has often changed my opinion of an act. In the end, he’s just not for me and that’s okay. What’s great about this place, is that it’s okay to say that.

I could get into the minute details and give a laundry list of all the great things here: PIF, the hardware threads, of course, the excellent curation from people who LOVE music... but the majority of why I am here is because of that friendly and supportive atmosphere.

What do I get out of it? There’s no place else to get the kind of discussion about music that happens here or the level of curation. Go into any thread and ask for a recommendation and folks are going to give you their best and try to understand what it is you are looking for... Plus, it’s ours... we fund raised, we decide together how the community works, we started a new ROTM club. It’s also cool to be at ground zero for something like this.

When did you first start collecting vinyl? (Do you remember what the first one(s) was?)

I’ve been collecting music as long as I can remember. When I was in first grade for Christmas, I got a suitcase record player. It has a denim cover and a picture of a jeans pocket on it. I believe it came from Sears. I got the 45s for Lady Madonna/Inner Light and Hey Jude/Revolution as well as Detroit Rock City/Beth by Kiss. I’m fairly certain those are in my parents Attic and I should remember to rescue them next time I am over there.

In like second or third grade, I remember saving up my allowance and going to the Record Bar at Jacksonville Mall in Jacksonville, NC and buying the cassettes Survivor’s Eye of The Tiger and Buckner & Garcia’s Pac-Man Fever which was my first purchased music. Sometime in middle school at a yard sale I bought Beach Boys - Surfin’ USA and Stacy Lattisaw’s Sixteen on vinyl for like fifty cents. Those were the first LPs I had on vinyl. I still have that OG Beach Boys, it’s rough but sentimental. When I retrieved my collection from my dad a couple years back, the Lattisaw’s had been wrecked in his garage. There were some gems I had to toss, Dream theater’s first album which was oddly gothy. In High School I got a CD player. I don’t remember what I first bought, which is a shame. I remember that birthday, my Uncle gave me Boston’s Third Stage and Sting’s Soul Cages.

I was one of the heathens that converted to CD for years and even eventually was buying mp3s like a crazy person.

We got my daughter a Crosley as a graduation present and my wife saw the gleam in my eye. When I got my crate of prized lps from my dad, she schemed with my daughter... that next March of 2016... I got the ap-60 as a gift. My daughter gave me a copy of Lazeretto. I had like 75 records when I started this second phase of vinyl obsession (which is part of a life long music obsession that has never even paused).

What is your current listening setup? What equipment do you have? Do you listen alone, only with others, or some combo?

I currently run a u-turn orbit plus with grado black2 through a u-turn Pluto into a Sony HCD-MX500i to a pair of KLH L863B. It’s a ludicrously entry level setup but it’s mine.

It lives in the record room, which is one of two living areas in our house. I listen to music from a chair across the room from the setup with the speakers toed to that spot.

I listen alone or with my wife or with friends and family when we have company

I’m pretty much listening to music constantly, last.fm logs over three days of music every week on average.

What is your current goal in buying/receiving/collecting vinyl? (Do you focus on collectibles? Do you only buy what you like? Do you buy what you think you might like?)

Yes. I have over 1300 records entered in Discogs. I like collectible versions. I do try to get only things I’ll listen to, but still like to have some recommendations/curated picks to expand things (even if my musical taste is eclectic). I was hoping a look at Discogs would give a quick snapshot but right away my most recent additions are Dave Rawlings, Pink Floyd, some classical, some funk and soul and jazz.

Honestly, I keep meaning to slow down and divert funds to an equipment upgrade, but I’m afraid I’m an addict.
 
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Continuation of the @Lee Newman interview

With how this new forum has grown to this point, do you think/feel it has moved past where it came from? (I ask because you brought up it "created" a RotM, it could be argued that the undertones are the same.) Basically, do think this forum is VMP 2.0 without the VMP centric info? If so, do you think that is a bad thing?


No, I don’t think it has moved past it yet. I think it will. Change is hard and this one was made more so by the way it occurred. There have been some dust ups over it and there will be more. The core group here is awesome though and we’ll work it out.

From a forum stand point, I guess it is VMP 2.0, in every other respect it is not. This was funded by the community here and the larger things happening are because of the community. It will eventually become its own thing. Rather or not that resembles VMP is something we’ll see.

Since you have bounced around from vinyl to CD to mp3 and now back to vinyl; imagine that you have to switch to a new format, what would you want this new format to provide so you don't lament not having vinyl to play anymore?

I use a mix of all media now (except for cassettes - I hated them then, cant imagine not hating them now - and 8-track, which I never had. Well and reel to reel but that is pricy).

I don’t feel a need to replace vinyl though, I bought into CDs and my parents didn’t exactly have any audiophile tendencies, so their vinyl is mostly wrecked. I mean I never saw them change a stylus, but they weren’t exactly prolific music listeners anyhow. They’d watch Lawrence Welk and Hee Haw, but music was for long car rides. Which was fine.

Having a large cd collection, I have a few thousand and very large MP3 collection means I don’t feel the need to buy every new repress. I can pick and choose. Vinyl is for my faves and I like it that way.

Once you have the money to upgrade, what will be the order of your upgrade? Has it changed since you "began" saving for it?

Upgrade path will be:
Preamp, amp, cables, speakers, turntable, cart, sacd deck, and streaming deck.

Yes, my speakers are my weak link right now and I may still buy a set of speakers and amp in the middle instead of jumping to endgame. However, after talking it over with my local audio shop, we agree that since I’m currently happy with my table and stylus, source is still the front end approach. This may all change if I do take a medium step as my setup is currently lopsided at the table. My setup outside the table and preamp cost me a total of a hundred bucks new and I’ve spent about thirty bucks on cables.

Are there any bands/artists you automatically buy on vinyl regardless? (Do you buy multiples copies - all the different variants?)

No multiples. I have upgraded a couple of things here and there. My Kind of Blue was an og but had a gnarly warp, I have the Newbury now. My Stardust was a little noisey, I have the mofi now. Every dupe I’ve ever gotten has ended up in my daughter’s collection or the PIF thread.

Yeah, tooooooo many. Neil Young, Kishi, anything Chris Thile does, anything anyone in I’m Without Her does, everything Colemine puts out.... it goes on.

Currently I have the new Willie, the new Bedouin, and the new Childers on preorder. I also try not to listen to stuff I have preordered till I have the vinyl, much like you.

Actually, I do have multiple versions of records on vinyl. I have a mono White album and Sgt Pepper’s. I have the fiftieth anniversary stereo remasters of both (white complete with the Esher Demos). I also have the dupes that came in the Bowie box I have (Stage and Lodger).

What is your favorite record in your collection?

Right now - The new Kishi and the new Durand Jones. Outside of that, I don’t know. I love them all.

What record means the most to you? (if different from the above)

I guess the Stranger Things Soundtrack. The VMP store broke that day and I missed out. It was one f the few records that my wife was also excited about. Storf ended up giving it to me two years ago when he was my secret santa. Second to that is the compilation Springsteen did to coincide with his book. My wife got it for me for Christmas. Not only is it one a few records she has given me, but she does not like Bruce. So you know hearts and stuff.

If you were allowed to freely receive any record you currently don’t have, what would it be?

The half speed mastered Bob Dylan - Blood On The Tracks. Supposedly the master tapes were sped up on BOTT and Nashville Skyline. Supposedly the 1981 hsm is the only available version at the actual recorded speed and is a revelation. It is my sole white whale that I would consider paying a stupid amount f money for.

@Selaws asks: If you could be transported back in time to see one musical performance live, which would it be?

January 30, 1969 in London, four men from Liverpool and a keyboard player from Houston played on top of an office building in London. Would have loved to have been on that roof.
 
The Final portion of the interview with @Lee Newman

Is there any album you got from your parents that was playable and means a lot to you?


I don’t think any of them are unplayable. They just sound well loved and not particularly well taken care of.

With the exception of Bookends, all of the Simon & Garfunkel in my collection came from my Mom & Dad. I’m really a big fan of the Sound of Silence album. I remember hearing Richard Corey and realizing that music didn’t have to be pigeon holed into genres, because here was this folk song that rocks pretty hard.

I know your daughter has gotten into vinyl and is/was a VMP member. Did you influence that choice or did she decide on her own? What genres do the two of you overlap on and what genres do the two of you differ on?

She was. She left after the forum dust up as well. Like me, it was just the straw that broke the camel’s back after all the little things mounted up.

She came on board with Tennis to secure the old price and because we knew Demon Days was next.

Previously she had been with Magnolia who at the time had sent her one too many records she could have bought cheaper that wasn’t exclusive.

I mean genre wise? Hard to say. We’re concert buddies. This year we have seen Florence & the Machine & Anderson .Paak. We are gonna see Willie Nelson and Kishi Bashi later this year. She likes some stuff like Cage the Elephant and Portugal the Man that I’m just lukewarm to. She’s a huge Weezer fan and I only really like Blue and Green. She doesn’t like Pinkerton or Father John Misty and neither do I.

What record has been recommended to that you and bought but didn't like?

I bought the Explosions in the Sky exclusive that VMP did right after I joined because of all the hype. It was okay but ultimately not my thing. I think I traded it to @RenegadeMonster ? I know I traded it for a LeAnn Rimes Record.

I guess curation wise - Pinkerton from VMP and that Judah and the Lion Record from Magnolia were misses for me.

What song/album would describe your personality?

I don’t know, maybe Magical Mystery Tour. I’ve always sucked at these relate yourself to music questions. I’m a singular entity and empathy has been something I’ve had to learn.

But I’ll let y’all psychoanalyze my answer!

What song/album best describe your beliefs? (Spiritual, Emotional, Existential, Whatever)

My current outlook on life and spirituality are summarized by the contents of Hallelujah Anyhow and Heaven & Earth, respectively.

If you met someone who has never heard music ever, what album would you play for them first?

Inspired by Bach - Yo-Yo Ma

What is one thing you'd like the forum to know, that didn't come up in the interview?

It’s not Beck.

What question would you like to ask the next person interviewed?

What band would you like to be a member of and what Instrument would you play?
 
I will add while I am giving up being an active participant on this forum, I am thinking about keeping this thread alive. I will think it over and let you know, probably take a month or so to make the decision.
I hope you do. I hope after you have some time, you feel like being here fully again.

Also, thanks for doing this and thanks for posting it.
 
I am essentially leaving the forum for good. If someone wants to take over on this PM me. Once worked out, you will create a post or a new thread and I will provide a link to it on the first post. I enjoyed doing this and hope it can continue under new leadership.

Again thanks to everyone who participated and I hope those that wished to be interviewed get a chance in the future to do so.
 
I am essentially leaving the forum for good. If someone wants to take over on this PM me. Once worked out, you will create a post or a new thread and I will provide a link to it on the first post. I enjoyed doing this and hope it can continue under new leadership.

Again thanks to everyone who participated and I hope those that wished to be interviewed get a chance in the future to do so.

Sorry to hear that, @Enoch. Where'd you end up making your new home, if anywhere? Hope you find a community to your liking. All the best, friend.
 
I am essentially leaving the forum for good. If someone wants to take over on this PM me. Once worked out, you will create a post or a new thread and I will provide a link to it on the first post. I enjoyed doing this and hope it can continue under new leadership.

Again thanks to everyone who participated and I hope those that wished to be interviewed get a chance in the future to do so.
Thanks for taking the time to conduct all these @Enoch. I wish you the best for the future!
 
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