The albums are gone.

[valis2]

I remember sitting next to the speakers in the living room, their dusty fabric covers faded from the sun. I remember kneeling on the wood floor with my ear next to them. I remember the exhilaration of "Bring the Boys Back Home" and I remember lying on the floor crying and listening to "Comfortably Numb." I remember playing "Grover Sings the Blues" over and over again. I remember what the Revolver album looked like. I remember wearing out "Yellow Submarine." I remember the sound of the needle hitting the record. I remember dancing and jumping around so much that the penny fell off the arm and I had to balance it again. I remember the velvet sweep of the record cleaner. I remember listening to the Bankin-Rass "Hobbit" album and knowing every word of the dialogue. I remember "Silver Bells" and grocery store Christmas albums. I remember the unmistakable sound and feel of pulling an album out of its cover, finely grooved and gleaming, and how it was a secret treasure in a paper sleeve. I remember lying on the floor, reading the liner notes. I remember my dad dancing with my mom in the living room. I remember the first time I heard "Nebraska," it loped into our house like a rangy wolf. I remember singing "A Chorus Line" from beginning to end with my sister. I remember listening to "Brer Rabbit." I remember the insanity of opening "The Wall" for the first time and seeing the inner drawings. I remember listening at night to "Pimpf" with only candles lit. I remember singing "There's Wolves in the Kitchen" and dancing about so enthusiastically that the record skipped.

The guy who picked them all up is a collector, and very, very nice. They will be treasured and catalogued.

I feel sad and happy all at once.

Comments

[alabastard.livejournal.com]

I once had over 500 albums, I've hung onto about 30, but I should really put them on a CD and sell them, it's just the nostalgia...

[valis2.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I just couldn't bring myself to get rid of them. And then my parents dropped off four boxes of them, and they were underfoot for six months, and I just couldn't take it anymore! ;)

[alabastard.livejournal.com]

Sometimes you have to be brutal in the cleansing, but I do know how it feels.

For enough money, some high end turntables actually sound better than CD players, though it may be that "life" that LPs breathed into the sound that digital doesn't quite capture.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

I began a cleaning frenzy about five years ago that is nearing its end...I donated clothing and assorted knick-knacks, and I really was ruthless with my books as well. I think I halved my collection, which is a good thing. (I've worked in a couple different bookstores, and bought way too many books.)

When I started selling on eBay, I sold a lot of the things I had amassed. And now I keep paring down, bit by bit.

Next up is a huge collection of clothing, given to me by a friend. I'll try to start listing that this month, hopefully. It will be so nice to get rid of those boxes...I have a walk-in closet half full of clothes at this point, ready for listing!

[alabastard.livejournal.com]

Yes, I'm always trying to pare down, though My weaknesses are gorgeous furniture, clothing, books, and music.