Vinyl: The Art of Making Records

For fans of vinyl--it's history, how it's used to make LPs, record playing machines beginning with the earliest ones, examples of art for albums and singles, a synopsis of various important record labels and albums/singles, and other pretty neat information, this book is well worth the relatively low price-especially for a well made hardcover book. Inside the photos and graphics are bright, crisp and clean, the chronological chapters (by decades) are well laid out, and the writing is easy to follow. Even the book cover art of an LP has the feel of "grooves" in it reminiscent of a vinyl record--a nice touch.Beginning with "The Early Years", there's an easy to read timeline of the record and playing machines from 1877 up through 1925 when the first commercially released record came out, plus a look at later turntables. There's a look at how records are pressed using shellac and then vinyl over the years, and the first albums that were released, including several good photos inside pressing plants showing how masters are made and the actual pressing of the vinyl "blob" into an LP. Throughout you'll see various important artists and the records they released that are important, and a section on Alex Steinweiss who's considered the father of album cover art.There's also sections devoted to record labels beginning with the "V" discs and the change from shellac to vinyl. One great photo is a stack of 78 RPM records (about eight feet tall) with a man next to it holding a very short stack of albums that hold the same amount of music on the new LP format. Labels profiled include Decca, Atlantic, Blue Note, Verve, Folkways, Motown, Island, and a couple of others. Album covers from these labels are also included and are nicely reproduced. There's also a section on "Cult 45s" which is pretty interesting, along with the great jam sessions album series put out by Norman Granz which jazz fans will be familiar with. Something else sometimes ignored are spoken word albums which helps balance out the books subject. Nothing is gone into to deeply--just enough to give you an idea of the subject--which for many of us is just enough. There's four pages devoted to "Run Out Grooves" with examples which is pretty cool. There's also a list of record manufacturers, a directory of record shops, and an Index.But that's not that's all that's here, but I think you have an idea of what this book is about. For fans of records and most everything to do with them, this (almost) LP size book (with about 240 pages of text and graphics) is worth adding to your library. This is one of those times when a book is actually worth a bit more than it's price.

A very inexpensive and well produced addition to the burgeoning list of nostalgic books e.g., Dust and Grooves, Don't Sell at Any price, on records and collecting. This book is nicely done and has a lot of interesting content which is well written. Deduct half a star for the author's obsession with Motown, Steve Wonder and Michael Jackson and another half for neglecting the Salsoul and ZTT labels, AoN and Frankie all of whom did a awful lot for vinyl.

The steal of the year for those interested, I mean really interested, in everything about glorious vinyl. Hardcore history about records and all that goes into presenting the final product from materials used to the artwork selection right down to the shrink wrap. Props in a big way to Mr Evans. You can feel it in the pages, this was a labor of love and appreciation. A fine tribute to that piece of art you can hold in your very own hands and anolog it all the way into your soul.

If you enjoy all things vinyl as I do, you'll love this coffee table book. Such a fun book to look at and read. Well laid out with so much interesting history and so many great pictures. And the cover is especially cool... the black vinyl record actually has a feel of record grooves to it! This makes a great unique gift for anyone you know who is into vinyl records and turntables.

This book is a must-have for anyone who still collects and plays vinyl LPs. It is a fascinating account into the history and the evolution of sound recording and the intricate process of manufacturing of LP records including the artwork of the covers.

Purchased for my father who is an avid vinyl (45) collector and he was super excited to receive. Well made, lots of vivid pictures, and substantial in size! Highly recommend!

Great book except for a couple pornographic images. Wish I had known that before I bought it. Hence the 4 stars. If it doesn’t bother you, great. If it does, censor it like I did.

Cool book for the music lover in your life.

Brilliant book. Bought for my 26 year old son for interest, he loves it

very good

Excellent

This book sat on my shelves for almost two years before I got around to taking a look, and once opened I had to read through completely. It's a heavily-illustrated history of the recording industry with a focus on the vinyl LP and 45, nicely described and separated into decades. The book starts with a discussion of the early recording mechanisms, and follows that through to the introduction of the now-familiar LP and 45, with notes about disparate formats and detours along the way. The writing is clear and crisp, and the author, Mike Evans, keeps you engaged in the history. This is not dry in any sense of the word.The illustrations are effective in showing the evolution of the record, and the record covers that help identify and market the LPs. While some books are too heavily illustrated, I found this one to be about perfect, with a theme to each page's spreads (such as the responsible artist, the type of music, or the historical reasons behind the covers). The notes accompanying each cover help place the record in perspective, usually chronologically, and it has inspired quite a few new purchases as I discover albums not already in my collection. With the history of the different labels and their mergers and acquisitions covered (not too much depth), the history of the record labels becomes clearer, too.I really enjoyed reading through this book, and learned a fair bit in the process. As a history of the vinyl LP, this is one of the best books I have encountered, and it's highly recommended as such.

Le livre est arrivé abîmé. Il a pris l'eau. Les pages sint toutes ondulées. Il n'était pas recouvert de plastique et on dirait un livre usagé. Extrêmement déçue.