Artist:     Pip Piper

Album:     The Vinyl Revival

Label:     MVD Video

Release Date:     4.10.2020

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BUY DIGITAL

BUY PHYSICAL

I have a long history with vinyl. I owned Zig Zag Records from 1974-1986, as well as being an ardent record collector, with over 11,000 personal records. I’ve travelled all over the world and my first stop would always be the local record shop.

This DVD is based on Graham Jones’ book Last Shop Standing, written in 2009, to highlight the decline of the independent record store. The film was made by Pip Piper, based strictly on UK records shops. Piper filmed in record stores all over the UK documenting why people bought records today, showing many younger buyers experiencing vinyl for the first time, and some older buyers re-buying records for a second time. In addition, he also got some famous musicians to express their interest in vinyl: Nick Mason (Pink Floyd), Richard Hawley (Longpigs) and Paul Weller.

Piper made the valid case that owning vinyl offers the opportunity to own something of substance: great art work in 12×12 format, and great liner notes that you could actually read.

Piper did bring up Record Store Day. On record store day, record companies release limited-edition vinyl, distributed to independent record stores all over the world to help bring people out to record stores. This brought back a time in history when people rushed out to their favorite record store to buy an album on the day of release, which is still true today.

The major omission in this DVD was not talking about audiophiles and record collectors, two segments which have always been the biggest buyers of vinyl. Record Collectors Price Guide has done as much as anything to help bring collectors to record stores as anything. Legendary record stores like Academy Records, Soho Music and Rockaway Records have been kept in business by people collect records collectors. The thing that has hurt record stores—and all brick and mortar outlets, has been the Internet. Whatever your choices for listening to music, The Vinyl Revival is worth checking out by any music lover.

And “long live the record store!”

—Arnie Goodman