Coinciding with the 75th anniversary of the first commercial LP, In the Groove: The Vinyl Record and Turntable Revolution, is an authoritative and visual celebration of the history and culture of vinyl record collecting and turntables, from the first 78 to the resurgence and explosive growth of LPs the last decade.
Vinyl records continue to be hot commodities among everyone from obsessive audiophiles to newbie collectors getting their toes wet. In the Groove: The Vinyl Record and Turntable Revolution is the book for both—and everyone in between. Published to mark the 75th year since the introduction of the commercial LP, In the Groove is written by a roster of well-known music journalists, vinyl junkies, and stereophiles, presenting a gorgeous tribute to the vinyl LP and the culture its spawned:
- Richie Unterberger explores the history of the 33 1/3 LP, including its predecessor, the 78rpm record, the first commercial LPs, the pressing process, stereo vs. mono, and formats like the 7-inch/45rpm record.
- Gillian Gaar tackles those vinyl temples: record stores. She examines the history of LP merchandising everywhere, from department stores to headshops, Record Store Day, the artist in-store appearance, and swap meets and record shows.
- Martin Popoff pens a paean to the physical object itself, discussing the advent of the sleeve, the great LP covers, famous sleeve designers, liner notes and packaging, colored vinyl, and more.
- Matt Anniss looks at the collecting hobby and obsessive collectors, what makes a great listening space, playing and caring for vinyl, collecting and vinyl in DJ and hip-hop cultures, and the mixtape phenomenon.
- Ken Micallef, a top hifi journalist, has the gearheads covered with explanations of turntables from portables to audiophile-quality units, the workings and parts of a turntable from motors and tonearms to plinths and cartridges, and the components of a system.
In the Groove is illustrated throughout with images of gear, listening spaces, record stores, sleeve art, and classic advertising. Terrific sidebars cover famous labels from Stax to Sub Pop, well-known record stores, and milestone LP covers. There’s also a beginner’s guide to grading, and a look at the formats that have challenged the supremacy of the LP, including 8-track, reel-to-reel, and cassette.