Classic Rant #1,240 (July 2, 2014): Self-Serving, Promotional Rant

Today, I am not ashamed to say that I am going to use this Rant as a vehicle to promote my Facebook page about the 45 RPM record.

My Facebook site, entitled 45s, is possibly the most benign thing I have ever done.

The site address is https://www.facebook.com/groups/45RPMSingles/

There is no controversy, although we have had some problems with a few people who have joined up, and they are pretty much gone.

The site has to do with those old singles, the little seven-inch records that we used to spin when we were kids.

These records were the hits of the day, and some came with picture sleeves.

Most were tied into longer LPs, but even if they were, they were unique to themselves as pieces of art as much as albums were.

We celebrate these seven-inch wonders on 45s.

We have over 200 members now, and many of us put up good representations of our collections.

Many of the photos used are scanned, and I have been told by a member or two that they actually collect the scans, primarily of singles that they do not have, which is interesting unto itself.

I am no expert on 45s, and quite frankly, even though I have thousands in my own personal collection, I certainly do not have everything there is.

Some members seem to, or at least they have things that I have never seen, so it makes it really interesting to see what people have--and more importantly, see what record companies thought would sell way back when.

There actually is a resurgence in interest in vinyl records, fueled by college-age kids, who really dig this format more than many of their predecessors.

Me, the 57-year-old old fogie that I am, well, I will always prefer vinyl over CDs, and over MP3s or any other electronic file.

You have the piece of art in your hands, at the ready. What could be better?

So please visit 45s--you won't regret it.

I am now off the pulpit, and ready for the next thing to really rant against.