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TRAVIS ELBOROUGH THE LONG-PLAYER GOODBYE: THE ALBUM FROM MICROGROOVE TO THE IPOD AND BACK AGAIN On 20th June 1948 members of the press were invited to the Waldorf Astoria Hotel to attend a demonstration of ‘a revolutionary new product’ from Columbia Records. This was the LP, the long player record and it was to transform the way music was listened to, sold, marketed, packaged, purchased and even performed and created; putting, for the first time, classical symphonies, collections of songs, recordings of whole shows within reach of millions. Born as post-war austerity was giving way to an era of unprecedented affluence, leisure opportunities and technological advancement, it grew and thrived. And it remains the creative benchmark to which musicians of all stripes aspire. But the LP is under threat. The internet, the iPod and the ability to download specific tracks and eschew the need to listen to the whole album, is threatening the future and very existence of the LP. Here Travis Elborough offers a cultural and historical examination of this very special product, and offers an affectionate, nostalgic and funny tribute. The Long-player Goodbye looks back to when albums really mattered. A paean to the days when records had labels and people took note of their sleeves. A time when we took the time to listen with pleasure all way through – even if that was only because there was bugger else to do and flipping between songs was trickier. The album not only has a history but is also part of the history of the last sixty years. So this book explores the impact the long-player has had on our lives since it came into being. It uses the album as a prism to examine some of the enormous changes in our society, looking at education, work and wages, race and sexuality, leisure and shopping, teenagers and boredom. It considers the role of business and technology in giving birth to the LP, shaping its development as an art form, prolonging its lifespan and now, finally, probably ushering in its demise. Included, in Travis Elborough’s inimitable discursive, nostalgic style, are thoughts and facts on career-ending LPs, record-company bankrupting LPs, never-released LPs, musings on difficult third albums, career fillers, contractual copouts, duff tracks, ill-advised solo projects, comeback LPs. It draws on interviews with musicians, producers, designers, critics, record-label bosses and fans, on visits to studios, venues, and even the odd remote record plan. But it’s approach remains broadly cultural and historical, a book that looks beyond the music and examines what part LPs have played in the world at large and how contemporary events have shaped what we have ended up listening to. Wry, nostalgic, affectionate and funny, this is an eclectic and delightful tribute to a cultural icon.
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