Is it more fun to open a new CD or LP?
- Thread starter Steven J. Gross
- Start date
- Status
mikeargo
Well-Known Member
I agree completely. Lousy CD packaging is the price you pay for having a disk that won't wear out as fast as an LP. The booklets are too small. The type is tiny. More ambitious packages might have a fold-out piece, but they still can't come near the size of LP packaging elements. The jewel case is fragile. It takes forever to remove the sticky residue of the security seal.
I can still remember the smell that wafted out of a brand-new LP when you slit the shrink-wrap--a mixture of vinyl and paper that promised listening pleasure to come!
Mike A
I can still remember the smell that wafted out of a brand-new LP when you slit the shrink-wrap--a mixture of vinyl and paper that promised listening pleasure to come!
Mike A
Dave
Well-Known Member
Sometimes the effort needed to open a CD is worth it--I like reading new liner notes and sometimes the original packaging IS included, and generally both are legible! 
I miss opening NEW LP's; most "New" ones are just "Unsold" copies. But, Yes, nothing beats that New Record Smell!! :goofygrin:
I like it when the New Vinyl has the original packaging--like a "detailed" inner sleeve. That means, also it's a "first pressing".
So I'm disappointed when I get a "blank" inner sleeve in a "second (de-)pressing", and when the vinyl isn't of top quality, either. 
New LP's clearly have it over New CD's in my case. Especially when a new CD case doesn't close or when it gets scratched or looks WORSE trying to get labels off, or removing the "security tape" at the top of it.
Dave
I miss opening NEW LP's; most "New" ones are just "Unsold" copies. But, Yes, nothing beats that New Record Smell!! :goofygrin:
I like it when the New Vinyl has the original packaging--like a "detailed" inner sleeve. That means, also it's a "first pressing".
So I'm disappointed when I get a "blank" inner sleeve in a "second (de-)pressing", and when the vinyl isn't of top quality, either. New LP's clearly have it over New CD's in my case. Especially when a new CD case doesn't close or when it gets scratched or looks WORSE trying to get labels off, or removing the "security tape" at the top of it.
Dave
jfiedler17
Well-Known Member
I far, far prefer vinyl LP packaging to CD packaging, and for three chief reasons:
1) Album-cover art just a lot cooler to appreciate in 12x12 format. I don't see a lot of people framing CD booklets. Also, you don't see a lot of CDs with die-cut album covers or movable-parts covers (a la LED ZEPPELIN III).
2) CDs with elaborate graphics on the disc still just not anywhere near as cool as vinyl picture discs. (Or colored vinyl, for that matter. Colored vinyl is the greatest!)
2) The mere SIZE of CDs has made it almost impossible to do one of the things that makes collecting vinyl albums all the more fun - when the artists stuff the album pockets with extra goodies! Bonus fold-out posters or stickers ("Venus and Mars" and "Dark Side of the Moon" were loaded with 'em!), bonus 45s or EPs (i.e. "Armed Forces", "Songs in the Key of Life") ... there are albums out there stuffed with so many inserts, you almost forget there's a record in there (i.e. John and Yoko's "Wedding Album," in which case it's probably BETTER that you forget there's a record in there) ... there are a handful of albums I've got over the years strictly for the purpose of having the INSERTS! With CDs, the only real "insert" or "bonus" content you can include is bonus tracks (which, seeing as they're usually on the same disc, are only so much of a "bonus" per se) or enhanced-CD content, which, while often cool ('specially when they have the entire music video of a single on them), can be really hard to get energized about, especially if your computer isn't very fast.
Jeff F.
NP: Hall & Oates' "Along the Red Ledge" (on red vinyl!)
1) Album-cover art just a lot cooler to appreciate in 12x12 format. I don't see a lot of people framing CD booklets. Also, you don't see a lot of CDs with die-cut album covers or movable-parts covers (a la LED ZEPPELIN III).
2) CDs with elaborate graphics on the disc still just not anywhere near as cool as vinyl picture discs. (Or colored vinyl, for that matter. Colored vinyl is the greatest!)
2) The mere SIZE of CDs has made it almost impossible to do one of the things that makes collecting vinyl albums all the more fun - when the artists stuff the album pockets with extra goodies! Bonus fold-out posters or stickers ("Venus and Mars" and "Dark Side of the Moon" were loaded with 'em!), bonus 45s or EPs (i.e. "Armed Forces", "Songs in the Key of Life") ... there are albums out there stuffed with so many inserts, you almost forget there's a record in there (i.e. John and Yoko's "Wedding Album," in which case it's probably BETTER that you forget there's a record in there) ... there are a handful of albums I've got over the years strictly for the purpose of having the INSERTS! With CDs, the only real "insert" or "bonus" content you can include is bonus tracks (which, seeing as they're usually on the same disc, are only so much of a "bonus" per se) or enhanced-CD content, which, while often cool ('specially when they have the entire music video of a single on them), can be really hard to get energized about, especially if your computer isn't very fast.
Jeff F.
NP: Hall & Oates' "Along the Red Ledge" (on red vinyl!)
LP, hands down. Especially when the cover was a gatefold, hearing that slight crackling sound as you opened the cover for the first time.
The coolest thing about CD is when there is a multi-page booklet with an essay in it. Rhino packages are very entertaining to look through.
I have long felt that record companies should include a "coupon" in their CDs whereby you could send in a couple of bucks and get an LP sized cover for your CD. The record pocket would be glued on the inside to form a correct-sized pocket for the CD to slide into. This could be a new source of bucks, and they are making LPs on a lot of new releases anyway. This would be extra-good for vintage reissues.
BTW, for people who hate and/or have trouble with CD packages, there are a variety of small tools available to open them with. I have one that slides across the top of the jewelbox, slitting the plastic and the title strip all at once. It works great.
The coolest thing about CD is when there is a multi-page booklet with an essay in it. Rhino packages are very entertaining to look through.
I have long felt that record companies should include a "coupon" in their CDs whereby you could send in a couple of bucks and get an LP sized cover for your CD. The record pocket would be glued on the inside to form a correct-sized pocket for the CD to slide into. This could be a new source of bucks, and they are making LPs on a lot of new releases anyway. This would be extra-good for vintage reissues.
BTW, for people who hate and/or have trouble with CD packages, there are a variety of small tools available to open them with. I have one that slides across the top of the jewelbox, slitting the plastic and the title strip all at once. It works great.
andywithaz
Well-Known Member
jfiedler17
Well-Known Member
raz42289 said:I just bought the 2003 pressing of Dark Side of the Moon and it still has all the posters and sticker boklets in it. That was an awesome experience!
The 2003 issue actually includes the same inserts as the original pressings? Wow, that IS awesome! I wish MORE re-issues would do this!
Jeff F.
Rick-An Ordinary Fool
Well-Known Member
CD's are excellent for there portability & clarity, I do not like the small insert, the writing to too small & the artwork is compromised. I always have an attack trying to get the darn things open, you should have seen me in my car trying to get the latest CD opened, I had all these tiny plastic pieces all over my fingers stuck for good and I was only a quarter of the way across the top opening. 
I actually broke a case open cause I was losing patience. I now realize I am not the only one, why else would they be trying to get me to buy a CD Opener at the register for 3.00/4.00 bucks??? Argh...Why should I have to fork out more money on a opener when the CD is already inflated in price? Double argh!!
Oh well.
LP's are much more fun to open, I can handle that thin plastic wrap.
The artwork is very cool. Also have alot of 12" Extended Lp's with rare artwork with some tracks not available on CD yet. Just picked up an Olivia-Newton John 12" Single LP with 6 tracks 3 songs on each side, 2 have never been released on CD. and I don't have to mention that Olivia looks even prettier in 12x12 
CD's are great but I miss the artwork & extra stuff that LP's had. When I'm in my car, it's CD's, when I'm home, I'm listening to my Lp's. Best of both worlds.
I actually broke a case open cause I was losing patience. I now realize I am not the only one, why else would they be trying to get me to buy a CD Opener at the register for 3.00/4.00 bucks??? Argh...Why should I have to fork out more money on a opener when the CD is already inflated in price? Double argh!!Oh well.
LP's are much more fun to open, I can handle that thin plastic wrap.
The artwork is very cool. Also have alot of 12" Extended Lp's with rare artwork with some tracks not available on CD yet. Just picked up an Olivia-Newton John 12" Single LP with 6 tracks 3 songs on each side, 2 have never been released on CD. and I don't have to mention that Olivia looks even prettier in 12x12 CD's are great but I miss the artwork & extra stuff that LP's had. When I'm in my car, it's CD's, when I'm home, I'm listening to my Lp's. Best of both worlds.
DAN BOLTON
Well-Known Member
In the days of CD Longboxes I used to convert the boxes into postcards. Some CD boxes only generated a single postcard while others could yield a whopping four postcards!
12" x 12" cover design was an artform unto itself. The 5" x 5" form has yet to generate anything clever, frameable or noteworthy IMO...
--Mr Bill
12" x 12" cover design was an artform unto itself. The 5" x 5" form has yet to generate anything clever, frameable or noteworthy IMO...
--Mr Bill
I still have many of my original CD longboxes up on a shelf in a closet. Some have nicer enlarged artwork (at a funny 'aspect ratio') while others, notably the midline-priced ones just have a 5x5 repeat of the CD cover printed on a standard background.
Longboxes were annoying too for the kind of glue they used to keep their precious cargo sealed inside. It was impossible to open the end flap without the glue ripping off some of the underlying cardboard.
LPs were and are a joy to both open and behold.
CDs give us reliability and durability in a small format, but the artwork suffers because of it. For those of us who have the LPs too, it's a bonus because we get the best of both worlds: the durability of the CD and the ability to appreciate the full-sized artwork of the LP.
Some CDs present a challenge to being opened when new, but my method seems to be pretty reliable. I usually slit the outer shrink-wrap with a finger nail where the lid meets the (black/white/clear) spine. There's a little indentation there, usually big enough to accomplish the split. Once the shrink wrap's gone, then there's just the top sticker to deal with. Some of those are evil, but most will peel off properly if you're patient. Get one end (sometimes there's even a "Pull" designation printed on it) and continue to lift gently all the way across the jewel case, being careful not to lift it past the fold or perforation at the edge. Once you get the entire side done, then just lift the whole thing over the top and off the other side in one piece. Admittedly, some stickers refuse to cooperate, and those remind me more of another modern-day terror...
[dramatic music cue]
DVD packaging!
That stuff is just pure, evil incarnate. Though seemingly the same as CD packaging, it behaves differently on the more fragile DVD cases. Trying to start removing the flap stickers is a challenge because it's easy to dig into and ruin the plastic underneath (in the standard keep-case type). And God bless them, they've given us THREE to remove!
Sorry, didn't mean to rant, but I think most of us have been "there."
Bottom line, and back on topic. yes, LPs are the best as far as packaging and initial opening goes.
Harry
...who remembers the joys of 12x12 Laserdiscs too, online...
Longboxes were annoying too for the kind of glue they used to keep their precious cargo sealed inside. It was impossible to open the end flap without the glue ripping off some of the underlying cardboard.
LPs were and are a joy to both open and behold.
CDs give us reliability and durability in a small format, but the artwork suffers because of it. For those of us who have the LPs too, it's a bonus because we get the best of both worlds: the durability of the CD and the ability to appreciate the full-sized artwork of the LP.
Some CDs present a challenge to being opened when new, but my method seems to be pretty reliable. I usually slit the outer shrink-wrap with a finger nail where the lid meets the (black/white/clear) spine. There's a little indentation there, usually big enough to accomplish the split. Once the shrink wrap's gone, then there's just the top sticker to deal with. Some of those are evil, but most will peel off properly if you're patient. Get one end (sometimes there's even a "Pull" designation printed on it) and continue to lift gently all the way across the jewel case, being careful not to lift it past the fold or perforation at the edge. Once you get the entire side done, then just lift the whole thing over the top and off the other side in one piece. Admittedly, some stickers refuse to cooperate, and those remind me more of another modern-day terror...
[dramatic music cue]
DVD packaging!
That stuff is just pure, evil incarnate. Though seemingly the same as CD packaging, it behaves differently on the more fragile DVD cases. Trying to start removing the flap stickers is a challenge because it's easy to dig into and ruin the plastic underneath (in the standard keep-case type). And God bless them, they've given us THREE to remove!
Sorry, didn't mean to rant, but I think most of us have been "there."
Bottom line, and back on topic. yes, LPs are the best as far as packaging and initial opening goes.
Harry
...who remembers the joys of 12x12 Laserdiscs too, online...
Those DVD cases are certainly frustrating--I've gouged a few of the plastic sleeves myself trying to get those infernal stickers off! Are they that concerned with shoplifting that they have to sticker them up that much?
I've actually bought more sealed LPs in the past several months than sealed CDs, oddly enough. Most CDs I'm getting used, or the ones I'm buying cheap sometimes are still sealed. SACD and DVD-A titles are in similar jewel-box packaging--newer SACDs sometimes just have a case with rounded corners, where DVD-A is using some silly slightly-elongated version of a standard CD jewel case.
Also annoying to me are the anti-theft "tags" they are putting inside the cases. With DVDs it's not so bad, since they just peel off with a little persuasion. With CDs (SACD and DVD-A are doing it also), you have to remove the CD tray and peel it off careully without bending the tray too much, or it'll crack.
Somehow, just slitting the shrink wrap on the edge of an LP just seems so much easier.
I've actually bought more sealed LPs in the past several months than sealed CDs, oddly enough. Most CDs I'm getting used, or the ones I'm buying cheap sometimes are still sealed. SACD and DVD-A titles are in similar jewel-box packaging--newer SACDs sometimes just have a case with rounded corners, where DVD-A is using some silly slightly-elongated version of a standard CD jewel case.
Also annoying to me are the anti-theft "tags" they are putting inside the cases. With DVDs it's not so bad, since they just peel off with a little persuasion. With CDs (SACD and DVD-A are doing it also), you have to remove the CD tray and peel it off careully without bending the tray too much, or it'll crack.
Somehow, just slitting the shrink wrap on the edge of an LP just seems so much easier.
Dave
Well-Known Member
Yes, I can just make a nick in the shrink wrap with my finger and then slide it across the opening to get that record out (and whatever other goodies there are--like a Bio and/or Press Kit--inside it, as well), but--Ooh...! I paid in money and BLOOD for it, too!
Dave
...who has had a few "CD jewelbox injuries", as well...
Dave
...who has had a few "CD jewelbox injuries", as well...
Us older guys have a heckuva time reading the fine print on the CD liner notes.
But the bonus tracks are nice. I liked the job they did with the Buddy Rich Pacific Jazz re-releases. Original cover art and a whole bunch of tunes never released. It was like getting a new BR record thity years later.
But the bonus tracks are nice. I liked the job they did with the Buddy Rich Pacific Jazz re-releases. Original cover art and a whole bunch of tunes never released. It was like getting a new BR record thity years later.
Dave
Well-Known Member
I think it's mostly the Imported CD's that have the small print; those "Original LP Cover Reproductions", mostly. Most manufacturers of the Domestic Product do at times, make Back-Cover-Credits more legible, though sometimes it's at the expense of the original artwork.
I had a pile of LP covers lying around, just for reference and where, say, a Collectibles Reissue has a Mini-Bio about the Artist on its Reissues, (C'Mon, Now! How many on Andy Williams or Vikki Carr do we need?!
) as opposed to the Original Layout, then, I just CUT 'N' PASTE! 
Dave
...which is making me think of another topic--"Which is the most fun or EASIEST to PLAY?" :goofygrin:
I had a pile of LP covers lying around, just for reference and where, say, a Collectibles Reissue has a Mini-Bio about the Artist on its Reissues, (C'Mon, Now! How many on Andy Williams or Vikki Carr do we need?!
) as opposed to the Original Layout, then, I just CUT 'N' PASTE! Dave
...which is making me think of another topic--"Which is the most fun or EASIEST to PLAY?" :goofygrin:
Another way to get the CD top sticker off in one piece: Using a fingernail, lift the "hinge" at the bottom of the jewel box out of its socket, and open the cover from bottom to top (you're separating the lid from the rest of the box, and opening it using the sticker as a "hinge") Then, just twist the lid a little and the sticker will come off easily. Then put the cover back together.
Another thing that annoys me is when they put a promotional cover sticker INSIDE the shrinkwrap on the jewelbox cover. Sony does this on almost every one of their releases. But at least those stickers will peel off without a fight (usually).
Another thing that annoys me is when they put a promotional cover sticker INSIDE the shrinkwrap on the jewelbox cover. Sony does this on almost every one of their releases. But at least those stickers will peel off without a fight (usually).
Mike Blakesley said:
At least they didn't put it right on the artwork!
A couple of years ago, I bought the UK mini LP versions of the first four Peter Gabriel remasters. Only, they goofed and had to recall them: the sticker that was supposed to go onto the shrinkwrap was put right onto the artwork, under the shrinkwrap.
Mike Blakesley said:
I will often try to remove any official record company stickers from the shrinkwrap in an attempt to save it. If it comes off with glue intact, I'll usually stick it on the CD tray inside, unless it's clear with artwork beneath. It's just a small effort to try to recall the day the CD was new with a sticker on it, akin to leaving the shrink wrap on an LP with stickers intact.
Discs from other parts of the world have stickers right on the jewel cases. It's difficult to move those to another jewel case if the original gets broken.
Harry
NP: BEST OF THE CORRS, Corrs, with a peeling sticker on the front
the inestimable Harry N said:
I never try to peel them off. After I remove the shrinkwrap, I would cut the plactic to within a 32nd of an inch of the sticker. I have saved all of them since I took record collecting seriously in the mid 70s and have them all in an album, divided by label (the A&M and I.R.S. sections are the biggest, of course)
--Mr Bill
revealing yet another aspect of his anal-retentiveness, online
jfiedler17
Well-Known Member
I, too, have always been annoyed by Sony sticking promo stickers right on the jewel cases - and I, too, always take 'em off.
Except I still remember one time when it backfired on me ... years back when Ricky Martin put out "Sound Loaded," I got the CD for Christmas, and, hating jewel-case stickers, took the sticker off. Sony, several months later, released a completely alternate version of one of the CD cuts as a single and announced they would tag the new version onto all further copies of the CD, and that people who had ALREADY bought the CD could get the new version of the song by sending in ... guess what? The sticker from the jewel case!
Except I still remember one time when it backfired on me ... years back when Ricky Martin put out "Sound Loaded," I got the CD for Christmas, and, hating jewel-case stickers, took the sticker off. Sony, several months later, released a completely alternate version of one of the CD cuts as a single and announced they would tag the new version onto all further copies of the CD, and that people who had ALREADY bought the CD could get the new version of the song by sending in ... guess what? The sticker from the jewel case!
- Status
Similar discussions
- Article
