Technology has always dictated how music is presented; starting with the thick shellac records played on 78rpm gramophone players to the pristine CDs of today. As shellac evolved into vinyl records, some people would consider this to be the golden age. Fans of vinyl flock to record fares looking for rare items and imports. These records have never really gone away despite the industry's conversion to CDs.

Record collecting and swapping is as popular as ever. There is a lot of nostalgia surrounding vinyl records. People like to hear that hiss as you drop the needle into the groove. It doesn't provide a clean sound but the atmosphere makes up for it. There is nothing to compare to a scratchy platter of Bessie Smith or Louis Armstrong.

It's inevitable, no matter how much care the owner takes, that records will get scratched. They may even cause the needle to jump and this can be very annoying. Many people put their old records into CD format at home or go out and replace them with CDs. There is a lucrative market in people aged fifty plus buying CDs simply to replace scratched LPs. This generation is also getting into the mysterious world of downloading, if their children can be persuaded to teach them!

The great advantage of records over any other format is the size of them and what that enables the manufacturer to do. Cassettes, eight track and CDs do not have the same scope for artful presentation. Vinyl records come in a sleeve and some of these have come to be considered as works of art. They became ever more elaborate throughout the 1970s, particularly for progressive rock bands such as Yes. The concept album made the artwork almost as important as the music, as in The Wall by Pink Floyd. During this period, the gatefold sleeve was the order of the day. CDs can contain fold out leaflets with lyrics and liner notes printed but it's not the same. It's not as bold as on records and it can't make the same statement.

Dance music is one genre of course, where vinyl records are preferred. Music is released in different versions and mixes and the DJs can mix everything on their decks, a skill which has become an art form in itself. Technology will continue and we may all end up with our favorite tracks imprinted on a microchip in our brains, but vinyl records will never die!