For his 21st birthday, I bought stepson #2 a brand spankin' new turntable. That's right, one of them funny contraptions that spins a vinyl record around and produces some lovely sounds.

He's heard me get all misty about how great records can sound and was getting more curious as time went on. Then one night I set out to prove it. Instead of doing what I'd usually do though (which would be to pull out a jazz album) I picked AC/DC's Back In Black. I've still got my original vinyl copy in fairly good condition. We've also got the remastered CD.

Well, as stereo snobs sometimes like to say, the differences were not subtle. This was particularly true when the cymbal crashes kicked in during the intro to "Hell's Bells". There's just something about the slow decay of a cymbal hit that's tough to faithfully reproduce in the digital realm. On the analog side the initial attack was more pronounced and 'wet', the shimmering decay lingering clearly.

Stepson #2 was impressed.

Since he'd been getting into a bit of classic rock recently (Black Sabbath & Led Zeppelin by way of Metallica), I thought I'd send him a list of records to choose from. Tops on that list were Are You Experienced and Axis: Bold As Love, those followed closely by Electric Ladyland.

That list was emailed a day or two ago. Today though, I was out at lunch thinking that it'd be fun to buy a CD. In my hazy state (Red Sox hangover, moving hangover, cold and/or flu hangover, election hangover) I just couldn't remember which artist I'd recommended. Then I turn on the radio (Emerson College, WERS) and they're playing a jazz vocal version of "The Wind Cries Mary" by an artist named Jamie Cullum. I didn't like that particular version so much, but it did give my brain a kick, letting loose the Jimi Hendrix name.

After a quick stop at the local bagel shop (tuna on a spinach bagel with carrots, sprouts and a slice of havarti) I dropped into the CD store and bought Electric Ladyland.

I've never owned this on CD. It's about time.

Dang, that Hendrix guy had some ideas.

(First posted on Mark Is Cranky)