Back when I was a young Baby Boomer, vinyl records were the vehicles used by diehard music lovers to listen to their favorite songs. Eight tracks were going out of style really quickly and the newest trend was the cassette tape. Even with the passing of the eight tracks and the emergence of the cassette tape, many music lovers stuck to the traditional vinyl records for there listening pleasure.
We have come a long way since the hay day of vinyl records. Compact discs are all the rage today with good reason. The sound quality is truly pure and you almost feel as if you are in a soundproof room when you focus your listening skills on the CD player. The clean sounds are a major improvement from the vinyl records that crackled as they played.
However, it is that crackling sound that is only offered by the vinyl records that I as a Baby Boomer find so appealing. There is something about that sound that is so neat to listen to, especially when I’m in a nostalgic mood. Maybe it is because the crackling sound is tied so closely to the songs I loved when I was young. I just can’t seem to separate the two.
I noticed my love for the unique antique sounds of the crackling vinyl records accidentally. A dear friend of mine offered free disc jockey services for my wedding. Of course I did not refuse the kind wedding gift. There was a catch. My friend plays vinyl records, nothing else.
This was not really a problem for me. I wanted to skip all of the trendy pop-chart music of today and focus on older dance music and classic songs available on vinyl records. My friend started playing dinner songs at the reception. He chose classic Irish music for the wedding meal.
The entire reception hall fell silent during the prayer. Once the prayer ended, the DJ placed the needle on the record and the quiet room filled with soft crackling sounds followed by lovely Irish music. The transition was magnificent and the memory of the moment the crackling sounds overtook the reception hall still gives me chills. You simply could not replicate that with a compact disc.
Technologically, we have come a long way when it comes to music. However, the Baby Boomer Generation can't completely let go of the little gems from our past. The haunting sounds of the crackling vinyl records help us truly touch the past, even if for just a moment. 
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