I COLLECT COLUMBIA MASTERWORKS

Why? I don't know. They just appeal to me.

First of all is the cover art, I suppose. While it's true that you can't judge a book by its cover, the art directors certainly tried to get you to pick out an Lp by the attractive album art. Columbia Masterworks covers were and are stylish and interesting. And the large 12" X 12" format catches your eye much better than does the measly 5" X 5" CD cover - or whatever is used to advertise downloadable mp3s!

Secondly is the cachet of owning vinyl records - an outdated, outmoded niche audio format. Even more niche is owning classical vinyl records. I own about 1500 Lps, total, in all musical styles and genres. I will never unload them!

Perhaps it was my father... when I was a little boy in the early Sixties I used to enjoy thumbing through the family record collection, most of which were selected by Dad. The Columbia "Walking Eye" attracted me: even a four or five year old could see that it represented a grooved vinyl disk (if a bit flattened) being touched by a tone arm. An iconic, mysterious portal into the adult world!

I really discovered classical music when I was sixteen - it was Rimsky-Korsakov's "Le Coq d'Or" suite that did it for me. I remember driving into Hollywood from my home in Burbank... one store, I think it was a Wherehouse, had their Columbia Masterworks records on shelves in catalog number order. All those walking eyes - how cool! "Someday I shall own a collection, sorted on my shelves by catalog number," I thought. Today I do.

Where do I find these? In indie record stores, yard sales and, especially, library sales. Many of my Columbia Masterworks have come from this very library on the floor below this very display case!

Drop me a line if you find this interesting... I always like to talk records.

Wes Clark, July 2013

wesclark.com