The phonograph isn’t the only retro music device I’ve added to my home in the recent weeks. I also recently picked up a multifunctional portable radio/cassette player. Unlike the phonograph, this was bought new and includes some modern features like USB ports and Bluetooth capabilities. I’d been putting off getting a device that could play tapes, because I was on the fence about whether I wanted to explore that listening format at all, as I hadn’t had great listening experiences with them in the past. Trying out used tapes on an equally used tape player always resulted in the unsatisfying mess of warped audio, crackling, and faulty mechanisms within the player, so that’s mainly why I decided to buy a new one. I even got it in my favorite color!
It comes with a power outlet but can also be used wirelessly when battery-operated. Since I didn’t own any tapes at the time of purchase, I knew of a few local businesses that sold used ones, so I did some shop hopping and came away with a great haul of tapes.
I felt starstruck funding Afraid of Sunlight by Marillion and ELP’s Tarkus in my local Half Price Books. As I mentioned in a previous entry, I rarely find Marillion media in stores. I’m not sure how many of you live in or visit the Midwest, but you should stop into a Half Price Books if your area has one. I’ve found some amazing pieces of media in the time I’ve lived in Omaha. Anyway, most of these tapes were only between $1 and $3, but I was curious as to why Tarkus was a little more. I looked closely at the tape and inner sleeve and discovered it was an orange tape made in Italy. I don’t think I’ve seen an orange cassette tape of any kind since the Nickelodeon VHS tapes we owned when I was a kid (E.G. The Rugrats Movie and Blue‘s Clues).
The only tape in this batch that did not stand the test of time was A Trick of the Tail. Upon popping it into the cassette player, the audio immediately warped, and the tape crinkled up and ripped, so into the trash that one went. All the other tapes played fine. The audio is nice and clear, with little to no crackling or pitch problems.
I wasn’t sure how much I would utilize the radio function, but this week I began the habit of starting my often early morning by putting the radio on while having my coffee. I tune it mainly to local classic rock, soul, or pop stations, but at times when the ads and extended conversations between radio hosts went on for longer than I’d prefer, I tune it to the classical station, which has no ads and very short breaks in between musical pieces.
It’s a lot of fun trying out different methods of enjoying music and looking for more ways to break away from the distracting elements of screens and smart technology. I think more people my age are realizing how much those things are frying our attention spans, leading us to yearn for technology that still gives us what we want, but in a simpler way.
The Girl in the Scarf 
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