The Vinyl Revival DVD Review

Like a lot of music fans out there, I am thrilled that vinyl has made such a tremendous comeback. It means not only that new albums are often getting vinyl releases, but that many old favorites are being reissued on vinyl. Could it also mean that album cover art will return? Let’s hope so. The Vinyl Revival is a documentary film about the glorious resurgence of records. It is a loving look at records, those who buy them, and those who sell them, focusing on independent stores. From the moment its first line of dialogue is spoken – “Right now we’ve got a situation where music is actually being bought again by people” – this documentary has a cheerful, optimistic tone.

This documentary is based on the book The Vinyl Revival And The Shops That Made It Happen, written by Graham Jones, who also wrote Last Shop Standing, which interestingly had been about the decline of record stores. Graham Jones is interviewed in the movie, discussing the changes that had occurred in the music industry since that earlier book had been published. Now in the UK, where this documentary was shot, there are many new independent record shops opening up, some run by young folks, not just those of us old enough to remember a time before compact discs and streaming services existed. The film interviews several record shop owners, and also some music journalists, including the author of Why Vinyl Matters.

Record Store Day of course was somewhat instrumental in the resurgence of interest in vinyl, and the film does include footage of folks in line outside of record shops. There is a brief mention of the negative side of Record Store Day, that being how many of the records end up being sold online at jacked up prices, but as one guy says, “The positives just outshine all that.” But the film talks about the appeal of records themselves, how listening to records is more of an immersive experience than downloading. Philip Selway (of Radiohead) says that the appeal of the vinyl format never truly went away, that “it is a really accessible, tactile format.” Also, a turntable is not an easily portable item, so one has to make a commitment to sit and listen to a record, which gives it more importance. And then there is the album artwork. Adrian Utley (of Portishead) talks about how people who download music don’t look at the artwork the same way, or at all. Nick Mason (of Pink Floyd) says, “For me, the worst thing about streaming and downloading and all the rest of it is this thing of devaluing music.”

The film does get into the ongoing difficulty of music shops, due in part to the decline in CD sales and also to record companies selling directly to their customers. But most people interviewed are optimistic about the future of vinyl and record shops. As I mentioned, the film has a bright and cheerful tone. And at the very end, there is the sound of a needle stuck at the end of a record, which is a nice touch. For me, that sound is a signal that it is time to turn the record over and listen to more music, not that things are over.

The Vinyl Revival was directed by Pip Piper, and is scheduled to be released on DVD on April 10, 2020. The DVD contains no special features, but there is a booklet included. The film, by the way, is only forty-three minutes.