Obsessions really tells what a person is, and there is nothing more beautiful than a person who collects books or in this case vinyl. Not CD's mind you, but the beautifully designed object that is known as a vinyl record. The anticipation of going to a record store or even a yard sale that has a stack of 12" LP''s or for that matter a pile of 45rpm singles is a series of blissful moments. Brett Milano's "Vinyl Junkies" covers the actual feeling while profiling the collector and their special needs to locate a certain record, or just to be surrounded by the vinyl scent.
The great thing about this book is not about the objective need to find the perfect recording or issue of an album, but the subjective view point of the collector and what they are looking for. Money is not an issue here, although one character in the book got burned for $2,000, which sounds like he couldn't afford the price in the first place. But what got him burned is not really the lost of the funds, but the fact he didn't get the record that he desired. All the collectors interviewed in this book has a specific aesthetic for a certain type of music. It could be exotica or bubblegum or sound affects records - but all, pretty much reflects on their personality. A record collection pretty much defines who and what you are to the world. And to yourself as well. Milano is very funny and a witty writer. But the subject matter is extremely serious, and that's the beauty of collecting vinyl. The mixture of the high and the low and everything in between. One can read countless books on the subject, because human nature never gets old, just gets more interesting.
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