Happy National Vinyl Day!
The way we listen to music has gone through revolutionary changes since music came into existence. We had 8-tracks, cassette tapes, compact discs, and today we enjoy the ease of music at our fingertips with digital downloads. (Shoutout to Napster for its profound impact on how we listen to music today!) Despite all of our various listening options, there is only one format that is still widely hailed by many music lovers as the “only way to listen to music” due to its optimum sound quality, and has withstood the test of time, like vinyl records have. Vinyl Records are SO superior that they have been bestowed their own national holiday! August 12th has been coined as National Vinyl Day, and in its honor, I dedicate this blog to vinyl records and all the joy it has brought music lovers for hundreds of years.
Allow me to nerd out for a second and share a quick history recap of vinyls for you. The first of its kind was created in 1857 by French inventor Edouard-Leon Scott, and it was called a phonautograph. Thomas Edison entered the chat and tweaked the invention in 1878. A decade later, Emile Berliner patented the very first record player, the gramophone. The latest creation was in 1948 when Peter Goldmark created the world's first LP (Long Play) vinyl record and it was 12 inches wide and played 21 minutes of audio, and later RCA Victor introduced their own version of the LP but at only 7 inches in size. Both the 12 and 7 inch vinyls are the very same vinyl formats we use today! How cool is that?!
Well, in honor of my two favorite things - music and puzzles - I am here to merge the beauty of both for you… puzzles of vinyls! Like I always say, anything you love, odds are there is a puzzle of it out there for you. I am going to start us off with a brand that in its own right has withstood the test of time and is one of the original puzzle companies - Springbok.
Play That Beat by Springbok is a 1,000 piece puzzle that is chock full of nostalgia and musical masterpieces. The vinyl covers range from rock legends like Led Zeppelin and The Doors, to the crooning timeless sounds of Etta James, Marvin Gaye and Miles Davis, and over to the pop world with Madonna and Michael Jackson and everything else in between.
I didn’t own any of these vinyls, but I remember my older siblings having them. My sister had a huge vinyl collection that she still owns to this day. I have some great memories of my sister popping in some of her favorite pop vinyls like Madonna, Duran Duran, and Prince and we’d dance away in her room. My brother, on the other hand, had the classic rock and more “serious” albums like Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Jimi Hendrix, and we didn’t dance around in his room…no. He sat me down and had me listen to how Jimmy Page played the guitar and he’d explain the method to me, or he would pop on a Beatles record and tell me what the song was about or who it was written for. My favorite is when he’d pull out his guitar and strum along to some of his favorite songs that he practiced playing just so he can play along with them. I have nothing but love and wonderful memories when it comes to records and music.
The next puzzle I’d like to geek over with you is by a super fun and creative brand, Aquarius and this puzzle is absolutely fantastic! The packaging alone has won my heart and made me a forever fan. I chose a David Bowie (may he forever Rest in Peace) record to puzzle. Look at how cool this is!
It’s a puzzle record; with a sleeve and record cover just like a real vinyl. It's absolutely flipping fantastic! There are so many of these to choose from over at the Puzzle Warehouse website. AC/DC, Guns N’ Roses, The Clash, Metallica, and Elton John are just a few artists whose record covers were turned into puzzles. I plan to collect them all! Aquarius is a great brand that has an affinity for pop culture and the options are limitless. The quality is great and sturdy and you just can’t go wrong with a fun brand like that.
I just can’t get over how cool and unique this puzzle was and what an absolute joy to put together! I can’t in good conscious move on from this puzzle without dedicating a moment to the genius that was David Bowie. Bowie’s death was and still is such a devastating loss to the musical and art world. He was amazing and broke barriers with his unique style and musical ingenuity. While puzzling, I listened to Let’s Dance, Space Oddity, Fame, Changes, and one of my favorites “Heros”. All these songs don’t even scratch the surface of his musical catalog and the genius he left behind for us to enjoy for the rest of time. He’ll live on forever in his music.
The last puzzle I’ll share is shockingly NOT a mini. I know! Crazy, right?! I couldn’t find a mini vinyl puzzle, but I decided I will share an abstract and colorful puzzle by one of my favorite artists, Josie Lewis. This 500 piece Buffalo is called Vivid Vinyl and it is a different take on vinyl puzzling. Josie has such a colorful and cheerful style to her art and it's an absolute joy putting her images together. Do not be fooled by the cuteness of this puzzle, it is definitely a tad spicy and may make you get up and walk away for a bit to breathe. But once put together, you feel super proud of yourself for accomplishing it. Totally worth the challenge!
I love music so much. It is an integral part of my life and I don’t know how I would have gotten through life without the beauty these artists bestowed upon the world. Whether I am happy, sad, scared, frustrated, excited, lonely, in love, heartbroken, mourning and or whatever other emotion I am feeling, music is a part of that journey with me. Music gets me through everyday life and I am forever indebted to these musicians who make this world a beautiful place with their art… I’m looking at you Taylor Swift and Celine Dion. Vinyls and music in general deserve a day of recognition for all the magic they spread!
And yes! I am most definitely working on my vinyl collection and watching it slowly grow day by day.
Stop over at the good ol’ PuzzleWarehouse and find yourself a music and/or vinyl related puzzle to do on August 12th for National Vinyl Day. There are so many options from various brands to choose from. There's something for everyone! As always, don’t forget to share your thoughts, memories, and favorite music/artists with me. If you shop, share your purchases with me in the comments as well. I love hearing from you all!
Happy Puzzling!
Marwa
