At one time, I was excited about the prospect of a commercially affordable laser stylus vinyl record player. It was supposed to read deeper into the groove to provide a fuller, more artist-intended, sound. The technology was headed to stores in the early 80s. I’m still waiting.

If I were a conspiracy theorist, I’d say the rush to cassette and later to CD killed vinyl and the new vinyl record player. Though my CD collection is vast, I still prefer the sound of vinyl.

Oh, just think of the savings for both the consumer and the taxpayer (mint related). Please, please wake up American people and politicians (are they really people?)

Great story, great album, great decade REB. Thanks for sharing.
I’ll check out Browne’s best cut on Side Two.✓
PS: I could picture you with a superb 2 Channel setup from McIntosh Audio with a high-end cartridge for the vinyl, just me.
For a time I was into the digital delight of high bitrate, uncompressed Multichannel PCM 5.1 music, via DVD Audio and SACD disc formats. Good stuff while it lasted.

I recognize that packaging, Rick.

There’s a funny story attached to that album. I started my #1 album collection at the beginning of 1980 during my sophomore year in college. The first two albums, Donna Summer’s “On the Radio: Greatest Hits Volumes I & II” and the Bee Gees’ “Greatest”, were double albums that spent one week at #1. On week #3, ANOTHER double album hit #1.

I wondered how I was going to sustain this new collection. Three weeks … three double albums … on a college student’s finances … can I do this?

Well, the third #1 was Pink Floyd’s “The Wall”. It lasted 15 weeks at the top of the chart.

At that point, I figured I could swing it.

P.S. – The only other one-week album to hit #1 in 1980 was Jackson Browne’s “Hold Out”. Be sure to check out this album’s best cut on Side Two, Browne’s and David Lindley’s “Call It a Loan”.

Cali, it’s WAY too hard to narrow down choices. My musical tastes run the gamut of genres. Rock to country to classical to soul to jazz to bluegrass to dance to musical theater to … well … almost anything. Admittedly, rap isn’t one of my favorites, though I’ve listened to plenty of rap albums. I do like some of the wordplay there, but I find the lack of melody and harmonics makes it difficult to maintain my interest.

I frequently prefer songs over albums and album cuts over hit singles. A mood will often guide what I like at any moment. Some of my #1 album faves off the top of my head are Pink Floyd’s “The Wall”, Green Day’s “American Idiot”, and The Moody Blues’ “Long Distance Voyager.”. But #1 album cuts like Barbra Streisand’s “Somewhere”, The Decemberists’ “The June Hymn”, Alanis Morissette’s “Hand in My Pocket”, Vampire Weekend’s “Married in the Gold Rush”, Il Divo’s “I Believe in You” and even BTS’ “Airplane Pt. 2” or One Direction’s “I Wish” sometimes strike a cord.

If I were pressed to identify one song that never ceases to interest and amaze me (except perhaps Bach’s “Air on a G String” and the first movement of Mozart’s 40th), it’s Boston’s “More Than a Feeling”. Neither the single nor the album hit #1, but its chart position doesn’t affect the song’s genius. Listen to a YouTube deconstruction to fully appreciate the brilliance that went into this pop masterpiece – Brad Delp’s other-worldly range and high harmonies, the active bass riffs, the soaring guitar harmonics with acoustic and electric guitars, and the percussion and dynamics choices. And this was done with 1975 studio technology. I’ve listened to “More Than a Feeling” hundreds of times over the years, and I always find something new with each listen.

Weirdly, Boston’s #1 album, “Third Stage”, may be its best ALBUM. Take another listen to it, particularly the song “Can’tcha Say (You Believe in Me)/Still in Love”. My God, Tom Scholz had a gift. And don’t get me started on Mark Knopfler or Paul McCartney or Max Martin or The Corporation at Motown or ….
I could go on and on and on. But I won’t. After all, this is a coin site. Let’s just say I’m a coin AND music fan.

Interesting history regarding this medal. Disappointed in the ship art on the reverse. For all the fuss to make these medals, I would like something a little more artistic such as the Libertas Americana medals. John Paul Jones has a beautiful ship on his.

Thanks, Cali! Maybe we can meet up at the upcoming show you found in NC!

https://stacksbowers.com/sbpressreleases/stacks-bowers-galleries-announces-first-ever-public-appearance-and-offering-of-a-gold-1945-franklin-d-roosevelt-fourth-inaugural-medal/

I agree with Rick, Reb and that’s an amazingly cool collection you’ve acquired over the years! Although I’m sure you love all of them, however are you possibly able to narrow down the top 3-5, that are your favorites? Ones that I’m thinking would be up there, if they are in that list of “Tops” would be Michael Jackson, Pink Floyd, Fleetwood Mac, Beatles, Rolling Stones, Bob Marley, Eagles, and I’ll stop here as there are so many great ones and I can’t begin to narrow down to only 3 or 5! LOL.