Where else can you hear the following phrase come out of an employees mouth (and yes, he’s talking business) “Well, our cat butt buffer is almost gone.”

Our own dear Purchasing Manager.  Yep.  That’s right.  Sergio Bencivenga is back.  Again.  With another music diatribe.  Here goes.  Sergio, take it away:

LISTEN UP!!
I got the BEST secret santa gift ever! 
OK.
My secret santa got me the new Pearl Jam Album (Backspacer) on VINYL! Vinyl! Not CD, Not an iTunes download, but VINYL! I love it!
 

There is something so awesome about going back to the vinyl days. It’s something that all of our kids are going to miss out on (but not my kids, just yours). And that’s a tragedy. The music is…unadulterated – the way it was meant to be. Here, I’ll prove it to you. When you go to a concert, you know why the band you’re listening too sounds so much better live than on their CD or iTunes download?

Times up – cause it’s raw!

It’s not messed with. It’s left alone.  No mixing.  No “oops, can you clean that part up”.  If they mess up, you hear it!  Dirty the guitar riff up a bit?  Yup, you hear that too!  It’s raw, pure, rich, and if the band is any good – freaking awesome. You will never be able to duplicate that sound at home.  But vinyl will get you damn close to it.  Yeah, I know, there’s a bit of clean up here and there with vinyl too, but it’s about as close as you’re going to get to the raw listening pleasure you get from being at a concert. And don’t say “just buy the live cd”, cause it’s not the same!

A vinyl album is a needle on a record – dirty by nature. Pure listening enjoyment if you ask me.

Oh, and you also get the bonus of kicking back and flipping through the gigantic booklet full of album art all while listening to the melody’s bursting out of your speakers. Check it:
 

Ask yourself this:

When was the last time you kicked back and not only listened to the song, but absorbed the album cover, booklet, lyrics, and whatever other goodies came with the album?  Yeah..I thought so, it’s been a while hasn’t it? Vinyl can give you all that and more.
So dust off that old record player and hop on the vinyl band wagon. I promise you won’t be disappointed. 

Trust me. I know. I’m an expert.

I’ll even throw in this bonus: need a Christmas gift idea for that music lover in your life?  Hook’em up with vinyl!  Here are a couple of links to get you started:

Go here.

And here.

And here.

One more here.

It is my honor to introduce (drumroll please) Purchasing Manager and music commentator, Sergio Bencivenga.  A man who needs no (or probably wants no) introduction.

Take it away, Sergio:

Thanks, Art Star.

I have a firm belief: if you don’t like music. And you don’t listen to music. And you purposely keep it out of your life. You have no soul. No inner core. You are essentially a cardboard cutout of a human being.

With lots of UV coating, so you couldn’t even be recycled.

You’re mental.

I mean…what do you tap your feet to?  Bop your head to?  Hum along to?  Or don’t you???  Is it possible a subtle beat, string of lyrics, or jazz rhythm never enters your head? If so, do you swear it off, bang your head against the wall, and say 3 Hail Mary’s? You poor thing!

My Secret Santa has been leaving me little notes in reference to classic Rush songs.

 
I love Rush. Everyone in the office knows this, so it could be anyone. But it got me thinking about how much I love music. Not just Rush.  But music in general.

If music were a religion, I would follow it lock-step and would never miss a Sunday mass. Ever.

I introduced my kids to it at a very early age. Now they are 4 and 5. My daughter is a dancing machine (which is apparently illegal in some religions. Can you believe that?) and my son is absolutely obsessed with Rush.

I don’t care who your favorite band is. Genre? Could care less. Classsical? Country? Jazz? Christian?

Sigh…yeah…that’s music too I guess. Doesn’t matter.

All I care is that you listen to music. It’s everywhere. On the radio, TV, Elevator, Dentists office, blasting from the Blue Q office speakers, getting beamed via high tech satellites. EVERYWHERE. The only way you could possibly escape music is to purposely try to avoid it. And that’s just nuttier than a 3 legged cow with wings.

Music serves as my:
1) Inspiration
2) Psychiatrist
3) Outlet for many years of pent up anger and aggression
4) Drug (yup, you can get high off it)
5) Road Rage blanky when someone cuts me off in traffic ( “Road Rage Blanky”  – I just made that up!)
6) Etc. etc. etc. etc. etc.

My taste in music is vast. From classic Rush, Johnny Cash, and Pearl Jam to the complex lyrical and musical structure of Tool.

Sometimes, I need my music to be inspirational – other times soothing and calming like a nice warm cup of Chamomile. Then there are the days were I need my music heavy and fast – A no holds barred attitude that strikes you in the gut and delivers a firm uppercut to the jaw like a scene straight out of Fight Club.

And THAT my friends, is the beauty of music. Its ability to be whatever you want it to be.

I leave you with the backbone of Tool and one of the greatest drummers of all time:

Every year in the office we torture each other in the form of Secret Santa.  Pass around a hat, pull out a name, and try to subtly drive that person crazy till just before Christmas.  This year I passed the hat today.

Too early?  There are still inflatable turkey’s on my neighbors lawn.  Oh well….

I really like who I picked.  This person….this is an interesting person to have.  I can do interesting things.  I might torture a little.