And That’s a Wrap!

Today marks the end of our Record Roulette adventure. As sad as I am to end this, I’m happy to say that I’m ending this little journey on a good note. Along the way, I encountered many surprises and observations that will forever change the way I find new music. Let’s take a deeper look into what went down during this whole process.

Starting off, the biggest lesson I’m taking away from this adventure is to not judge a book by its cover. Cliche, I know, but I think it’s a very important lesson. Often times, the albums that were most visually appealing ended up being the ones I disliked to most (musically, of course). For example, Peter Frampton’s Breaking All The Rules and The Baptist Generals’ Jackleg Devotional to the Heart both ended up being my least favorite listens, even though I found them the most visually appealing. Therefore, I think it’s important to have no expectations when experiencing something entirely new for the first time.

The biggest surprise I found during this process is the amount of similarities within the albums I listened to. I often found contemporary sounds making their way through almost every record, which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. The reoccurring sound opened my ears to a new style of music I don’t normally listen to. In addition to styles of music, I also found myself listening to more ‘70s music. In regards to my own personal taste, I was especially thankful for these discoveries because this is a decade of music I’m currently trying to expand.

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I have included my personal top five favorite albums I reviewed. This might come as a shock to some, but I actually thoroughly enjoyed Christopher Cross’ self-titles album. I frequently find myself coming back to this album to listen to tracks such as “Sailing” and “Never Be the Same.” Unfortunately, Breaking All The Rules by Peter Frampton (not pictured) ended up being my least favorite. I depended too much on the appealing album art and it led to disappointment. Let this be a lesson to never have high expectations for an artist/album you’ve never heard of before.

Wrapping up, I definitely think vinyl is a fun and interesting way to find new music. However, I definitely wouldn’t recommend using this method if you’re looking for something specific and niche. Instead, if you have an expansive music taste already or are trying to further expand your taste, this is definitely the way to go. This method also allows you to start your own little record collection if that’s something you’re interested in starting up. The biggest advice I could give to anyone considering this method is to be open-minded. There’s going to be many things you like and dislike about an album, but you have to allow yourself to be open to new sounds.