Last year, I have had some of my CD wish list fulfilled at Tokyo Tower Records when I finally got my hands to Jefferson Starship “Modern Times” CD, Rod Steward’s “Foolish Behavior” among others. Yes, the same tunes that I had purchased many years back (in vinyl) and finally transferred to digital. As I queued to pay for them, my feelings resembled that little Indian girl in the HSBC TV ad who got back her doll from the super rider train master.

This little Indian girl has lost her doll again and it looks like the train master wouldn’t come to the rescue any sooner. Since going analogue, I have a full back catalogue of music to enjoy - from the 60s to the late 80s. I also have in some forgotten cupboard a hundred odd fungus infested but playable LPs. “Modern Times” is now no longer “new” or inaccessible and “Foolish Behavior” is readily available in many used LP shops and vinyl websites. That is what I gained and have I lost any? You sure bet. If you dig Diana Krall, Dave’s True Story, Naim artists, Hugo catalogue of Chinese classical music and many more i.e. releases from 90s and beyond, there is going to be some withdrawal syndrome.

The answer to this is very simple. Get a CD player and you have your doll immediately. “One music two formats?” I reckon if China has her way, they would prefer one country one system and the same way here, I only want the more superior system. Wishful thinking or not, there is a good chance that we could see more new vinyl releases and reissues from audiophile labels. For a start, the news of Holly Cole’s “Temptation” on vinyl has sent some audiophiles thirsty for more. Next in line should be our dip into creamy Diana Krall and don’t get in my way, dirty Harry.

Vinyl reissues also bring back some issues. Are the source (masters) original or from some secondary means? Are these tapes in mint condition or corroded through the years of cold storage? Nevertheless, reissues of audiophile vinyl should bring some sense back to the used LP market. Just check out the popular auction sites and you would see what I mean. A MFSL copy of Rickie Lee Jones debut LP done at USD168.50 (before shipping) and Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon” is always very sunny to the sellers. Yes, rare audiophile pressings have become a collectors market and prices are in the realm of insanity. Hey, can we music lovers have a separate auction site away from this bidding madness?

If your music exploration stops at the time when CD murdered LP, you wouldn’t care less about any new releases. For me, I have to do an inside looking out and ask if they will ever be released? With new formats crashing the already confused and divided party, the economics of reissues of more standard titles in vinyl does not make commercial sense. So it appears that one country two systems (or more) is here to stay but my ears wouldn’t last a 50 years wait!