This is a book about records considered ‘in themselves’.  It is not about musicians, or music, or design, or music history — though all those things are considered at various points.  This book tries to cast light on the unique role played by records in western culture in the late twentieth century.  Records deeply penetrated everyday life and encompassed entire worldviews through their combination of sound, design and modern mythology.  In this book a diverse group of people reflect on their relationship to a specific vinyl record, and in the process reflect the diversity of human connections, needs and aspirations that records can represent. 

In addition thematic essays by contributors look at specific kinds of records and their significance to popular culture, providing a broader context in which to consider the personal stories that form the core of the book.