Pro-ject Debut 3 Turntable

My record collection has languished in recent years. From 1999 my fully automatic Sansui turntable had been grinding to a halt. A rubber drive belt was slowly deteriorating. As my CD collection gathered pace I made one last effort with my LPs. I resolved to play every single one. About a third of the way to my goal the Sansui gave up. Its movements had grown decrepit and unpredictable. Sometimes it seemed unable even to lift the needle off the record. I could hear motors whirring, but to no avail. When I moved in 2003 I packed it in a box (along with my LPs) and put it in storage.

Two moves and three years later as I was again faced with carting around a barely working, heavy turntable and two box loads of LPs I resolved to do something. I'd read a Which? article about importing LPs into your computer. The article had unreservedly recommended the Pro-ject Debut turntable. Following this unequivocal advice I made my purchase (online).

A couple of days later the turntable arrived, neatly packaged. One hour later (and after reacquainting myself with what 'anti-skating' was) it was ready to play. But what to play? that was the question.

After flirting with the idea of Randy Newman I settled on the opening songs Van Halen's 1984. The first song 1984 a swirl of synthesisers, the second the classic pop song Jump. Enough was enough, I'd christened the turntable with the melodic rock of youth, it was now it was now time for the introspection of a twenty-something. The eponymous album from the House of Love was next:

In the garden of the house of love...

And so it went, and so it goes. Memories are rushing back. AC/DC's Highway to Hell, Ry Cooder's Paris Texas, Pink Floyd's Animals, Dire Strait's Making Movies. But that's part of another story.