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Not only did I instantly fall head over heels in love with Erykah Badu’s “Honey” the first time I heard it, but when I saw the concept for the video I had to admit that it was one of the most creative I’ve seen in a while. No, it isn’t the first time that an artist has digitally come off the cover of an L.P. As a matter of fact, Jill Scott had a similar concept in the Lupe Fiasco “Day Dream” video.

What really makes me love the video concept for “Honey” however is that I am actually old enough to remember many of the albums that she flips through in the record store. My mom had stacks of vinyl lined up on our living room floor. I would sit on the floor in front of the turntable and play one record after the other — trying to imitate the exact phrasing and cadence of each singer coming through the speakers. I stared in awe at the curvy models who had afros 2 feet deep or straight flowy wigs down the arch of their backs, as they graced the covers of albums such as the Ohio Players “Honey.”

I remember finally being old enough to want my own records of the music that was played on the Soul station. The first album I ever bought was Micheal Jackson’s “Off the Wall.” I remember the feeling I had of going into the neighborhood record store, picking it out and watching the clerk slip the thin album into an even slimmer, brown paper bag.

I remember the feeling of carrying the package home, tucked protectively under my arm. Once home, I anxious tore open the plastic cover and slid the slick black disk out of the inner jacket, before carefully lining up the middle hole with the metal holder in the middle of the turntable. I ever so gingerly lifted the stylus and placed it right on the outer groove to play the first song. I played Micheal from start to end and sang right along with him — word for word –using the lyrics printed on the inner jacket. From, “Don’t stop til you get enough” to “She’s out my life,” Micheal and I sang a beautiful duet in the concert hall that was my livingroom. After that, I was hooked. I eventually turned from vinyl, to tape, to CD, and finally digital. Each format holds similar memories of the first time, but no other holds a candle to vinyl.

[vodpod id=ExternalVideo.536181&w=425&h=350&fv=id%3Dv56305890%26eID%3D1301797%26enableFullScreen%3D0] from new.music.yahoo.com posted with vodpod