Lazy.fm

I came accross this again the other day. A turntable that plays with a lazer* - ELP Laser Turntable. As a vinyl junkie, this thing sounds like a great idea. Play your records forever without them getting any damage due to usage. Might be a fun purchase. However it costs about £7000 (rising up to £9000+). So probably a bit much, for a 'bit of fun'.
In slightly related note, I think I've just bust my iPod. I'm trying to mentally blame the kids, as I was on the phone to them at the time I dropped it... but basically it's my fault.
I'm feeling decidely non-plused about this. My iPod has been my main travel form of music for the last 3 years. It has lots of good shit on it that I've either downloaded (mixes, free tracks, podcasts etc) or my vinyl that I've recorded. If it is bust, there's a high chance that I've lost a lot of that stuff. So I should probably be a bit more fussed really... plus they don't come cheap.
But some how it feels like, this was bound to happen sooner or later. And losing mp3s doesn't really feel like losing anything important. I'm sure I can find most of the bits again if I need to... but more than likely I will never remember half of the things I've lost.
I'm basically coming round to the idea that I am a record collector... if I try hard I'd say I was a music collector, but the fact that I don't really feel I have a piece of music, unless it's on vinyl, makes me a record collector.
I was listening to Last.fm yesterday and came accross some amazing music I'd never heard of. Really lovely, interesting, deleicate classical stuff. I was listening to Steve Reich radio, so I was hearing lost of stuff made by people who'd studies classic music and had then created their own avant garde style. I heard an amazing piece by Terry Riley called 'In C'. This is a 45 minute classical piece, similar (maybe) to Steve Reich's 'Music for 18 musicians'. Lots of simple loops, played by orchestral instruments. The loops go in and out of each other, and change too. Very plink plonky, very sweet. Very nice.
I found I could buy this online, for really not very much (69p or £6.49 at most), but it felt decidedly unsatisfactory to own this wonderful, beautiful piece of music just a file on my computer.
I did however also find it on the excellent Amber Green shop site, as the original UK release 1971 version. This is no doubt going to be split in the middle - faded out at the end of side one and the faded in on side two. But it is going to fell very precious and very beautiful. And if I ever get round to sitting down and listening to the whole thing, on vinyl, I think it will feel very special and proper.
I don't know what this feeling will be.. probably a geeky, smug, self satisfaction... because in theory any response in me should be triggered by the music, not the format. But I guess this is why I am becoming a record collector, rather than a music collector. But hey, I collect some damn good, beautiful, funky, soulful, heavy, deep, banging, classic records.

* Note: I know Lazer should probably be spelt with an S rather than a Z. But if ever there was a word which desirved a Z in it is must be Lazer...