In today’s modern world there are fewer and fewer things which we prefer in their vintage, analog form, but we’ll take vinyl records in their crackly, lo-fi style over digital MP3s any day.
As nothing can take away from the feeling of turning over an actual record in your hands, we’re celebrating the release of Extraordinary Records by Giorgio Moroder and Alessandro Benedetti. This attractive Taschen coffee table book is almost an encyclopedia of the best albums and sounds spanning decades. As part of Taschen’s Bibliotheca Universalis series, the book explores some of the best album art from more than 500 incredible records, from Pink Floyd, to the Beatles, Prince, Michael Jackson, and Bon Jovi, held in super collector Benedetti’s and DJ / record seller Peter Bastine’s collections. It also serves as a crossroads between photography, music, and design celebrating vinyl not only for its sound qualities but also as a material art form.
Pages are arranged in thematic groupings: monochrome vinyl, unusual vinyl, multicolored vinyl, etched vinyl, shaped vinyl, and picture discs. Flipping through the book is like experiencing a kaleidoscopic journey through genres, eras, and artists. Aside from being a coveted piece for vinyl lovers, the book makes a great gift for those interested in pop culture art and entertainment.