Week 29 -- Revisiting our 'WLS Years'

Bill with his reconditioned Crosley music maker.

     One bonus from the antique story that I did for the newspaper a few weeks ago was finding a reconditioned Crosley music writer/director machine.
     I have oodles of old record albums from all genres of music but, alas, I haven't had a turntable record player for at least 20 years. I have been trying to think of ways to preserve those old albums and finally found it! I looked at these Crosley machines a couple years ago but they cost $300 new. This reconditioned machine was less than $100 but has only a 30-day warranty so I have to work fast.
     It allows you to play records, has an AM/FM radio, CD recorder/player and a cassette player. You can record a CD from a record or a cassette. I've been having a ball.
    I recorded Bob Newhart, Jackie Vernon, You 


One of more than a dozen albums Bill recorded to CD.

 Don't Have to be Jewish and Larry Lujack's Animal Stories to take to Tennessee in the fall for John's birthday reunion. I also have made CDs of the OHS choir Christmas album from when we were in high school, several classical albums plus lots of old, hard-to-find-today songs by Spanky and Our Gang, The Cryan' Shames, the Swingin' Medallions and The Mob, plus favorites like the Beatles, Dave Clark Five, Doors, Bob Dylan and on and on and on.
     I have played the finished products on another CD player just to be sure they are OK, and I'm pleased with the product. Most of the scratches and skips that were all-too common on vinyl were recorded on the CD. Thus far, I have made nine CDs. Today, I recorded 19 songs on to one CD from 16 different albums. I probably won't make a CD out of all my old albums (which number about 100, I guess) but it's nice to be able to preserve some of it. Doing the recordings has brought back a lot of memories of WLS radio, Hentrich's Music Store, high school and college. If my Crosley lasts long enough, I may be able to get through a bunch more before I wear it out!