It is with great excitement that I share with your our February 2008 Vinyl Collector of the Month, Jeff Morris. You might know Jeff better from his handle, Scripted Rain, on the message board. Jeff was recently asked to be one of our moderators on the board as more and more people visit the board and luckily for us, he accepted. As you will read from the interview, Jeff is an avid collector of all things Deathcab for Cutie, is a lucky man for having a significant other who collects with him, and is a big fan of the Philadelphia Flyers.

Thanks Jeff for taking the time to do this feature. Everyone, read on and learn a little more about Jeff and his record collecting habits.

VC: Your name and the city you live in.
JM: My name is Jeff Morris, and I live in Fargo, North Dakota.

VC: How many records do you own?
JM: I collect with my better half, Jessica Mammenga. We started together in 2006 and currently own over 260 releases. Our list can be seen here: http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pM2mkLNGK0ycM9R0UgsogCQ

VC: Why do you collect vinyl?
JM: There are so many cliché reasons I could give, and they’d all be true. I think one of the more personal reasons, though, is that I most enjoy listening to music as a whole work. It’s so easy to get into the habit of just skipping tracks on a CD or creating a play list on a computer. With vinyl, I have to set time aside, carefully take the record out, put the record on, flip sides, keep it stored correctly. Some people might be turned off by that, but it makes me feel more like a part of the musical process – at the least, as a fan and appreciator – and it keeps me actively interested in hearing an album from start to finish the way the people who made it intended.

I think the novelty of collecting vinyl is one of the main reasons I see myself never getting away from it. It sounds pretentious, but part of why we all have our collections – whether vinyl or not – is because they’re just, personally, cool to have. I never get sick of looking at our records and sharing findings with friends. With music being a huge part of my life, vinyl is the perfect enjoyment outlet for me (not to mention a way of giving back to all the bands and labels I love).

VC: What is your most prized record in your collection?
JM: It’s hard to pin it down to one. Right this moment, I’d have to say Death Cab for Cutie’s “We Have the Facts and We’re Voting Yes.” They’re my favorite band and it was the last full length of theirs I didn’t own. I worried about never owning it, but Jess gave it to me for Christmas.

The Get Up Kids’ “Guilt Show” is also worth noting because it was the first piece of vinyl I ever owned, and was given to me by a friend, Eric Berge. Since it’s on red vinyl and sparked my interest in the format, I think it’s the reason I especially enjoy getting records on colors that match the artwork.

VC: What release would you like to see come out on vinyl that hasn’t yet been released?
JM: Say Hi to Your Mom’s entire discography. The Boils’ “The Orange and the Black EP,” as I’m a huge Philadelphia Flyers fan. Oh, and as redundant as this has become saying, Brand New’s “The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me.”

VC: What is the most you have spent for a record?
JM: We spent $80 for a first pressing of The Smashing Pumpkins – Siamese Dream, on purple marble vinyl. As far as 7”s go, a handful in our collection cost $30-40 to obtain.

VC: What out of print record would you kill to own?
JM: Explosions in the Sky – How Strange, Innocence. I also hope to complete the Death Cab discography someday, I’m in need of a few older 7”s.

VC: Your last 5 records that you purchased?
JM: Alkaline Trio – Goddamnit
Bomb the Music Industry! / O Pioneers!!! (Split)
Casiotone for the Painfully Alone / Foot Foot (Split)
Casiotone for the Painfully Alone / The Donkeys (Split)
O Pioneers!!! – Self Titled

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