I also miss the albums and their liner notes, but I don't miss the snap, crackle, and pop or the occasional warped disc. I mostly miss the joy of going into a used record store and spending a few hours thumbing through the stacks for that elusive gem. Boston's Kenmore Square area used to have several terrific stores. They may still but I no longer own a phonograph as CDs are still my format of choice. My wife and daughter are mystified why I haven't embraced the technology and downloaded my collection. Of course, I still use a flip phone so it's not totally out of character.

On the music front, did you recently mention Hunters and Collectors, Kathryn? I have a "best of" CD and have been unable to get into this Aussie band. A bit too brittle and lacking in melody, or am I generalizing? Have you been a fan?

Peter T.