Is there a vinyl album out there that would spur you to buy a record player? I thought I’d never do it, until that one album came along.

When I moved from California back to New England, I was bound and determined to take nothing that wasn’t absolutely necessary. Anything I didn’t need – set out by the apartment dumpsters, hoping they would find new homes. I hadn’t had a record player for a long time, but I’d still been lugging around my old vinyl albums from place to place for sentimental reasons. Complete Floyd collection. Local Monterey bands. Those old Ian Dury EPs. A bunch of prog rock. I hoped whoever took them would get some enjoyment from them, maybe discover a new band or two.

When I came back the next day, every single item was gone – except the vinyl records. I didn’t take them back, though. I should have, and still hope someone belatedly rescued them before they were tossed away.

That was fourteen years ago. Vinyl disappeared, then came back. We have two vinyl stores in town – a Newbury Records, and a local independent. Weird, all those records, you can just get on CD, or just stream on Youtube. Why do they even exist…?

#EverQuest vinyls are back! Get your hands on a piece of legendary history that will fill your ears with the classic music that you’ve come to love. Only while supplies last so don’t miss out! https://t.co/VubmQmjJsd pic.twitter.com/7XmJC0w3S2 — EverQuest (@everquest) November 18, 2021

I’d (somehow) missed the 20th anniversary vinyl sound track albums when they were released in various limited editions last year – four editions that ranged from the cheap to the expensive. Apparently, they were quickly snapped up and resold for hundreds of dollars on eBay.

When I saw that the soundtrack had been reissued in boring black but affordable vinyl, I bought it. And then I went on Amazon and got a cute little record player that reminded me of the one I had when I was a kid. And then I ordered a Blue Oyster Cult vinyl I wanted. And then I went to Newbury Comics and that local indie record store and bought more stuff. But the album I really wanted to listen to kept me waiting and waiting.

IT’S HAPPENING!

This little suitcase turntable doesn’t really do any music justice; tinny speakers, hardly any volume, no bass. Critics say that this vinyl is just recorded from the same MP3s that get installed into the EQ folder when you play the game.

I dunno about all that, but I know when the main theme came on, it sent me back to those first nervous footsteps on that dangerous, dark, unforgiving world where I’d make friends and share lives.

Side 2 has the Rivervale theme. Happy little bouncy tune :-) I’d listen to that for hours while crafting or just sitting around while I chatted with my guildies as they went about their days. Someone had to keep the villagers safe from Nilipuss!

The album is amazing. I’ve listened to all those other albums, too, and remembered how, back in college, a person was defined by their record collection. That doesn’t happen anymore. A whole way of expressing ourselves is gone.

Well, for me, it’s back. A Firesign Theater album, a Tom Lehrer album, two BOC albums, a Hooverphonics EP, and EverQuest: The Original Soundtrack.

Tracks:

Side 1****Side 2EverQuest Main ThemeCharacter Screen ThemeAkanonNajena ThemePeaceful RiverGypsies ThemeBards ConcertHalas ThemeOrgan RecitalBattle Theme 1Coliseum ShowdownBattle Theme 2Bard HealerBattle Theme 3Bard ThemeForest of QeynosErudin ThemeRivervale ThemeQeynos ThemeTunnels of DoomEverQuest RepriseWinters DeepRun For Your Life

All these songs are available on all streaming services, so you don’t need a record player to listen to these. You know, if you want to remain a cipher plugged into the cyberverse or whatever.

Map of EverQuest

The back of the album has the most current map of Norrath and points beyond. I don’t remember if we could see Alaris from Luclin when we looked up at Norrath, but probably it was there. Hard to believe that Velious, Taelosia and Alaris could be mysteries when Norrathians had settled Luclin centuries past in at least three different colonization waves, but there you go: NOW, for sure, they’ve discovered everything, right?

Etha looking at Norrath from Luclin

Well, I had to go look, and it looks like Luclin always remains directly pointed at a spot between Antonica and Faydwer, so maybe everything else was a mystery, after all…