Before I worked in PR, I worked in the music business. For a few years, I managed a record label in the Midwest that only released vinyl albums. Like many other baby boomers, I have lived through 78s, 33s, 45s, 8-tracks, cassettes, and CDs.

Now I am witnessing the demise of Tower Records, whose huge store two blocks from my home in Chicago is going out of business. And I am going to miss it.

Don't get me wrong, I am not a Luddite. We have four iPods at my house. One for me, my wife, our daughter and our 8-year-old son. I am even thinking about getting one for my dog so he won't get bored on long walks.

But downloading songs isn't quite the same as flipping through the bins at Tower, checking out the new releases and perusing the cool-looking album covers, which online are the size of postage stamps.

I am sure that in the coming years record stores will go the way of drive-in movies (which I also miss) and we will receive all the latest recordings electronically and they will sound just as good. But it won't be the same as standing out in front of Tower at midnight waiting for the new Bob Dylan album.