the sound of music....  

Hmmm
IKEA Expedit shelves with bins? Though I'm not sure if records will fit in the bins...

almost...
thats what we have now...the biggest one{already full}, and So. Philly rooms dont like big stuff..plus its kind of an eye sore...perfect fit for records, just too big of a foot print, need to find something that goes up instead of out...

Expedit at Ikea was what I...
Expedit at Ikea was what I was going to mention.

There can't be anything better really?
the Expedit shelf openings are 12" x 12" x 12" - the perfect size
Unless you want to stack front on, but this makes it difficult to find stuff ?

A valuable collection
matty,
I assume that this form of media is "dear to you" as it is to me. I always want to diplay my many collections with their "best foot forward" and I can not see any alternative to the Dieter Rams 606 Universal Shelving Unit. Just acquire something once, and never again search for a better piece. This is how I like to spend my money.
Go to IKEA is you must!

He's Already Been
[see post 3]

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I've got this stuff at my place, filling a whole wall with it looks pretty good, not quite 606 but still ok, the brackets make supports for records and books, like book ends. Just buy the track to your cieling height, screw them into the studs using all the available holes, get some lengths of ply sawn up for shelves and paint it gloss white. I can't see why you couldn't even have some simple boxes made up for concealed storage and hang them off the brackets. I think each bracket can take 40kg but it'd be more the bite of the screws that you'd have to worry about.
The half inch gap between the wall and track is pretty handy for running cables down too. The brackets come in much longer lengths too, I've got a 60cm deep shelf running at workbench height on mine.

I am a big record geek and I...
I am a big record geek and I completely understand the problem, Matty. Records are tough because unlike books, which can look really nice in bookshelves, open storage of records is just bad looking. And it is really easy to keep acquiring more and more records so it can get out of hand quickly. I have done serious weeding of my record collection over the years. I just realized at some point that they were going to start to own me rather than me owning them (I've been through the same thing with vintage bicycles). Now I have all my records in a single long, closed cabinet and I'm careful about keeping the collection contained at that size. It's a much smaller collection, but it's also the best stuff, and mostly records that I can't get on CD. I do have a number of friends whose record collections have literally taken over their apartments. If you have a large home and can have a separate record room, no problem. But if you're an urban type person and live in an apartment/condo, which it sounds like you do, it's a tough situation. I know this is probably not a helpful response, in terms of a solution to your problem, but I thought I'd share my own experience with this.
Edit: Here is a photo of the cabinet. It's one of those fake Eames ESUs. I had it made just for this purpose -- ESUs are the perfect size. I'd love a vintage cabinet but have yet to find one with the right dimensions in which the storage inside is completely open, with no drawers, etc. I'm still looking but this works well in the meantime.

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Have to disagree, I think open storage of records looks way better than books, other than the annoying little stack of 7 inchers they're all the same.
Do Ikea still make those white modular boxes? You could just get some stackable pine boxes made up, handy for moving them too.

What is attractive about the...
What is attractive about the edge of a record jacket? Yes, they are all the same, but they are about as attractive as a file folder. At least books can be beautifully bound (though most aren't and I agree open shelving of books can look really bad).

Boltz LP racks
A little pricey (but you can sometimes find them used or on sale), and industrial-looking... But rock-solid, perfectly sized, strong, vertical with a small footprint, and infinitely expandable.
http://boltz.com/lp-record-storage-racks.html

I strongly suggest pruning...
I strongly suggest pruning your collection. Get things down to about one wall worth of records... still a considerable number(2-3 thousand). Really, most collectors do not need more than that. Less essential ones, just scan covers and rip the music.
Over the years I have seen lots of storage tactics. My favorite was a homemade plywood 4x3 cube Expedit style unit on industrial grade caster wheels. VERY practical! The Ikea Expedit is simply the most attractive, accessible and affordable standard. Each cube is a frame. You can place one record, facing out towards you, and it appears as framed art while cloaking records behind.
While attractive, I suggest NOT utilizing credenza's. The weight of the records could warp the wood. Both bottom portions of my ESU's vertically hold roughly 300 each. If in time there is warping, I can flip the shelf. I prefer bin storage for those regularly accessed. I have two types. One is a former chrome and wood library bin in the process of restoration. Holds about 800. BUT, I'm having second thoughts about using this again. The others are plastic holders made by Heller and designed Giotto Stoppino, holding about 25 each. There's someone selling custom wood LP bins on ebay that are nice.
In the end, I shamelessly suggest all remaining records would be best served by selling to me. The right ones, right price...will travel the world.
Lastly, with Japan in mind (best wishes to them), units should be secured to a stable support and any exposed openings should have some kind of guard preventing records from flying off.

YES, if someone took the...
YES, if someone took the time to arrange their records just so, the spines can be attractive. Some labels consistently designed them for this reason. Impulse, early Capital, Blue Note, Prestige for example. I don't nor do I know anyone who has done this. I did see a picture of a large collection arranged as such. Don't recall where.

Yeah, I think hardwood could ...
Yeah, I think hardwood could warp from the weight, but isn't plywood much stronger, WoofWoof? My fake ESU has been holding LPs for ten years with no signs of warping.
Also, you're right, there are some classic jazz albums with very handsome spines, and I guess there are some LP collections that are as much for show as anything. I don't get the sense that's what Matty's collection is about. I think most people who are into vinyl collect a broad range of music and aren't really buying them for the beauty of the jacket but rather because they actually want the record inside.