I used to tape my albums onto HiFi VHS. I also had an $1,100.00 Sony BetaMax HiFi VCR that recorded in Beta 1 speed. That worked really well for parties and the like. It kept people from fidgeting with my turntable, which meant certain death if I caught them.
It didn't have the versatility of reel to reel, but it was simple to use, the tapes were cheap and the sound quality was pretty good.