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Record Shop Heaven-find one if you still can...
Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 5:45 pm
by jamestkirk
Encuentro, you inspired me to start a new thread -- my idea of Heaven on Earth....
"Record shop heaven-find one if you still can..."
Not those chain CD store mega-monsters, but those last independent shops that carry vinyl mostly.
My favorite shop is in Portland, Maine in the restored (but not too much!) Old Port area. It has an almost illegible psychedelic hand painted sign, but the vinyl in the window tells the story.
On the wall is a sign that reads-
Our CD collection.
Underneath, in a sandwich bag tacked to the wall are a couple of smashed CDs. Bob never has and never will sell anything but vinyl. That takes guts in this economy...but the store thrives.
The 60's shops were even better....Those were the days...let's take a trip back...
CDs & Cassettes did not exist!
...and if you weren't born yet...enjoy a taste with my recollections...
Imagine going into a small record shop with nothing but bins of shrink wrapped LPs...no cassettes or CDs. On all the walls there are display racks to individually showcase new releases--two long rows of audio dreams.
Behind the counter for the asking are opened promo LPs that you can listen to--as much or as long as you like...
You request Strange Days or Revolver (never having heard them before!!), and then you walk over to the turntables (no headphones back then--just two speakers sharing the sounds with the rest of the crowd), and finally, place the needle onto a fresh sweet vinyl platter...beautiful!
Of course once you got a taste, you never stayed long at the shop. You paid $2.99 for a new mono LP (stereo was too expensive for a kid like me..$1 more)...and you ran to find the first bus home for a perfect afternoon of DOORS or Beatles or Monkees....
Once home, you slit that shrink wrap, pull out the inner sleeve, gently slide the vinyl out and place it on the TT....audio dreams fill your head while holding, smelling, drinking in the strange new beautiful album, that perfect LP jacket gripped in your hands...visual & audio perfection....now that's ART!
Share you favorite memory, or the shop in your town you still frequent...tell us about it...
Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2012 12:57 pm
by Encuentro
There is an independent record store near my home called Mr. Cheapo's. It's a cool little place. They have a lot of vinyl, 33s and 45s. I bought some Doors and Beatles records there. They also sell CDs and DVDs. It's cool for the hardcore collector, because they have a lot of rare releases and bootlegs. I bought The Doors' Stockholm '68 there. They have Seattle '70 which I didn't buy, because I heard bad things about that show. They have the Matrix tapes there, but I didn't buy it, because the master tapes are supposedly being officially released this year. I know these shows can be downloaded, well virtually anything can be downloaded nowadays, but I believe in supporting independent businesses, so I am proud to shop there.
Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2012 6:45 pm
by jamestkirk
Nice, encuentro.
Another shop I used to love was on the second floor of an old brick building in a small town. The second floor hall for intimate concerts was called Toad Hall. Down the hall was a record & head shop. You know...hookahs and pipes and papers, roach clips...and records on all the walls to view. It was too small to have record bins for records, so once you saw what you wanted on the wall, the hippie proprietor got your vinyl treasure out for you. Having limited space, they only stocked the kind of albums we freaks would love...Neil Young, Doors, Springfield, Hendrix, Joplin, Dead...you know the kind.
In a BBC4 documentary I just saw called
Hotel California: LA, The Byrds to The Eagles", Graham Nash put it aptly concerning those precious times, the music, & vinyl....
"You'd roll a big one, tear off the shrink wrap, put it on the turntable, and you were GONE...."
He was referring to HEAVEN.
Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2012 7:02 pm
by Roughie
Encuentro wrote:There is an independent record store near my home called Mr. Cheapo's. It's a cool little place. They have a lot of vinyl, 33s and 45s. I bought some Doors and Beatles records there. They also sell CDs and DVDs. It's cool for the hardcore collector, because they have a lot of rare releases and bootlegs. I bought The Doors' Stockholm '68 there. They have Seattle '70 which I didn't buy, because I heard bad things about that show. They have the Matrix tapes there, but I didn't buy it, because the master tapes are supposedly being officially released this year. I know these shows can be downloaded, well virtually anything can be downloaded nowadays, but I believe in supporting independent businesses, so I am proud to shop there.
We have a shop here like that called Real Groovy, they even sell cassettes!
Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2012 9:17 pm
by Encuentro
Roughie wrote:Encuentro wrote:There is an independent record store near my home called Mr. Cheapo's. It's a cool little place. They have a lot of vinyl, 33s and 45s. I bought some Doors and Beatles records there. They also sell CDs and DVDs. It's cool for the hardcore collector, because they have a lot of rare releases and bootlegs. I bought The Doors' Stockholm '68 there. They have Seattle '70 which I didn't buy, because I heard bad things about that show. They have the Matrix tapes there, but I didn't buy it, because the master tapes are supposedly being officially released this year. I know these shows can be downloaded, well virtually anything can be downloaded nowadays, but I believe in supporting independent businesses, so I am proud to shop there.
We have a shop here like that called Real Groovy, they even sell cassettes!
It's cool, isn't. The shop near me sells cassettes as well, but I don't buy them, because I don't listen to cassettes. It's cool to see such rare stuff, and from what I can tell, the business is booming. I may stop there tonight on the way to a friends house.
Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2012 9:32 pm
by jamestkirk
Another shop in Sanford Maine is really cool too. A friend owns it.
We love 'em, guys!
My friend's shop sells a large wall of used cassettes, a large CD bin-used and new, and over 250,000 vinyl records. He has a personal collection at home that has at least another 150,000 records...a lot of really rare stuff. He also sells posters, memorabilia, cool rock star lamps, rock star statuettes, old rockers lunch boxes... and guitar strings.
I'm getting revved to find something old that is NEW!!
Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2012 9:37 pm
by Encuentro
So, the independent record store isn't dead after all. Nothing beats it. I love browsing through bins. You know they have rare stuff when your a hardcore Doors fan and still find yourself gravitating to the Doors section knowing that you have virtually everything that's been released. Most of the stuff they sell is used which is fine by me. I don't buy vinyl much, because I don't have a decent turntable. I search online from time to time, but I'm reluctant to part with the money.
Re: Record Shop Heaven-find one if you still can...
Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2012 10:24 pm
by RiderOnTheStorm0
jamestkirk wrote:Encuentro, you inspired me to start a new thread -- my idea of Heaven on Earth....
"Record shop heaven-find one if you still can..."
Not those chain CD store mega-monsters, but those last independent shops that carry vinyl mostly.
My favorite shop is in Portland, Maine in the restored (but not too much!) Old Port area. It has an almost illegible psychedelic hand painted sign, but the records in the window tell the story.
On the wall is a sign that reads-
Our CD collection.
Underneath, in a sandwich bag tacked to the wall are a couple of smashed CDs. Bob never has and never will sell anything but vinyl. That takes guts in this economy...but the store thrives.
The 60's shops were even better....Those were the days...let's take a trip back...
CDs & Cassettes did not exist!
...and if you weren't born yet...enjoy a taste with my recollections...
Imagine going into a small record shop with nothing but bins of shrink wrapped LPs...no cassettes or CDs. On all the walls there are display racks to individually showcase new releases--two long rows of audio dreams.
Behind the counter for the asking are opened promo LPs that you can listen to--as much or as long as you like...
You request Strange Days or Revolver (never having heard them before!!), and then you walk over to the turntables (no headphones back then--just two speakers sharing the sounds with the rest of the crowd), and finally, place the needle onto a fresh sweet vinyl platter...beautiful!
Of course once you got a taste, you never stayed long at the shop. You paid $2.99 for a new mono LP (stereo was too expensive for a kid like me..$1 more)...and you ran to find the first bus home for a perfect afternoon of DOORS or Beatles or Monkees....
Once home, you slit that shrink wrap, pull out the inner sleeve, gently slide the vinyl out and place it on the TT....audio dreams fill your head while holding, smelling, drinking in the strange new beautiful album, that perfect LP jacket gripped in your hands...visual & audio perfection....now that's ART!
Share you favorite memory, or the shop in your town you still frequent...tell us about it...
Thats pretty cool, i live in MA not to to far from maine...theres some good shops out boston way i frequent alot
Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2012 1:57 am
by Roughie
Encuentro wrote:Roughie wrote:Encuentro wrote:There is an independent record store near my home called Mr. Cheapo's. It's a cool little place. They have a lot of vinyl, 33s and 45s. I bought some Doors and Beatles records there. They also sell CDs and DVDs. It's cool for the hardcore collector, because they have a lot of rare releases and bootlegs. I bought The Doors' Stockholm '68 there. They have Seattle '70 which I didn't buy, because I heard bad things about that show. They have the Matrix tapes there, but I didn't buy it, because the master tapes are supposedly being officially released this year. I know these shows can be downloaded, well virtually anything can be downloaded nowadays, but I believe in supporting independent businesses, so I am proud to shop there.
We have a shop here like that called Real Groovy, they even sell cassettes!
It's cool, isn't. The shop near me sells cassettes as well, but I don't buy them, because I don't listen to cassettes. It's cool to see such rare stuff, and from what I can tell, the business is booming. I may stop there tonight on the way to a friends house.
It sure is. I have found some really cool and rare stuff there over the years. Also they offer free shipping within NZ if you buy online.
The bins are the best, I can spend hours in there, and quite often do.
Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2012 8:55 am
by anytimecowboy
Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2012 4:37 pm
by MysticHeatedWine
Encuentro wrote:There is an independent record store near my home called Mr. Cheapo's. It's a cool little place. They have a lot of vinyl, 33s and 45s. I bought some Doors and Beatles records there. They also sell CDs and DVDs. It's cool for the hardcore collector, because they have a lot of rare releases and bootlegs. I bought The Doors' Stockholm '68 there. They have Seattle '70 which I didn't buy, because I heard bad things about that show. They have the Matrix tapes there, but I didn't buy it, because the master tapes are supposedly being officially released this year. I know these shows can be downloaded, well virtually anything can be downloaded nowadays, but I believe in supporting independent businesses, so I am proud to shop there.
Yeah, Mr. Cheapo's is cool. Another place near me is LooneyTunes. I'm actually going to both this afternoon to see if they got any new stuff in and then will check out my record haunts in Manhattan tomorrow.
Re: Record Shop Heaven-find one if you still can...
Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2012 6:24 pm
by jamestkirk
RiderOnTheStorm0 wrote:
Thats pretty cool, i live in MA not to to far from maine...theres some good shops out boston way i frequent alot
Nice.....if ever in Maine check out Mike's Music in Sanford or Enterprise Records in Portland...it's not more than half a block from the Art Museum. Boston is always cool!
Go Sox.
Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2012 4:03 pm
by Encuentro
From The Doors' Facebook page.
"The Doors
Today is Record Store Day. Head on out to your local retailer and grab L.A. Woman – The Workshop Sessions on Vinyl."
I bought a new turntable and speakers recently, and the sound is amazing. Yesterday, I picked up Sgt. Pepper from a tiny record store in my neighborhood and received the remastered vinyl editions of Pearl Jam's Ten, Vs. and Vitalogy. I bought The Beatles' 1967-1970. About 2 weeks ago, I picked up The Doors' 13 and Weird Scenes Inside the Goldmine. I'm going to head out today to see if I can get my hands on The Workshop Sessions.