Shopping For Records: Trip to The Vinyl Closet, 4.5.13
I took the day off work.
Mind you, I'm not one that typically does the "mental health" day, or just decides "I need some time off." I'm normally paranoid and guilty enough when legitimately sick that I'll bother my coworkers with updates about how the day is going and whether or not I need to plug in and work from home. I have a complex, so days off aren't my thing.
But, I had some things to take care of today and just figured I would try this "relaxing" that everyone speaks so highly of. Part of trying to enjoy the day involved me hitting the record store. I kept it very local today and stopped by The Vinyl Closet in North Wales, which is maybe ten minutes from my house.
While the store doesn't hold much for those looking for current artists or recent releases, it is a treasure trove for vinyl addicts. The first time I'd visited, I found a few things to pick up without spending too much loot. Today, though, I kept on finding albums I'd been looking for for some time and I wound up making a mental note of releases I'd like to return for at a later date. Hopefully, they stay put. In the meantime, here's what I found today:
John Cale
Animal Justice EP 12"
Illegal Recordings
Released: 1977
Last I looked, John Cale's Animal Justice wasn't in print anymore, (at least, not on CD). Though, it's not necessarily fetching high prices through the web, (Discogs lists it anywhere between $3 to $20 depending upon its condition) I remembered hearing a track from it on Henry Rollins' radio show, Harmony In My Head, and it inspired interest. For me, this was a good find and the album is in great shape. $10.
Dead Kennedys
"Bleed For Me" b/w "Life Sentence" 12" single
Statik/Alternative Tentacles
Released: 1982
Another good find. Dead Kennedys releases are such that I'll pretty much pick up anything they've released so long as "Alternative Tentacles" is emblazoned on the sleeve somewhere. This one is "Virus 23" and a UK import. Doesn't mean much, I guess, but...
Miles Davis
Live Evil double LP
Columbia Records
Released: 1971
Fusion era Miles Davis, to me, is the impetus behind much of how American music has developed over the last 40 years. Ever since I picked up Get Up With It so many years ago, I've found this period in Davis' musical expression a thing to behold. The sleeve isn't in the best shape, but the platter spins well. I thought $12 was fair.
Mahalia Jackson
A Mighty Fortress
Columbia Records
Released: 1968
Mahalia Jackson is an artist I've been meaning to explore for some time. At $1, I really couldn't justify passing up the opportunity.
Black Sabbath
Mob Rules
Warner Bros./Asylum
Released: 1981
Only one of the best album covers conceived by human hands. Only one of the best of Sabbath's post-Ozzy output. I'll throw this on at some point and probably make rock poses to my bewildered daughter while the full brunt of Dio's throat overtakes every square inch of oxygen in my record room. She'll likely yawn, roll her eyes and ask me if she can watch cartoons. Having been knifed with her words, my hand clung to my chest in agony, I'll realize the depths to which I've failed as a parent. I'll concede and turn on the TV, adding salt to my wounds by absorbing visually the shenanigans of brightly colored ponies.
Sincerely,
Letters From A Tapehead
Mind you, I'm not one that typically does the "mental health" day, or just decides "I need some time off." I'm normally paranoid and guilty enough when legitimately sick that I'll bother my coworkers with updates about how the day is going and whether or not I need to plug in and work from home. I have a complex, so days off aren't my thing.
But, I had some things to take care of today and just figured I would try this "relaxing" that everyone speaks so highly of. Part of trying to enjoy the day involved me hitting the record store. I kept it very local today and stopped by The Vinyl Closet in North Wales, which is maybe ten minutes from my house.
While the store doesn't hold much for those looking for current artists or recent releases, it is a treasure trove for vinyl addicts. The first time I'd visited, I found a few things to pick up without spending too much loot. Today, though, I kept on finding albums I'd been looking for for some time and I wound up making a mental note of releases I'd like to return for at a later date. Hopefully, they stay put. In the meantime, here's what I found today:
John Cale
Animal Justice EP 12"
Illegal Recordings
Released: 1977
Last I looked, John Cale's Animal Justice wasn't in print anymore, (at least, not on CD). Though, it's not necessarily fetching high prices through the web, (Discogs lists it anywhere between $3 to $20 depending upon its condition) I remembered hearing a track from it on Henry Rollins' radio show, Harmony In My Head, and it inspired interest. For me, this was a good find and the album is in great shape. $10.
Dead Kennedys
"Bleed For Me" b/w "Life Sentence" 12" single
Statik/Alternative Tentacles
Released: 1982
Miles Davis
Live Evil double LP
Columbia Records
Released: 1971
Fusion era Miles Davis, to me, is the impetus behind much of how American music has developed over the last 40 years. Ever since I picked up Get Up With It so many years ago, I've found this period in Davis' musical expression a thing to behold. The sleeve isn't in the best shape, but the platter spins well. I thought $12 was fair.
Mahalia Jackson
A Mighty Fortress
Columbia Records
Released: 1968
Mahalia Jackson is an artist I've been meaning to explore for some time. At $1, I really couldn't justify passing up the opportunity.
Black Sabbath
Mob Rules
Warner Bros./Asylum
Released: 1981
Only one of the best album covers conceived by human hands. Only one of the best of Sabbath's post-Ozzy output. I'll throw this on at some point and probably make rock poses to my bewildered daughter while the full brunt of Dio's throat overtakes every square inch of oxygen in my record room. She'll likely yawn, roll her eyes and ask me if she can watch cartoons. Having been knifed with her words, my hand clung to my chest in agony, I'll realize the depths to which I've failed as a parent. I'll concede and turn on the TV, adding salt to my wounds by absorbing visually the shenanigans of brightly colored ponies.
Sincerely,
Letters From A Tapehead
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