Or maybe then again, I don't.
I remember my first couple days in Amherst, going to UMASS. Not really. But I remember on the drive there, I noticed the Newbury Comics on Main St. Once I walked to town the first time, I noticed the other two music shops: Mystery Train and For the Record.
For the Record is closed now, unfortunately. I remember finding the indie pressing of Val Emmich's first album (on Childlike records) there in the used bin, randomly. They were also the only store open earlier enough for me to get Rhett Miller's The Believer before my classes on that day. I also got a few of my Elvis Costello albums and The Band from there. Otherwise, though, their prices could be a bit expensive and their used CD selection rather sparse.
On the other hand, Mystery Train is still my favorite place to browse used CDs. Never know what kind of random stuff you'll find in a used music store. For instance, in my first stop to that store, I found a 4-CD live Parliament-Funkadelic set. Not the most consistent set I've ever heard, but is there any better way to celebrate the magic of George Clinton's 70s peak than an excessive 4-CD boxed set? I think not. I'm listening to "Funkentelechy" right now, a 24-minute groove that just never seems to end, and this box is full of treasures like this.
I don't think I have ever seen these CDs anywhere else; hell, I'm barely sure if they're official releases or a bootleg. All I am sure about is that this is probably one of the best places to get your fix for Parliament and Funkadelic. It has just about all of their essential songs, as they should be: overlong, ambitious, wacky and with lots of crowd interaction. The sound quality is on and off, but their actual albums haven't been remastered yet (to my knowledge), so the albums don't sound all that great yet, either (except the albums before The Mothership Connection).
Anyway, I just want to rave about the magic of record stores and funk music. Maybe that is why I'm a traditionalist (other than Robert Randolph, has there been another great funk guitarist since Prince? Sigh, right?). Though Amazon offers cheaper prices on used stuff, I still love sorting through disorganized vinyl and CDs to find gems. It's one of the handful of reasons that I buy a lot of my music, even knowing I could download things illegally.
Anyway, I'm gonna dance until I fall asleep. "When you're taking every kind of pill..."
I remember my first couple days in Amherst, going to UMASS. Not really. But I remember on the drive there, I noticed the Newbury Comics on Main St. Once I walked to town the first time, I noticed the other two music shops: Mystery Train and For the Record.
For the Record is closed now, unfortunately. I remember finding the indie pressing of Val Emmich's first album (on Childlike records) there in the used bin, randomly. They were also the only store open earlier enough for me to get Rhett Miller's The Believer before my classes on that day. I also got a few of my Elvis Costello albums and The Band from there. Otherwise, though, their prices could be a bit expensive and their used CD selection rather sparse.
On the other hand, Mystery Train is still my favorite place to browse used CDs. Never know what kind of random stuff you'll find in a used music store. For instance, in my first stop to that store, I found a 4-CD live Parliament-Funkadelic set. Not the most consistent set I've ever heard, but is there any better way to celebrate the magic of George Clinton's 70s peak than an excessive 4-CD boxed set? I think not. I'm listening to "Funkentelechy" right now, a 24-minute groove that just never seems to end, and this box is full of treasures like this.
I don't think I have ever seen these CDs anywhere else; hell, I'm barely sure if they're official releases or a bootleg. All I am sure about is that this is probably one of the best places to get your fix for Parliament and Funkadelic. It has just about all of their essential songs, as they should be: overlong, ambitious, wacky and with lots of crowd interaction. The sound quality is on and off, but their actual albums haven't been remastered yet (to my knowledge), so the albums don't sound all that great yet, either (except the albums before The Mothership Connection).
Anyway, I just want to rave about the magic of record stores and funk music. Maybe that is why I'm a traditionalist (other than Robert Randolph, has there been another great funk guitarist since Prince? Sigh, right?). Though Amazon offers cheaper prices on used stuff, I still love sorting through disorganized vinyl and CDs to find gems. It's one of the handful of reasons that I buy a lot of my music, even knowing I could download things illegally.
Anyway, I'm gonna dance until I fall asleep. "When you're taking every kind of pill..."
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