For a few years in the mid to late 80s I was part of the record store culture. And, if you ever worked music retail you know that High Fidelity wasn’t too far off the mark when it came to pegging us music geeks.
From early 1986 to late 1987, I worked at a rather odd, almost cult like store in Wayne, NJ. While Disc-o-mat was a chain, it ran more like an indie store because of the eclecticism of both the employees and the people who shopped there like it was their religion. Some 20 years on, I still miss some of those people and always wondered what became of them, though a couple of guys I do know what happened to traded New Jersey for the California shores as and released a little hit, “Anything Anything”.
I fell into the job by accident actually. The store was a favorite haunt of mine and holds a special place as my first stop after I got my driver’s license. I drove myself, first time alone no less, over to that West Belt Mall and proceeded to buy Night Ranger’s Midnight Madness, Survivor’s Vital Signs and Ratt’s Out Of The Cellar on cassette. That first stop would be far from my last as weekly visits helped me amass quite the music collection and the familiarity of some of the staff I befriended. Turned out on one visit there was a help wanted sign at the register the day I went in to purchase Van Halen’s “Why Can’t This Be Love” 45. The lengthy discussion with the cashier might have been one of the first of many Dave versus Sammy arguments that would follow my life. But, I did walk out of there with both the album and a new job.
(Oh, and for the record, not much can touch the early Dave years of Van Halen but I’m not going to be snobbish enough and deny that the band also recorded a lot of great material with Hagar.)
Over the next two years I would go from sarcastic loner to sarcastic extrovert as I feel like I finally belonged. These were my people! Everyone I worked with had a passion for the music, their music. While not a day went by where there wasn’t 2 or 3 arguments about what to flip on the turntables (long before the days of piped in satellite radio), in the end a lot of what you didn’t want to hear initially became favorites of a new sort. I started my musical journey from my own tastes of Rush and Journey and left with an appreciation of The Cure, the lost years of David Bowie and even Run DMC among many others. Admittedly, I still can’t get a grip on the Smiths and if I ever hear someone sing, “some girls mothers are bigger than other girls mothers,” again I just may hurt them regardless of how big their mother is.
I would go on from there to work in a few more record stores over the years until finally getting a “real job,” but none I’ve had since can match the sheer sense of fulfillment I had in my life of doing something I truly loved.
Nowadays, record stores are practically extinct. Music departments in places like Best Buy or Target have been reduced to barely an aisle or two. In a way I feel bad for the youth of today and not ever knowing the feeling of just going into a store to simply browse album covers, wonder if it’s worth taking a chance on a band like Aviator, simply because the producer worked on other favorites of yours (and having back cover showing a bunch of long haired dudes usually helped). That sense of discovery just can’t be the same clicking and sampling through iTunes or MySpace. At least it’s not for me. Of course, there’s something to be said for actual ownership of the music, the pouring over liner notes…reading every last thank you and lyric, and even remembering the days when Kiss used to include a poster or a “love gun” with their album. PDF booklet? Pft!
These social centers have all but disappeared, leaving us music geeks to write blogs, troll forums and go back to being introverts…present company excluded obviously.
PDF booklet? Pff.
Perfectly stated, my friend. As always, you impress me with your writing and your knowledge. Hope to see you tomorrow?
love the dramarama ellen clip. I missed that somewhere along the way the first time..
I love record stores. I want to own one someday. or even just work in one.
I love The Smiths! and that’s a great song. The Queen is Dead is just ace. I actually prefer Smiths to Cure but whatever, to each his own
also, I love Rob Gordon and pdfs can go fuck themselves.
There is noticeably big money to understand about this.
I suppose you have made certain nice points in functions also.
Nice post. I get a hold of out some thing more problematical on different sites
everyday. Most commonly it’s stimulating to read content using their corporation writers and exercise a tiny something from their site. I’d choose to apply certain together with the content on my own weblog regardless of whether you do not mind. Natually I’ll present you a link in your internet weblog. Quite a ton of thanks sharing.
There are several fascinating points with time on
this page then again I don’t recognize if
these center to heart. There’s some validity
but Let me take hold opinion until I look into it further.
Great post , thanks and then we want a lot more! Combined with FeedBurner too
It’s exhausting to discover knowledgeable individuals on this topic,
however you sound like you identify what you’re speaking about!
Thanks
Visit our site for information about securities based lending
plus much more. There is info about stock and equity
loans because well as application forms.
I¡¦ve been exploring for a tiny for any other high quality articles or blog posts on this
kind of space . Exploring in Yahoo I ultimately stumbled upon this website.
Reading this info So i am happy to express that I have a very just right uncanny feeling I found out just what I needed.
I so much for sure will make sure to do not
overlook this web site and hand over it a glance a relentless basis.
I always visit your blog everyday to read new topics.*”-~;
Great blog, Just wanted to comment that i can not connect to that
the rss stream, you might want install the right wordpress plugin for the to workthat.
I just like this weblog so much, saved to my bookmarks .
Thank you a large amount for sharing this with all people
you really be acquainted with what you’re speaking about!
Bookmarked. Please additionally talk over with my web site =).
We could have a hyperlink alternate arrangement among us!
Howdy! I only want to provide a huge thumbs up for that the
fine data you have here on this post. I will probably be coming again to your weblog for
more soon.
my daughter have been doing some scrapbooking stuffs over the years
and she really likes it**
Wonderful post will be linking this on several domains of
mine keep up that the first-class work.
Nice post. I find out some thing more problematical on diverse internet
websites everyday. It will always be stimulating to see content using their business writers and
rehearse a minor there. I’d opt to utilize some with the
content in my blog regardless of whether you don’t mind.
Natually I’ll present you a link on your own internet weblog.
Lots of thanks sharing.
I was suggested this blog by approach of my cousin. I’m no longer sure
whether or not this put up is written by him because nobody else
realize such detailed about my trouble. You’re wonderful!
Thanks!
I very delighted to obtain this web site on bing, just what I was seeking for : D besides saved to bookmarks .
Can you please add Google Reader compatibility?
It’s not able to know your RSS feed. You possibly can email
me if you require help in getting it to work.
When do you think this Real Estate market will go back from a positive direction?
Or is it still too early to tell? We are seeing a whole
lot of housing foreclosures in Oviedo Florida. What about you?
Would love to obtain your feedback on this.
I really just like your wordpress design, wherever do you download it out
of?
There is perceptibly a lot to know about this. I believe you
made certain nice points in features also.
i gave my girlfriend a diamond bracelt and she was quite pleased with it”
Interesting point of view. I’m curious to think what type of impact this would have
globally? Sometimes people discover a tiny upset with global expansion.
I’ll be around soon to check out your response.