In Search Of

As a music hunter/gatherer, I am fortunate enough to have several bricks-and-mortar stores to choose from in the Denver/Boulder area.  Wax Trax, Albums On The Hill and the much ballyhooed and rightfully so, Twist and Shout.  Still called record stores (how retro), these independent outlets offer a smorgasbord of CDs, LPs, vintage posters and collectibles.  And free, live, short sets from many bands playing that night at local venues.  You can actually pick up a copy (CD or LP) and take it to a listening station to check it out, even a new CD.  It does take a lot of time in this busy world but it can be gratifying to hold an LP, forever gone from your collection, and maybe buying it, if it wasn't for that one scratch.  Vinyl has been coming back for quite a few years now as the warm analog sound has caught the ears of younger generations.  I think DJing and the mixing of songs or sampling, though not my cup of music, has really pushed this education and knowledge of the 'old school'  for the better.

 Another fascinating feature of these stores is the staff.  Some older frizzed-out music phreaks.  Some young hippie-chick that knows the jam scene.  Or the 20-something shoegazer who can tell you all the musicians who played on Miles Davis's "Bitches Brew" sessions, the album release date, the out-takes, the rehearsals.  Most of them have to know their musical history as more of us Baby Boomers try to recapture the past.  Ask a worker drone at Best Buy where the Golden Earring section is and they'll give you directions to the nearest jewelry store.

Speaking of Golden Earring, I went through a near-fanatical search for the "Wall of Dolls" CD.  In true hunter/gatherer mode, I set out to find it used.  Some may call me cheap but I prefer thrifty.  And this disc was available only on import for over $20!  Did I want it that bad?  Yes, and I finally broke down and ordered it.  Along my search, though, I did find some older G.E., used, and this satisfied my fix.  Check out their 4th ("Eight Miles High", '69) through their 11th ("Contraband" or "Mad Love", '76).  Most of them I found for 6 or 7 bucks.  Or finding The Bob Seger System's "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man" for $4.  It is very rare and still a great listen.  I'm not sure the low price is what whets my whistle, it's the find that counts.  

So, there you have it.  You can find almost anything on Amazon or I-tunes but finding the first It's A Beautiful Day for $3.99 is a true musical orgasm.  At least for the cheap (thrifty?) me.