Earlier this week, I stopped at Half-Price Books and wandered over to the section of used records for the first time. I'd always wanted to, but it's an intimidating area. I feel like someone is going to ask me about Emerson Lake and Palmer or turntable construction or something like that. For whatever reason, Pete Yorn's 2003 album "Day I Forgot" was released on vinyl. So of course I bought that. I also threw in a CCR album, "Pendulum," because I recognized the song title "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?"
But it wasn't until today that Craig's List set me up with a great old couple wanting to unload their record player. $50 for fully functional turntable, receiver, and two Fischer speakers. Plus they threw in this device that converts any audio signal into an mp3 you can put on your computer. I don't know a ton about this stuff, but it seemed like a pretty sweet deal.
When the Packer game looked like it was out of hand, I drove a half hour Northwest of Houston and scoped it out. The couple was really nice and we talked about music and life for about a half hour while we set it up and tried it out.
There was a box full of albums next to the player, and when I asked the guy about it, he said they were trying to sell those too. As I was sifting through them, I realized I had to get it. There were 52 albums and they were selling the box for $50. Granted, some of them are crap ("Barbra Streisand's Greatest Hits" or "The Pinnochio Soundtrack") but for the most part, I was impressed.
Some of the albums I had heard before and some I merely recognized from Shawn talking about them or putting them on the Move-In Mixes. Anyway, here's a list of the good ones:
- Simon and Garfunkle's Greatest Hits
- The Beatles 1967-1970
- James Taylor - Sweet Baby James
- James Taylor - One Man Dog
- Blood Sweat and Tears - Greatest Hits
- Emerson Lake and Palmer (the one with The Three Fates)
- Emerson Lake and Palmer - Pictures at an Exhibition
- Seals and Croft - Greatest Hits
- Rod Stewert - Every Picture Tells a Story
- Chicago
- Elton John - Madman across the water
- Elton John - Tumbleweed Connection
- Elton John's Greatest Hits
- Eagles
- Paul Simon
- Billy Joel - Glass Houses
- The Beach Boys - Endless Summer
- Cat Stevens - Tea for the Tillerman
- Three Dog Night - Naturally
- Motor City Rollers - Stevie Wonder Songbook
Almost Famous reference FTW.
ReplyDeleteYou've got some great albums in that bunch. Sweet Baby James is a classic. And give those two Elton John's a spin. So good.
We've got some antique albums in our basement -- check them out at Christmas! Not sure if you dad can part with them though...
ReplyDeleteBilly Joel - Glass Houses, Beach Boys Endless Summer; Good stuff. Makes me want to dust off the old record player and records and play a few! Most new albums now come out in vinyl which is pretty cool; it's a cool thing to collect. It's making a comeback!
ReplyDeletePut on Madman Across the Water and cue up the last two tracks and prepare to experience the undying highes of All the Nasties and the crippling lows of Goodbye. You also need to cue up Box of Rain off of the Dead's American Beauty and contemplate your future like Lindsay Weir. Or come home from a horrible day and cue up The River like John Cusack in High Fidelity. Or fend off a garden-zombie attack with your collection like in Sean of the Dead. Also, you can use the term "cue up" and really mean it.
ReplyDeleteI have gone back and forth on vinyl and records for a while; I like the idea of listening to old records but can't bring myself to spend money to re-buy a music collection that I've already spent waaaaay too much money on. You can say that it sounds better and it has more character, but I can't bring myself to spend money on a duplicate recording of lower quality. I think the only way anyone our age can get into vinyl is how you did: buying in bulk or at discount.
I have a small record collection that I have somehow accumulated through the years, The Band, Journey, Genesis, several bluegrass records. My old, tiny Fischer-Price record player doesn't really do them justice.
music sounds better from a record player.
ReplyDeletejealous :)
it's rod stewart*. f'ing idiot.
ReplyDelete"doctor my eyes" by jackson browne.
ReplyDeletethis song doesn't explain why i'm leaving home to become a stewardess, but it's pretty damn good. (especially on vinyl.
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ReplyDeletei'm interested in that barbra streisand album.
ReplyDeletei think simon & garfunkle may be THE reason record players were invented. them and nina simone.