Are you into vinyl...
I know I was slacking last week. I didn't really have that much to say. Actually I was intending to do what I've got in mind for this week, but I didn't get the first step done, so I had to postpone. We're doing music all week, and to start it off I took a trip to Charley's Records and Tapes, one of the few places in town, other than thrift stores, where you can still buy records and tapes. Records are round (usually) pieces of vinyl covered with very small grooves. When you run a needle along these grooves and amplify the signal you hear the sounds which were pressed into the vinyl. Ok, so many of you knew that, but you can never be certain any more. Kids these days, you know...
So, Charley's is a great little store. I prefer it to Krazy Kat, because the atmosphere is so much better. It's actually just down the road from where Title Wave Books used to be at Pennsylvania and Menaul. I was really only going to check it out and buy an album to use for my Tuesday music segment, but 70$ later I wound up with quite a few more things. They have a large selection of used LP's (those are the large 12 inch records) and 45's (the 7 inch ones with the big holes. Ok, I'll stop now) both new and used. They even have one of the Beatles' butcher cover albums, if you're willing to spend some serious cash. I found a large box of Zappa albums, Moby Grape, the Stones, Floyd, all kinds of things. In the 45 bins there are just as many great, or at the least unusual things as well.
They also have a large collection of used cassettes, which is really unusual to find these days. I prefer records to tapes, but it's still an interesting collection to look through. As you might expect they carry CD's as well, though it's a little bit of a duck shoot as to what you'll find. You never know. You'll probably find major albums, but maybe not. They did have one of the largest collections of The Damned I've ever seen, though. You just have to look. It's definitely not like Hastings, or any of the large music stores that have 5000 copies of the new Green Day album, but nothing by the Flying Burrito Brothers. I actually found a couple there, which was a bit shocking. By the way, as a note to whoever's in charge of re-releases...Look, Gram Parsons just got a re-release of his solo work, how about the Burrito Bros. I'm thinking Guilded Palace of Sin. Come on. Rhino, I'm looking at you.
Anyway, when I'm looking for something specific I still use Amazon, but when I'm just out looking for anything, Charley's is the way to go. I actually found a copy of "Stars" in the 45 bin. "Stars" is the heavy metal "We are the World" type song produced by Ronnie James Dio in the 80's. How can you help but buy that one. You should really hear it if you haven't. It's God awful, a definite keeper.
Another interesting thing about Charley's is that there's a Soda Fountain connected to the record shop, I've never ordered anything there, since I've always spent everything I have at the record store first, but you might be differently inclined.
The only real problem I have with almost any small record store is the employees. They're always a touch on the condescending side, but Charley's isn't nearly as bad as Wherehouse Music for that. Charley, himself, is actually a really nice guy. So, to recap...tons of new and used records, bin after bin of 45's, a sizeable collection of tapes, a lot of varied and unpredictable CD's (including some amazing bootlegs), a few DVD's, some posters, incense and other oddities and a soda fountain. All in all, I think it's the best music store Albuquerque has to offer. If you're in town, or just haven't been there in a while, check it out. As for the rest of this musical week. Tomorrow's rant tackles the big one...Clear Channel, some various musical thoughs on mix tapes on Monday, and Tuesday a review of Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, one of the albums I bought at Charley's this weekend.
Currently listening to: Malcolm X Motion Picture Soundtrack
Currently Reading: Richard Butz - How to Carve Wood
Last Netflix Movie: The Missing
So, Charley's is a great little store. I prefer it to Krazy Kat, because the atmosphere is so much better. It's actually just down the road from where Title Wave Books used to be at Pennsylvania and Menaul. I was really only going to check it out and buy an album to use for my Tuesday music segment, but 70$ later I wound up with quite a few more things. They have a large selection of used LP's (those are the large 12 inch records) and 45's (the 7 inch ones with the big holes. Ok, I'll stop now) both new and used. They even have one of the Beatles' butcher cover albums, if you're willing to spend some serious cash. I found a large box of Zappa albums, Moby Grape, the Stones, Floyd, all kinds of things. In the 45 bins there are just as many great, or at the least unusual things as well.
They also have a large collection of used cassettes, which is really unusual to find these days. I prefer records to tapes, but it's still an interesting collection to look through. As you might expect they carry CD's as well, though it's a little bit of a duck shoot as to what you'll find. You never know. You'll probably find major albums, but maybe not. They did have one of the largest collections of The Damned I've ever seen, though. You just have to look. It's definitely not like Hastings, or any of the large music stores that have 5000 copies of the new Green Day album, but nothing by the Flying Burrito Brothers. I actually found a couple there, which was a bit shocking. By the way, as a note to whoever's in charge of re-releases...Look, Gram Parsons just got a re-release of his solo work, how about the Burrito Bros. I'm thinking Guilded Palace of Sin. Come on. Rhino, I'm looking at you.
Anyway, when I'm looking for something specific I still use Amazon, but when I'm just out looking for anything, Charley's is the way to go. I actually found a copy of "Stars" in the 45 bin. "Stars" is the heavy metal "We are the World" type song produced by Ronnie James Dio in the 80's. How can you help but buy that one. You should really hear it if you haven't. It's God awful, a definite keeper.
Another interesting thing about Charley's is that there's a Soda Fountain connected to the record shop, I've never ordered anything there, since I've always spent everything I have at the record store first, but you might be differently inclined.
The only real problem I have with almost any small record store is the employees. They're always a touch on the condescending side, but Charley's isn't nearly as bad as Wherehouse Music for that. Charley, himself, is actually a really nice guy. So, to recap...tons of new and used records, bin after bin of 45's, a sizeable collection of tapes, a lot of varied and unpredictable CD's (including some amazing bootlegs), a few DVD's, some posters, incense and other oddities and a soda fountain. All in all, I think it's the best music store Albuquerque has to offer. If you're in town, or just haven't been there in a while, check it out. As for the rest of this musical week. Tomorrow's rant tackles the big one...Clear Channel, some various musical thoughs on mix tapes on Monday, and Tuesday a review of Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, one of the albums I bought at Charley's this weekend.
Currently listening to: Malcolm X Motion Picture Soundtrack
Currently Reading: Richard Butz - How to Carve Wood
Last Netflix Movie: The Missing
posted by brian at 2:28 AM
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