6/25 Backspin Records

How do you know if you've gone to a good record store? (I know it sounds like a bad joke) Well if you come out with an armful of classics, that's usually a good sign.

I was driving around and I saw this record store (it was too late for me to go in there when I was initially). They're pretty good, everything is priced really good and they have a pretty big selection. Every record store has to have it's thing and this one is all about DJ stuff, so if you're into that stuff this is the store for you. Still they have a wall dedicated to rock. There were some things that really bugged me though... They didn't have any captain beefheart or david bowie. Sure beefheart is more understandable, but no bowie? Come on...

Anyways... the records
Beggar's Banquet by the Stones -- 10
Big Hits (High Tide and Green Grass) by the Stones -- 5
Da Capo by Love -- 5
VU by The velvet underground (reissue) -- 13
Terror Twilight by Pavement (reissue) -- 12
Trans-europe Express by Kraftwerk -- 9

If you're new to shops remember these things.
1) Always play the record to check for condition (Although this store's records were really really really clean)
2) Always go through the new arrival bin. I swear, really good deals are always in there. This time both beggar's banquet and trans-europe express were in there.

Ok so Beggar's Banquet. This record marked the end of early stones and the beginning of classic stones. Sure the early stuff is great but this is the first album that's on a higher level completely. I mean how can you go wrong? It starts off with sympathy for the devil, and mid way it gets more energy on street fighting man and it caps off with the glorious salt of the earth. As I said, this album returns to a more bluesish sound after the psychedelic their satanic majesties request. Still a great record. (I got the 1986 reissue with the intended cover, the 1968 was just white with letters on it).

Big Hits is a compilation from their first five albums. Eh... it's sort of a stand in until I find those first five albums for decent prices... Hell how can you not have I can't Get No Satisifaction or get off of my cloud in your collection.

Terror Twilight was pavement's last album. It was produced by Nigel Godrich who frequently worked with radiohead and beck sometimes... It's so much different from slanted and enchanted and you can really tell how much they've grown up. It's got some really mellow tracks but some classics too. I don't know if I'm impressed by Nigel... he called cut my hair "the special haircut song"...

The first three velvet underground albums were on Verve/MGM. Verve dropped them because they weren't selling (surprise). But they were in the process of working on the fourth album for Verve... these are some of those tracks and some others. It's pretty cool, stephanie says is great. Oh... speaking of the velvets, Backspin had their fifth offical release "Squeeze". If it wasn't so expensive or mediocre I would have gotten it. But how good could an album with only Doug Yule, Mo Tucker, Sterling Morris, and some other guy be? I mean it sort of falls apart without lou. Oh... and the price for this record was great because the label is selling it for 17.

I was really surprised at seeing kraftwerk. If you don't know who they are, let me explain kraut rock. During the 70's in germany a lot of bands starting coming up with an emphasis on continuous chugging rhythm. Kraftwerk fits in but they're more interested in electronics so they're pretty influential to techno and the like. I haven't heard this album before, but I'm looking forward to it.

Da Capo (or the other love record) is one of those records that you always see reissues of. Arthur Lee's sort of interesting because, besides Jimi Hendrix, He seems to be the only black musician into psych rock during the 60's. Anyways, this album has the classic Seven and Seven Is. I was sort of freaked out when I was looking at the record though. The second side is one track! Apparently it's a jam... oh boy.... Oh... once again, the original of this record is FAR cheaper than the reissue (20 bucks). Sure it's not 180 gram or virgin vinyl, but that shouldn't cost four times the amount.