An Appreciation: RECORD STORES

An Appreciation:

RECORD STORES

Ever since I was a child, record stores have fascinated me.  Being raised on many types of music (The Beatles, The Monkees, Neil Diamond and Glen Campbell to name a few), I was always excited about songs that really struck a chord with me... long before I even knew what a chord was!

In the beginning, mom and dad satisfied my musical appetite by handing down copies of Beatles albums or buying me albums on my birthday and Christmas.  Every note was magical, every melody was an audio dream that unfolded in my tiny little mind...

I was so excited when I finally started getting an allowance.  OK, maybe the first year or so, I spent all the money on candy and comic books, but when I was old enough to walk to any local record store (Licorice Pizza), my allowance was spent on seven inch singles and LPs in the cut-out bins.  At that time, I couldn't afford a full priced album and if I wanted a new album, I had to add it to my want list for future gift-recieving holidays.

But then, when my allowance went up a little or when I'd get money from grandma and grandpa (or other relatives), it was straight to Licorice Pizza I'd go.  While my tastes may have been limited at that exact moment, there was still so much to choose from.

But in 1977, when I was 14, I saw The Jam and The Clash on TV and my limited view was shaken to it's core and broken wide open.  "There IS a musical world outside of my transistor radio!", I thought to myself.  Little did I know that, 33 years later I'd still be excited and inspired by music, both new and old.  In fact, I think I've only gotten worse!

Anyway, as I came to my awkward teens, music became a way to communicate with people.  If I had friends that were going through hard times, a mixtape could surely cheer up their day.  If I had a girlfriend and couldn't find the right words to say, a Paul McCartney album would always do the trick.  If I couldn't think of the perfect gift for a family member's birthday, why not buy 'em The Eagles' Greatest Hits or Hotel California?

People who know me know that I am never short on words, so if I was handing out mixtapes or albums to people, that meant that those particular albums or songs meant something to ME and I wanted them to mean just as much to THEM.  I would head up to Licorice Pizza and spend my own money just to try to add a little bit of sunshine into their day.  To be honest, sometimes it worked sometimes it didn't... but at least I tried.

I spent so much time at Licorice Pizza during the late '70s that I could have actually worked there.  Then, as I got older and had friends that could drive, it was on to Tower Records, Beggar's Banquet, Music Plus, The Wherehouse and any other record store within a 5 mile radius.  Almost every day.  Definitely every weekend.  We just wanted to experience the sights, sounds, smells and vibes of any record store that stocked a good amount of LPs and singles.  Sometimes we had money, sometimes we didn't... but we ALWAYS heard good tunes and had a great time.

While I did OK at school and had a great family, music spoke to me louder and clearer than any book or teacher.  In fact, some of the most influential people in my young life were those record store employees who would introduce me to new music, either suggesting something or just by playing it in the store.  I didn't read the music rags of the day because I wanted to spend every penny on something new and exciting.  After all these years, it's still the same.

Many of my long-lasting friendships have been made in a record store.  Apart from my school buddies, I'd meet new folks with similar musical tastes and we'd make suggestions back and forth.  I still talk to many of these folks today and I'm still sharing my latest musical passions with them. 

My life would not have been the same were it not for the record stores (and CD stores) that I would frequent during this very important time in my life.  It pains me to no end when I think that the youth of today don't bother with experiencing the joys of seeking out new music in their local record stores.

Two and a half decades ago, there was so much on offer here in OC in regards to record stores: Music Market, Camel Records, Music Plus, Licorice Pizza, Record Trading Center, Pepperland, The Wherehouse, Beggars Banquet, Up Another Octave, Tower Records and many others that are swimming around in my memory banks. Of all those great spots, only Pepperland remains. The others disappeared over the years (and many of them long before downloading began replacing the shopping experience).

In a perfect world, I'd be shopping in one of them now.  But, I really don't mind taking a long drive to L.A. to hit Amoeba every now and then.

Now, I'm not one who is against the idea of legal downloading (I've done the odd track here and there myself), but at the end of the day, after you've paid your money, what do you have? NOTHING! There are files in your computer that seemingly play the music for you, but is that really enough? Can you hold it? Can you feel it? Can you smell it? Can you see it? You didn't buy anything tangible: there are nothing but files on your hard drive made up of numbers, letters and codes. Where is the fun in that? What kind of memories will that leave behind?

An imperfect (and slightly offensive) analogy would be: does internet porn REPLACE an intimate physical relationship with someone? I think not. Same with music: how can someone possibly be satisfied with a download of an entire album when they can actually own a physical piece of product? As I stated before, I am NOT anti-downloading; I am pro-record store! I must admit that the internet IS a great place to LISTEN to new stuff and make your purchasing decisions, though.

In terms of buying your item, the ideal situation is to go to your local indie record store and buy it. If it's not in stock, then have them special order it. It may not be instant gratification, but within a few days, you'll have what you need and you will enjoy the heck out of it. You'll be able to hold it, look at it, listen to it, read the liner notes, etc. You can then load it into your computer and enjoy listening to it that way as well, but the important thing is that you own it. It is yours. It is something you can show to your friends. It is something physical... something REAL.

For many of us, music is more than just a hobby... it was an emotional experience that is hard to describe. There are those of us who LIVE for music. It's not just something that is played in the background: it is the soundtrack to our lives!

About a decade ago, I came up with a motto that fits me to a T: "Some of my best friends are three minutes long"! And that still rings true.

Even today at the age of 49, I listen to music in the morning, afternoon and evening. I write about music all day long. I still get together with friends on a regular basis and discuss music, play music and hear new music that they share with me. I'm not the only one like this: there are others! Perhaps even YOU! But are there places for all of us to meet anymore? The record store was (and is) more than just a place to spend money: it was a place to spend time, meet like-minded people and learn about new music (or even older releases you may have missed first time around).

There are still plenty of sports bars around for all the sports fans to gather and enjoy a game together and that is awesome. There are upscale coffee shops everywhere where folks can get together and be arty and pretentious, and that, too, is awesome. But all the record stores I remember from my youth have closed down.

It is up to US to support the ones that are still left standing. And if you visit one of them as often as possible, then THANK YOU. Visit them again tomorrow... and next weekend, too! Perhaps the kids of today and tomorrow will one day realize that the record store experience is amazing indeed. It is up to US to show them the way.

Appreciating the record stores I used to shop at...

I used to spend so much time record shopping in Orange County that I rarely did anything else apart from go to school. I never went camping, never went bowling, never went dancing and didn't get into a whole lotta trouble. But, there were records to be bought, music to be heard and mixtapes to be made.

When I went to record stores, it was always with the people that I loved the most: friends and family. Mostly friends, though. My family didn't seem to share the same passion that I had for music. Sure, I'd go to Beggars Banquet on Beach and Ball with my brother Michael and I'd walk to Licorice Pizza on Brookhurst and Chapman with my little sister Kristin, but most of my record shopping was spent with very cool friends.

Below, I've listed a few of my favorite destinations, all of them gone now (apart from Pepperland). So many memories attached to the music, the friends and the stores we used to spend so much time in......

All but one are gone....

MUSIC MARKET: 

Costa Mesa

I'd go to Music Market (on Harbor and Adams) with Jeff George, Chuck Reddick, Jannette Arnold, Bill Damron, Dana Gohs, Fred Grindle, Matthew Cibellis and many others. We always had a great time sharing our newly purchased treasures.

Memorable purchases at Music Market include an import copy of Badfinger's Straight Up LP plus hundreds of import and domestic albums by the new wave bands I loved like Four Out Of Five Doctors, The Farmer's Boys, Dexys Midnight Runners, Icehouse, The Keys, Hawks, The Elektrics, Naked Eyes, The Fixx, A Flock Of Seagulls, Fischer Z and many other bands you either don't remember or don't know! Horizontal Brian, anyone?

CAMEL RECORDS:
Huntington Beach

I'd go to Camel Records on Beach Boulevard with Jeff, Jannette, Chuck, Matthew and others. I even went to a Fixx instore there with my sister Kristin, I believe? I also remember a Split Enz instore that was cancelled!

Memorable purchases at Camel include China Crisis singles, the XTC/Three Wise Men Christmas single, Wang Chung 12" singles, The Fixx "Saved By Zero" 12" single and much more!

(P.S. During our trip to Camel, we'd always stop by the Mad Greek over on Chapman and Beach. )

LICORICE PIZZA: 
Garden Grove, Anaheim, Fountain Valley

I would also hit each of the Licorice Pizza's in town on different occasions with Jeff, Jannette, Matthew, Chuck, Fred, David Wilcox, Gerardo Marti and whoever else felt like coming along. I remember skipping school ONCE in my senior year and going to the Licorice Pizza in Hollywood with Chuck and his friend Lisa. Didn't have $$, but saw some cool things there. I ended up working at the one on Brookhurst and Chapman.

At the LP in Garden Grove, I remember buying an import copy of the Jam's "Going Underground" double seven inch single when it first came out. And albums from Yachts, Bram Tchaikovsky, The Records, the Clash, The Jam, and many others. At the Fountain Valley location, I bought albums by The Nits, Captain Sensible and more.

RECORD TRADING CENTER (RTC): 
Orange

Record Trading Center on Tustin was always a favorite, but I'd usually forget how to get there since I never drove in those days! So, I'd usually tag along with a friend of they were going!

Don't remember too much that I bought there cuz they were often times too expensive, but I do remember finding the import copy of Secret Affair's Glory Boys album with a totally different cover (glossy, too) and tracklisting. Oh, and I bought the first Breathe and Black albums on one of my last visits there.

MUSIC PLUS:
Garden Grove, Westminster and ?

There were a few Music Plus stores we'd go to: Harbor Ave in Garden Grove, the one near Goldenwest College and a few others that slip my mind. Music Plus was almost always good, but it was never an important stop for us. We'd usually go when we'd already hit every other store that week. I remember times with Chuck, Jeff G. and others.

I do remember buying Depeche Mode's A Broken Frame import when it first came out. And The Jam's "Start" seven inch vinyl when that first came out. Both of those were purchased at the Goldenwest one. And I remember a Music Plus on Brookhurst, where I bought the 2nd Laughing Dogs album

TOWER RECORDS: 
Buena Park

The Tower Records in Buena Park was the place I'd go to before even knowing about all these other record stores (bar Beggars Banquet). Sometimes, I'd even walk there from Garden Grove with a friend or two (namely Fred Grindle, who got egged once while we were walking back from a trek to Tower and Beggars). Tower was the bomb.

Bought albums from A Flock Of Seagulls, Haircut 100, Badfinger, The Rutles, The Residents and so many more. Hell, yeah. I bought TONS of stuff there!

BEGGARS BANQUET: 
Buena Park

Located on Beach and Ball, Beggars Banquet was the real first 'collectors' store I'd frequent. Obviously, I used to buy Beatles, Elvis and Badfinger stuff there, but then I'd scour the bins for the latest Punk and Power Pop/New Wave releases. I later worked there once a week for about a year (my day off from the bank!)

Totally remember buying the very first Plimsouls EP, Zero Hour. Heard them on Rodney On The Roq and never thought I'd be able to find their record. Lo and behold, there it was up on the wall rack, just waiting for me to buy it

PEPPERLAND: 
Anaheim

Pepperland was always a fun stop for oldies and such, but I didn't buy many 'new' music there until the CD age, which is not what I'm focusing on in this article.  But, boy, did I end up buying a lot there as there years rolled by! Thankfully, they are still around but located in Orange.

Then there was always the great Zed Records in Long Beach, but I don't really consider them part of the area we'd always travel in....

There's so much more to talk about, but I can see that you're getting a tad bit bored, so I'll stop there.

Nowadays, heading out to Amoeba in Hollywood is an amazing trek. It's like combining all my favorite elements from the above record stores into one.  And I never remember how to get to the great Fingerprints in Long Beach, but it's a great store.  As is Rhino Records in Claremont...

Peace, love and records galore,

Stephen SPAZ Schnee

The views and opinions expressed in this posting are strictly those of the author. And possibly of other people as well.  But I can't name names.  You know who you are.