The Record Store

Jack Goldberg has died, the owner of Jack's Rhythms, a small, quintessentially hip record store in my hometown of New Paltz, NY. I didn't know Jack well--the reason being my own social awkwardness, 'cause every other musician and music freak in this town knew him and loved him well. But his was a great store, with all the vibe you could ask for. I'd buy strings there in a pinch and post my gigs on his window. He did turn me on to The Bevis Frond.

And it really brings it back. My childhood record store hangout was a freaking gift store--scented candles, Hallmark...but the manager just happened to be a geek and had that place incredibly well stocked. V-Note, Rhino Records, and Jack's Rhythms would all come later. This college town has supported a lot of small record stores. Jack's is still going and is the longest tenured.

Hey, if you want to learn thing about the efficacy and agency of a generous, knowledgeable small record shop owner, come browse the comments in memory of Jack here:

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#/group.php?gid=229180311905&ref=mf

My childhood hangout record store was an appliance store with a section in back with record bins and two listening booths. Those were the days!

There were only a few record stores in Orange County, CA, when I was growing up. (Honest. There were only a couple hundred thousand people instead of over three million.) Until maybe the mid 60s, to get any real real selection, you had to go to Wallich's Music City in LA.

But in the 60s, some cool little hippie music shops popped up. One of my favorites was Pier Records (unrelated to recent stores of that name) by the 21st Street pier in Newport Beach. (I'll always remember the day I forgot that Neil Young was doing an in-store there. One of my buddies figured I'd be there 'cause he knew I was into the Buffalo Springfield -- and I'd meant to but I was, ahem, a bit distracted that day and probably was in a bit of extended play with my friend the living ocean around the time that Neil was talking to what my pal said were about 4 or 5 people, including him and the shop owner. Ah well, it was a great day, anyhow. )

Over the years there've been other small stores that meant a lot to me. I picked up my interest in the late 80s Bristol dub scene at a little joint called Ten Ton in Long Beach. And there's a very good, and now fairly large record store just up the street from me called Fingerprints that at one point had both ultra-hipster DJ Nobody (Elvin Estela) and Ikey Owens (Mars Volta, formerly in the LB Dub All Stars) working there.

Wallich's Music City, Blue? I used to ride my bike from West Covina to the Wallich's in Covina at the Eastland Mall. It's also where I saw a Tele Thinline for the first time. On a pedestal in a glass case. Walnut body. Hum bucker. F-hole. A thing of beauty. But...

The little record store. I now live a block from Lou's records in Encinitas. It is one of those rare places. New in the south building, all used in the north building. Parking between. There's usually a touring indie band playing the lot on the weekends and we have oodles of skinny jeans and white belts with hand-on-forehead haircuts parking in front of my home.

Anyone driving to San Diego, do yourself a favor and take 10 minutes to peruse Lou's. I-5 south to Leucadia Blvd. Leucadia west to Hwy 101. 101 south 1/2 mile to Lou's.

And stop in and say hi to me too!

I went to school where you are. A nice place New Paltz was. Probably still is but I recall that the main drag was getting really crowded even before I left. I remember P&G's, The Homestead and a restaurant called Spats that had the best roast beef sandwiches in town. I'll bet that Spats is gone. The other places were like institutions but it was a long time ago.

Ah the Walkill and Mohonk....

Ha, you dated yourself by calling it the Homestead--it was McGuinn's in the late '70s and '80s, then the temporary home of The Thesis when the Thesis burned down, then, for a decade or so The Gryphon, where I hosted an electric open mic for 5 years. Now it is a sushi joint called Nekos.

Spats is so long gone, I've never even heard of it, and I've lived here for 42 of my 47 years!

P&Gs is still there and going strong. In fact, I am meeting some friends there tonight.

My hometown record store was a head shop/record shop that smelled like incense, and had an actual live hippie chick behind the counter (girlfriend of the owner). She never said,

Wow!

This post brought back the memories!

I rode my pushbike 4 kilometres to the nearest record store to buy

Led Zeppelin II ... paid AUD 4.92 AUD for it!

Which, ironically was what I paid to see Led Zeppelin live in Adelaide

a few years later.

AUD 4.92!!!!

Times have changed eh?

Just slightly!

A friend had brought the LP over to my place a few days before.

Totally blew me away.

The same friend turned me on to Black Sabbath as well.

I made many more trips to that shop on the old pushie.

Got to know the record shop guy pretty well but never knew his name.

I was only 15/16 at the time.

It wasn't long before I was buying things like Mahavishnu Orchestra,

Zappa, Gentle Giant, Yes etc etc etc .

I have absolutely no idea what happened to my vinyl collection.

Lost in the mists of time.