The Devil Made Me Do it (“big-box record stores are such a drag…”)
As a rule, I can't stand giving my money to the big-box record store chains. There is no feel there, no personality and certainly no charm. Its all profits and loss and debits and credits. This is not to say that our independent record store friends aren't in the game to make some bread…they are. It is just that these guys aren't afraid to leave a little blood on the tracks.
When I was living in Sydney Australia, I only bought my music from one shop and one shop only…Mojo Music (see pic for a snap of the shop). The owner (I calls him The Kingfish) runs a bow-down operation. Check out this post to learn a bit about the most down-right, damn-straight, hot shit record shop south of the sun: "If you ever get lonely, you go to the record shop and visit all of your friends…".
All that being said…I'm a fucking rat-fink. I went to the dark-side the other day…the HMV on Oxford St. in London. I wanted to pick up the latest/last release from my ol' pal Johnny Cash. I figured I would pick this up in a quick dash and grab to get a new release. Usually I love to hunt for buried treasure only found in used vinyl shop. Anyhow, this newbie is the last in the American Recording series from Rick Rubin & Johnny: "American Recordings VI: Ain't No Grave". It is a stellar swan-gsong from a lost legend. This record is still riding towards the setting sun…I miss Johnny Cash.
I went down the bottom floor of the HMV and saw two things that knocked me out: a full on dedicated display to ACE Records and a country music section that was, well, a country-mile wide.
ACE Records' HQ is here in London, so I wasn't surprised to see the display…but sho' nuff if it didn't look impressive.
I found me a blue ribbon prize in the country section, too…black gold. I picked up my fave Willie Nelson album…on a shinny new piece of vinyl, no less. This is my favorite Willie period. During this time he made the records he wanted and had a full-on, all-out ball doing it with his Family Band.
Here are three ditties from Ol' Willie from that chestnut of an album: "Shotgun Willie", "Devil in a Sleepin' Bag" & "Stay All Night". The last song is a live version of the song…listen to Willie riff on Trigger (that's his trusty old guitar for those of you who don't know).
p.s. Hey Kingfish…sorry about going into HMV. It won't happen again…
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Just to be clear, the 3rd pic is Mojo Records in Sydney (one of my fave places in the world & fave people)