2009 Record Sales Rising
This is the inner gatefold of Savoy Brown's minor classic 'Looking In,' one of my favorite record shopping discoveries this past weekend.
About a week ago, my friend Kai emails me about a "GIGANTIC" garage sale of more than 1,000 records - mostly jazz and soul, but some rock, too - on Saturday in Highland Park. It sounded like it would be worth checking out. Thanks, Kai!
So, yesterday morning, before the kids' soccer games, I drive ten minutes to the address listed. Petra thinks I'm a little nuts. 'Have fun,' she says, smiling. Sure enough there are handmade signs and about ten crates of records lined up just inside an attached garage on Highland Avenue. A man is just setting up, but he doesn't mind if I take a look around.
Within ten minutes I have a nice stack of vinyl under my arm.
1. Michael Bloomfield 'Analine' 1977
2. Michael Bloomfield 'Living in the Fast Lane' 1980
3. The Great Society with Grace Slick 'Conspicuous only in Their Absence' 1968
4. Neil Young 'Rust Never Sleeps' 1979
5. Gram Parsons 'Sleepless Nights' 1976
6. Savoy Brown 'Looking In' 1970
7. Led Zeppelin II 1969
8. Led Zeppelin III 1970
My favorite 'finds' are the Bloomfield disks. Bloomfield - formerly of Dylan's band, co-founder of Electric Flag and later the shortlived KGB, and one third of the famed 'Super Sessions' disk with Al Kooper - is a sad story of talent wasted by drugs. One of these records, 'Living in the Fast Lane' is a decent late career soul record on an indie label with very little of the Bloomfield guitar spirit I was anticpating. But he is definitely a factor on 'Analine' an intimate mostly acoustic effort on another little label that sounds great. Together, they are a nice discovery and good listening...
Hearing the Zeppelin and Young records again is also a revelation, and helps me fill in my small but ever growing collection with some essential classics. Hearing the original 'Whole Lotta Love' a week after Adam lambert sings it on American Idol is amusing, too.
But my biggest treat is Savoy Brown's 'Looking In,' one of the band's two great records with 'Raw Sienna,' which I already own. Kim Simmonds soulful and bluesy guitar playing is sadly under-appreciated today. So, check it out and let me know what you think.
...
Later in the day, after the soccer games, I see my friends, Bill and Elizabeth, in the parking lot. Their son's team has just played my daughter's.
Bill: 'Hey, Paul, was that you we saw today in Highland Park coming out of the coffee shop?'
Me: 'Yes, I bought myself a coffee after going to the record sale across the street...'
...
A day passes. Today is Sunday. Earlier this afternoon, my phone rings. It's my friend Bob. He is coming out of a coffee shop on Highland Avenue - the same one! - and he thinks of me.
Bob: 'Hey, Paul, there's a record sale across the street, and I thought you'd like to know about it!'
Me: 'Thanks, Bob. In fact - it's funny you should mention it - I was the first customer of the morning, yesterday!'
Go, figure!
In fact, the seller, George, seems like a really nice guy annd has great taste in reocrds. He is a retired mover and self-described music fan who must have a great collection which he is slowly weeding out with his periodic sales. He is more into jazz now, than rock.
Good for me and my collection! Can't wait for his next sale. If you're interested, check out the Highland Park Community Association website for upcoming sales. I think there is a neighborhood-wide garage sale coming up as well...
George will be there and I will, too.
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