Friday, June 26, 2009

How...


6-26-09 Yesterday was where – Today is “How”


I have always suspected that San Francisco and Las Vegas record stores went to L.A. to source inventory. 40 years ago, there was a formidable record industry presence in San Francisco, but I’m not so sure it exists there anymore. As a youngster, I remember cruising the San Francisco telephone book, in search of record stores – and seeing that there was an office for Apple Records in S.F.!


And these days, I believe I am starting to see the phenomena – particularly in Las Vegas – of people obviously buying stuff off of the internet, but fencing it at a local store, once they’ve put it on their iPod. It’s one thing to see some progressive rock in a used CD bin – but where did it come from? If nowhere in L.V. is selling prog rock…did somebody mail-order it and not like it? Or did they mail-order it and just load it onto a digital music device and jettison the artifact?


Loads of cool music turn up at amoeba Hollywood because it’s in Hollywood – what’s left of the music business is nearby. ‘Reps’ fence promos, publishers fence promos, low-lifes fence their collections when rent is due – or when they need a drink / fix.


Once upon a time, there was cool stuff in L.A. record stores because there were people who knew what they were doing – doing the ordering. Much love to Dana Madore (Moby Disc, Aron’s etc.), and Tom Recchion (Poo Bah Record Shop, Pasadena). These days? IO think it’s just the sheer numbers – there are so many people in L.A., the stuff just flows into Amoeba Hollywood. I can see that it is obvious to me that there isn’t a buyer there stocking the store with the expertise of Dana or Tom. I guess you do end up with some cool stuff, when you buy “one of everything”.


I really hate that on-line music sales (both mail-order and downloads) have cut into the brick and mortar record store business – at least on the west coast. But if I want to see a really well-done comprehensive list of new releases these days, I must rely on internet retailers – or Japanese websites! And I ‘read’ Japanese magazines (“Strange Days” and “Record Collector”)


Dang, I sure have a lot of stuff. I can sometimes wander in my own collection for days, weeks…but that ‘force of nature’ always seems to encourage me to go look for more. What don’t I already have? What am I interested in today? I will always love going out and looking through record stores – yet, I also do sometimes buy via internet (Wayside Music, eBay, Amazon.co.uk etc.)


I wish everyone a peaceful summer weekend looking for records / CD’s. I am also attending the Los Angeles Film Festival on Saturday. At the Hammer Museum, I’m going to see an old favorite of mine: “Hot Rods To Hell” starring Dana Andrews. Ever seen it? It’s a groovy slice of 1967 big screen hot rod buffoonery – with lot of unlikely characters, some amazing dialogue and some ‘groovy chicks’.


4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hot Rods To Hell on the Big Screen?! Massive Envy! Too bad it's not a drive in. An ideal "A" color feature to have the B&W "Kitten With A Whip" double-billed with, non? The second best punks of all time are in HR2H, with the exception of Mimsy Farmer, who makes my screen punk A-list. The screen where she s;ams the door on Duke in the bungalow is just so cold!But really, the punks in Kitten manage to outclass Duke & gang, if just barely. "Hey buddy, I feel no pain."

Ron Kane said...

That's right, Jim-san - "Hot Rods To Hell" on a big screen - at a $$$$ art gallery!!

"What's for kicks anymore?"

Ron Kane said...

Jim-san,

"Hot Rods To Hell" was glorious on a big screen. It was a fairly clean print of the FILM, and there was definitely stuff in this print that I had never seen before. My only copy was taped off of the dreaded TV - way back. This was 107 min of 'excitement'!

- Ron

Anonymous said...

By gar, there should be parts you don't remember from TV. After all, this was intended to be one of the first Made For TV movies but it turned out just too hottttt - sssssssss - for the small screen!

Of course, the biggest negative role model in the whole schmeer was Lank Dailey! I am privileged to work with a guy who reminds me of Lank.