Michael has been shopping at our new location since we opened two years ago. He and his brother Matthew often times come in together. It took me a while to get his name down; I had to write down an entry in my “customer remembering” notes area (the entry: “Michael and Matthew – Brothers”), but he comes in with enough regularity that it didn’t take too long. He’s a young guy, for sure a child of the digital age, so he doesn’t have to be in here. He’s been trained not to pay for music by all the hilarious marketing and pricing decisions of the corporate geniuses that now run the record labels (don’t get me started). He undoubtedly knows nine ways to acquire music files for free.
Michael and Matthew hang out at our 2nd Annual Vinyl Art Show
But the guy is a music fan. He’s a collector. Like me. Like Kristian. Like many of you. He studies, appreciates, and searches out new music. Not just new music like “this week’s new releases”, but things he hasn’t heard. From whatever era… whatever genre.
Anyway, today Michael was in and I noticed that he had Stevie Wonder’s Talking Book CD in his hand. I said something about it being a great choice, and he said, “Actually, I was also looking for Songs in the Key of Life.”
I knew it was hit or miss. While I love the Songs album enough to have written a separate blog about it (I’m Not a Conductor, But I Play One on the Treadmill), it’s still a $21.99 double CD, and although millions of people know what I mean when I say the album is a true classic, when it comes people buying it for that price, they usually say, “That Greatest Hits CD for $14.99 will just do fine.” So we make it a special order title. It hurts, but that’s the sort of practical decision making you have to make to survive twelve years in a digital universe. Plus, we usually have it around on vinyl, and a lot of people grab it that way.
Sure enough, I was right. The CD had sales, but mainly on special orders. It was not in stock. Now, Michael has ordered plenty of things from us, so I told him we could get it by Tuesday. However, he winced at the price. I told him we could put in a used special order.
Then he held up “Talking Book“ and said, “You’re not going to believe this, but I just heard him for the first time yesterday.”
“Wow, really?”
“Yeah.”
He went on to say that he had heard Innervisions and completely loved it, and Andy jumped in to ramble poetic about Talking Book. We talked about how powerful Stevie was, and customer Rick (the Zonal Wonderboy) said he had seen Stevie with the Stones on Exile on Mainstreet tour (PS. Do not fail to buy the DVD reissue of Ladies and Gentlemen… the Rolling Stones, it rages). Then I rambled back to the Tom Moon story (during our “1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die” interview) about how Stevie was fed the lyrics via headphones about ten seconds before he was going to sing them.
Then Andy said, “Will an LP work?” Michael said yes, and Andy went to look. Not one stinkin’ copy on the floor. ”Check backstock”, I said. Andy went back and returned with a “bargain basement” copy from the backroom. He said it was hidden. The price: $1.
Wow. One dollar for an absolute piece of art! Just a tiny little bit of daily revenue, but I was literally excited for him to get it. He’s a real fan like me, and I knew it was going to move him (hell, I’m listening to Talking Book right now for inspiration, and it’s moving me again). I rambled on about the amazing history lesson that is “Black Man”, and the collaboration with George Benson and Bobbie Humphries on “Another Star”, and how “As” was worth twenty bucks all by itself.
And then I thought the thought that I think all the time: Wow, I wish I could hear that album for the first time again.
I thought it when I sent Tom the James Gang Rides Again. I thought it when Paul bought four titles from the Blues for Rockers blog. I think about it almost every time I know I am putting a classic piece of music in the hands of anyone, old or young, man or woman, that is going to be hearing it for the very first time.
I labeled it as “first-listen jealousy” in the title, but that’s only to a tiny little extent. Mainly, turning people on to something that can potentially resonate positively with them throughout the remainder of their life is a pretty good feeling.
Because great music is good for your soul. An investment in your soul. And I may not have written the music (and by “may”, I mean not a chance), but I can sure as hell help spread it around. And even though I do it because I believe in music, even though I did it for free in high school and college, and even though I’m sure I’ll spread it around long after there ain’t no more record stores… for now, if I can spread it around and make a living for my family, then I’ll keep owning a record store.
Have a good time Michael. That was a buck well spent.
Post Record Store Geek Note: I couldn’t help but listen to “As” during the editing process (yeah, I do occasionally cut some rambling). It’s like an instant burst of pure goodness. In the middle, there’s the beautiful choruses of humming by the back-up singers, and then Stevie bursts in with the rough Stevie voice, and then the smooth Stevie voice. I’m telling you this, I don’t know what God is, but at that point… when Stevie assures you that in spite of your troubles “God knew exactly where he wanted you to be placed”, it sure feels like something pretty powerful had to make that guy. One way or the other, that’s my kinda preacher.
Johnny Young / Chicago Blues / Arhoolie
Smokin’ Price. It’s a lot easier to turn someone on to something new if the price is right… and every one of these classic titles is under $10 on CD. I would like to make a list of ten great new blues releases too, but the damn things are all priced in the fifteen dollar zone. Do we stock them? Yes (or we can special order for nothin’). Am I going to use them to promote blues-conversion? No.
Johnny Winter - 
Big Mama Thornton – 
