In a sad attempt to bring new ratings into the Crabb House of Hits, we didn't get much on the Nobody Loves You Blog. Guess nobody does love me then. However upon looking at the traffic resources I've seen a visitor from Iran and China, to which I'm sure both were immedity arrested and charged for crimes against humanity and were stoned to death in the process. Or it may have been AJAD himself, although I'm sure it wasn't since he and his Ayatollah buddies are planning world domination. But if its the rare music fan from Iran then all apologies and glad y'all stopped by.
This Saturday is National Record Store Day, to which the major labels think up some rare overpriced albums and singles to sell for the record collector in you and me. Only problem is that record stores are like drive ins; they are getting few and far between. Since they are none in Cedar Rapids or Waterloo or Anamosa, Dubuque and Iowa City are the two logical choices although perhaps Davenport and Co Op Records might have something planned. Then again everytime I go to a music store is my Record Store Day, I just get too involved in the overpriced limited edition sets that I have seen on what's available for Record Store Day this Saturday. Maybe the Foo Fighters Medium Rare LP and I made it known to the record stores out there that if they had it I will arrive at their store but so far they don't seem to care to respond or maybe they just can't get it in. Maybe I'll stay home (GF: yep like's that gonna happen).
In the continuing story of the music of the 90s, I continue to find albums that were left off the lists on the overlong blog written last weekend. For Squirrels, came from Florida and their new album was a week away from being released and they had a bad wreck and lost their lead singer and bass player. For Example (Epic 550 Music-1995) showed their two biggest musical influences which was REM and Nirvana. College radio played Mighty K.C. (a tribute to Kurt Cobain) which the damming line of there by the grace of God go I into the great unknown, and if any good 90's comp albums were out there, this song should have been on it. 8:02 PM, the followup was good radio materal but the bad timing and accident killed any hope and potential For Squirrels would have, in fact I think they would have made it in the music biz. Travis Tooke, the guitar player would actually recruit replacements and tried to tour but it didn't go far and eventually would retire and return with the drummer in tow to form Subrosa, who tend tried to go more toward a Soundgarden style of rock and emo and the end result was the halfassed Never Bet The Devil Your Head, another tax write off for Sony Music. Side note: Nick Launay (of Midnight Oil fame) produced both albums. For Squirrels remained the ultimate what could have been band and you can find their album in the dollar bins in thrift stores. Worth a listen, the Subrosa album you can live without.
You pretty much know the story of my ex high school sweetheart Miss Penny and her dislike of alternative music. I'm sure I have told the story about how we dated twice after high school for two disastrous get together in the late 80s and early 90s. She didn't have a high tolerance for rock music, even back in the 70s, she was into the country stuff from Laurie Morgan and who was popular at that time. She had a great disdain for Nirvana, didn't like Smashing Pumpkins Siamese Dream and less said the better about Urge Overkill Saturation to which that became my go to album when we were going out somewhere in the car. So I guess we were doomed to fail at everytime we decided to get back together. But then again, it wasn't meant to be, she wasn't a music person, I'm not sure what she was good at except bartend and bitch about the clientele that went up there. And last thing she wanted to hear was the feedback laden Stalker from U.O. Which was fine by me after we had a falling out on Valentine's Day and another disaster from a indifferent and couldn't cared less woman. To which I stayed mad and not talked to her unless it was bad for 12 years afterwards.
The music continued to be fun for me. I still bought the classic rock acts such as Get A Grip from Aerosmith or Catfish Rising and Roots To Branches from Jethro Tull. Yes, had Talk and Open Your Eyes. But I do know I was into the alt rockers that didn't make a dent in the charts, The Ass Ponys, The Ape Hangers. I tended to have much open mind and still do to this day and age, even though the new music of the 00's and this decade I'm becoming less receptive just like Miss Penny was back in the 90s. To which my time of era of music remains the 60s through the 90s. And I still think there's more out there that I will discover. It wasn't the end of the world when Jerry Garcia died in 1995, Warren Haynes took over, when The Grateful Dead ended the jams after Garcia's death, Widespread Panic and Phish took over. And Dave Matthews Band too. In some ways Woodstock 99 may have ended the hippie dream once and for all but the original Woodstock it was peace and love (and getting a piece too) but the 94 and 99 disaster was all about the money to which is the norm today. The 90s was the last true decade of music being fun and to be discovered at the music store before the internet took over and pretty much killed off the excitement of the music store. I'm sure we're better off for it but if nothing else the net does grant me the chance to blog and have a few folks reading yet another music site about forgotten music or music of my years.
The record store is dying breed, only succeeds in college towns or liberal cities. Sometimes when I read Bob Lefsetz's blogs I tend to wonder if he is rooting for the remaining stores to close forever. Technology is wonderful if you can afford it or get it on the sly like Bob does and you have less clutter unlike a record collector but when you been brought up to frequent the music stores on New Release Tuesday like I have been or go to a open music store on a road trip, you can't give it up so easy if you don't want to. Just like me. I don't want it to end, that's why I keep doing it, just like the 20 or 30 folk that go up to Half Priced Books everyday. I think Jim Kibler lives there more than I do. If National Record Store Day is a rip off then folks are advised to not go then. But when I go a store this weekend, it's because of hoping to find something of value, something that will get me to listen to it. I have a list of what's available at Record Collector in IC or Moondog Music or CD's 4 Change in Dubuque. I also know there's nothing in Waterloo, nothing in Cedar Rapids and nothing in Ames anymore. National Record Store Day can be looked at a ploy by the major labels to get people to overpay on limited edition copies of 45s or CDs that won't be much value till 10 or 15 years from now if we're still alive to enjoy it. But for myself, I go there for the unknown just waiting to be picked up and listened to and make a comment about it.
That's all that matters to me.
Post Script: Kirk from Record Collector said the shipments for the Sonic Youth/Nirvana EPs didn't come in and wasn't too pleased about that. Major label mentality always sucks he says. Yep, it was like that 20 years ago when I worked at the music store and Jerry couldn't get certain promos in. That's the problem with record mergers, they never seem to be in it for the music lover. Just the bottom line of $$$. Fuck the consumer. Maybe I'll say the hell with it and forgo National Record Store Day.
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