The Ann Arbor Bargain Hunt

Revised because we care.

Last weekend I was up in Ann Arbor to visit the famed Encore Recordings.  It takes about 8 hours from here to get there.

Detroit Radio was Godawful and none of the radio stations stood out.  Fresh 100.3 may as been called KDAT and what annoyed us both was the continuation of Train's Hey Soul Sister or Fantasia's piece of shit song or everybody's favorite whoremonger Sheryl Crow Soaking Up The Sun.  Other times was the garbage considered new country or the upcoming fad of Comtempary Christian Music channels of Praise songs that sound all the same.  And of course hearing, Staind's It's Been A While in a half hour basis on two modern rock channels.  No fucking variety whatsoever.   

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DDkmtygYGg&feature=relatedhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DDkmtygYGg&feature=related

I don't know how that link got there but it's a song called No Good To Cry by The Wildweeds who recorded for Cadet in the late 60s.  Al Anderson is the lead vocalist here and he would go on to play in NRBQ and become a hot Nashville session player and songwriter. I love the man.

FYE closed the Ann Arbor Store so I basically just went to Encore Recordings on Saturday Afternoon on the way back home.  Further viewing showed that I missed the one on Portage but then again FYE has been on the long decline for me to really care about then anymore.  I'm sure Moline is still open next time I am in the vicinity. 

I was away from the computer and there wasn't any TV hookup so I didn't get much chance to catch up on things.  I did hear that Donna Summer passed away but that's about all the happenings going on.

Since I-80 was construction Hell, I decided to take US 30 back home but somehow lost out and ended up on US 52 most of the way, except a jaunt into Rochelle, where the Railroad Park is located.  Trains.com has a webcam but the GD thing don't work on my computer so can't watch the trains go by.  Only saw one anyway down the road.  I'm sure I could have made it home by 9 but since I took the long way scenic view home, took me an extra hour and 10 minutes.  The rental that I took I filled up one time and that was in Indiana and even my long way, was enough for me to make it home and not fill up again.  Amazing car that Dodge Avenger.

Even on the way home, I had to stop here.

Encore remains a great place for the harder to find CDs and albums and 45s.  It on the way home.

Finally, after punching buttons on the radio, and tired of hearing the Cubs lose, KUNI started coming through the static of shitty rap, Train's Suck Sister, bad lite rock and alternative music (Metallica alternative?!?).  Thank you Bob Dorr and Backtracks for getting me through the Illinois wasteland on the way back home via Highway 64 through Maquoketa, Wyoming and Anamosa.

Home at last.   Ann Arbor is a fun place to find things and maybe someday I'll return there.