Glory days

I've been thinking a lot lately about the good times we used to have at the indie record store. We were known for being ill tempered, and we embraced this title. In those days being shitty was an art form, an act that could be seen through if you tried. It was a gag you could be in on, if you could stop being offended long enough and were so inclined. Nowadays everyone has shitty service, and there's nothing fun about it. Fucking amateurs. I loved that the Austin Chronicle described our demeanor as 'acting like we are in the final days of Hitler's bunker'

We had certain gags that were our reason for living;


We would often play the loudest, foulest music we had available. When we were ready for a change we would simply lift the needle off the record, no fade outs at Sound Exchange that move was way too corporate. Hey man if you want a fade out, go up to Hastings or Tower. All too often when the music ends abruptly some wise ass customer will say 'thank you...sheeesh' This was not a welcome response, so we would put the needle right back on the record and turn up the volume even louder. We are not here to make you happy! Valerie taught me that trick and I loved her for it. Valerie was a natural. Valerie was doing you a favor by being in the same room, and I still have a Suzi Quatro record she gave somebody a dime for in my name.

I specialized in listing fake new releases on the board.

1-21
Morrissey-The high hard one
Cure-Kissing Christmas cats
1-25
Sting-Wanker since the police
2-1
Tommy Shaw-The genius songwriter collection
Bernie Taupin-The instrumentals

I remember it fondly but at the time I was hating it. I was just biding my time until my boy John came up there so we could go the Cannibal club or the Dog and Duck.

I lost touch with a lot of my old pals (as I expressed regret over on this blog) but through the miracle of technology I've been finding them one by one.

Youth was wasted on the young-as they say