Why Did I Buy This?

I didn't pack an LP mailing box when we went to Canada last year. I've mailed LPs home that I bought while traveling before, but it's a pain to get them to a post office, and that takes valuable time away from the family's vacation. The process feels selfish, and I promised myself I wouldn't do it again. 

I was regretting that decision after spotting some British New-Wave records in a thrift store. 

The OMD single "Shame" is a 12" single from 1987. The Naked Eyes LP is from 1983. The records were behind the counter's glass, so I'm sure they cost more than the riffraff in the boxes out on the tables. I didn't bother asking to see them even though I wanted to. I've been listening to the 1st Wave channel on Sirius XM, and that has renewed my interest in eighties music.

I've had this conversation with a friend at work who also collects records. He likes to point out that you hardly ever find LPs from the 80s for sale, "Where are they all? Bands like R.E.M. sold millions of records in the 80s, but you never see them anywhere!" 

He's not wrong. Decent LPs from the 60s and the 70s can be found if you're diligent. CDs dominated the 90's and 00s, so it's not surprising that LPs from that time are hard to score in the wild. But what about the 80s era? I have no idea where those records are hiding.

That brings me to this record. 

The back is even worse.

See? I told you. Let's look inside.

Man, the inner sleeve is really gross.

Yeah, I'm not sure that I should have even brought this thing into the house. 

Actually, the vinyl itself doesn't look too bad.

This Naked Eyes 12" single, "(What) in the name of love", is from 1984. My guess is that it was a new record that was dropped in the rain while someone was bringing it in from the car. Whoever made the fumble brought the record inside and left it to dry lying flat on its back. Then most of the back's artwork stuck to whatever surface it was lying on. 

I'm surprised that someone kept it for forty years after that. It's also kind of surprising someone would even donate a record in this condition to a thrift store. What's even more surprising than that is that someone actually bought a record in this condition. 

So, why (in the name of love) did I buy this?

1) The record looked sad and lonely.

2) That whole thing about 80s LPs being hard to find.

3) I had a hunch that this would clean up and sound okay. 

4) In the back of my mind, there was always something there to remind me that I didn't buy that Naked Eyes LP while we were in Canada. 

The first thing I did was throw that disgusting inner sleeve away. Next I cut away any debris from the outer sleeve that was going to fall off. I then vacuumed cleaned each side of the vinyl three times - two washes with record cleaner and one rinse with distilled water - and let the surfaces air-dry.

Looking pretty shiny there, guy. I can clearly see my reflection.

I slid the vinyl into a new paper inner sleeve, and then slid that into a new blank outer sleeve that's hiding behind the Naked Eyes sleeve. The whole thing is also covered by a clear protective sleeve. 

That's more sleeves than I wearing right now. 

How does sound after cleaning?

There is hardly any noise when the needle drops into the lead-in groove. The music is bright and doesn't suffer from surface noise. I don't think this vinyl spent much, if any, time on a turntable. I have new records that don't sound this clean.

I know this isn't a great story, and this isn't a great record, either. 

But you know what? 

I like 'em both. 

Thrift Store Show and Tell: A Loooong Search and other Musings

Mr. Randy Slobe was one of my high school teachers and coaches. I liked and respected him. He gave good lectures, and he knew when to throw in a joke or an aside. 

Mr. Slobe told a story about being on a trip to California and finding a John Denver record that he wanted to buy, but he didn't know how he could bring the LP safely home in this luggage. "It had these great songs dedicated to Spiro Agnew and Richard Nixon. John sang, 'I'll sing you a song of Spiro Agnew and all the things that he's done...' and the song just stops there. It's hilarious. "The Ballad of Richard Nixon" is even shorter. There's just a few seconds of silence and then he starts playing the next song."

Mr. Slobe lamented that he never found the record for sale in Iowa, and all he could remember about it was that it was green. I remember thinking, I bet I can find that record for him. But I couldn't find it. 

I don't have "Find that record for Slobe" on any obsessive to-do lists, but if I'm in a record store and I pass by the D section, I often flip through it looking for a green, John Denver album. I've found the "ballads" on YouTube, but I couldn't get my hands on a physical copy.

Yesterday afternoon I stopped by Goodwill and flipped through a box of records. I found this John Denver LP from 1969.

I laughed out loud when I flipped it over and read the song list. There were the Spiro Agnew and Richard Nixon ballads!

I bought it, cleaned it, and gave it a listen. Errr, it's John Denver... I had hopes for his cover of the Beatles' "When I'm Sixty Four" , but he used that ragtime style that was briefly revived in the late 60's. I don't think I'll play this album often. I also don't think I'll call up Mr. Slobe and ask, "Hey, this is Brent Monson, class of '87, do you still want that record you were talking about in '85?" That would be way too weird. But it did feel good to finally itch that scratch after 36 years. 

This Flying Burrito Bros is a bit more interesting, and it also came out in 1969. This is an early country rock release, and The Gilded Palace of Sin is also hard to find "out in the wild."  It's in pretty nice shape, but I got so excited when I found it, I dropped it on my foot. Then a small strip of the cover came off while I was carefully removing the sticker price tag. You can see the damage on Graham Parson's right knee. The longer I own this LP the less it is worth...

Here's Moby Grape's 1967 psychedelic rock release. This is the uncensored cover with Don Stevenson's finger before it was air-brushed away. Don is expressing my feelings about Goodwill price stickers. The damage is by his hand. I don't know why I thought I could skip the hairdryer method.

How can you not buy a  jazz-funk-soul record titled Autophysiopsychic? Just playing this record makes me feel cooler, even if Mr. Lateef knows I'm not.

I can now use these vintage Columbia SH-21 headphones if I don't want to share this music with the rest of the house.

Pint glasses also pair well with vinyl records. The Bad Weather Brewing Company is located in St. Paul, MN. Bobbers Bar is also located in Minnesota at the Williams Narrows Resort. I like how the waves in their glass mimic the movement of a bobber on the water. Check out the bottoms of those Top O'Mast glasses; they won't tip over very easily. I suppose that would be handy in a busy nightclub, but the Top O'Mast lounge at Fort Myers Beach closed in 2014. 

Hellboy lunchbox: totally unnecessary, but will look cool in my classroom on a shelf.

Look out! He's coming for ya!