Buying music

[shipbuilder]

Does anyone actually go to record shops any more to buy music? I remember the excitement of traveling by train from my home in Lincoln to Selectadisc in Nottingham to get hold of stuff I'd heard on Peel 'cos that was the only place for MILES you could get anything non chart. Nowadays everything is just THERE so immediately I worry that the yoof are missing out on an amazing experience. Ebay, Amazon, I Tunes, etc mean you never have to wait for anythign really. That said, with a ver few exceptions, record shops (and books shops) outside of London and other big cities are shite so I can understand why people go on line.

[philipchevron]

Does anyone actually go to record shops any more to buy music? I remember the excitement of traveling by train from my home in Lincoln to Selectadisc in Nottingham to get hold of stuff I'd heard on Peel 'cos that was the only place for MILES you could get anything non chart. Nowadays everything is just THERE so immediately I worry that the yoof are missing out on an amazing experience. Ebay, Amazon, I Tunes, etc mean you never have to wait for anythign really. That said, with a ver few exceptions, record shops (and books shops) outside of London and other big cities are shite so I can understand why people go on line.

Actually, the search for decent record shops remains a constant in Pogues touring life, especially by Jem, Darryl and Spider. Music shops are popular too. Darryl bought a new old bass (EB3) in Chicago yesterday and Terry got himself a Gibson mandolin in Dundalk last week.

[kmurray105]

I still go into shops to browse but only buy there when there is an especially good deal on something. Otherwise, I usually buy from Amazon. HOwever, I always check to see what Pogues CDs are in stock. For years, there only thing you would see was Pogue Mahone almost everytime. Thankfully that is now corrected.

[The Duke of Ingmar]

While I guess that most CD shops are quite exchangeable, vinyl shops tend to have a certain character. So whenever I´m in England, Scotland or Ireland, I´m always looking for vinyl shops and stalls. About 15 years ago, when I was in London for the first time, I bought some fine stuff by the Nipple Erectors / the Nips and The Pogues in a vinyl shop in Camden Town named "Out on the floor". It´s been a couple of years, so I don´t know whether it still exists.

[Mick Molloy]

[Terry got himself a Gibson mandolin in Dundalk last week.

Nice! A new one or a classic one?

[DownInTheGround]

I choose 'Off The Beaten Tracks' in Louth, Lincolnshire. It is about the only independant music shop left around here, i refuse in my middle-class rebelious way to shop at HMV or Virgin et al. It costs a little more, but they know thier music in there and will always advise as to what is a good buy.

[Heather]

There is a very good record shop at the top of Bold Street in Liverpool near the bombed out church, can't remember the name off hand, but most of the records they sell are brand new pressings.

I bought Hells Ditch on vinyl there about two years ago.

[Mark_Wafc]

There is a very good record shop at the top of Bold Street in Liverpool near the bombed out church, can't remember the name off hand, but most of the records they sell are brand new pressings.

I bought Hells Ditch on vinyl there about two years ago.

I've been in there too, not sure of the name tho.

In Wigan we've a grand total of zero record schops - although there are regular Music fares which visit town and are well worth spending a couple of hours at.

[fluke]

I only buy vinyl.. I think the search and wait is one of the best parts of collecting music. I go to flea markets and record fairs. What I also love to do is visit a city and take one day for vinyl shopping. Had some great european cities so far..

[Simon]

I buy my cd's mostly online. There are no decend cd shops where i live and those that still remain only have top 20 music.

[idlebagger]

There are a number of decent, backstreet record shops in Birmingham, the nearest major city to me, but even they are quite expensive. I browse all record shops, including the big stores, for music, but rarely purchase anything, and then usually only if its in a sale. I'd rather buy online, especially now that play.com have started their "fair play" service, the savings I can make can be astronomical at times.

[Kilmichael]

Darryl bought a new old bass

Eh?!

I think I've really lost the plot when it comes to buying music. Originally I had everything on vinyl, which I loved, but then I found I couldn't get hold of a decent record player so switched to CD. So then I bought loads of CDs, including all the original versions of the Pogues albums (which I already had on vinyl) and now of course the expanded remasters. I've bought pretty much every Pogues album 3 times! So then I gave all my vinyl away to the lad who lives next door, who it turns out sold it all to buy dope! Git.

Then I tried Mini-disc for a while, boy was that a mistake (you'd have thought I would have learnt when I bought a Betamax video instead of VHS!). So then a year or two ago I decided CD was dead and downloads were the way to go, so I started downloading stuff (legally, I migh add - I'm not a thief). Trouble is, with downloads there's no sense of ownership - you don't really get a product you can hold in your hand and read the sleevenotes etc.

The only record I've still got is 'Transmission' 7" single by Joy Division, the first record I ever bought. I played it round at my mates the other day and despite having it on about 4 different CDs, none of them sound as good as that slightly crackley vinyl. So now that there is a whole new generation of record players with USB ports, I'm thinking of switching back to vinyl again...

[firehazard]

Still got all my old vinyl, and it's one of the last things in the house that I'd ever want to get rid of.

But there's a real lack of good record stores here. And nowhere that keeps a good stock of vinyl. I browse HMV when I'm in town, but end up buying most of my music online. Entirely legally, of course.

The one bright spot locally is the guy who comes to town two or three days a week with his second-hand vinyl stall. I've got some really good stuff from him.

[shipbuilder]

I choose 'Off The Beaten Tracks' in Louth, Lincolnshire. It is about the only independant music shop left around here, i refuse in my middle-class rebelious was to shop at HMV or Virgit et al. It costs a little more, but they know thier music in there and will always advise as to what is a good buy.

Hi DITG - you a yellerbelly then? I was born and raised up there and even got to see the Pogues at the Scunthorpe Baths Hall in 1988.

[Shaz]

Still got all my old vinyl, and it's one of the last things in the house that I'd ever want to get rid of.

But there's a real lack of good record stores here. And nowhere that keeps a good stock of vinyl. I browse HMV when I'm in town, but end up buying most of my music online. Entirely legally, of course.

The one bright spot locally is the guy who comes to town two or three days a week with his second-hand vinyl stall. I've got some really good stuff from him.

I have all my old vinyl as well, all alphabetical in cases If there was a fire, I'd save it like a shot. I love browsing round record fairs -- sadly they seem to be few and far between.

I avoid HMV but do occasionally look in Virgin -- and then go and buy mainstream stuff from either Amazon or Play.

For the folk/roots/world CDs, there's a reasonable shop in Cheltenham called Sounds Good. They stock mainly classical, but also carry a large folk section.

If a band are selling on their website, I do try to buy through that.