Another Record Store Day, another overcast April 21st.

Well, last Saturday was Record Store Day 2012. That meant a trip to Harvest to fight for your right [to buy records]. I was interested in many things to buy this year. Since I had a haircut scheduled for 9 Am that I was looking forward to, I kept the date, even though it meant that I’d get to Harvest Records slightly after they opened at 10 AM. Note that it was one hour earlier than last year! I arrived to see the scene above, with no lines snaking into the store. Good. The lines were already in the store as approximately 30-40 people had already queued up to pay; their arms full of exclusive vinyl. The CD half of the store was empty. All of the crowds [and there were plenty] had jammed into the vinyl half of the store.

The 7″ singles for RSD 2012 were in a special display that was hard to approach for the crowds. After just 15 minutes, the remnants still available looked well picked over. The 12″ releases were in plastic crates nearby and were almost as picked over. After I flowed towards the records, I managed to actually see one I wanted: The DEVO live 1981 2xLP. I finally had something in hand as I looked in vain for the PiL 12; their first new release in a dog’s age! As I was disappointedly perusing the N-R section, one gent I switched places with asked me what I was looking for and I told him the PiL. He handed his copy over saying that he was having second thoughts so I got 2/4 items I was wanting most.

The other releases [Bowie, Joey Ramone] that I wanted were long gone in the 7″ bins so I began looking at the used CD stock. Nothing really there today that I had to have. I drifted back into the vinyl section and checked out the normal used vinyl stock. I saw lots of nice things that I already had, a but one of them I had to buy again anyway! They had the US Klark Kent “Musical Madness From the Kinetic Kid” 10″ in the 12″ cover but in black vinyl! I never saw this ever, so for $3.99 I had to have it! Besides, I only had the UK green vinyl 10″ in the 10″ sleeve, so the US liner notes are radically different [but just as funny] and mandatory to have in my book!

The checkout line in the empty, digital, half of the store.

I then got in line to pay and managed to check out in far less time than last year, for some reason. There were certainly just as many buyers in the store this year as last, so I chalked it down to the clerks, who were humming away. While approaching the counter, I perused the “staff picks” rack. What ‘th… the US 2001 Neu! CD used…??!! That baby’s mine! I need all Klaus Dinger releases and rarely see them used, I must admit. I’ve only been loving every Limey act that stole his ideas a decade later and it’s past time to appreciate the point of origin. I asked the clerk if the basement was open this fine day, and he said that this year it was only being opened for their Anniversary. That was fine with me. I was ready to get out of there. A scant 75 minutes later and I was on the road to the “Apache” beat of Dinger on “Hallo Gallo.”

Since Harvest Records is the hippest record store in town® I thought I might try some of the stores in downtown Asheville that were also participating but probably get a fraction of the clientele that Harvest attracts. Static Age is another great store that recently moved and expanded. I headed down to Lexington avenue to find a parking space. The city lots were full and had a $7.00 “Special event” sign up. A glance down to Lexington revealed the horrible reason why… the grim specter of Earth Day was encroaching upon this holiest of days! All of Lexington was closed off for yet another Asheville street festival! The poor devils at Static Age were probably cursing their fates!

That might be the end of my tale, but I needed to do a bit of grocery shopping while I was downtown. One of the stores I went to is adjacent to a big indoor flea market type of enterprise, and having time to spare, I looked around. Doggone it if there wasn’t a dealer with some fine, fine music!

The finest Faux New Wave 45… ever!!

The 45’s were neatly organized into a tempting 70s-80s section that I went through. I saw the holy Alice Cooper “Clones” in PS! I’d have bought it if I didn’t already have a copy of the matching “Flush The Fashion” album on my racks! That was the most tempting fare I saw in the 7″ bins, but the 12″ bins were also tantalizingly salted with the goods.

All hail Barney Bubbles!

Had this album been in colored vinyl, I might have caved! This humble flea dealer had sone really nice stuff on offer. Almost as much gold as hipster magnet Harvest Records. Seen… and noted.

I found out ex post facto that some punters had queued up as early as 3 AM on Saturday morning to secure the RSD 2012 releases they most desired at Harvest. Yikes. Homey don’t play dat! I can’t imagine queueing up at 3 AM for anything, much less gritty sounding monophonic David Bowie picture discs! Fortunately, some decent person has captured the Harvest experience on video and posted it to Vimeo, so I have no problem embedding it here for your edification. I have been cogitating mightily on this year’s experience and will need to let those thoughts simmer a little further before sharing them with you.

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