Tower Records -- the continuing collapse

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I fear I am going to regret not buying Sangre Nueva at 40% off for the rest of my life. Anyway, I'll be going back soon to check things out. I was sick over the weekend (into yesterday, sort of).

The amount of Six Degrees label stuff still on sale is mindboggling. I have a feeling if I'm even vaguely interested I can get it all for 90% off.

I almost think that the fact that there's so much of it will make people think, "This must not be very good." I do want those Zuco 103 CDs.

arthritic hand golden fist (RSLaRue), Wednesday, 6 December 2006 13:09 (seventeen years ago) link

There's a new music shop in the old Tower Records building in Glasgow. It looks shit.

nu_onimo (nu_onimo), Wednesday, 6 December 2006 14:06 (seventeen years ago) link

Tonight I bought:

The Beatles - The Capitol Albums Vol.2
Pete Rodriguez - I Like It Like That
Willie Colon/Hector Lavoe - El Juicio
Hector "El Bambino" & Naldo Presentan: Sangre Nueva
LunyTunes - Reggaeton Hits
Adassa - Kamasutra

arthritic hand golden fist (RSLaRue), Thursday, 7 December 2006 01:21 (seventeen years ago) link

There's so much Six Degrees stuff because it was distributed by Bayside, which Tower owned. All of that inventory got sold to the liquidators in the bankruptcy auction, which is why stores have hundreds of copies of things like the Real Tuesday Weld albums (which are worth the $2 or whatever they're selling for now, by the way).

Baron Von Jigglesworth (Baron Von Jigglesworth), Thursday, 7 December 2006 01:25 (seventeen years ago) link

There's so much Six Degrees stuff because it was distributed by Bayside, which Tower owned.

Ha, while I was in the store tonight I was thinking, "Does Tower own Six Degrees or something?" I want to go back for some of that later. Hopefully not everyone else will do the same thing before I get to it.

arthritic hand golden fist (RSLaRue), Thursday, 7 December 2006 01:30 (seventeen years ago) link

Clarity. Thanks, Baron!

Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 7 December 2006 01:35 (seventeen years ago) link

Today I picked up:
Ice Cube - The Predator ($2!)
astrud gilberto & walter wanderly - a certain smile, a certain sadness
caetano veloso - s/t
celia cruz & willie colon - only they could have made this album

for the parents:
al green - i'm still in love with you
(the lower queen anne tower in seattle has an inexplicable amount of al green left still, which m. matos pointed out yesterday with great confusion and anger)
chris isaak - heart shaped world
paul simon - surprise


hey ahgf, i picked up el juicio recently, too. sounds good after one spin. i saw that you pimped it regulary on olde ilm, so i've got high hopes for it. have you heard that cruz/colon album at all?

Lingbert (Lingbert), Thursday, 7 December 2006 03:12 (seventeen years ago) link

an inexplicable amount of al green left still

It's the same down here and on the one hand I *don't get it* -- and on the other hand, this is going to make my eventual purchases of it all all the sweeter.

Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 7 December 2006 03:18 (seventeen years ago) link

(Oh and BTW I will be in Seattle next weekend.)

Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 7 December 2006 03:20 (seventeen years ago) link

I've seen way too many unsold copies of Optimo's "Psyche Out" mix in the Tower boston/nyc bins.

Michael F Gill (Michael F Gill), Thursday, 7 December 2006 03:20 (seventeen years ago) link

Lingbert, El Juicio is really a classic imo. I already had the old CD version of it, but this was the new remastered one. (I hope that's the one you got, although the other one sounded okay.) I have that Colon/Cruz album. There's actually not that much on it that grabs me aside from "Usted Abuso" (which is one of my favorite songs--punto!), but lots of people really love it.

(I don't know why but this temporary board makes me want to change names.)

This Pete Rodriguez is pretty good so far, very boogaloo and Latin soul oriented. Two of these songs had hit remakes in the last decade or so (Tito Nieves's version of "I Like It Like That" and Sonora Carruseles's "Micaela," the latter of which I hated for a few years, especially since it was so ubiquitous, at least in certain circles, but was ultimately won over by).

arthritic hand golden fist (RSLaRue), Thursday, 7 December 2006 03:22 (seventeen years ago) link

Things I've seen slews of copies of still at mine:

Boris, Pink
The Knife, Silent Shout
Aretha Franklin, I Never Loved a Man...
Mogwai, Mr. Beast
This one random Acid Mothers Temple album (that, happily, I don't have yet).

AHGF, remind me again the name of the one fellow you were broken up about who died earlier this year, Cuban percussionist I think? I think I saw copies of that one solo album of his around, might snag it next time I'm there.

Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 7 December 2006 03:23 (seventeen years ago) link

Anga (or Miguel "Anga" Diaz). The album was Echu Mingua. There were some copies at Tower in Philadelphia, but I didn't see them this time around.

arthritic hand golden fist (RSLaRue), Thursday, 7 December 2006 03:27 (seventeen years ago) link

Thank ya.

Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 7 December 2006 03:32 (seventeen years ago) link

Boris, Pink

there were about 10 copies of this at my tower, plus some more under the racks. not the breakout hit they had anticipated.

GAWD PVNCH (yournullfame), Thursday, 7 December 2006 03:53 (seventeen years ago) link

ahgf, yeah, it's the remastered el juicio.

ned, which days are you in seattle? was there a fap planned?

re the six degrees stuff, what's good on that label beside bebel gilberto? the tower by me mostly has latin travels comps, which my natural instinct is to avoid, but maybe they're awesome. what about celso fonseca or that suba tribute comp? others? etc?

Lingbert (Lingbert), Thursday, 7 December 2006 04:16 (seventeen years ago) link

I like the Zuco 103 (I hope I'm getting the number correct) I've heard, also some of the stuff from the Suba tribute album that I've heard.

arthritic hand golden fist (RSLaRue), Thursday, 7 December 2006 04:19 (seventeen years ago) link

Not alot of good stuff left in the Alexandria, VA Tower (just outside DC) today. The Spanish language section is now a big mess--Mexican accordion 'n' cowboy hat acts stuck in with Latin pop and reggaeton. I did not have the time or patience to go through it all at lunch from work. No Ethiopiques left(I bought one earlier in the sale), and I couldn't find The Knife. Very little reggae. I picked up some jazz for my Dad---Lee Morgan, Chris Conner plus Jamie Lidell, Natalia y La Forquetina, Hot 8 Brass, Scritti Politti-Early, and an Undertones double cd collection.

cornyrocker (DC Steve), Thursday, 7 December 2006 04:39 (seventeen years ago) link

ned, which days are you in seattle? was there a fap planned?

Evening of the 14th thru morning of the 17th. Keep an eye on ILE for any FAP talk but actually myspace might be handier for talk on that -- send me an invite if you're on (along with a message saying who you are if that isn't clear). 16th is probably when something bigger might happen depending.

Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 7 December 2006 04:54 (seventeen years ago) link

never did get a myspace page going, but i'll watch ile.

i have an exam the morning of sat the 16, and then my dad is going to be in town after that. i'll see what happens.

Lingbert (Lingbert), Thursday, 7 December 2006 05:20 (seventeen years ago) link

All hip hop CDs were $2 so I bought another half dozen things today including a second copy of Big Apple Rappin, Bun B's Trill, the last David Banner and Bubba Sparxxx, the Plan B record, Dead Prez & Outlaws, and the Soul Jazz ESG record which I couldn't remember if anyone liked.

Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Thursday, 7 December 2006 06:52 (seventeen years ago) link

Another markdown? Hmmm. Well, I'll poke my nose in tomorrow in any event. The DVD prices are finally reasonable...

Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 7 December 2006 06:54 (seventeen years ago) link

What are the DVDs at now? Monday they were only 40% off.

jaq (jaq), Thursday, 7 December 2006 07:08 (seventeen years ago) link

50% I believe.

Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Thursday, 7 December 2006 07:11 (seventeen years ago) link

Yes, 50%.

Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 7 December 2006 13:39 (seventeen years ago) link

When I was at the Lincoln Center Tower tonight, they annnounced that, temporarily, all single CDs were on sale for $5 or less. I picked up:
Isolee-We are Monster
Coachwhips-Double Death
Get Physical 2nd Anniversary Label Compilation
Ellen Allien and Apparat-Orchestra of Bubbles
Destroyer-Rubies

and Greil Marcus's Dead Elvis for $7.

C0L1N B... (C0L1N B...), Thursday, 7 December 2006 23:34 (seventeen years ago) link

How handy. I should be at mine in an hour or so.

Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 7 December 2006 23:41 (seventeen years ago) link

*rubs hands conspiratorially*

deep space nine (deep space nine), Thursday, 7 December 2006 23:43 (seventeen years ago) link

I'm not sure the $5 thing applies to all the stores. They also insisted it was one night only, but who knows.

C0L1N B... (C0L1N B...), Thursday, 7 December 2006 23:44 (seventeen years ago) link

Oh, it might be a local special, but I was going to swing by anyway. Might as well see what turns up.

Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 7 December 2006 23:46 (seventeen years ago) link

I have "Samba Soul '70!" comp on Six Degrees, and it is excellent early 70s stuff.

Michael F Gill (Michael F Gill), Thursday, 7 December 2006 23:50 (seventeen years ago) link

DANCE IS AT 75% NOW

i grabbed

get physical - "comp vol 2" - $5
booka shade - "in white rooms" - $6
chelonis r jones - "dislocated genius" - $4
dj t - "boogie playground" - $5
osunlade - "five years on" - $6
dj food - "jazz brakes v 4" - $4
ammoncontact - "with voices" - $4
sun ra - "other planes of there" - $4
gong - "magick brother" - $4
"big apple rappin" - $2
"soul gospel" - $8
"soul gospel 2" - $10

all told the damage came out to about $75. not bad!

still waiting for bigger markdowns on reggae, which is the only section left with anything respectable in it. jazz is pretty shot, and new age is completely picked over! not a single tangerine dream or schulze disc anywhere. int'l and latin sections are also pretty dead. rock has BEEN dead for a while now, but inexplicably there are like 5 copies of this suburban base comp in the rock comps section.

vahid (vahid), Friday, 8 December 2006 01:11 (seventeen years ago) link

Hopefully the 75% dance is nationwide, I shall go again tomorrow.

Michael F Gill (Michael F Gill), Friday, 8 December 2006 01:19 (seventeen years ago) link

Vahid, which store was dance 75% off at?

Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Friday, 8 December 2006 03:34 (seventeen years ago) link

inexplicably there are like 5 copies of this suburban base comp in the rock comps section.

Haha, we have about ten of those! I'm waiting for the price to collapse further. Still at a general 60% for everything except rap at my store but I made some good finds tonight -- rock is definitely starting to hit the skids but all sorts of oddities are turning up with inspection.

Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 8 December 2006 03:58 (seventeen years ago) link

i am pretty pissed about how fast the rock section got cleaned out. albums by sleep, earth, united states of america, hawkwind, neu, cluster, etc all disappeared practically overnight while it was at the 40% off mark.

this is the mountain view store! there are still several copies of most of the soul jazz discs and get physical discs. if you are into mersh house there are a ton of discs from labels like azuli and ministry. there is also quite a bit of rephlex stuff floating around ... multiple copies of amen andrews, kerrier district, dj shitmat, grime, etc etc

vahid (vahid), Friday, 8 December 2006 04:43 (seventeen years ago) link


http://www.dubmc.com/dubmc/2006/12/six_degrees_lau.html
"Tower's closing has had a significant impact on record labels as a whole, and a heavy impact on the "world music" scene since Tower made up a significant percentage of CD sales (some say as much as a third), acting as a sort of wake-up call for many labels and distributors and marking a turning point in the shift to digital distribution."

cornyrocker (DC Steve), Friday, 8 December 2006 05:29 (seventeen years ago) link

my best find so far has been ohm: the early gurus of electronic music (reissue w dvd) for $18

josh (josh.), Friday, 8 December 2006 05:48 (seventeen years ago) link

I really hate the idea of digital only. I don't understand why I should have to supply my own storage media when I buy music! Also, if things go all-digital and the sound quality is as poor as it is on many legal downloads now, I will just not pay for things. (Digital is a good format for singles though.)

arthritic hand golden fist (RSLaRue), Friday, 8 December 2006 12:19 (seventeen years ago) link

After all the discussion about this, I still mostly don't understand why lots of people here are so enthusiastic about a rush into buying music in digital form.

arthritic hand golden fist (RSLaRue), Friday, 8 December 2006 12:22 (seventeen years ago) link

I'm already regretting not buying all the Daddy Yankee that I saw, although the prices really weren't that good at the time.

arthritic hand golden fist (RSLaRue), Friday, 8 December 2006 12:54 (seventeen years ago) link

I still mostly don't understand why lots of people here are so enthusiastic about a rush into buying music in digital form.

it's the ipoddening of music and culture. also too much disposable income = willingness to pay $15 for nothing but some electrons.

GAWD PVNCH (yournullfame), Friday, 8 December 2006 13:22 (seventeen years ago) link

My biggest problem with digital sales: exactly how does one sell/buy a used mp3?

Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 8 December 2006 13:41 (seventeen years ago) link

my biggest problem with digital music is that it lacks tactility...I like the smell of vinyl and CD packaging...I love to grab a record and feel its thickness (or lack thereof) and run my fingers over the scratched run-off groove message...I also like to take a record from its jacket and spin it between my palms a few times before I drop it on the turntable...I like the little ceremonies of playing music that you don't get with mp3's...

henry s (henry s), Friday, 8 December 2006 15:13 (seventeen years ago) link

I LOVE THE SMELL OF FRESH CD BOOKLETS AND I'M NOT AFRAID TO ADMIT IT

GAWD PVNCH (yournullfame), Friday, 8 December 2006 15:25 (seventeen years ago) link

What is the consensus on the selection by now? Pretty picked over? Going to head to Lincoln Center in 20 minutes.

Confounded (Confounded), Friday, 8 December 2006 16:03 (seventeen years ago) link

How picked over a Tower is seems to vary store to store. My Alexandria, Viriginia one seems to have emuch less than some of the others described above.

x-post

Well, Amazon and other online retailers will still be selling cds for awhile. But I guess some folks will never have the experience of being in a large bricks and mortar establishment with all kinds of diverse cds to flip through (yea some mom and pop operations are holding on). Borders Books and Barnes and Nobles prices for cds aren't much better than Tower. I wonder how their music-selling practices will change in the immediate future. I do not see Best Buy and Circuit City and Target and Walmart deciding to expand the range of their cd offerings.

cornyrocker (DC Steve), Friday, 8 December 2006 16:11 (seventeen years ago) link

THROWIN' CAUTION TO THE WIND, HERE I GO

Confounded (Confounded), Friday, 8 December 2006 16:16 (seventeen years ago) link

"What is the consensus on the selection by now? Pretty picked over?"

Hip hop is practically a wasteland now. Everything else varies by store, but at 60% MOST of the good and non-expensive stuff is gone (some very interesting imports remain, but Tower's insane import prices will keep 'em around for a while.)

Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Friday, 8 December 2006 16:41 (seventeen years ago) link

Yeah, this is starting to reward serious diggers first and foremost. But it really all depends on the store, as noted. I'm actually going to be scrounging through, hopefully, three separate stores I haven't hit yet over the weekend, just to see what else might be lurking.

Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 8 December 2006 16:45 (seventeen years ago) link


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