Tower Records -- the continuing collapse

Message Bookmarked
Bookmark Removed
Not all messages are displayed: show all messages (508 of them)
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

The Coup - Pick a Bigger Weapon
5th Ward Weebie - Ghetto Platinum
Juvenile ft. DJ Jimi - Playaz of da Game
Luniz - Operation Stackola
Mac Dre - Best of Mac Dre, Vol. 3
Z-Ro - Let the Truth Be Told

Comps:
Before There was Crunk (Splack Pack, Clay D)
Dirty South - Tha Beginning (Three 6, Trick Daddy, Magic Mike)
Spread Yo' Hustle (Mac Dre, RBL Posse)

for $18

Confounded (Confounded), Friday, 8 December 2006 17:40 (seventeen years ago) link

Dammit I hadn't seen that Z-Ro album and it was on my list :(

Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Friday, 8 December 2006 17:40 (seventeen years ago) link

From an Amazon review of the Luniz record:

"Notes to the Luniz's debut CD posit the duo as crown-princes of the 'crazy, comical, wild-side of gangsta hip-hop,' but it's fair to say they're not loony in the Bugs Bunny sense of the word. The group's logo is a scowling cartoon figure draped in a used condom and wielding a handgun."

Confounded (Confounded), Friday, 8 December 2006 18:05 (seventeen years ago) link

I'm headed to Broad & Chestnut tonight to see if Latin music has dropped below 70% off yet (and then I'm going to go get some Malaysian take-out). I have my eyes on more reggaeton, a couple of more obscure Latin things, and some of that Six Degrees Brazilian stuff.

arthritic hand golden fist (RSLaRue), Friday, 8 December 2006 18:40 (seventeen years ago) link

Boston Tower still at 60%, hip hop at 75%. There was a sign that said "last 10 days," so I guess a closing date has been set.

Michael F Gill (Michael F Gill), Friday, 8 December 2006 23:47 (seventeen years ago) link

Could just be that store. Still, ten days...that would be through next weekend. HMMM.

Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 8 December 2006 23:51 (seventeen years ago) link

I Went to tower in Nanuet NY yesterday. the rock/pop cd's were 60% off and all rap was priced at $2. i picked up spank rock and a ruins cd. there was still a bunch of stuff left, but it's still a bit overpriced. especially for a going out of business sale.

ChristoC (Christo C), Saturday, 9 December 2006 00:18 (seventeen years ago) link

The guy at the Portland store told me that he had heard that the last day was the 18th.

PFS (pfs), Saturday, 9 December 2006 00:41 (seventeen years ago) link

A week from Monday...good. I'll be able to bone-strip at mine at least.

Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 9 December 2006 00:42 (seventeen years ago) link

Hector Bambino "El Father": Los Rompe Discotekas - $1.50

Latin music - 70% off

Voltio: s/t - $3.90
Larry Harlow: Hommy - $4.20*
Azuquita: Pura Salsa - $4.50*
Xiomara: s/t - $5.70
Enrique Chia: La Musica de Ernesto Lecuona - $7.80 (2 CD)

*Both of which I had the bad luck to buy a few years before these new reissues.

arthritic hand golden fist (RSLaRue), Saturday, 9 December 2006 00:44 (seventeen years ago) link

Something that might be worth one of your dollars: World Premiere by The Team. It's some East Bay hyphy by three incredibly relaxed MCs, one of whom recently signed to The Game's Black Wall Street label. Your local Tower probably has it in abundant enough supply to be marked down to a dollar.

Also, I like the two Bossacucanova albums, which, along with the rest of the Six Degrees catalog, should be priced down to a buck as well.

Baron Von Jigglesworth (Baron Von Jigglesworth), Saturday, 9 December 2006 00:49 (seventeen years ago) link

I was wondering when they were going to simply bow to the inevitable and price to that amount. Should that be in effect everywhere now? (And BTW, is the 18th in fact it, nationwide?)

Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 9 December 2006 00:56 (seventeen years ago) link

(The sound on this remastered Azuquita CD is a huge improvement on the original. I'm very glad I got this.)

Incidentally, it certainly looks like some new stock is still being put out, in Philadelphia anyway.

arthritic hand golden fist (RSLaRue), Saturday, 9 December 2006 01:18 (seventeen years ago) link

Incidentally, there's a new Sol Hoopii compilation out there that people might want to watch out for. I am waiting for it to drop under 60%. (I already have one Sol Hoopii compilation & I'm sure there will be lots of overlap.)

arthritic hand golden fist (RSLaRue), Saturday, 9 December 2006 01:21 (seventeen years ago) link

Ned, Tower.com and the Tower Records stores are now run by two completely different entities, so I'm not privy to any special information about a final closure date, but I have seen signs in the two Sacramento locations that say "8 Days Left." I only saw those in the book stores, though, so I don't know if that applies to records and video as well.

Baron Von Jigglesworth (Baron Von Jigglesworth), Saturday, 9 December 2006 01:38 (seventeen years ago) link

Cool deal, thx.

Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 9 December 2006 01:55 (seventeen years ago) link

There are a zillion copies of this one Azerbaijani CD, but I can't find anything out about it.

arthritic hand golden fist (RSLaRue), Saturday, 9 December 2006 02:13 (seventeen years ago) link

the this heat box sets just came out! list $100+... and then 60% off... came out around $40. sweet! i already have most of their stuff but what the hell, i need bonus discs and remastering and so on.

i know they might get seriously desperate and it could wind up being $10 or something, but i don't have the guts to play that kind of chicken, you know?

GAWD PVNCH (yournullfame), Saturday, 9 December 2006 04:27 (seventeen years ago) link

the this heat box sets just came out! list $100+... and then 60% off... came out around $40

http://jj.am/gallery/d/10543-1/Eagle911.gif

amon (amon), Saturday, 9 December 2006 05:44 (seventeen years ago) link

I just bought one of the three copies of the Sounds of Monsterism Island disk that I've been looking at since the price cutting started, at the Pasadena store. I think it was talked about a bit here. The $30 tag still comes out to $12, but I guess that's OK. There are two left if anyone's interested. They're in the Oldies section (probably why noone's bought any) which is now in the main room, in the farthest corner from the escalator, near Gospel and New Age.

Also got a Krautrock DVD (w/AD II, Guru Guru, Jane, and more, but it's some kind of re-union thing - they look decidedly middle-aged in the pics on the back. AD II do Archangels Thunderbird, All the Years 'Round, Kanaan, a 3 others, so I've gotta see it. And a litle more jazz collection filling out, came to $70.

And hip-hop in Pasadena is now $1.50 each, but that may be temporary.

nickn (nickn), Saturday, 9 December 2006 05:57 (seventeen years ago) link

yeah i passed on monsterism (excellent disc!!) for the same reason. maybe if it hits 80% i'll spring for it.

vahid (vahid), Saturday, 9 December 2006 06:53 (seventeen years ago) link

I admit if I can find one of those This Heat box sets I'll be a happy man.

Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 9 December 2006 07:15 (seventeen years ago) link

And they gave me the disks in a Borders bag, rather than one of their own. It's truly the end of an era. (Maybe I should hold on to the old Tower bags I have - collector's items!)

nickn (nickn), Saturday, 9 December 2006 07:36 (seventeen years ago) link

keep an eye out, ned, they definitely didn't have them at my store until very recently.

GAWD PVNCH (yournullfame), Saturday, 9 December 2006 08:24 (seventeen years ago) link

CDs I got tonight for two dollars or less:

Miri Ben-Ari: The Hip-Hop Violinist
Goldie Lookin' Chain: S/T and Straight Outta Newport
Wiley : Treddin' On Thin Ice
V/A: Run The Road
Mindy Smith: Long Island Shores
Mutual Admiration Society: S/T
Terror Squad: True Story
Mike Marshall & Chris Thiele: Live
The Duhks: Your Daughters & Your Sons
Dengue Fever: Escape from Dragon House
Slum Village: Fan-Tas-Tic Vol. 1
K-Os: Joyful Rebelion
Field Mob: Light Pole sand Pine Trees
Bossacucanova & Roberto Menescal: Brasilidade
The Coup: Pick a Bigger Weapon
Guru: Jazzmatazz: Streetsoul
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth: Best of
Soul Position: Everything Is Better with RJ and AL

I'm honestly not all that interested in all the grime and backpacker hip hop I got, but I am interested in it enough to listen to it once, then sell to finance all the other stuff I bought.

All the Sugar Hill titles were two bucks or less, so I was able to load up on stuff like The Duhks and all the Nickel Creek side projects on the cheap. If you want to see what other labels Bayside distributed and might have titles available for ridiculously low prices, you can check here.

Baron Von Jigglesworth (Baron Von Jigglesworth), Saturday, 9 December 2006 10:34 (seventeen years ago) link

Miri Ben-Ari: The Hip-Hop Violinist

Who is this person (and what sex is it)? First saw that name on Don Omar credits.

arthritic hand golden fist (RSLaRue), Saturday, 9 December 2006 13:12 (seventeen years ago) link

I could google of course but I just thought I'd be lazy and make conversation.

arthritic hand golden fist (RSLaRue), Saturday, 9 December 2006 13:16 (seventeen years ago) link

she's the chick in the twista video. you know the one.

GAWD PVNCH (yournullfame), Saturday, 9 December 2006 13:19 (seventeen years ago) link

I don't know.

They keep playing the worst music in Tower, not that that's exctly a change, but last night they played the same CD over, some depressing rock shit. I think it might have been something famous, actually, some roots of punk or roots of indie type album. Are the employees trying to make the customers suffer for their bargains? Or maybe the management is only letting them have that one CD?

arthritic hand golden fist (RSLaRue), Saturday, 9 December 2006 14:18 (seventeen years ago) link

It's been a fairly limited rotation at mine, even though I don't mind it per se -- Beatles, Tool, A Perfect Circle, some early hip-hop comp, CCR, Guns 'n' Roses. I was actually pleased for the change when they put on the Strokes one day, god help me.

Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 9 December 2006 14:28 (seventeen years ago) link

Does anyone know if the Memphis store is still open, and if it still has any stock worth mentioning?

I Am Curious (George) (Slight Return) (Rock Hardy), Saturday, 9 December 2006 14:33 (seventeen years ago) link

keep an eye out, ned, they definitely didn't have them at my store until very recently.

If they don't budge for you and I can't find one myself, expect an e-mail! And a PayPal payment. ;-)

Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 9 December 2006 14:43 (seventeen years ago) link

Anyone else seen the This Heat set? I'd cream myself if I found one of those at this point in the closeout.

... (50 Bourbon St), Saturday, 9 December 2006 17:34 (seventeen years ago) link

Not at the stores I've checked so far. We'll see.

Hey Alex, so I picked up this Mad Professor Method to the Madness comp that looked good.

Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 9 December 2006 19:36 (seventeen years ago) link

Is that the Trojan one? I don't have it, but the tracklist is insanely amazing.

Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Saturday, 9 December 2006 19:44 (seventeen years ago) link

That is indeed the Trojan one, yup, double disc. And it's good to hear you say that about it because I was playing a hunch that this was one to get!

Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 9 December 2006 19:55 (seventeen years ago) link

OMG ned you are in for it w/ that mad professor disc. it's one of the illest things ever!!

can i just say that if you see a copy of that dj spooky trojan mix set for under, like, seven dollars you should get it? it's nothing you haven't heard before but he actually does a very good job of putting a set together.

vahid (vahid), Saturday, 9 December 2006 20:00 (seventeen years ago) link

Ah good, now I'm even happier. :-) There are a variety of interesting Soul Jazz and Trojan comps I'm noting but I'm playing the patience game with a lot of them since they seem to have not moved at all while the prices continue to slide.

Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 9 December 2006 20:06 (seventeen years ago) link

Anyone else seen the This Heat set? I'd cream myself if I found one of those at this point in the closeout.

Yes, I saw one last night. Hmm maybe I should go back and grab it. I couldn't remember how much I got mine for but I guess $40 is a pretty damn good price come to think of it.

walterkranz (walterkranz), Saturday, 9 December 2006 20:06 (seventeen years ago) link

*Extremely* good. And yes you should grab it and trust me, someone will pay you happily for it in kind (if not me then someone else -- though I wouldn't mind putting a claim in if it is still there ;-) ).

Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 9 December 2006 20:11 (seventeen years ago) link

Yeah, I was not in a right state of mind at the time. I came home from Tower and was suddenly hit with a horrible stomach flu. But I think I'm going to try and manage to drag myself over there again today :)

walterkranz (walterkranz), Saturday, 9 December 2006 20:15 (seventeen years ago) link

I was at the Broad & Chestnut Tower (oddly mentioned many times here already) & wondering what's up with the mass quantities of no name gangsta rap albums with crappy No Limit-like covers. I did find some Devin the Dude CDs for $1.50 each.

ramon fernandez (ramon fernandez), Saturday, 9 December 2006 22:15 (seventeen years ago) link

I went back to grab that This Heat box which was luckily still there and ended up buying a ton of other stuff as well. Somehow last night I missed the whole folk section. Today I found 4 John Martyn reissues, Pearls Before Swine - Balaklava, a 2-fer of Tim Buckley s/t and Greetings from LA, Clive Palmer's Banjoland, two of Alan Toussaint's 70s albums reissued by Water, a Ghost DVD, a Neubaten DVD, that DJ Spooky Trojan mix you guys were talking about, among others.

BTW, this is the Woodland Hills location Chaki mentioned upthread.

walterkranz (walterkranz), Saturday, 9 December 2006 23:08 (seventeen years ago) link


You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.