At this point in time, it would take a mass implosion of hard drives and iPods to get people back in the habit of buying CDs. That’s just the way it is. But, no matter how much you argue that it’s easier to hit click and drag a file into your computer than drive down to the store and let some piece of music find you, the loss of the record store as a community stomping ground is something that leaves us all a bit diminished.
If you live in Los Angeles and need proof of that, you have about three weeks to head down to the Rhino Records Store, a
temporary showcase of the label’s considerable catalogue of real gifts on West Third, in between Crescent Heights and Fairfax. Unlike the original Rhino store, which opened as a used record shop on the outskirts of Westwood decades ago (and was one of the first of the signature shops to close), this is a beautiful designed art space of a shop, with comfortable couches and armchairs, a bar, turntables and records and rarities displayed, as they should, as art.
It’s frighteningly easy to drop a hundred bucks or two on these lavish and wittily packaged box sets and re-released collectors items. And although the same merchandise is amply served on the web, there’s an absolute thrill to seeing these things en masse in the flesh. That, more than the bar, might explain the almost giddy atmosphere that seems to have taken hold in the store. As virtually everyone who walks in says, “Ah, this is what it used to be like.”
Whether you shop at the store or online, the care with which these box sets are assembled deserve not just applause, but support. A fan of Brit pop, a term, the scholarly booklet that The Brit Box points out was universally revered, will like going from Spaceman 3 to Ride to Oasis in a single CD (that comes with the flimsy but very cool working light that goes on and off atop the panel of the British phone booth on the cover). If like, say, Joy Division, the four disc Heartandsoul is handsomely packaged and includes the albums, but demos, live tracks and the like.
But if you want to be really cool, there’s nothing more enticing in the store as What It Is: Funky Soul and Rare Grooves, 1967 – 1971. Ranging from the vaguely familiar to the obscure, it’s a stunning collection of songs performed by the “minor leagues” of regional r&b. You may not know who they are, but the music they laid down is fresh enough to sound like it was recorded today. And, just because it seems a shame to buy just one thing, top it off with a vinyl edition of Psychocandy, the Jesus and Mary Chain’s debut album, if only to put the cover on your wall. Because while the gift of music is always appreciated, it goes down a whole lot better when it comes with the complete package.
