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Record Store Days: From Vinyl to Digital and Back Again
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�There’s nothing as glamorous as a record store.” � Paul McCartney
In this era of digital downloads, the small, indie record shop might sound like an anachronism. But, in fact, record stores served as community centers, information exchanges, clubs, art galleries, and launching pads for numerous bands and record labels. Record Store Days takes a long, loving look back at t ...more
In this era of digital downloads, the small, indie record shop might sound like an anachronism. But, in fact, record stores served as community centers, information exchanges, clubs, art galleries, and launching pads for numerous bands and record labels. Record Store Days takes a long, loving look back at t ...more
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Hardcover, 256 pages
Published
April 6th 2010
by Sterling
(first published 2010)
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Oh, this just has to be a fun read. Gary was my boss at Licorice Pizza, an old California record store chain. He's the best kind of music geek. Can't wait to get my hands on this one.
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Record Store Days: From Vinyl to Digital and Back Again by Gary Calamar (Sterling Publishing 2009)(780.266) was a let-down. My expectations were too high; the book is simply a paean to (mostly) large chain-record stores. It did remind me, however, of how much fun it used to be to browse and listen to what was inevitably great new music playing on the store's stereo. My rating: 6/10, finished 5/9/11.
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Ah, record stores-the good old days. I've worked at 3 different ones. Gary was my first record store boss-looking forward to what he has to say!
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If you love listening to music on LP's a.k.a. Vinyl this is a wonderfully put together volume on the importance of record shops of the Indie kind. It makes a strong argument how physical retail builds community. And more importantly how mutual love of records/artists sustains a prosperous life!
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Loved this book!Great pictures too.
Review to come.
Really great read I would recommend to anyone who likes supporting local record shops
Q: How do you cram five decades into 5 minutes?
A: Take a stroll from LA’s Hollywood and Vine (former home of 60’s pioneer record retailer Wallach’s Music City) to Sunset and Cahuenga (the location of powerhouse indy record retailer Amoeba Music.)
This is exactly what authors Gary Calamar and Phil Gallo have done with their new book, ‘Record Store Days.’
Published in honor of (and cooperation with) the recently created ‘Record Store Day’ – a day designated to bring attention and luster to the remai ...more
A: Take a stroll from LA’s Hollywood and Vine (former home of 60’s pioneer record retailer Wallach’s Music City) to Sunset and Cahuenga (the location of powerhouse indy record retailer Amoeba Music.)
This is exactly what authors Gary Calamar and Phil Gallo have done with their new book, ‘Record Store Days.’
Published in honor of (and cooperation with) the recently created ‘Record Store Day’ – a day designated to bring attention and luster to the remai ...more
Q: How do you cram five decades into 5 minutes?
A: Take a stroll from LA’s Hollywood and Vine (former home of 60’s pioneer record retailer Wallach’s Music City) to Sunset and Cahuenga (the location of powerhouse indy record retailer Amoeba Music.)
This is exactly what authors Gary Calamar and Phil Gallo have done with their new book, ‘Record Store Days.’
Published in honor of (and cooperation with) the recently created ‘Record Store Day’ – a day designated to bring attention and luster to the remai ...more
This book would only be interesting if you are is into vinyl and record stores as I am. Otherwise, I would skip it.
The book covers the various American record stores both in business and defunct throughout the years and contains a lot of comments and recollections from musicians, store owners, and collectors.
In-store concert performances by various acts througout the years in order to boost sales or draw attention to record stores in general are covered and we aren't talking just small indy ...more
The book covers the various American record stores both in business and defunct throughout the years and contains a lot of comments and recollections from musicians, store owners, and collectors.
In-store concert performances by various acts througout the years in order to boost sales or draw attention to record stores in general are covered and we aren't talking just small indy ...more
This is a beautiful book that shows off the history and romance of record stores. I especially enjoyed the photos of shops from the fifties, forties and earlier in the twentieth century.
Unfortunately, the story of the independent record store is almost identical to that of the independent bookstore. The stores may have been charming and quirky, but they have been almost completely disintermediated by the changes in our culture and technology. The authors try to put on a brave face and tout some ...more
Unfortunately, the story of the independent record store is almost identical to that of the independent bookstore. The stores may have been charming and quirky, but they have been almost completely disintermediated by the changes in our culture and technology. The authors try to put on a brave face and tout some ...more
Of all the coffee table books about record collecting in the last few years, this one stands out for its focus on the industry at large and how its changed. This was key information for me as someone into music and collecting, because it sheds light on why things are the way they are and how we can expect they might be a few years down the line. It's also a good size (thick, but not the size of a record on its face) and full of great looking sidebars and photos.
If you only get one - of the MANY ...more
If you only get one - of the MANY ...more
Some useful information for my popular music class, but mostly makes me feel like I've wandered into High Fidelity, only with less-rigorous editing. A quick read, with lots of flavor, though. I should point out that I'm completely a CD person--born too late to accumulate vinyl and born too early to trust digital downloads (or to want to jump in on the vinyl revival). However, I grok the book, and cherish my memories of trips to the Atlanta location of Tower Records and Used Kids and Magnolia Thu
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This book was a lot of fun for me. In the sixties I spent a lot of time in record stores and unlike other girls my age I spent my allowance on records. It's full of pictures and the history of the almost extinct record store. I still listen to records and enjoy the artwork. Imagine going to a record store and seeing a band promoting their new album. It still happens in big cities. These stores were also a place you could chat about music while listening. The walls were covered with posters and a
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This book, which I received for Christmas, made me so nostalgic for the days when I took my meagre paycheck to buy a new LP or two twice a month. It made me proud to be old enough to remember real record stores, filled with dozens of bins of records, with records and posters lining the walls, and falling in love with something on first listen and buying it. I find it fascinating that vinyl is making a comeback, not to mention glad that I still have all of mine.
An entertaining read about the rise and fall and recent (hopeful) rise again of independent record stores. The book is sprinkled with many confessionals from famous musicians, industry people, and store owners/proprieters, this is a great book for any music aficionado. It also includes a history of the various music formats through the years, along with highlighting various individual stores. Plenty of pictures too.
As a narrative history of the American record store, this is far from the last word, but this is a thoroughly enjoyable coffee-table history of the birth, life, decline, and rebirth of the U.S. record store. Lots of great illustrations and affectionate memories and anecdotes from celebrities and record store staff members. If you love record stores, you need to check this out.
Fun "coffee-table" book about records, record collecting, and the record stores that made buying records so much fun. . . That is before streaming and downloading killed the entire industry. If you're into records as a form of collecting music then you'll love this book. Lavishly illustrated. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to my favorite antiques store to peruse the record section.
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good read, but slightly repetitious and wordy... with it would've explored the mechanics of the record store business in more detail, such as various practices and case studies during various periods of music and retail business in the US... also, what about non-US stores?
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An interesting historical snapshot of one retail spectrum. Too much repetition, though. After three mentions that Peter Buck and Michael Stipe of R.E.M. met in a record store, I was moderately irritated. After the sixth mention, I was about ready to put the book down. But I stayed with it.
One of the worst edited books I've ever read. I gave it 3 stars because I loved this history do much but it really deserves 2
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This book brought memories of my childhood shifting through LP's that belonged to my parents and siblings. The cover, the lyrics, and pictures.
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I loved this. maybe you have to be a record geek to enjoy it, but you should be anyway.
Couldn't get into this despite being a record junkie and having shopped at several of the stores mentioned
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