recordstorefanatic-blog

[recordstorefanatic-blog]

RECORDS YOU NEVER HEARD: STARZ “VIOLATION”

The idea of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is spectacular. A place of honor nestled on the picturesque banks of Lake Erie seems perfect for musicians who have formed the foundation this great genre of music. All under the roof of a spectacularly designed building. Unfortunately, the good people who choose such inductees don’t seem to know jack shit about the history of rock.

Over-hyped idiots such as Axl Rose get in their first year of eligibility when actual contributors to the art like Alice Cooper and Rush need to wait years…if not decades! When artists like Big Star, Link Wray, Television, and Yes are not in the Hall, and have NEVER been nominated! One-time nominees such as the MC5, Deep Purple (eligible 19 years before first nomination), and Rush (14 years before first nomination) are not in the Hall either…but they got Axl, even though he didn’t show up for the ceremony. Thank God for small miracles.

While the late Donna Summer (nominated five times) and Stevie Ray Vaughn will be inducted one day, there are some important groups that will never get in. Again, many of them never had a gold record, number one single, or sold out tour. Neither did Jelly Roll Morton or Alan Freed, but their contributions are obvious.

This is my nomination for one such band.

Everyone knows the song “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)” by New Jersey band Looking Glass. After their second album failed to chart, the band reorganized as Fallen Angels. A year later, the band changed their name again to become Starz.

With the help of Kiss’ manager Bill Aucoin, Starz was signed to Capitol records in 1976 and their self-titled debut hit the stores before the end of the year. At the time, “Starz” was considered to be “arena rock” with its powerful guitars and strong vocals. Singable tunes like “Detroit Girls” and “Boys in Action” are obvious live songs, especially when you tailor the former to wherever the band is playing (the version on “Live in Action” changes the name to “Cleveland Girls”).

Sales of the first album were good, but didn’t reach Kiss or Aerosmith levels. As was the case with many bands of the era, a sophomore record would almost inevitably follow even the most lukewarm initial reception in order to build an artist’s audience, almost unheard of in today’s make-it-huge-or-lose-it industry. “Violation” followed in 1977.

Nine more arena rock songs filled the second record. Richie Ranno’s fuzzy guitar leads into the title track along and Michael Lee Smith’s vocals scream out “Subway Terror” as perfect examples of tunes designed to echo across a large venue. But it’s the first track that broke the band.

The radio friendly “Cherry Baby” hit the American charts and peaked just inside the top 40. Success of the single, available on yellow vinyl, pushed sales of “Violation” to just shy of gold record status. But the lack of top-10 singles or albums started the friction between the band and the label.

Two more albums, the polished “Attention Shoppers” (with its brown paper bag inner sleeve) and harder “Coliseum Rock” failed to top the relative success of “Violation.” After the ubiquitous live album, Starz parted ways with their label. A lack of interest in the growing “new wave” market for a hard rock band caused the call it quits in 1979.

In hind sight, Starz was the prototype for hair metal of the 1980s. Their “glam rock” style matched to their hard rock sound opened the door for such legendary bands at Bon Jovi and Poison among dozens of other acts. While fewer than a million copies of their four studio records were sold, many of them must have fallen into the right aspiring musician’s hands.

Decades later, Starz has reunited for tribute concerts. Ranno has, over the years, released records of outtakes and live material, and the idea of a collection of new music still hovers around the remaining members of the band.

If the band never releases another new album, they will forever remain one of the biggest influences on 1980s rock music. When and if the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ever learns about Starz, the tribute concert will be filled with some of the most exciting performers of the hair metal age. And these beneficiaries of genre’s foundation layers should flex their industry muscles in order to put Starz in the Hall, where they belong. Until then, any hard rock act of the 1980s inducted should thank Heaven for Starz.

[recordstorefanatic-blog]

Record Seeking Road Trip

(Originally appeared in Automotive Traveler)

Without music, life would be a mistake.--Nietzsche

Two milk crates were tossed into the back of the Cayenne Red Nissan Juke, and the journey began. With a full tank of gas, a six-pack of bottled water, and a tight schedule planned, the whirlwind tour was greeted by a surprise October snow storm. The weather be damned, our intrepid travelers would not be stopped on their musical mission. Slowed, maybe... but not stopped.

The heroes of this story were embarking on a nearly record-book-worthy adventure. In about 14 hours, as the plan was, they would visit seven of the best record stores the American Mid-Atlantic has to offer. A circuitous route weaving through Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland was intended to maximize the time in each store and cram everything into a single day.

While it seemed slightly counter-intuitive, the pair and their crimson coach would wander from west to east before heading north and then south. No, it's not how MapQuest, a GPS, or a strictly rational person would plan such a trip. But with some of the stores open earlier or later than others, travel time and retail hours dictated the route.

Opening earliest that morning, the Record Connection in Ephrata, Pennsylvania was first on the itinerary. Hidden in a quiet strip mall in Lancaster County, this indie record store opened in 1985 houses a remarkable inventory--providing a history of the music industry that should be a lesson to its executives. Artists were once given time to develop a following and find their sound. Today, pre-packaged products are foisted on the public as the "latest thing," even if they have nothing new to give us. But here at the Record Connection, we have a time capsule of an age when music was good, and artists were in charge of their own sound.

Racks and racks of records fill three rooms, in addition to the room overflowing with CDs. The "pop" room contains music from nearly every top-40 artist from the 1950s into the 1990s. In search of Donnie (and Marie) Osmond albums, 10 different records surfaced, priced at $3 or $4 with one $8 selection. Other finds included the 1984 comeback album from Slade (known for misspelling song titles, such as Cum On Feel the Noize and Mama Weer All Crazee Now) titled Keep Your Hands off My Power Supply and the relatively obscure British act Charlie's 1979 release Fight Dirty. Another room gathered soul, blues, and country, in addition to a small grouping of hard rock. Little records--once known as singles or 45s--populated the last area.

Friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable staff readily assisted in our search for that lost classic. Minutes from the Pennsylvania Turnpike, the Record Connection's only drawback is that it's hidden away in Amish country. For those vinyl fanatics looking for great-condition discs from the pre-CD period, this is a must-find shop.

A few dozen records placed into the milk crates, hatch closed, and the Juke was heading east toward the City of Brotherly Love. Even with freezing rain, the Nissan competently sailed across Interstate 76, otherwise known as the Schuylkill Expressway. A turn up the Vine Street Expressway leads to the Ben Franklin Bridge and then New Jersey, but exiting the highway before the bridge gets our music-loving travelers to the next stop.

Destination number two was A.K.A. Music on North 2nd Street, Philadelphia's largest independent record store. Although A.K.A.'s collection of music leans more toward CDs, they do have a wide selection of LPs. In the newer music, the store features alternative and local acts. Their used collection has some great finds and wonderfully tempting bargains. Among the rack of 99-cent to $3.00 CDs, were rare (rightfully so) pieces such as B-movie actress Kari Wührer's 1999 release Shiny and central Pennsylvania act the Badlees' 1995 River Songs (for two-bits!).

The hour devoted to A.K.A. Music on the day's schedule was nearly over, so the adventurers made their way to the front counter. Found among the collection here was the album Fickle Heart by Sniff 'n' the Tears with its classic road tune Driver's Seat. And perfect for Halloween was Mike Oldfield's legendary album Tubular Bells, with the title track instantly recognizable as the soundtrack to the horror film The Exorcist.

Quite possibly, the most significant find of the day came from this store. Among the 99-cent records was Cheech & Chong's second album Big Bambu. Noteworthy for the Sister Mary Elephant bit on track one and its nomination for a Grammy award (losing to George Carlin), this LP is notorious for its packaging. Designed to look like a pouch of rolling papers, Big Bambu came from the factory with an actual rolling paper about 10 inches square. Four decades later, finding a copy of this record is difficult. Finding one with the rolling paper intact is nearly impossible. Finding a complete one for under a buck makes the entire trip worthwhile.

Foreigner, Howard Jones, and Eddie Money joined the lot in the Sealtest crate, and the Juke box rejoined the highway. This time, headed north on I-95 as the rain comes down harder. Approaching the next stop, the Juke passed more and more vehicles whose drivers had overextended their cars' capabilities. One after another, drivers found their rides sliding onto the shoulder or into the median. With proper care, however, the Juke arrived in Bordentown, New Jersey unscathed.

Packed on the narrow streets of this little hamlet were dozens of cars and trucks. You'd think it was January--except that the snow- and ice-covered trees still had much of their fall foliage. Even with parking spots at a premium, the Juke's luck continued when a space right in front of the next stop opened.

Farnsworth Avenue is Main Street America. Little mom-and-pop shops fill the tree-lined street, and that's where you find The Record Collector. This indie music store so embodies the specialist retailer spirit that they even reimburse students for their public transportation costs if they purchase more than $25.00.

As we entered the store, the owner was on the phone trying to decide whether or not to cancel that evening's live in-store performance. Posters on the wall and racks of records up front illustrate the level of musicians who have performed at The Record Collector. From local acts to artists known around the world, they've played here among the vinyl.

Up the ramp into the rear of the store, records are organized alphabetically in stacked shelves, just like your local library keeps their books. Only here, the records are in amazing shape and run the gamut of music halls of fame the world over. It's among these shelves that big-buck records can be found. An original copy of Johnny Cash at San Quentin, for example, and the rare Prince box-set Royal Jewels. Even a 12-inch single of Prince's Purple Rain-era I Would Die 4 U/Another Lonely Christmas was snagged.

Still unsure about that evening's performance, the store's owner offered a fond farewell to the travelers as they added more loot to the treasure chests stashed in the tail of the frog-eyed crossover. The little Nissan Juke continued its journey north.

After the highway dumps the explorers off onto the surface streets, they slip through the campus of Princeton. Students roam around, on foot and on wheels, trying to keep clear of the thick, wet snow that has blanketed the hallowed halls of this Ivy League school. Avoiding more than one oblivious driver, the Juke made its way to Tulane Street (barely an alleyway, really), home to the Princeton Record Exchange.

The parking gods blessed the rosy vessel once more with the prime spot right in front of the entrance. For a Saturday afternoon with a football game and rowing competition in town, this 32-year-old indie music spot was surprisingly alive with customers. Crammed with records, CDs and even tapes, the Princeton Record Exchange moves music hunters up and down the aisles as they pleasantly excuse each other's gentle bumps.

Unfortunately, the storm took control of our featured duo's quest and shut down the power to that side of Tulane Street. Less-hearty souls quietly left the darkened shop, but the more determined fired up their cell phones for just enough light to read an album cover or three. This would bear fruit in the form of the neo-swing CD Hot from Squirrel Nut Zippers and Cheech & Chong's first LP to match the previously discovered sophomore release. With the electronic cash registers and credit card readers silenced, it was a cash-only day at the Exchange. One CD and one LP came to a grand total of five bucks and change.

Downing a slice at Iano's Pizza, topping off the tank, grabbing a box of Munchkins, and the refueling was complete. It's at this point that the weather finally took its toll on the music-themed road trip. With the freak snow storm now traveling rapidly up the East Coast, driving back into eastern Pennsylvania would have stalled the rest of the trip. For this reason, Double Decker Records in Allentown, Pennsylvania was bypassed. Perusing the wares at that indie retailer would require a dedicated trip.

Instead of heading north, the Juke pulled a 180 pointed south on I-95. Temperatures eased a bit and rose above freezing, changing the sleet into rain. Almost as suddenly, New Jersey gave way to Pennsylvania. With four stores and two states down, there was one more state and two more music vendors to go. Across the Mason-Dixon Line, the Juke wound its way to Baltimore.

In a nondescript building on Hickory Avenue resides The True Vine. Settled deep in a comfy chair was a man flipping through a lapful of old records. Record memorabilia plastered every wall, with the most prominent visual the 1960s-era three-record set that forms a three-foot long picture of a nightgown-clad blonde.

With its racks and racks of blues, soul, country, and rock albums, The True Vine looks like it could have been plucked out of a movie set where the script called for a "period record store." Selection and pricing are excellent, but it's the atmosphere at this indie music retailer that evokes the sense you've stepped back in time to when record stores formed the center of the hip culture universe.

Mixed in with the top-notch Sixties artists were some unexpected Eighties pop platters. Priced well, copies of records from Split Enz, Blondie, Heaven 17, and the Motels found new homes.

Back in the car, it was time to seek out the final destination of the day. Across town waited the one big record store on the list that was open until midnight. Saturday evening on Thames Street draws Baltimore's in crowd. Men and women dressed to the nines eschewed coats despite the particularly cold evening so as not to cover their best duds. With so many people parading across the cobblestone road, the nearest parking space was three blocks away.

Between Duda's Tavern and The Horse You Rode In On Saloon, The Sound Garden, in business almost 20 years, offers a wide selection of CDs. Stretching deep into the building, well-organized CDs in all genres are available for casual perusal. The college-town staff, complete with the requisite piercings and black nail polish, provide the kind of aloof attitude you would expect from such a store. If vinyl was the medium of choice--and it was--the place to be was the front section.

Up there, the room is filled with numerous modern vinyl releases. Vinyl records have been the odd highlight in an otherwise dour music industry, but annual national sales of just over one million records keep the discs hard to find. At The Sound Garden, the selection of high-quality records was impressive. The hard-core vinyl-phile will find a rare treasure here.As the day came to an end, the Juke's headlights pointed north on I-83 and Baltimore faded in the distance. A trunkful of records and CDs, rumbling bellies, and a gas tank begging for a refill were the remnants from a successfully productive day with a singular focus. The anticipation of spinning the black circles and dropping the needle pushes the pair homeward.

We remember so many events by the music that's playing. A road trip with a carload of friends or family belting out songs. Dad at the family piano tinkling out a tune on the ivories. The song playing on your first date, your first dance, or your first kiss. A great music collection helps keep those memories fresh. And stumbling across a great find in an independent record store can be like pulling a long-forgotten love note or photo out of a drawer. I remember when...

https://automotivetraveler.com/magazine/viewer.php?path=2012/04/Record-Seeking_Road_Trip&page=1&acc=2