Friday, April 15, 2011

Vinyl Dreams on Record Store Day

I received my education from Haffa's Fine Used Records in Athens, Ohio.

In that small, grimy basement store, I learned the passion, joy, despair and the cold hard realities of buying and selling used vinyl.  I discovered Miles Davis, Tom Waits and the cutout bin there.  

It was a beautiful way to kill that hour between classes and to watch, in fascination, as the used vinyl was sorted for rejection or acceptance for a quarter or two.  The best records were bought for a buck. I sold vinyl there when I needed money.  Spent it there when I had it. 

For me, Haffa's was a portal.  A transmitter linked to a much wider world.  A world of musicians playing in smoky clubs and sweaty, downtown bars  - and all the excitement, rebellion and freedom it represented to me.  I wanted to drink it all in - like it was coming from a fire hose.  It made me want to leave my cave and take a look around.  I can't thank Haffa's enough for that. 


I will be paying my respects to Top Five Records in Lake Worth - a great, vintage vinyl and CD place. Cash only.  Singer-songwriter and Local Hero John Ralston will kick off the full day of in-store performances at 1 p.m.



1 comment:

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It is great to hear that you can get all those vinyls. I thought that all of them died long time ago.