What's Your Vinyl Collection?

[Onioner]

Originally Posted by The Colonel

Oh yeah, SF is one of my other favorite spots. Whenever I'm on tour I always try to bring as much money as possible to go record hunting in various cities. Obviously, I'm really into a lot of d-beat and grind and there are a few places in Portland that can't be beat when it comes to that kind of stuff. You've got some cool stuff man!

Dude I don't even know how the hell you found a lot of that stuff here in the US instead of the UK or something! I have to admit, I cheated and ordered a few of those records in my collection through eBay or MusicStack, but you have so many crazy rare albums and singles that you had to have found most of them in person I'm assuming. I'd love to really take a week (and a few hundred dollars...) and raid Portland and Seattle for records, but that won't be happening for a long time I think. I'll just have to settle for the rare Amoeba and Rasputin runs in Berkeley and SF I suppose.

[treghet]

Originally Posted by Onioner

I'll just have to settle for the rare Amoeba and Rasputin runs in Berkeley and SF I suppose.

Assuming you've been to both, how does the SF Amoeba compare to the one in Hollywood? When I went to the one in Hollywood I was disappointed that 90% of the metal section was Back on Black reissues. I was very happy to find Cattle Decapitation's Humanure, but that was literally the only interesting thing in the whole section.

[The Colonel]

Originally Posted by Onioner

Dude I don't even know how the hell you found a lot of that stuff here in the US instead of the UK or something! I have to admit, I cheated and ordered a few of those records in my collection through eBay or MusicStack, but you have so many crazy rare albums and singles that you had to have found most of them in person I'm assuming. I'd love to really take a week (and a few hundred dollars...) and raid Portland and Seattle for records, but that won't be happening for a long time I think. I'll just have to settle for the rare Amoeba and Rasputin runs in Berkeley and SF I suppose.

There have been times that I've ordered stuff, but that's mostly more recent stuff ever since East Side Records closed down out here. Mostly, I've just been collecting stuff for a long time. I'm in my early 30s and have been going to metal/hardcore shows since I was 14, so there's plenty of records I picked up at shows directly from bands, or in random distros. East Side Records in Tempe was also a regular haunt for me from the age of 14 up until they closed about 2 years ago. I used to find all kinds of great stuff there, mostly punk stuff. There was also a used record store called Tracks in Wax in downtown Phoenix. I got a lot of my Motorhead, Priest, Maiden type stuff there. Nowadays there's a place in Phoenix called Revolver Records. It's still relatively new and building itself up, but I've found some great stuff there on occasion.

[Rocco44]

Originally Posted by treghet

Assuming you've been to both, how does the SF Amoeba compare to the one in Hollywood? When I went to the one in Hollywood I was disappointed that 90% of the metal section was Back on Black reissues. I was very happy to find Cattle Decapitation's Humanure, but that was literally the only interesting thing in the whole section.

Yeah, I went to Amoeba years ago and the metal section was really weak and over priced. I've probably mentioned this before but Vacation Vinyl is the spot in LA for heavy music.

[slapguitarer]

Giant Squid/Grayceon 7" Split

[Onioner]

Originally Posted by treghet

Assuming you've been to both, how does the SF Amoeba compare to the one in Hollywood? When I went to the one in Hollywood I was disappointed that 90% of the metal section was Back on Black reissues. I was very happy to find Cattle Decapitation's Humanure, but that was literally the only interesting thing in the whole section.

The SF Amoeba is fucking GLORIOUS. Easily the best record store in the bay, no question. They do carry a bunch of the shitty Back on Black reissues, but they have so much rare and cool metal stuff that it's worth it. They actually recently bought some dude's massive metal vinyl collection and they've slowly been selling it off in waves. There are so many old bands I've never even heard of in that collection. Even before they did that buy I found Nothingface by Voivod in there!

We have a chain of record stores up here in the bay called Rasputin's. The one in Berkeley always has 80s metal vinyl come through- if I feel like picking up some cool 80s metal vinyl, Rasputin's in Berkeley is always my first choice. I've bought almost every thrash record I own there. I even bought my Japanese Unleashed in the East there with the Obi still on the cover!

The Berkeley Amoeba is great for someone just getting into music or someone who is a casual fan of a lot of different styles- there's a huge quantity of music in the store and a ton of reasonably priced classic rock vinyl, but its metal selection is definitely lacking. Nothing rare, and they don't even stock a lot of really common releases.

There's another chain of stores called Streelight Records kind of scattered around the bay. The SF location sucks (their homoerotic DVD section is larger than their rock section), but the San Jose and Santa Cruz locations are both great. They're kind of the opposite of the Berkeley Amoeba. There isn't a big selection for people looking for just general music, but the more you start to get into rare stuff the cooler things you find there. They've had lots of really cool vintage vinyl come through, and they stock limited pressings of modern albums.

Rocco, I agree 100%- Vacation Vinyl rules. We have a store like that in SF, Aquarius Records. Tons of rare CDs and the place is stocked with music from the weirdest metal bands around. Vacation's a little pricey, but they're pretty much the only way to avoid overpriced shit on eBay.

[Rocco44]

Yeah Vacation is a bit pricey but the dudes that work there are great, the selection is strong and they have free in store shows occasionally (Black Cobra, Ancestors etc) so I don't mind throwing them a buck now and again. They have a good thing going with Southern Lord so those releases are very reasonable.

I definitely have to hit up all those stores the next time I'm in the bay.

[The Colonel]

New additions:

EyeHateGod "New Orleans Is the New Vietnam" 7"

Yob "Atma" 2x12"

[The Colonel]

The Atlas Moth "Hope For Atlantis" 7"
Clutch "Pigtown Blues" 7" pic disc
Vitamin X "Bad Trip" LP

[slapguitarer]

Giant Squid/Grayceon 7" Split
Miles Davis - Miles Smiles
Jethro Tull - Aqua Lung
Yes - Fragile
Judas Priest - Screaming For Vengeance