Record shops

I was told recently that I am a 1 in 100.  It puzzles me, but it's nice to know that I stand out in a good way once in a while.  The reason I am that 1 in 100 lies with my gender, and record shops.  Now, I'm not talking HMV, I'm talking real record shops, those cool little places that are increasingly rare these days.  The ones that are full of vinyl as well as CDs, the ones where you can find those obscure little gems that most of your mates think you're weird for liking.  The ones where you can go in and chat to the guy (or girl) behind the counter about all kinds of musical things, without worrying that the conveyor belt must keep moving and the store assistant has to serve the next person with their latest chart hit album.

These places are my opium den, they are like magical grottos full of wonderment.  Those big plastic discs, they represent to me the joy of music.  It's nostalgia and discovery, it's excitement and pleasure.  It's hours spent as a youngster, learning the lyrics of my favourite songs and dreaming of seeing it played live in front of me.  It's the hours I spent raving to the latest dance choons, played by DJs who spin those 12"s on the wheels of steel.  It's having gatefold sleeves, fabulous artwork, lyrics printed on the inner sleeve, special edition boxed sets, secret messages etched onto the vinyl, something substantial in your hands, which you don't get with digital downloading.

I am lucky to have one of these shops in my local high street.  Outside of the big cities, they are becoming increasingly rare, which is a massive shame, but I guess it's the way a lot of small businesses are suffering at the hands of the retail giants.  But I can't get a 12" record in Tesco, HMV don't do rare CDs by obscure artists, and even if they did, you couldn't have a conversation about it with the store assistant.  Tom at my local record shop, Sound It Out* knows his stuff (see, do you know the HMV staff by name?  Do they know you?), if you like a particular genre, he can suggest all kinds of things you might like, and he is happy for you to use his record deck and CD player to have a listen before you choose what you want to buy.  If you are looking for a record he doesn't have, he doesn't rely on a store database, he knows all the tricks and tips to find what you want.  I can go in there and spend ages flicking through the racks of CDs and records, completely lose track of time.  It's the service, the friendliness, the knowledge that you can't get anywhere else.  It's remembering a song from the past and being able to go and find it.

It's my shopping indulgence, I can go in there and blow a fortune, given half a chance, and that is what makes me that 1 in 100 girl.  Most girls like to shop for clothes, makeup, girly stuff, and that's all fine and well, but give me that record shop any day.  I still get the same buzz from shopping, but forget the new skirts and handbags, a pile of new musical joy is my idea of bliss.

 * http://www.sounditoutrecords.co.uk/