Last weekend, when I was on my way to the bank, I passed a cheap sign on Bloor St saying “1000s of vinyls, thattaway.” Intrigued, I followed the arrow up a residential street (I think it was Brunswick) to a parkette with a buncha milk crates laid out on the ground.
This is why I love The Annex. Where else can you find a vinyl parkette sale in late September?
The first crate I came across contained a copy of Concerto for Group and Orchestra, Deep Purple and the Royal Philharmonic, German pressing. Okay, I knew I’d be dropping a couple dollars here. A couple minutes later, the well-worn green sleeve of ZZ Top’s Tres Hombres caught my eye. Not a bad afternoon right there…
The bearded dude hovering over the crates told me that the records were two bucks each or, he said with a gleam in his eye, “If you see something else you like, I can give you three for five dollars.” I knew what that meant… KISS Alive!, muthafucka!
I gotta say, that Deep Purple orchestral record is some trippy shit, classical music mixed with heavy DP grooves. Tres Hombres is a blues-rock classic. “La Grange” gets overplayed on every classic rock station known to man, but it really is a solid record, from start to finish.
As for Alive!, well, my enjoyment of the quintessential live double-album was severely hampered as a large chunk was missing from the second record–almost as if someone got too high, mistook the vinyl for a pizza, and took a bite outta the fucking thing. It still plays, mind you, but I’m forced to skip “Watchin’ You” on Side 3 and “Rock Bottom” on Side 4, so that the needle doesn’t drop. Unfortunately, the vinyl vendors had packed up and left by the time I came to this realization–and besides, I’m not sure that guy woulda given me my buck-fifty back, anyways.
Oh well, you win some, you lose some, I suppose…
Peace,
Greg
P.S.: Smokin’ Green tonite is dedicated to one of my all-time favourite bands, the Teutonic terrors, Accept. I’m seeing ’em in Cleveland next weekend, and I’ll be spinning their tunes for a full two hours this evening. Be sure to tune in from 1 till 3 am at 88.1 fm on yer radio, channel 947 on yer TV, or www.ckln.fm on yer computer!
