Mum. 23/12/32 - 12/12/10

Open Up, This Is a Raid

Record Shops #1

In a previous life I spent 21 years working in record/CD shops, 7 for a small East Anglian chain & 14 at my own little store, so the environment is kind of in my blood. For this reason I still go out of my way to find and support cool stores when & where I can. Downloading is undeniably quick & useful, buying online is convenient, but there's nothing better than browsing and discovering in real time, in a real store - specially if the people behind the counter are cool too.

Step forward Marjorie Eisenberg of Permanent Records in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, New York. OK, so it's not on everyone's doorstep - even if you live in New York! - but trust me, if you do find yourself in the Big Apple, take the G train, make the trip & check out the store. Marjorie keeps a fine selection of new & used LP's & CD's, features a band playing live instore most saturdays and best of all, is very friendly & has great taste in music.

Where it all began...

Early in 1972, I was in the East Ham branch of the Co-op when I spotted this beauty. I believe it was 72p, which I had to beg from my parents. I knew of T.Rex from classroom chatter & might even have already owned Jeepster & Telegram Sam on 7" singles, but this was my first 'pop' LP. Unbeknown to me at the time, it was a just a watered down version of the Fly release 'The Best of T.Rex' with the hit title track added & housed in a hideous sleeve, but it was with this album that my black & white life became colour. All roads lead back to this moment.