During my recent mini-vacation I was, as usual, drawn to my new favorite emporium of used vinyl decadence. It was calling out to me, just a few feet past the State Theatre. We don't make it up to Portland all that often so...OK, that was this trip's rationalization.
While flipping my way though the section labeled "Psychedelic/Electronic" I got into a conversion with Bob the owner. I asked him if he'd ever heard of Alan Zweig's film about record collectors, "Vinyl". He hadn't, and after a short detour into how much he couldn't stand "High Fidelity" (he hated Barry's snobbishness, I didn't mention that I detected a little Barry in me while I watched the movie), we got to talking about the sad and weird characters inhabiting "Vinyl". Sad & weird because record collecting appeared to be the center of their lives. This was one of the reasons Zweig made the film: because his record collecting habit was bearing down on the rest of his life.
Apparently, Bob has known several of these kinds of people. One guy in particular used to visit his shop often, hunting down jazz records. Bob noticed that , aside from the man being a little overweight, the guy just didn't seem to take very good care of himself. One night after store closing, Bob noticed him sitting on a park bench dining on a big bag of potato chips washed down with a 2-liter bottle of Coke.
After a fashion the man's appearances at Enterprise Records dwindled...until Bob received a phone call from the man's sister: her brother had passed away and would he like to come and evaluate his collection? Bob's description of the apartment was what you would expect: trash piled everywhere, a mountain of empty TV dinner boxes and trays dwarfing the garbage can. And yes, records...a sizable collection. Where there wasn't garbage, there was records. Lots of 'em.
After being there a while, Bob realized something...there was no stereo. Nothing to play all of that precious vinyl on. Apparently, this poor guy's record collecting hobby was a social thing. It allowed him to hang out in used record shops.
Now, I'm not sure what the moral of the story is...not even sure there is one. I do have my reclusive tendencies but nothin' like that.
I did end up with nice copy of Captain Beefheart's Trout Mask Replica...whatever that means.
(First posted on Mark Is Cranky)
Article comments
1 - Tom Johnson
Is Vinyl out on DVD or video? I'd love to see it. I'm not a vinyl junkie by any means (CDs are my drug of choice,) but it sounds like I might sympathize with some aspects of it . . .
2 - Eric Olsen
great story Mark - reminds me of a guy described in, shit now I can't remember, some book who had become virtually homeless though he was from all kinds of money, and he had collected close to 1/2 million vinyl records and hardly ever played any of them - very sad and weird.
3 - A. Zweig
I feel like the boy who cried wolf when I say that someday "Vinyl" will be out on DVD. But I promise. I have to admit that I find it funny whenever I hear that someone was talking about the film. Funny ha ha and funny uncomfortable. The very first time I ever showed the film, a little group of "serious" record collectors made it very clear to me how much they loathed the film. So after that, no matter how many other collectors over the years, have told me that they "got it", I still have this automatic gag reaction anytime I hear that record collectors were talking about the film. I agree that it isn't a "glorification" of record collecting but I do think of it as a celebration. And when I talk to people who see it, usually they tell me it made them want to buy more records and that makes me feel good.
4 - Mark Saleski
hi alan,
well, it certainly did make me want to buy more records, but then again...it doesn't take much.
5 - Mark Saleski
hi alan,
well, it certainly did make me want to buy more records, but then again...it doesn't take much.
6 - john
http://www.thevideobeat.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=520
is this a bootleg?
7 - Mark Saleski
hmm. i wasn't aware that this was available on dvd.