If somebody handed me $100 and said "here, go buy some records" I would head down to a record store with a good used section and just go find some cool things. When it comes to records half the time I enter a store I don't have anything particular in mind, sometimes it's nice to go in and thumb through everything and see what kind of classics or just plain interesting records are laying around. You'd be surprised at what you find. I've bought records based off of cover art, liner notes, who produced it, etc. and came out with some great stuff I never would have listened to otherwise. But for the topic of first ever vinyl, the first record I ever bought was Abbey Road.
This is the way to do it! Don't collect records to have a collection, collect records so that you can enjoy them. Half the fun is looking and talking about the records themselves. If someone gave me $100 and said "go get some records" I'd come home with a shit load of the weirdest covers and comedy records I could find. Seriously, I know you probably want suggestions, but in my humble opinion that will ruin your experience entirely. Just go and hang out, dig underneath the shelves if you are allowed. I don't usually buy records unless they are $5 or under, exceptions are made of course, but for the most part, I've found some great stuff ( George Harrison's "All things Must Pass" - $7 Wikipedia) Okay fine I'll make a suggestion or two, don't hate me for it if you don't like em! Johnny Cash Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison Elvis Costello and the Attractions "Get Happy" Devo Q: Are we not men? A: We are devo! Bob Dylan: Basically any album from the 60s era. David Bowie: The rise and fall of Ziggy Stardust
MC5 Kick out the Jams Talking Heads: Remain In Light Dead Kennedys Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables
Wu-Tang Clan: Enter The WuTang/36 Chambers
The Pharcyde: Bizarre Ride II Heiroglyphics: 3rd Eye Vision
I might just be linking to stuff I like I dont even think I own the hiphop stuff on vinyl, I dunno, these albums all mean something to me, so I consider them essential.
Weird things are great! Except sweet jesus, never buy a record that has glitter imprinted because it will sound horrible and could damage your needle. Comedy records are great. I don't have any yet, but one of my roommates has a bunch of Bill Cosby records and I love all of them. nowaypablo, flea markets and thrift stores are your friends for cheap records. The only thing is to make sure they're not in awful condition.
Yeah, that was kinda my initial worry, although for $5 you're beating a CD price four times over, and the experience five times over, I also don't want to cherish something that's actually shit :D I'll be careful flea markets and thrift stores are your friends for cheap records. The only thing is to make sure they're not in awful condition.
Oh god, did I ever tell anyone on Hubski about the time where I thought I was the proud new owner of the White Album and then it turned out, I was only the proud new owner of about .75 of the White Album? But - I paid $2 for it - would rather half one playable record and one not for $2 than not at all. Thrift, pabst, thrift and gift. Buy really, really special albums you love and can't live without online but don't rush into it. I would say you should buy the first 100 good albums you can find in thrift shops. Prices range of course, usually between $.50 and $2/album, but I figure you could average out at about $1/per. Be patient. Don't let it burn a hole in your pocket, it's so rewarding to gradually build a collection.
If they're that cheap I guess I don't even care if the quality isn't good-as-new. Then again, the first records I heard were my dad's $250 box set of Radiohead's whole discography, played on a $10,000 sound system which creates instant transcendence, so it might be a bit different. Since I lack the proper unnecessary amount of cash to throw at shit, I will stick to your plan. Thrift and gift it is.
sweet.. right in front of Columbia University across from my music school, there's an annual fair/flea market type thing where an army of hipsters materialize and open up shop. Few months ago I caught it open during the day and all their records were $5, from the most obscure artists I asked for to Nicki Minaj's latest release. Stupid of me to pass it up, but I didn't even plan to own a record player at that point :'(
This is the same thing I would have said. I would guess that the record I've bought that has gotten the most plays is Jim O'Rourke's Eureka. But yeah, check out the dollar bins and get 100 records.
I agree that that is the best way to shop for records, let alone by far the most fun. What I'm talking about now is essentially defining the "essential" records to own, with the limit of $100 worth of essential-ness. Beatles would be sick.
I'll second The Clash - London Calling. Here's some others I would consider "essential", any combination of the following and yes there's plenty I'm missing. Bold is for emphasis. Without further ado, I present bfx's big and wholly incomplete list of badass records: The Rolling Stones - Let It Bleed Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon The Beatles- Abbey Road The Beatles - Revolver Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures or Closer Neil Young - Everybody Knows this is Nowhere The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground & Nico Fugazi - Repeater The Descendents - Milo Goes to College The Stooges - Raw Power Husker Du - New Day Rising Sex Pistols - Never Mind the Bollocks Here's the Sex Pistols Television - Marquee Moon The Replacements - Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take out the Trash Mission of Burma - Vs. Pavement - Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain Arcade Fire - Funeral Boards of Canada - Music Has the Right to Children Miles Davis - Kind of Blue Miles Davis - Bitches Brew Dave Brubeck Quartet - Time Out Depeche Mode - Music for the Masses New Order - Substance Herbie Hancock - Head Hunters The Band - Music from Big Pink The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds Big Star - #1 Record (I don't know how available this one is but it is the essential Power Pop record) David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust The Byrds - Sweetheart of the Rodeo Nirvana - Nevermind Nick Drake - Pink Moon Fleetwood Mac - Rumours Marvin Gaye - What's Going On Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Van Morrison - Astral Weeks Prince - Purple Rain Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back Radiohead - The Bends Simon & Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water Stevie Wonder - Innervisions
Invisioning the sound of some of these albums on a record player.. Kind of Blue and The Bends hnnng