So it's been two weeks already since my favourite day of the year, I'm talking Record Store Day. A day I always save up money for and have a ball buying exclusive releases and making a day of it. This was the 13th annual Record Store Day a day to celebrate and support independent record shops. Not that it's the only day as I support and celebrate record stores every day!
This year my day started early as it always does on RSD day (the second Saturday of every April). I started by heading out to my local record shop at 8am to line up with all the other (about 50th in line this year) for the 10am opening of Blackybyrd Myoozik here in Edmonton. This shop is the one closest to me, so it is my GOTO store. And the staff there always treat me good and are great people and most that work there are also musicians.
Anyways the day started by emptying half a bottle of Cola and filling it up with some whiskey to keep me warm while in line up, and hey, it's a long wait, why not have a drink. And as usual, there is always a few hoots making the rounds as well. Still, that two hours in line always feels like forever. But by 10am opening all is forgotten and it's time to make the mad dash for all those special releases that have been listed on the RSD site for the past month. And hoping like hell that they got everything in that I wanted and would still be available by the time I stepped foot in the shop.
The main album I really wanted and had to have was the Bob Dylan - Blood On The Tracks (The Original New York Test Pressing) a replica of course. This early 1975 test pressing consisted of songs that were recorded at the A&R Recording Studios on New York. The original test pressing circulated as bootlegs back in the day. Bob went on to re-record five of the songs in Minneapolis for the final album. So this pressing has some different versions then what ended up on the final release. As I got closer to getting in the store I could see a few copies still in the stands. Well by the time I got in, I got the final copy available at Blackbyrd. So I was a happy camper to be able to grab the album I most wanted. This was a limited pressing of 7500.
My second most wanted album of RSD was the Thrush Hermit album Clayton Park. This was Joel Plaskett's old band. I'm a huge Plaskett fan and have always really liked this album. It was twnety years ago that this album came out. So in celebration of it's 20th anniversary, Joel released this on double vinyl for the first time, and on his own label New Scotland Records. The album still sounds amazing even 20 years later. Thanks for releasing this on vinyl finally Joel.
After those finds it was a matter of getting what I could that I was interested in. So I also got the Lou Reed - Ecstasy album. Originally released in 2000 and was Lou's final solo album. I've always loved this album, so was happy to get this double album version with a limited pressing of 7500.
Another cool pick up was the Pearl Jam album Live At Easy Street. This is a great live recording from a record store Easy Street Records in Seattle, Washington on April 29th, 2005 in support of Indie Record Stores. Limited pressing of 6000.
As usual Grateful Dead had a RSD release, actually a couple, but the one I managed to find was the Sage & Spirit album. This is a compilation album of eight studio recordings and two live. Another limited edition release of 4000.
Another band that always releases something special for RSD is the Flaming Lips. This time around is an album called King's Mouth Music And Songs. An album inspired by lead singer Wayne Coyne's art exhibit. Limited pressing of 3600 copies on gold vinyl.
I was pretty happy to snag a copy of Jeff Tweedy's solo album Warmer which is a follow up to his album released in November of 2018. This album is an RSD exclusive with a release of only 5000 copies. A damn good album too.
And finally at checkout I got a free copy of the Rolling Stones - Early Tracks album. This is a compilation album of early Stones tunes all recorded in 1964. This vinyl was a RSD Canadian only release given away at certain independent record stores. I was pretty happy that Blackbyrd Myoozik was one of them shops and I was there early enough to get a copy.
After hanging at home and listening to some of my new purchases and having a few drinks, I decided to head back to the record shop and see what else was still kicking around. It's hard to remember everything you were interested in the first time around. The place is super busy, you're grabbing what you can and your trying to watch how much you spend and whether you really need it or not. So the second time around and was a little more relaxed as it wasn't near as busy, still busy but not shoulder to shoulder. And hell, I still had some money left from the first go around. This time I picked up a couple of albums that weren't RSD releases, but a couple albums I had been eyeing for a while. And with 20 percent off on all records I took advantage of picking them said albums up.
So the second round of buys include.
Hawkwind - The 1999 Party (Live at the Chicago Auditorium, March 21st 1974. I've been on a Hawkwind kick in the past couple of years thanks to my buddy RCD. This is a double album limited to 5500 copies.
The first time through I totally forgot about the Ace Frehley - Space Man picture disc that was released for RSD. I saw it this time and picked up a copy. Well, it's really not very good. Nonetheless I now own a copy. A limited release of 2100 copies. The album also came with an 18"X24" poster.
Also got a copy of the Tedeschi Trucks Band EP - High And Mighty. This is a four song EP with three songs from the Signs recording sessions that weren't on the album and one song live called "Shame" recorded in Chicago in January of 2018. Limited edition of 2000 pressings.
The last RSD release I picked up was a Steve Earle seven inch single featuring two unreleased solo songs recorded especially for RSD. The cover art is painted by Steve Earle. Limited to 900 copies.
Then I also picked up a few that weren't RSD releases. The first being the Wilco - Kicking Television Live In Chicago box set on vinyl. I had been eyeing this at the store for a month or so. It was still there, and for 20% off I picked it up. This is a fucking great live recording of Wilco. As well I picked up the Matt Andersen album Half Way Home By Morning. A great record as well.
The final album I got that was a RSD release was this Grateful Dead album The Legendary Grateful Dead Acoustic Sets recorded on October 9th and 10th 1980 at the Warfield in San Francisco, California. I missed this on my travels through Blackbyrd, but lucky for me my buddy RCD found a copy for me and picked it up. Not only did he pick it up for me but he gave it to me as a gift. A friend indeed. Thanks so much!!! This is a great album and is a limited pressing of 10,000 on vinyl.
Then of course there are still the albums I was hoping to find. Can anyone help?
RSD Wants
* Allman Bros. - Bear's Sonic
* Canned Heat - Remember Woodstock
* Chris Robinson Brotherhood - Dice Game Picture Disc
* Alice Cooper - Dirty Diamonds
* Jerry Garcia - Electric on the Eel
* Green Day - Woodstock 1994
* Billy Joel - Live at Carnegie Hall 1977
* Robert Plant - Fate Of Nations
* Matthew Sweet - Pleasure Island - Live
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