Is the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame worth a visit? Yes. (More on that in a few days.) Things I didn’t expect to hear, however:
Kate (in the gift shop): “I wish I could afford vinyl.”
Me: “What? Of course you can afford vinyl. How much could it be?”
Oh:
MarkH said on July 19, 2011 at 8:25 pm
This confirms that my vinyl collection has indeed gained value. Not that it’s THAT interesting of a collection. Lost what few Stones discs I had long ago.
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Deborah said on July 19, 2011 at 10:10 pm
Never been to the R&R Hall of Fame, always wanted to go. You’ve reminded me that a side trip to Cleveland is a great idea.
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Dave said on July 19, 2011 at 10:13 pm
Really a place I want to go but my wife has very little interest. I’ve told her it could turn into an all day affair for me.
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alex said on July 19, 2011 at 10:16 pm
My mom and dad purged their basement of my substantial vinyl collection. Maybe I’ll hold onto my CDs and await the day they fetch a king’s ransom so I can pawn them and afford some Alpo on my pasta when I’m an old fart trying to live off a 401K and Medicare vouchers.
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brian stouder said on July 19, 2011 at 11:00 pm
Well, I believe I still have all my old Police vinyl albums….or I may have lost them 20 years ago during The Troubles (we’ll avoid the internet over-share).
Indeed, even if I have them, I have no way to actually PLAY them anymore!
Watching the Republicans in Congress work so tirelessly (or pathologically) for another freeze-up in the credit markets (ie – a crash) really gives one pause. Presumably the thought is that this will end the Obama presidency – and that may well be true. Still, it is genuinely distressing to see an actual, literal, really for real example of “rule or ruin” nihilism on the part of a major American political party.
And all this enthusiasm for whacking Medicare and Social Security? How’s that supposed to work? These people spend the money; spent money is the magical force that powers an economy, and not “balanced budgets”. Taxing money out of the economy is a net-negative, if it isn’t spent again; and NOT taxing money that otherwise simply piles up in a wealthy individual’s or corporation’s savings account is also a net negative.
I begin to think that I’d make a long-term trade with the righty-lunatics*; they can have Creationism in biology class in exchange for macro-economics starting in 5th grade.
The world is strange, isn’t it?
*by the way, the “incapacitating migrane” story about Ms One-L strikes me as more than a little misogynistic; it sounds to me a lot like an “acceptable” way to inject the idea of a bitchy incapable female into the mix. For the record, if lightning strikes and Ms One-L gets herself elected to the presidency, I hereby highly resolve to never, ever (ever) sound anything like the Obama-haters have sounded for the past several years, with regard to her
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Dexter said on July 20, 2011 at 12:20 am
The final I-beam for The Hall was placed on saw horses on the plaza beside what was then known as Jacobs Field in Cleveland. This was 1995, and this I-beam was brought up from the site so the baseball fans could actually sign it before it was put into place at the Hall of Fame, just up 9th street and down the hill to the Hall’s location.
I was there that day and I still remember what I signed: “From The Beatles to Pearl Jam, Rock and Roll will never die.”
In subsequent years I made about 20 trips to The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
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prospero said on July 20, 2011 at 2:42 am
I’m in a project to transfer obscure vinyl to digital. Like Twilley Don’t Mind and Steve Gibbons. Both of which I’m sure you remember and both of which Kate would probably like. I’ve got scads of records only on vinyl, but I’m not one of those gifted, self-appointed savants that hear the difference. I understand about the compression involved in the CD and MP3process, so when I play Ramblin Gamblin Man, I’ve got the bass kicked up extremely. It’s the kick drum and the bass, and the primal howl vocal, and the brilliant lost child lyrics, that make Ramblin’ Gamblin’Man one of the spectacular rock songs of all time. I’ve been listening to those Van’s tour bands, and they all sound like my HS bands.
IS THIS TOO <a href="sappyY? or ab astounding Quackenbush guitar odyssey? That is how to play sustain. Better than anybody. And the idea may be sappy, but the vocals are heartfelt. This is TOO <a href="sappyY? or astounding Quackenbush guitar odyssey? Ridiculous ly gorgeous how to make an electric guitar emote. I couldn’t say if it’s better on vinyl. I can say for a fact nobody ever did sustain this beautifully, not close, This is the master. That is how to play sustain. Better than anybody. And the idea may be sappy, but the vocals are heartfelt. This is is this too <a href="sappyY? or astounding Quackenbush guitar odyssey? That is how to play sustain. Better than anybody. Ever. Not quite any argument. This is beyond perfect.
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prospero said on July 20, 2011 at 2:54 am
Vinyl? Roo cute. Do you claim you can hear the difference? I can sure as shit hear the difefrence when it get’s compressed to the freaking I-pod. We are Devo.
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prospero said on July 20, 2011 at 3:02 am
No shit, are we stupid? If Kaate can here the difference, what a great kid. And I’m a serious dimbass. And your kid is way smart. Not as smart as mine. Not close. You have to be kidding when you talk about m kid.You have to be full of shir.y
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ROGirl said on July 20, 2011 at 5:53 am
I took my kitty to the vet a week ago on Tuesday. She’d started sneezing and wheezing on Sunday, she wasn’t eating and her activity level was way down. He did bloodwork and listened to her heart (all OK), gave her a shot, and prescribed an antibiotic and anti-inflammatory. She also had an ear infection, but we decided to deal with that later. He said the sneezing could be an allergy.
She seemed to be doing better through the week and got her appetite back on Friday, but she started sneezing again on Sunday, seemed more congested and was not moving around much, except to eat or find someplace else to lie down. I called the vet back on Monday and he said he would try another antibiotic.
I picked up the medication on my way home from work (total so far $400) and when I got home she was lying on the windowsill, extremely congested, eyes kind of gunky and breathing some of the time with her mouth open. I wasn’t very happy with the vet and a friend gave me a recommendation, so I called that office, couldn’t get an appointment and they gave me the number for an emergency vet. I called and described the situation, they said it could be respiratory and an xray would be $75.
Off we went. The vet came in and consulted. I showed her all the medication. They took her for the xray. Someone came in with the bill. $75 for the xray, plus another $225 for the consultation and service.
No problems from the xray. They said all the medication should take care of whatever is going on, and I should keep her inside, which she doesn’t like. She was breathing better when we got home and now she’s sleeping under the desk. No sneezing episodes since last night.
$700
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Deggjr said on July 20, 2011 at 8:34 am
My wife and I went to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, initially skeptical but ultimately enthralled.
ION and I am sure others make a turntable that can be plugged into a computer for playing the vinyl. The turntable probably can be plugged into other electronics. ION provides software that can be used to create CDs. Cool stuff.
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Julie Robinson said on July 20, 2011 at 8:44 am
Oh my, ROGirl, what an ordeal. I sure do hope she’s feeling better soon. I never knew cats could get allergies too; it strikes me as odd because I am allergic to them.
My sister has been in the hospital again without a conclusive diagnosis so that is fretting me right now.
Dave, we went to to Rock Hall a few years back and I loved it. Did I mention I don’t really like most rock music? It’s still a fascinating cultural experience. Maybe your wife would enjoy the world-renowned Cleveland Museum of Art instead, or you could each go with each other and pretend to enjoy yourselves.
Nearby Akron has the National Inventors Hall of Fame, which my husband (who has a notebook full of ideas for inventions) found inspirational. There’s also a fun room full of models that were submitted for patents. Most of them are old, some just goofy, but quite ingenious.
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Kim said on July 20, 2011 at 8:44 am
BobNG will know if she’s still open (I was thinking I’d heard she’d retired, which seems impossible), but The Place for vinyl has always been Val’s Halla in Oak Park, IL. If Val didn’t have it, she’d get it – guaranteed. If you like the scratch and pop of vinyl but the portability of the mp3, I recommend the turntable Deggjr mentioned.
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moe99 said on July 20, 2011 at 10:02 am
what I need is a DVD recorder that can break through the encryption on a VHS tape that is not on DVD. It’s a made for tv movie, a favorite, titled Cast a Deadly Spell with Fred Ward. A film noir set in LA after WW2 but magic has been released and now all the typewriters type themselves and other fun things. Never got put on DVD which is a shame because it’s very entertaining. One guy dies of a thousand paper cuts.
Anyway, if you have any suggestions, they would be most welcome.
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Deborah said on July 20, 2011 at 10:49 am
I got to work this morning to find the air conditioning wasn’t working. Lovely. A transformer blew out during a storm very early this morning. They got it started a few minutes ago but it’s going to take a while to get cooled down. It’s usually so cold I have to wear a jacket in here during the summer. It’s supposed to reach 99 today, might as well be 100 just to be able to say that.
ROGirl, one of my cats seems to get colds, when she sneezes a lot. She often has a runny nose and goopy eyes. We’ve been told it’s because of her pushed in face, some breeds have problems with that, she was the runt of the litter. Her sister has a normal looking face and no nose problems but she has goopy eyes a lot too.
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Bob (not Greene) said on July 20, 2011 at 10:53 am
Kim,
Yep, Val’s is still around, but in a different location. The old store on South Boulevard was demolished a couple of years back to make way for a mixed-use development that crashed and burned before anything got built. Val’s took the store over to Harrison Street in the new “arts district” there. Haven’t been over there, but I see Val every once in a while when she comes to eat at George’s. I haven’t bought any vinyl (much less a CD) since I got an iPod several years ago. Actually, the last actual vinyl I bought probably dates to about 1990. I have bought some old 10-inch jazz discs from the 1930s and 1940s from the old Jazz Record Mart in Chicago, some of which are hung on the wall of my living room. Cool labels.
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coozledad said on July 20, 2011 at 11:31 am
I was wondering if there’s anyone around who re-presses jazz 78’s for gramophones, or if you just have to luck into the old ones.
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Bob (not Greene) said on July 20, 2011 at 11:54 am
Cooze, If you ever get to Chicago visit the Jazz Record Mart, they have mountains of old jazz 78s.
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moe99 said on July 20, 2011 at 12:04 pm
C’dad, I have a bunch of old 78’s some jazz, some Broadway, some Yale glee club, if you want them. They are very very heavy so we’ll have to figure out how to get them to you.
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coozledad said on July 20, 2011 at 12:12 pm
Thanks,Moe and Bob. I’ve been interested in acquiring a gramophone, but I always wondered how hard it would be to get discs I’d actually want to listen to.
The Jazz Record Mart webstore is great.
I’d probably be willing to swap some crappy artwork for some of those 78s, moe.
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prospero said on July 20, 2011 at 1:07 pm
I’ve got Wagner’s Ring Cycle on 78s. Weighs about 15 lbs.Purchased in a second-hand store just outside of Harvard Square.
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Peter said on July 20, 2011 at 1:28 pm
I LOVE the smell of spinning vinyl in the morning!
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derwood said on July 20, 2011 at 1:34 pm
This is why all of my vinyl is safely tucked away in my basement along with my still functioning JCPenny MCS Series turntable.
-daron
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Carter said on July 20, 2011 at 3:41 pm
I’m just coming off of 3 looong days of selling vinyl at the Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago and can report that vinyl is alive and well. And if I had a copy of Exile, I would wing it right off to Kate, but I don’t. That copy in the HoF pic looks like a new pressing, so $30 ain’t bad for virgin vinyl. The last used one I had cost me $5 and I got $18-$20 for it. I sold maybe 300 records over the weekend and grossed approx. 2 grand. Was visited by vinyl connoisseur Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth), who bought a Neil Young bootleg and a Ali Akbar Khan/Ravi Shankar record. Mad props to me. Check out tuneyards @ Pitchfork http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nj2iEPR9cao
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Kim said on July 20, 2011 at 6:36 pm
Cool, BobNG – I made a stealth trip to Chicago last summer and saw Val at a Steppenwolf Garage play. My daughter (who’d been to both stores) was dumbfounded – “YOU know HER?” I told her it was all part of my secret life before children.
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Dave said on July 20, 2011 at 7:57 pm
Twilley Don’t Mind, Prospero? Really. Loved The Dwight Twilley Band albums, both of them. I’ve always thought of him as rather obscure.
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Andrew J. said on July 21, 2011 at 1:29 pm
I still listen to Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols on vinyl with a kick ass direct drive turntable from 20 years ago nearly every other day.
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