The Frensz Method of Record Shopping
I love stopping in at a new record store that I’ve never been to. For some reason, I can buy a stack of dollar bin records that I’ve never heard of and get excited to sample each one and discover what it holds- I almost never do the same thing with streaming even though there is an essentially infinite catalogue at my disposal. I guess there’s just something wonderful about judging a cover, checking to see if I know any of the musicians or engineers, and imagining what the contents might sound like. Here is my personal method for a successful record buying mission.
-Look for that certain good record that you have been wanting but unable to find in other stores, maybe it’s your lucky day. If you don’t find it quickly, move on.
-Head for the bargain bins, seek out any Herbie Mann, Jean-Luc Ponty, and Paul Winter that you don’t already have. Buy any of their records that you haven’t heard.
-Stay at bargain bins, look for cool latin records or anything with psychedelic or funky covers.
-Buy one record based on cover alone.
-Ask the employee on duty about what they’re spinning or if anything really cool has come through the shop lately. Record store employees are almost always lovers of a huge variety of music, they are great to talk to.
-Find a stupidly ambitious record, something where the music is really over the top and creative. Buy it.
-Make sure you leave with one thing you’ve never heard of and don’t know what to expect.
-Make sure you at least walk through every section of the store, you wouldn’t want to miss out browsing something cool, even if you’re not going to buy it.
Go home and enjoy your haul. Sample your records by listening to just one side, unless you’re totally digging it. Listen to the other side tomorrow. After 2 days and hearing 1 full play of each of your new records, re-listen to your favorites or the ones that challenged you most from beginning to end, listen properly without doing other stuff.
Enjoy owning a physical copy of a sound from the past. Enjoy the idea that sound scratched into lacquer 60 years ago still plays back pleasantly. Ponder the other people who owned your copy before you and what their listening experience may have been. Think about the priceless and metaphysical value of the music, and the very practical and real value of the copy you hold. You can now listen to this music as much as you’d like until you pass it on to the next person.
Repeat