In this fastmoving, hyper-digital world of direct downloads, torrents and Itunes, does anyone (presumably as old as me har har) miss the thrill of either perusing your local record shop for the new album by your favourite band, and being delighted to see it there in the rack, grabbing it and buying it, then rushing home to play it? Or even going into town specifically to get that elusive album?
I know nowadays all you have to do is log on to any of the various digital download musicstores, or even order the CD (or download, possibly?) from Virgin/HMV/Tower etc, but I used to enjoy the buzz of actually going into town to get my new album (and perhaps picking up some others on an impulse while there!): I'm not saying I don't download, of course I do, but I miss the halcyon days of buying albums in shops.
It was also pretty cool when you could go into your local record shop and talk to the assistant about what was new, what was comign out and what they recommended. Sad to see all that pretty much gone forever...
Nostalgic, I guess, but it's a pity the kids of today wont ever experience that thrill, or miss it.
TH

I buy nearly all my music online now (not downloads but CDs via amazon) but for Christmas I got a HMV voucher. So I walked into town, through the saturday crowds, only to find out that the CD I was after wasn't even in stock. I found something else but it wouldn't have been by second choice normally (am I the only one who completely forgets what music they want to buy the second they step into a record shop?) and I rushed the purchase simply because the crowds were doing my head in. By the time I got home the afternoon was over and I had a CD I've only listened to once or twice. Now compare that to
1. Read about band/singer/album online
2. Amazon search
3. Buy it (that one click buy is great)
4. A couple of days later I get a present through my post box
Bloody marvellous if you ask me, especially with amazon search integrated into my browser so from reading about an album to purchase only requires two or three mouse clicks

So no, I don't miss the old days at all.

The record shops of old were great places, and I used to spend hours there in my youth.

It was also a frequent sight to see people walking around proudly carrying albums . That all stopped with cds though.

I did enjoy those days, but I buy most of my music online now, because it's cheaper, and more convenient. I do still visit the music shops sometimes though in search of a bargain.

In the 'old days' if your local record shop was friendly and like the same music as you it was good to spend a few hours chatting and listening to the new albums they'd got that week and buying one or two, but these days most of the small retailers have gone out of business and only the big chains are left, they arent the same.

Yeah, I know what you're saying. Very few record shops nowadays interested in introducing you to new music: they just want to sell as much as possible. There was a shop (still is) in Dublin called the Sound Cellar, where you could, quite literally, spend the whole day hanging out and talking to the guys, and listening to rock music. Of course, you were more or less expected to have bought something before you left (they were good salesmen), but it was never something you didnt want or hadn't enjoyed listening to.
Freebird was another good one, a place where you could find an album you had been chasing for years in the second-hand bin for a song. They mostly seemed to employ students there, so they were more interested in talking about music than selling --- of course they had to sell, that was their job. But they were always wiling to talk about music, advise or comment on artistes and share experiences of gigs.
You're all right --- those days are gone now, and they'll never return. And yes, buying music online makes sense, of course it does. It's just nostalgia, as I said: I miss albums, though of course CDs are better. I miss opening the dust sheet and carefully handling the record by its edges, blowing the dust off and carefully lowering the stylus onto the disc. You had to take care of records in those days, or they got scratched and wouldn't play. Although CDs aren't indestructible, nowadays it's not all that necessary to be careful as we used to. If you want to make a copy of your original CD and then use it up, scratch it or damage it, there's always the original to fall back on. Albums you had one chance, and unless you wanted to have to buy the record again (or tape it from a friend), you learned to take care of what you bought.
No, there's no going back, I know that. But I was just more or less looking for similar reminiscences from other people on the fine art of album buying...
TH

I remember the big old record faires that used to happen.

I had an ex who was obsessive about them. But, he'd go and bring me back all these gems. Like vinyl picture discs and rare stuff by people that I liked but would never have known as well as I did.

Now - I'm impatient. If I feel like hearing something, I'll buy it from itunes immediately. I have so many albums with only one song I liked....it probably saves me money.

But when it's a CD I want, I can wait until Play.com sends it to me

I went down to Fopp in the high street to buy Neon Bible on Monday. The shop was packed with customers and there was a steady queue to pay all the time I was in there. Strange - if this forum's to be believed no one buys CDs any more.

I still buy albums fom shops.
Im a bit of a geek so I must have the propper album with all it's artwork, rather than some digital coppy that you get nothing with exept the chance of maybe losing it all if your computer crashes on you.

I also like to impulse buy with records. Which is a bit hard to do online. It's just so much more instant than having to wait upto a week for delivery.

That's exactly what I mean: it's like the fun has been taken out of "shopping for music", which used to be one of my favourite pastimes.
Past in every sense now I guess...

I also found out today that our local record shop is closing down (big "Closing down sale" notice on the window). Sad. I think it will end up with two powerbases for record buying --- online music stores and the bigger outlets like Virgin, Tower etc, with the little, as it were, cornershop music store being either bought out or forced out of business.
Very sad.

I still buy CD albums, and yes I note that Fopp's are always busy when I do get to one!

My town only has a small HMV and a Virgin that has more DVD's and games, and seemingly less CD's each time I go in - so I don't buy much from there nowadays!

So I still prefer the real deal! I buy 5-8 albums a month.... 80% from Amazon/Ebay (if its an oldie.) 20% from the High Street. (I got the new Arcade Fire CD from Asda this week!)

I do download the odd track, but if I like the artist I'll get the album.

You know you still CAN buy albums and browse record/CD shops? I do.

Actually, I downloaded a copy of Christina Aguilera's latest album (illegally, I might add), then went and bought it just so I actually have a nice shiny copy of the CDs and the album packaging but I've never actually played either CD.

I love getting proper CDs from proper shops. Unless I can get it cheaper on eBay, i'll buy the CD out of a shop and listen when I get home.

I've never legally downloaded an album in my life. What's the point when half the time, the CD is cheaper. Tesco always have a one or two chart CDs priced at 7 quid every week.
Last edited by Scissor*Sister : 09-03-2007 at 02:13