Fond Memories

"Paula's record shop, with rows of records waitin'
For dreamers to flip through them one by one
Hey, there's one we just saw, on Bandstand they were ratin'
Just look at all those labels, like Roulette and Sun.

Saturday afternoon a half a century on
Bewildered ghosts line all that's left of Main Street
The magic left with the digital dawn
The remnants pass as whispers in retreat.

Yeah, I'm gonna have the nerve to say
That those were the days
And I'll say it right in your face
Yeah, I'm gonna have the nerve to tell
A story that's hard to sell
To the Bank of Wireless Wizards and their fools
That bought this place"

The Boxmasters (written by Billy Bob Thornton and J.D. Andrew)

When I was a kid, I used to hop on the train to Boston, to get to the record department of Jordan Marsh. It was a large record department. I would spend a slow time flipping through the albums. Digging the album art, reading the liner notes. I usually knew exactly what I was there to buy, but I so enjoyed going through everything else and anticipating the future when I could buy those. Albums cost $3.30 then.

It was a religious experience for me, holding those albums in my hands..

I would ride home impatiently, hoping my parents were not around so I could listen to the music on their hi-fi. Later they bought me a record player and it was easier.

This without a doubt is one of the fondest memories of my life.