I'm still working on factual AND funny...

Thanks to those who've been in touch about indie stores of note. Will be doing some researching over the next few days and will start to add names soon. One that pops up quite a lot, and one which I have experience of and there I'm able to write about with relative ease, is Selectadisc in Nottingham.

In the last couple of weeks, things have changed in store and everything's been bunched up a bit. I've just tried describing this in words, but it didn't work especially well, so here's a visual aid.

Right then, the bit you can see some of on the left used to be the 'specialist' CD section but they've now put that up for rent and squidged the whole stock into the main bit you can see and the upstairs of said main shop. Confused? Good. Anyway, it's now even more bonkers and cluttered than it was before, but I think I might actually like it better like this. For a start, it feels much more like your traditional indie store, with things shoved everywhere and quality stock piled high. Secondly, if this ensures the store a long and prosperous future then that can't be a bad thing. 

Why's it worthy of your time and money? Well, the internet is full of people bitching about arsey staff and the like but from my personal experience this is utter cobblers. Sure, they're not the most talkative bunch but they're some way from the snobbery of 'High Fidelity'. In addition, as a result of Fopp opening in the city about over six years ago, prices altered. When Fopp's popularity was at a peak in the city, Selectadisc figured that they could be a little bit more competitive and, from that moment on, they regained the title of 'Best Record Shop in Nottingham'. Back catalogue is regularly no more than 8.99 on CD, with a lot of mid-price titles at 4.99 or less. New releases are very competitively priced and their vinyl stocks cannot be rivaled for many miles around. Where they stand out from many indie stores is their refusal to treat vinyl buyers as mugs and use scarcity as a reason to hike prices. They are regularly a couple of quid cheaper than any other sources on new vinyl and bloody quick at getting hold of import copies of select, splendid titles.

The main plus point for this lot is their excellent stock. Great prices, sensible organisation and atmosphere are added bonuses. Music fans who have lived in Nottingham at some point in their lives always seem to remember Selectadisc, and always seem to rave about it. You can count me in that group.

Can't think why they tried to make you go there

Ah, The Winehouse, or Majestic, as we call it round here. 'Back To Black' remains one of THE pop/soul albums of recent years, containing as it does, not a single duff track. I always thought the CD sounded a little too mashed, even though the plan was always that it should sound like the compressed to hell vintage Motown singles of the sixties. It made those annoying clicking noises that you get with over-compressed records. It's not hugely noticeable, but when you're obsessive about these things it becomes an issue. Thus, I was pretty chuffed to discover that a vinyl release was finally upon us and that it sounds a lot better than the CD.
Now, as far I'm concerned that statement is true. A copy arrived in the post today, and it sounds wonderful. The album breathes, as well as swinging, bounding and seducing. It's hard to pin down what is so much better about the vinyl, but then I've always been like this. I love the sound of a good piece of vinyl - currently, Terry Callier's 'What Colour Is Love?' - but short of 'it's analogue', I don't really have any reasons why. Naturally, it looks pretty, but even I'm not shallow enough to buy a format for that reason alone. Anyway, this vinyl. If you have the means, track yourself down a copy and treat yourself to just over half an hour of soul indulgence. It's a modern classic, and I don't bandy that phrase around willy-nilly. (I appear to writing this live from the 1960s, based on some of my language choices this evening. Anyway, it's been a long, long day, my hay fever is ridiculous and I'm knackered.)
Till tomorrow.