Michele’s Freeminding

Yesterday, I realized how bad I miss a music store. Not a Tower Records, a Virgin, an HMV, etc. I mean a real music store.
A store ran by people that love music. Not by people that use music just to earn money.

There used to be a good music store where I spent lots of time - and money. The owner was a true fan of music. One of those guys that get mad if you spell the name of a band wrong or if you say that an album is good, when they think it is not so good. Yeah, sometimes he was really annoying, but most of the times it was a pleasure to stay there and talk with him.
I’d love a High Fidelity kind of store.

Unfortunately, it seems like real music stores are being not-so-slowly replaced by big music stores. Stores with no identity. Stores ran by people with no opinions on music - at least, most of the time. Stores filled with people not willing to help you. Sure they are the best places for people that want to buy the latest Britney Spears album!
The only chain of music stores I like is Amoeba Music. I remember being in Berkeley and spending hours there. And the one in SF is awesome! The only problem - or maybe is what keeps those stores so good - is that there are only 3 of them.

Maybe the problem is music itself, not music stores. Virgins, HMVs and Tower Records are perfect places to buy today’s music: crappy places are perfect for buying crappy music.
Maybe if today’s music was better, music stores would’ve been better. But who knows…

This post was written 4 years ago on December 2nd, 2004 early evening.