A friend of mine sent me this article about the 50 cds most commonly found in used cd/record stores, and I thought it was pretty amusing. http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/features/castoffs-and-cutouts/ The reviewer omits most of the (more obvious) platinum-sellers, so there's not a lot of Live/Hootie/Matchbox 20/Soul Asylum or the like here, but there are some pretty funny reviews. Though I don't agree with all of them, many of the reviews are spot-on. I find it particularly funny, because I had and sold back some of these cds, and I still have some of the others. Anyway, I thought that some of you might enjoy the article, so take a look...
i have 4 of them: 1 i got free (possum dixon) and 3 i bought used (REM, arrested development, the breeders)
50. Dambuilders - bought, sold back to store. 44. Sebadoh - bought, sold back to store. 37. Jesus Jones - bought, sold back to store. 36. Luna - bought, sold back to store. 33. Urban Dance Squad - bought, sold back to store. 32. The The - bought, sold back to store. 30. Freedy Johnston - bought, still own. 29. J&M Chain - bought, sold back to store. 28. Primus - bought, sold back to store. 23. Velocity Girl - bought, sold back to store. 21. Ministry - bought, sold back to store. 19. Dino Jr. - bought, sold back to store. 10. Ned's Atomic Dustbin - bought, sold back to store. 9. Belly - bought, sold back to store. 8. Radiohead - bought, sold back to store, borrowed from friend & burned new copy. 5. Breeders - bought, sold back to store. 3. Sugar (FUEL) - bought, sold back to store. 2. New Order - bought, still own. 1. REM - bought, sold back to store. I have a hard time believing this myself.
48: Cop Shoot Cop, Ask Questions Later- bought, sold back 43: Ride, Carnival of Light- bought, still have 40: Black Grape, It's Great When You're Straight... Yeah- bought, still have 38: Curve, Come Clean- bought, sold back 37: Jesus Jones, Doubt- bought, still have 35: Catherine Wheel- bought, sold back 29: Jesus & Mary Chain, Honey's Dead- bought, still have 27: Darling Buds, Erotica- bought, stolen (!), would buy again 25: Mercury Rev, Boces- given to me, sold to store 7: La's, La's- bought, stolen, would buy again for that one song (There She Goes), but would rather have a single 5: Breeders, Last Splash- bought, sold back 3: Sugar, Beaster/File Under... Easy Listening- bought one, other given to me, still have both
As someone who lives for used cd bins, I can tell you this list is pretty close to accurate, but the reviews of each are typical Pitchfork grudgeholding. More than a few of those discs that they write-off are classics in my book, and I remain astounded at thier unwillingness to accept an artist's change of direction, ever. Also, that La's disc is pretty hard to find used, and will get you some big bucks on eBay in good condition. Proof from the La's review that most Pitchforkers are posing tools: "Some horsesh!t girl-singer band covered the song a few years back to siphon some cash off its enduring popularity-- I think it was Sixpence None the Richer, and I hope they're not." Like the nerd who wrote that review truly wasn't sure who redid the song...Not only is he sure, but he's angry that the chick singer would never date a loser like himself. Hence the snide remark. One thing they did get right, however, is the fact that there really doesn't seen to be a non-promo copy of The Dambuilders record anywhere! I've seen this disc dozens of times in used bins, always a promo.
39: Face to Face: Ignorance is Bliss This album is terrible, esp. compared to the genius Don't Turn Away, Live, Big Choice, and first half of teh S/T record. I still have it, but only because I'm too lazy to round up my bad CD's for resale. 28: Primus: Pork Soda Had it, sold it. 26: Thurston Moore: Psychic Hearts Have on double vinyl. Love it, never see it. I thought it was out of print. Perhaps not. 9: Belly: Star Had it, sold it. My fiance still owns it and still likes it. 8: Radiohead: Pablo Honey One of the first tapes I bought with my own money. Loved it. Still love it. Fiance has it on CD. I still think it's one of Radiohead's better albums. 6: Various Artists: Born to Choose / No Alternative I think I owned No Alternative. I can't be sure. 5: Breeders: Last Splash Bought, got stolen. Keep meaning to buy again. I still think this is a brilliant album 1: R.E.M.: Monster Fiance owns every REM record. I was never much into them
Tubthumper? Yeah - that chorus can still be heard floating in the air after a pub has closed down for the night and they're sweeping up the floors. Admit it - everyone was humming that song for a while. "Monster" did bite big time. WTF were they thinking? I loved "New Adventures in Hi-Fi". Maybe "Monster" was just a bone toss to Warner's. "Godfodder" is good fun. I listened to that one a ton.
Before I even opened the link, I thought to myself "If REM's Monster isn't #1, this list is sooooooooooooo wrong."
42: The Melvins: Stag The prescense of this album on this list is a good indicator of the Melvins place as one of rock's most mis-understood bands. I saw them open for Mr. Bungle in 1991(?) and just get mercilessly bood off stage. I didn't dig them at the time, but I saw what they were trying to do, it just wasn't my thing.
If this list was made 5 years ago, then it would have to include every Sugarcubes album except "Live's Too Good".
It might surprise some of you, but I don't own, nor have I ever owned, any of the records on that list. Hard to believe, I know. The new number one would have to be St. Anger, though, wouldn't it?
Interestingly, every one of the cds they list that I own, I bought used. They are: The Las Luna Breeders Radiohead (need to sell that one back) How is it there are no Madonna cds on that list? A friend of mine published a zine and a book called ThriftScore in which she wrote about buying things from thrift stores. She speculated that all copies of the Herb Alpert record, Whipped Cream, are constantly recirculating through thrift stores in the country. You can almost guarantee you'll find one if you check the vinyl bins at a thrift store. Well, finally, my friend decided to wallpaper her dining room with the cover of this record - buying everyone she could find and pasting them to her dining room walls. Last time I visited, she'd covered about the half the wall space.
Here's what else could be on that list: U2 - Zooropa. When I saw the topic, my first thought was, without a doubt, Zooropa. Imagine my shock when it didn't make it at all. Green Day - Dookie. While I agree that Monster is a worthy #1, this has to be in my top five used bin finds. Everyone bought into the hype and then realized it was not that good. The Replacements - Don't Tell A Soul. Worst live act ever. I don't care if their hard-core fans worship the drunk shows as unique experiences, they sucked. Oasis - Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants. It didn't even sell all that well, but I see this one everywhere. Elvis Costello - Brutal Youth. There have been at least half a dozen times when I've been hunched over a used bin, searching & searching, then said "Hey, look, Elvis Costello!.... Oh, wait, forget it, it's 'Brutal Youth'". Some random others: Shawn Mullins - Soul's Core Paula Cole - This Fire Urge Overkill - Exit The Dragon EMF - Schubert Dip The B-52's - Good Stuff Talking Heads - True Stories and Naked Gin Blossoms - New Miserable Experience
I still have that Ministry CD and had Radiohead's "Pablo Honey" but sold it back to the store. A friend of mine used the back of the box of Metallica's "S&M" as a coke-snorting device. I naively inquired why was the back all scratched and found out later that evening.
I also see a ton of "Spikes" in the bins. Elvis Costello (along with David Byrne & Sting) are all over the map musically. They all have tremendous talent, but it's hard to say what each will do from one album to the next. Will it be Brazilian-influenced crap? Or South African influenced crap? That's the problem with knowing where these guys came from back in the day compared to a newbie getting into them now.
Bit your tongue! They may have played some truly awful shows (some of which i have on bootlegs), but the one time I saw them is easily the best show I have ever seen. When they were off or too drunk to care, they were probably one of the worst-ever live bands. But their good shows were transcendent.
I was pretty much done with Costello after Almost Blue. I won't go to see him live anymore because you just never know which Costello will show up and I sure as hell don't want to blow my money on tickets to a show where he tries to be the next Sinatra.
I don't think I have ever been to a used cd store that didn't have at least five copies of Ugly Kid Joe's "America's Least Wanted" I never understood why they bought them back.
I don't but used CD's since (in London at least) the major retailers discount Cd's so much these days it's often cheaper to buy back catalogue stuff new. Speaking as an REM fan I'm mortified by the review of Monster but judging by the other reviews the guy needs to get out more and a girlfriend probably wouldn't be a bad idea either. My hunting ground is the dumped vinyl section of thrift shops where popular items include classics like Mrs Mills Banjo Party and recordings of Charles and Di's wedding.