We had some errands to run today and we ended up at one of my favorite spots to buy used records. It’s cool because it’s not really a record store and I don’t think a lot of people know that the place actually sells vinyl, since the store always seems to have some great and eclectic records, usually for around $2. I would imagine that their selection would be much more picked over if people knew about some of the things I’ve found there.

Here’s what I bought this afternoon:

• Blood, Sweat & Tears: Greatest Hits
• David Bowie: Starting Point
• Dire Straits: Brothers In Arms
• Elton John: Honky Chateau
• Elton John: Madman Across the Water
• Jeff Beck: Wired
• Joe Cocker: Mad Dogs & Englishmen
• Procol Harum: A Whiter Shade of Pale
• The Rolling Stones: Hot Rocks 1964-1971
  

I was disappointed by some of the things I saw today, though. They had a copy of Bob Dylan’s Nashville Skyline, but when I looked at the album it had deep gouges going across both sides, like some literally took a knife to the surface of the record; it was obviously unplayable. They were asking $5 for the album, which tells me that someone saw the cover and slapped a price tag on the jacket without looking at the actual vinyl. It was pretty sad.

April 19th was Record Store Day and I missed it completely, unfortunately. The indie stores that participate usually offer sweet discounts and some limited releases (this year there were limited 7″ and 10″ from REM, Built to Spill, and a few others), plus it’s just a cool way to promote vinyl. I believe that anyone who enjoys the subtleties of music should own a turntable…as a bonus every fifteen minutes, or so, listening to music becomes interactive!!

Speaking of limited releases, The Black Keys album “The Big Come Up,” is now available as 2 sets of limited color pressings via Alive Records. The 2 albums are pressed in pink and yellow and each is limited to 500 copies.

I’m slowly getting away from the whole colored vinyl thing, because it’s been my experience that most albums sound pretty crappy on colored vinyl — my copy of The Beach Boys’ limited edition Pet Sounds LP set was horrible and that made me very sad. However, a few of the colored pressings I’ve gotten from Southern Lord records sounded pretty damn good. Maybe’s it’s just the luck of the draw.

This kind of old news, now that it’s almost April, but the first two Metallica albums, Kill ‘em All and Ride the Lightning, are going to be re-released* on vinyl by Mobile Fidelity on April 15th. These releases are meant to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Kill ‘em All…which is just crazy to think about!

These are new half-speed masters from the original analog tapes. What’s even cooler is that the albums will be released in two flavors: a regular 33 1/3 or “the deluxe” version on 180 gram vinyl, mastered at 45 speed. I’m probably going to try and get the 45s, if not both versions.

Additionally, MoFi is releasing Master of Puppets and …And Justice for All (with some bass hopefully!) sometime in June 2008, with the same treatment.

* There was a box set of all the vinyl Metallica albums released a few years ago that featured all the albums from Kill ‘em All through their self-titled “black album,” but apparently these new MoFi releases are newly remastered.