Delbert

RECORD EXCHANGE Hampton Avenue, St. Louis is the largest music/movie store I've ever entered. They used to have 5 or 6 stores in St Louis and consolidated into one mammoth store that once was the St Louis Public Library building. They have so much in there, the owner doesn't even know what he has. You have to spend a lot of time and you'll find lots of JUNK, but, you'll also find the mega rarities too. Prices average about 8.99 or so, so they aren't dirt cheap.

You mean when I'm playing "Revival" on my turntable.....right?????

A-h-h-h yes......I know exactly what you are talking about......You pull out something, whether it be CD, LP or tape and you recall back when!!!! Hey Mike....you're not the only one showing off your age in your posts though!!!

You nailed it there......the shops are dropping off faster than people getting laid off because of the economic downturn!!!! At one time, the shops were everywhere....now, it's hard to find any listed in the yellow pages of a large city. And Geoff......yeah......I knew you'd realize how old I am when you hear the name Bill Haley & The Comets......LOL!!!

Well....being ancient....old....all that stuff, I actually started collecting 45's when I was a teenager back in the 50's and progressed to vinyl LP albums. I can remember the old days of rock n roll with Bill Haley & The Comets "Rock Around The Clock" and then the Elvis and Buddy Holly eras. I was also heavily into "soul" music as well. Played in some bands (Guitar & Bass) and it just got more and more into my system. When CDs appeared, I resisted. Sticking with my vinyl until the very late 80's and early 90's. I was a subscriber to a weekly publication called "GOLDMINE" that was a source of collecting, both buying and selling in the early 90's. During that time, I saw ads from an exotic seller in Indiana called 'DREAMDISC" and they had stuff I had never heard of before. I began ordering an collecting both US indies and imports from Europe and Japan and loved those bands. The music was made to order for my tastes. I began subscribing to publications like FRONTIERS, HARD ROXX, BOULEVARD and AOR. Now, to this day, I am still hooked. Although I don't post a whole lot here on HH, it is a daily stop for me to read what everyone else is saying and even learning some more about collecting each day.

Back in the 70's and early 80's (probably before many of you were even born...LOL!!) I was working on a special detail for the police department here. One of our assignments (yeah...we got paid for this) was to work the Mississippi River Festival each year on the campus of Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville, IL. During the months of June-July_August each year there were concerts 3 or 4 times each week. They ranged from Jazz, Rock and pop music and of course, we were right in the middle of all of them. I saw so many great bands over those years, it's hard to name them all, but just a sampling........The Who, Doobie Brothers, Heart, Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Fleetwood Mac, Guess Who, Jefferson Starship and many many more........

A very subjective subject......rating music!!! If I were choosing, I would have been all over that Brother Firetribe as well as many different albums than those chosen by the moderators. Once again, our musical tastes dictate our choices. Very interesting to see the thoughts expressed by the fellas though........

Andy.....actually, I've never thought to ask him if there were any tracks "in the can somewhere". One thing I do know, Louis is now pretty much into Jazz and classical music. He plays some lounges in St Louis on weekends and still teaches music at the college. I'll get around to ask him about any unreleased stuff next time he is over. Del

Most of you know that I have been selling the Lous Michael CD "Living For The Music" on E Bay for a few years now. I used to find the CD in the St Louis area once in awhile and was always amazed at it's similiarity in style to SURVIVOR. Little did I know that Louis lived right near me and was now teaching music at the college that is less than a mile from my home. I finally got to meet him and since then we became friends. I learned he had about 60 copies of the CD remaining at his home and we started selling them on E Bay about 4 years ago. Well, there are now only a handful left. Louis stopped by the house this week and we sat down and actually spent about and hour chatting about music and then talking about his career and CD. He told me that back during the tijme the "Living For The Music" CD was recorded, he had been playing with Jim Jamison and Survivor and had played with Jim Peterik as well. Hence the Survivor influence in his music which was written during that time period. I also learned that he had spent time recording in Van McLain's studio (Shooting Star). He described Van's studio as extraordinary heaping lots of praise on it. All and all, it was a very informative and enjoyable discussion and I must admit, very exciting to listen to the stories of all the these, my favorite recording artists and bands with whom he associated. I actually felt privileged to have been given this personal insight. One thing Louis did stress was, no one should go into recording to get rich.......only a very small percentage of bands really make a go of it.......He told me a story Van McLain related upon signing their very first recording contract for their self titled album back in the early 80's. He said the label flew them out to Las Vegas to do some shows and they were living it up, spending money in the lounges on drinks etc etc etc.......lo and behold, the label sent them a bill for all their expenditures which they thought were all on the label's tab!!!! It really hit home for them. He said they had to sell a predetermined number of copies of each album before they received any rewards for their efforts. It was a great conversation and I just thought I'd share the experience with those of you whom I feel would appreciate it. Delbert

I've got to chime in here as well.... ...there are people and then there are PEOPLE !!!! I've had the extreme pleasure of dealing with Jon for several years now. First off, you can't ask for anyone who is more of a "gentleman" than Jon. He has sent me music when I least expected it and always with nothing asked in return........he loves to exchange ideas and thoughts on "our hobby" and is not only a receiver, but a great contributor as well...... Jon.....you're the example of people I love being around. Thank you many times over and I mean it from the bottom of my heart. Delbert

You've got to be kidding me right????? Cardboard and paper sleeves are the ultimate CD protection now!!!!

Recently, I've been on a Finnish band kick.....so many great melodic rock and metal bands coming from Finland and they have something in their music that has really been pulling my chain. Bands like Leverage, Brother Firetribe, Land of Tales, Nightwish and so many more......it even extends over into Norway where bands such as Keldian come. I'll be checking all your bands you've posted to discover new ones.....thanks!

Once again, I personally have no problem with shipping without the jewel case....however, when you talk about "The Handling charge is what a seller thinks they deserve for throwing it in a package for you. I remind you that those bubble wrap or cardboard mailers are not picked off trees grown in the back yard, they are paid for by the seller along with tape, ink and other supplies required for shipping. And No, that's not part of the sale price just as postage fees are not part of the sale price......let's be fair here and remember, when that CD arrives broken or damaged, it is the seller who is blamed, not the delivery service whether it be UPS, USPS or any other country's mail provider. He is the one blamed for improper packaging. And finally, if you are buying a $5.00 CD, fine.....but, buying an expensive CD and then wishing to have it mailed without its protective jewel case just doesn't make sense to save a buck or two.......??????

Not aware of any such E Bay policy either. As you know, I've sent CDs to you without the jewel cases as I do many collectors in Germany and elsewhere in Europe. The only problem I've ever run into is a couple of buyers who make outlandish demands on how the CDs are to be packed and protected for shipment. Let's face it.......the jewel case is the piece of the puzzle designed to protect the CD. All the extra protection these particular people demand not only adds to my expense, but adds to the weight which puts us right back to where we were sending with the jewel case. As long as people are not over demanding, I have no problem sending without the jewel cases and I do my best to put them in protective sleeves to avoid scratching and wrap them in bubble wrap to cushion them. If someone should buy a really expensive CD, I would always recommend sending with the jewel case as added protection for the disc.

Okay....here is the contents of an article in PC magazine which points to the RIAA's new thinking and some possible solutions to the problem......I found this very interesting as well I know it's lots of reading, but, if you want to know what is going on, you have to put some time in to find out, otherwise remain in the dark...... PC Magazine story "The new plan, while ending the era of problem-ridden legal attacks, appears to circumvent the law and instead put the power directly into the hands of RIAA. The group says it will work directly with Internet service providers to go after people it believes are illegally sharing files. RIAA will notify an ISP, which will then warn the user and ultimately suspend or discontinue his access if a change is not observed. "Major ISPs" are said to be on board with the idea. Effectively, RIAA has turned itself into the sheriff, and your ISP into its deputy. Based on the same data gathering and user identification methods that have come under fire from the start, RIAA will now be able to get your Internet access limited or discontinued on its own if it for some reason flags you as an illegal filesharer. And I'm not the only one left feeling a little wary about that. "This means more music fans are going to be harassed by the music industry," says Fred von Lohmann, senior staff attorney of the Electronic Frontier Foundation. "The problem is the lack of due process for those accused," von Lohmann continues. "In a world where hundreds of thousands, or millions, of copyright infringement allegations are automatically generated and delivered to ISPs, mistakes are going to be made. ... Anyone who has ever had to fight to correct an error on their credit reports will be able to imagine the trouble we're in for." The Solution In essence, the music industry is trading one questionable practice for another. Striking a deal to deem itself the judge and your ISP the regulator is not the answer -- and it's not going to win the war, either. What is the solution, then? The EFF suggests RIAA support a "voluntary collective licensing regime" -- basically, a legal peer-to-peer network that'd let music fans pay a small monthly fee for the right to freely trade music. A survey conducted this summer found an overwhelming 80 percent of current peer-to-peer users would be interested in paying for such a system. If organized, it'd put a stamp of approval on a process that's going on anyway -- and, for an inconsequential individual fee of something like $5 a month, the industry would be able to pay rights-holders based on how much their music is being downloaded. "The more people share, the more money goes to rights-holders," the EFF points out. "The more competition in P2P software, the more rapid the innovation and improvement. The more freedom for fans to upload what they care about, the deeper the catalog." The model follows the system set up for radio stations by organizations such as ASCAP and BMI. Perhaps RIAA would be wise to consider such a system, one that could serve the interests of all parties involved rather than harming them. Here's what it boils down to: When almost every voice in earshot is crying out against the way you operate, you have to start wondering if maybe -- just maybe -- you're going about things the wrong way. The world is crying out, RIAA. It's time to start listening. "

M-m-m-m-m......some interesting news from the WALL STREET JOURNAL December 19, 2008. "After years of suing thousands of people for allegedly stealing music via the Internet, the recording industry is set to drop its legal assault as it searches for more effective ways to combat online music piracy." This is certainly a new twist.......read the article and let's see how this one goes........?????

One of my all time favorites here......I had the reborn classics pressing that was acceptable, but full of noise from the LP transfer......typical bootleg. I transfered the LP to CDR myself and had a sweet sounding copy for many moons.....I definitely had to get this release to add to my collection.... Now, I hear there are two tracks from a single that was released.... Oh man, Andy, you're hurtin' me here. I'll have to get my hands on a copy of those someday to hear.

I guess this is as good a place as any to post this........ I just bought a killer CD off Amazon that has really slipped through the cracks and thought the rest of you would want to know about this sweet Gem. There are MP3 samples of all the tracks posted near the bottom of the page as well, so check it out.... HOME RUN - "Don't Stop" CD I bought a copy last week and there was only one new one available....I see now there are a number of dealers selling it, so there should be plenty to go around to all

And of course....the store that is packed to the gills with thousands of CDs at $5.00 each. Only $20 if you buy 5 or more.......trouble is, the guy running the store takes every piece of crap that anyone brings in, including homemade CDRs with absolutely no knowledge of music whatsover. They put a high sale price on the trash and wonder why they will be buried with it they check out. This is one of the reasons many stores no longer even take in CDs. They think they don't sell. Hello......crap doesn't sell well either!!! Good stuff in.....good stuff out.......

I don't know how they work, but I sure as hell wouldn't be giving anybody my account number...you're asking for trouble down the road I would think. Funny thing is....every time you write a check you give all that info out........unless you have disappearing ink on your checks!!!!

Okay, I admit, I'm not the brightest star in the sky, so would one of our Euro members explain how this bank transfer thing works? I've had European buyers want to send me a bank transfer as well. Do I give them my bank routing numbers and account number similiar to what we do here in the USA for a direct wire payment? Then they contact their bank and have the money wired (transferred directly to me like a direct deposit)????? Oh....and I suppose the buyer would be the one paying the transfer and currency conversion fees???

John First off, I appologize for taking so long to finally make it my business to listen to the MP3 samples provided for the new releases. Number two.....I am stoked...literally on fire.....waiting for the Faith Circus and Talon releases to hit my CD player. I loved all the tracks I heard over at Melodicrock.com immensely. Both had a fresh sound that immediately caught my ear. In my old age, I am really getting particular in what I buy and am now very discerning. I've told several friends recently "I plan to become very selective in my future purchases and limit what I buy of the new releases. I plan to limit those purchases to those titles that really pull my chain so to speak". From what I heard, you and the artists have done just that with these two releases....... Finally....keep diggin' out material such as this.......great stuff for my ears!!! All the best, Delbert

How'd you get "Die 4 U" silver pressed. I went to CDBABY and it says available as a digital download album only. Chris .....looks like they went quick!!!!!

Actually, I just picked up copies of both of their releases from CD baby.....silver pressed. They're killer. BERETTA _"Die for U" at CD Baby BERETTA_ "On With The Show" at CD Bab And their cheap too....$4.00 and $6.99

Iordan....it is really distressful to hear about these incidents from people like you who are nothing short of a gentleman and excellent seller.......this sort of things has happened to me numerous times and for some reason or another it always seems to result in my loss of hundreds of dollars...not just a couple of bucks. All I can say is....kick the dust off your shoes and move on like I do!!!!