It was pretty shocking. They're selling everything, including fixtures and bookshelves. The entire second floor was empty except for about 1/8 of the former CD collection.
I went through every single CD there (hey, what the heck, 60% off!), and found seven or eight CDs I never would have purchased if not for this sale. I got a few gems too that I've been listening to non-stop for the past two days.
My favorite is the latest album from Randy Newman (Harps & Angels), which came out about a year ago. I love that guy. He's a musical genius if you ask me. I also found the last copy of Springsteen's album "Working on a Dream," which I realize is two years old--but it's still stellar. Great stuff.
I know this will make me sound hopelessly old, but I was overcome with a sense of nostalgia on Sunday.
I really miss record stores, and I really miss records. I miss the whole experience of flipping through the cut-out bin, looking for hidden treasures. I miss the experience of sitting down and listening to the entire album from start to finish, to get the full gist of what the artist is trying to create. For that matter, I even miss looking at the album cover while I listened to it. They were real, substantial, and artistic.
When I looked at that empty store on Sunday, and the empty CD racks, I realized that even CDs are about to perish. The CD experience may have been better audio, but it wasn't the same as the LP. It was just different. More detached. But at least, it was close to the same experience.
But when CDS are gone, they won't be replaced by something that even remotely recreates that old experience. Downloading a song, and having it appear on your iPod instantly is nice, but it's about as sterile as can be. Even if you download the artwork or the lyrics, it's not a full body and mind experience.
But that's just me; the old guy reminiscing.
Now get off my lawn and turn down that racket.
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