A Eulogy for the Records I Sold

Back in the dollar bins where they belong?

I’m doing some spring cleaning and needed to clear space on my record shelf. I started collecting vinyl around 2010 and have amassed a decent, but not ridiculous, collection. I still listen to records fairly often, but many of the LPs I own are honestly just pieces I like to show people or have there for the artwork. One of the insane reasons I keep a collection of records and CDs is to hoard physical music for the inevitable apocalypse. I realize this is not a rational approach.

It was time to let some of these go, but I wanted to preserve their memory here. So here’s the full list of every record that I sold to a local record store for a whopping total of $32.

Also, I want to just give a shout out to record store owners in general. I love the old dudes who sit around all day listening to obscure music and talking to music fans. This dude scanned through all my records in like three minutes and came up with a cash payout while I talked to another guy who looked like Norm Macdonald about DJ equipment.

Here’s the list. Let me know if you think I made any horrible mistakes!

Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Belong (Slumberland, 2009)

This is probably going to be worth a million dollars someday during some indie pop revival, and that’s okay, I’m happy to let whoever picked this up for the average Discogs price of $14.38 enjoys that lottery ticket. Or better yet, they find a priceless connection with the music that I just don’t have. I kinda regret not listening to this one more time before getting rid of it, because I do remember liking this album and I can’t tell you what it sounds like. I want to say it’s shoegazy and dream poppy and that the awesome album cover accurately reflects the mood of the music. Shit, I regret this already.

Wounded Lion - Wounded Lion (In The Red, 2010)

I’m fairly positive I bought this at a show. I must’ve seen this band live. I can’t find much about them other than this album’s 5.8 review on Pitchfork. The only description of them out there is “rock band from Los Angeles.” This LP goes for $1.38 on Discogs, so I should be able to buy it back if I think it’s necessary in my bomb shelter.

Pissed Jeans - Hope for Men (Sub Pop, 2007)

Vaguely remember buying this at one of those record stores on Sunset Blvd. in Silver Lake a decade ago. The name is more intriguing than the music, if I recall. I don’t miss this one. $1.09 on Discogs.

No Balls - Come Clean (Release the Bats, 2009)e

I think I bought this record at the same time I bought Pissed Jeans because it also had a funny name at a time I thought vaguely edgy and potty humor stuff like that was funny (still do). It has a Vacation Records sticker on it ($25), so that must’ve been where I picked them both up. The sticker says “Members of Brainbombs. Original press.” Seems to be $13 on Discogs but not sure if I messed up by not hoarding an original press. Oh well. I never listened to this. Seems to be a noise rock band from Sweden. I might have liked it!

Delay - Plain Language (Salinas, 2009)

This feels like one I picked up at Amoeba because I liked the cover art. The vinyl version is a less neon green and doesn’t have “Plain Language” written on it. Not sure if I ever listened to it but I kinda regret getting rid of it. I guess they were a DIY punk band from Colombus, Ohio. Shiiiiit I might need to buy this one back. $7 on Discogs. WHY DID I DO THIS?!?!

Drunk in a Dumpster

I wish I took a picture of this one, but I once bought a vinyl that repurposed packaging from The New Kingston Trio’s 1973 LP The World Needs a Melody and written “DRUNK IN A DUMPSTER” on it in red ink. This seemed very punk at the time and I for some reason recall it being a compilation album. I guess there was a band called Drunk In A Dumpster from Asheville, NC, but I have no idea if this was their album because I never listened to it. Now that I see how rare it was, I’m kinda sad about losing it. Unfindable on Discogs and therefore priceless. FUUUUUUCK!

Various - Top Twenty Barbershop Quartets of 1980 (S.P.E.B.S.Q.S.A., 1980)

How could I give up this undisputed classic from S.P.E.B.S.Q.S.A., AKA the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America?!?!?!?!

I remember buying this because my great aunt was in a barbershop quartet. Listened to it a few times in college and enjoyed it. Damn. $4.35 on Discogs. I NEED IT BACK, RIGHT?!

Laurindo Almeida, Martin Ruderman, Salli Terri - Duets with the Spanish Guitar (Capitol, 1958)

Bought it after a trip to Spain. Never listened. 137 copies available on Discogs for $1.35. Also not pictured here is an LP called Classical Flamenco Guitar. Soy estupido.

Various - Jazz Is Dead (Jazz Is Dead, 2020)

A sold out Vinyl Me Please pressing that I think my friend Jake gave me. Sorry Jake.

Joey D. Vieira - DrumDrops Volume Two (DrumDrops, 1979)

Bought this with a vague idea of sampling, but never followed through. My LP was just in a plain black case, but if I had possessed a version with this awesome artwork, I might have kept it. Doesn’t convince me to restock on Discogs for $8.68, though.

Various - Autolite Presents Great Moments In Sport (Columbia Special Products, 1964)

Another one I had grand ambitions to sample when I bought an SP-404. Kinda crazy that Autolite is still around and that records were sponsored by companies like that. I didn’t know what Autolite was but I guess they make spark plugs and ignition wire sets, according to the internet’s most reliable source.

101 Strings - Fly Me To The Moon (Somerset, 1961)

Honestly bought this not knowing it wasn’t Frank Sinatra but an easy listening orchestra. I also got rid of this one that I never played:

Jac Holzman - Authentic Sound Effects Volume 12 (Elektra, 1964)

Grand sampling ambitions. Dashed when I realized I can just use Youtube.

The Horrors - Skying (XL, 2011)

British band that had a lot of hype. I lump them sort of with Pains of Being Pure At Heart stylistically. Shoegazy and shit. I actually listened to this album a lot. Dunno why I sold it. Might have been a nice vibe in the apocalypse.

King Krule - King Krule EP (True Panther, 2011)

I have never liked King Krule as much as I believe I ought to like him. I really like him on the Ratking song, and appreciate what he does, but he’s never been one I can just throw on and enjoy. This record was completely warped, which the record store owner I sold it to pointed out to me. I knew that, but still tried to sneak it by. Shoutout again to record store owners.

Gordon Lightfoot - Sundown (Reprise, 1974)

When I first started buying records, I noticed there were Gordon Lightfoot albums in the used dollar section of almost every store. I also saw a lot of Dan Fogelberg records. Fogelberg happens to be from my hometown. Lightfoot is from Canada. I started buying up every Fogelberg or Lightfoot record I could find to complete the collection. He has at least 20 studio albums and I only ever bought a few. I finally decided to do what everyone seems to eventually do and dump them back at a record store.

Gordon Lightfoot - Don Quixote (Reprise, 1972)

Gordon Lightfoot - Did She Mention My Name? (United Artists, 1968)

Don McLean - Homeless Brother (United, 1974)

Bought this because I liked the cover and the name. Might have been the 1996 repress. Who knows. Never listened but the artwork is still cool.

Buckwheat Zydeco - Taking It Home (Island, 1988)

One of the first records I ever bought. I believe I got it on the cheap at Amoeba. I think I was going through some sort of New Orleans/Louisiana music phase at the time. Accordion is a great instrument. Zydeco is an underrated style. Not sad to lose this one though even though I do have some emotional attachment to it.

Supertramp - Crisis? What Crisis? (A&M, 1975)

Cool cover. Supposedly a good band. Tons of albums. I think I might have listened to it once. I don’t miss it! This is getting easier!

The March of Time - Hitler’s March on Czechoslovakia (Time-Life, 2011)

This is a collection of newsreels from World War II. I used to live in Prague and have an interest in this history. I regret buying it, especially because Amazon lists the “performer” as “Adolf Hitler.” For the record, (no) pun intended, I am not on board with Ye’s Nazi turn. I sold it back to the record store where I bought it. Hopefully it has some use for a history aficionado or something.

Genesis - Duke (Charisma, 1980)

Bought it for the cool artwork. Never listened. Genesis’ tenth studio album. Not super into prog-rock, but I respect Genesis of course. And I’m only saying that because I feel like I have to.

Various - Olympic Village: Xth Olympiad, Los Angeles/1932

During college I lived in the Olympic Village created for these Olympics. Kinda regret selling this because it’s going for $40 on eBay, but oh well. I’m never going to listen to this and it’s just taking up space.

Luciano Pavarotti - Pavarotti’s Greatest Hits

Pavarotti has been one of my GOATs ever since someone I worked with in high school got into opera and tried to get me to learn “Nessun Dorma.” This would be one of the last records I’d ever put on in any situation, though.

Arturo Toscanini - Dvořák’s Symphony “From the New World”

I like Dvořák in principle because he’s Czech but I don’t really fuck with classical music to be quite frank. I also got rid of another one.

Webley Edwards - Webley Edwards Presents Island Paradise (Capitol, 1959)

My wife is from Hawai’i and I like weird old folk recordings like this. Idk though there are better vinyls from that collection of islands that I would rather own.

Paso Dobles - Music of the Bullfight Ring

Again, I went to Spain and made some regrettable purchases. I also saw a bullfight there, which I don’t regret but it was depressing and brutal. As a taxi driver in Madrid told me “es un arte, pero es un arte de muerte.”

THANKS FOR READING ANOTHER POINTLESS ARTICLE!