I am lucky enough to live in Orlando. Shopping in Orlando is
not bad, you can find almost any kind of store you can think of. Now Orlando
has more than two record stores many of them great places. I am picking out two
not just for illustration purpose. Though many people will think these two
stores are our best. The first store is Park Ave CD’s (http://parkavecds.com/).
This is first record store I visited when I moved here back in 2005. Park Ave
CD’s has been not only a staple album store, but also a staple for the local
music scene. When I first started going there, they were actually on Park Ave
in Winter Park. Now they are located Corrine Drive. This place really was
amazing. It had great sections and Albums you couldn’t find anywhere else
unless you went online. Or, at the time, to the huge virgin megastore which
died the death a long time ago. In my early days with the store, they focused
on CD’s but still had a good vinyl selection. Once they moved to Corrine Drive
they had a bigger store and had lots of everything. I could buy my stuff and I
didn’t even have to order. They have more new stuff, but maintain a reasonable
selection of the old. Then sometime, I don’t know when for sure, something
happened. They stopped carrying certain CD’s. Then certain sections started to
disappear. Most all of the specifics started to be blurred in other categories
and of course there CD section had begun, and is still, receding. Now also over
the same time the following sections expanded: vinyl records, books and
magazines, toys, snacks, other memorabilia, and in a strange insult to injury tape
cassettes. Yes, tape cassettes the section went from non-existent to sizable.
Now Park Ave CD’s is some sort of chimerical monster. Still better than nothing,
but no longer offering what you’re really looking for, just stuff to spend your
money on. Don’t get me wrong I understand Park Ave CD’s is a business and they
have to respond to market trends. But markets also respond to them. If I can’t
buy what I am looking for in your store I will regrettably go online.
Side Rant- I grew up with cassettes and vinyl, and I love
vinyl. But cassettes are terrible. Having to rewind them, or fast forward them
if it is not on the side you want. Then your tape player gets old and starts
eating every tape you put in it. Most likely it is your favorite tape that gets
eaten. Then you carefully extract it and wind it carefully up with a pencil
trying not to damage it. Then it never plays right again. Most likely, it will
also make other tape players become tape eaters as well. The quality on CD’s is
also world’s above tape quality. I know tapes are cheap and easy to record and
share. And there are somethings never released on vinyl or CD, but only on
tape. Still, to think a return to tape cassettes is desirable I imagine you
would have to be born after the tape era, or ether suffer from an illogical
nostalgia for pain and tribulations. Don’t get me wrong, they were fine at the
time. Technology has improved past tapes though, we can leave them with eight
tracks. Vinyl is different, there is the whole audiophile thing to consider.
Even though CDs have a cleaner kind of quality, there is a warmth from vinyl
albums you just don’t get from other mediums. Like vacuum tubes over integrated
circuits, it is a different sound.
The second store is Rock and Roll Heaven (http://www.rock-n-rollheaven.com/).
It is an amazing place. It took me longer to get there. I probably made it in
2006 or 2007 for the first time. Rock and Roll Heaven focuses on records,
though they have their fair share of other categories. The have great and
sensible sections for styles of music, and a big sized store. The have more of
the older stuff, but a reasonable selection of the new. They also have all the
typical Rock and Roll, and other types of, memorabilia you could think of. The
place is like a music shrine. The place is great and I can find a lot of my
stuff. Then nothing happened. Nothing happened to the store. They have lots of
business and all the things I ever wanted from them, they still carry. They
have not got rid of my sections. The have lots of stuff to dig through. Their
cassette selection has not taken over any more floor space than it ever did.
Somethings I can’t find there that I use to find at Park Ave CD’s. But it’s not
because the store got rid of music that is still available, it’s because they
sell a lot of used music that is not replaceable. The two stores use to have
different focuses. One more of a CD store and one more of a Vinyl Store.
Although the both always sold both. The difference is the store focusing on
older music has succeeded in its mission, while even having some of the new
stuff. While the Store with the newer stuff now sells older stuff, and doesn’t
sell much new stuff that is good. Don’t get me wrong I love going in both
stores and it used to be that I couldn’t go into ether store and not spend
money. I still can’t go into Rock and Roll heaven without spending money. But
now when I go in Park Ave CD’s it takes me longer, I find less, and then I
leave depressed without buying anything.
I know a lot of people here may criticize me for not knowing
what is going on. They may say things like everybody buys new music online.
Peoples buying patterns have changed. I do understand this. I just don’t think
it’s a one way street. All the other categories of products that they replaced
their really diverse music selection with are also things people are buying
online. Yes, they still have a great business and I still shop there. But it
was one really interesting place where you could discover and find esoteric
greats. They still really try to have a lot headphones for people to sample
things. I can’t fault them that. And a lot of people come from a long way to
shop there. That is not because it is so good though. That is because of the
death of everything else. Park Ave CD’s is wonderful because they are one of
the hold out music stores. Thankfully Rock and Roll heaven is one of the hold
out music stores too. A lot of people still prefer to walk in somewhere and
pick something out. It is becoming a harder thing to find though. If you enjoy
them, support your local music stores while they are still here!
No comments:
Post a Comment