Ten Record Collectors You Know or May Resemble, by Pat Thomas

Record collectors you may know or resemble:

1) can’t admit to not knowing an obscure band or LP:
“Of course I know that private press from 1978, why wouldn’t I?”

2) Never likes anything you play for them:
they always need to discover it themselves, then bring it to you.

3) Hates successful bands past their debut LP:
“First 4 LPs are supposedly great, but really it’s only the debut.”

4) Loves bands well past their sell date:
“Damn it, their 17th LP is as great as their debut.”

5) Invents records that don’t exist:
“I’ve got The Who Sell Out on purple vinyl, in mono.”

6) Claims to have bought everything for peanuts:
“I paid only $3 for my Beatles Butcher Cover.”

7) Claims to see the good in crap records:
“Side two of Styx’ Pieces of Eight is incredible.”

8) Hates classic albums:
Pet Sounds is overrated, as is Velvet Underground & Nico.”

9) Gets married to a specific genre and can’t let go:
“60s garage rock is wonderful, I can’t listen to anything else.”

10) Remembers buying records in impossible situations:
“Yes, I was only 5 years old, but it was a Tuesday afternoon at 4 pm, overcast and raining, when I purchased Ziggy Stardust.”

Pat Thomas is the author of Listen, Whitey! The Sights and Sounds of Black Power 1965-1975. Pat’s new work, Did It! From Yippie To Yuppie: Jerry Rubin, An American Revolutionary will be released on September 5, 2017,