Comments (0) Best Vinyl Staples - 2004

Amoeba Music

The pristine reputation of Amoeba is no secret to Bay Area music lovers; the shelves of new and used goodies and the encyclopedically knowledgeable staff have made the place internationally renowned. But check this out: Way down below the racks of good music you really want are piles of used $1 records that you should own. These dusty little nuggets make the perfect staples for a record collection that will impress all your friends and potential mates -- they are the keys to the cred kingdom. Why shell out 15 hard-earned ducats for some stupid new Darkness record, when you can buy 15 LPs (!!!!) from the rock canon that sound vaguely similar and give you all sorts of ammunition for name-dropping? Imagine yourself at parties: "Have you checked out that Darkness record?" some cute little tart with a hidden tattoo will inquire whilst standing near the punch bowl. "Sorry, toots," you'll reply, oozing the confidence derived from your new (thrifty) hobby. "I can't seem to stop jamming to Terry Reid's Seed of Memory." Voilà -- you're on the road to Bootyville, population two!