Tower Records Files for Bankruptcy

Amongst a million other things.

Meanwhile, the Act 1/2 theater closed, and the other small theaters are increasingly showing mainstream fare and struggling nonetheless. The rock clubs are usually pretty sparsely attended. It's a rough time across the board.

They did this in SF with all but the Rock section. I haven't decided if I like it or not actually. It's a bit more one stop, but it increases your flip time if you don't care about the new stuff (which often I don't.)

They moved; the rent on University is a killer, especially so close to campus.

Wait the Amoeba in Berkeley is having problems?

They're by far the least profitable of the three, and still have a lot of staff to feed. I wouldn't say that they're struggling, but traffic is down quite a bit.

Well that makes sense. It's got the least profitable location, the least space and the least parking. But that doesn't mean it is in a bad way does it?

I'm assuming so, but mostly based on the fact that the three times I've been there, I was the only customer for the entirety of my stay. That was never true for me on University.

I doubt the rent is 1/4th. El Cerrito Plaza has Albany-esque rents.

I don't know for sure, but the rock section is the store's bread and butter, so the fact that they would cut it basically in half doesn't bode well, or at least signals that they're shifting even more toward DVD sales, which is not something I'm looking for in a record shop. Since all three are owned by the same people and the other two are so damned profitable, I doubt they'd ever sell the store, but I believe that particular store is going to grow increasingly irrelevant.... which sucks, because I hate going to that goddamned bowling alley in the haight.

Quoting their MySpace profile:
TOWER RECORDS is a LEADING specialist in MUSIC, DVD, BOOKS and GAMES Retailer based in DUBLIN and is wholly IRISH owned by RECORDS and DISCS Ltd since JULY 2003

Folks you can go leave comments on the Tower Records MySpace Profile for your town! Inc Tower Records Dublin, Calafornia. Wish them all well seeking new jobs!

Is the version of Shine A Light on there better than the Albert Hall one?

Rockaway was better when it occupied the entire building instead of the one-quarter or one-third that they have now. Rockaway is great because they are so completely myopic over '67-'71 era "Rolling Stone Magazine Rock" that they don't know/realize the other things that churn through the used bin.

That's how I got most of Flying Nun for a $1 each, etc.

Absolutely yes.

Second question: Is the FUI Medication better than the album version on Pure Phase?

Yes. However there are two even better versions... In order:

1. The live Glastonbury '93 one on the _Let It Flow_ CD EPs. Recorded when Darkside guitarist Kevin Cowen was in Spz. for a brief time, and it really shows.
2. The studio one on the _Medication_ EP.
3. _Fucked Up Inside_
4. _Pure Phase_

Elvis otm tho

(Or Amazon, or whatever.)

xpost

Let It Flow and Medication are my favourite two songs on PP (These Blues arguably up there also), so their respective EPs are probably worthwhile purchases going by that...

actually, both of the above songs hit me real hard, real deep. The moment 7:01 into WGTH(TSII) is one of my all-time favourites.

Yeah, after listening to enough of these episodes I'm content to have been a happy customer