Dalton and I met on the East Side last week and hit Half Price Books. The stock there never seems to let me down, and Dalton even bought 2. Both of us were broken from crouching for so long.

I wonder if they would consider putting the discount bins higher for this old man.

At any rate, I bought some good stuff.

“Eagles – Hotel California”

I was surprised when I bought their greatest hits album that songs from this album were not on it. I guess I didn’t pay much attention to the timeline. So, with the addition of this album I think my Eagles collection is complete.

Dalton and I discussed the rumors surrounding this album and I though I recalled a story about Aliester Crowley being in one of the upper windows in the inner picture.

You can see a face in the middle window on the left side set of three windows.

Apparently I didn’t even have the rumor right.

http://www.snopes.com/music/songs/hotel.asp

Ah, well… it is still a great album.

“Johnny Winter – Second Winter”

This was actually the first record I found that night. Worth the entire trip. I love this album. I had it on vinyl back in Roselle Illinois in high school days. This was probably my first blues album before I really knew what the blues was. I think I may have bought it thinking it was Edgar Winter ( I love “Frankenstein”) but I kept it because I loved it. I bought this about a year ago from Amazon. This album is awesome.

PLUS… on top of being an amazing album, it’s a 3 sided album!

I remember trying to play side 4 and nothing happened. The side 4 is blank. No grooves and just a black label. It is SO weird.

“Fleetwood Mac – Rumors”

This album is fantastic. Which is why it is odd that I really haven’t cared much for any Fleetwood Mac album before or after it. Hmm… glad to have this one back in the collection though. I went to Wiki to find out about the album cover. Sheesh. Sounds like this album was a rough ride.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumours

“Neil Diamond – Jonathan Livingston Seagull”

I had to rebuy this one. My clock broke. Wind blew it down.

“Rush – Signals”

OMG. Rush! I had this in high school. L O V E D it. I never expected to find Rush in the discount bins. You see, it’s stuff like this and Johnny Winter that keeps me coming back. This album I believe I got from the Record Club. I really identified with the song “Subdivisions”. I was one of the weird kids in school, not a lot of friends and our school was really a large collection of cliques. None of which I belonged to. Rush helped me realize this happens everywhere.

“Chicago – VII”

Yet another double album from Chicago for only a buck. I have really been digging the Chicago albums I have picked up. This is good solid music. There are 4 sides and only 2 songs I know. I guess I am exactly the kind of person who Chicago expects to buy their albums. People buying because it’s Chicago, not for any particular song. They don’t even have the song LISTED on the album cover or inside even. The only way to know what songs are on this one is to read the label on the record itself. Bold move.

“Robert J – Boys Town”

So, I had seen and passed on this one several times. This time I pulled it out and looked at the back. It’s SIGNED.

Once I got it home I noticed something else. It’s a local.

and of course Smart Studios means…

Butch Vig. Nice. He also played drums on some of the tracks.

You gotta love Butch Vig. I have no idea if the album will be good, but it certainly has local history going for it.

Last but not least:

“Bruce Springsteen – Live/1975-85

This is the one I had recorded many many years ago, while living in Sun Prairie I think, and never actually listened to. I had seen this once before at the West Side Half Price Books and had it my hands but didn’t buy it. I vowed that next time I saw it, it would be mine. I had to get it. It was $7.99, but come on, it’s 5 albums. Plus it still had the booklet in it, so there is hope that it was well taken care of.

The E-Street sound of Bruce’s is probably my favorite. This should be dynamite.

Dalton bought 2 that day. These are the first used records I have seen him buy. Until this night he was buying new mint records online. That’s how I ended up with my gift from him of “Smashing Pumpkins – Siamese Dream” (which I still can’t seem to open, it’s just too cool). This day he bought “Couch Flambeau – The Day The Music Died”. Also a Stevie Nicks album hidden behind it.

Couch Flambeau was a part of our history and it was cool that he bought this one. He is literally the only other person I know that even knows Couch Flambeau. It was sort of astounding that they had a used copy. Nice find Dalton.

The Stevie Nicks. That’s all you buddy.