Donald Clarke <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>I recently wrote to a marketing executive at Barnes & Noble (haven't
>heard back yet) to point out that in a lot of places nowadays (the
>Des Moines area being one) the only "full service" record stores
>are B&N and Borders, and that while they cannot compete with Best
>Buy and WalMart on the biggest-selling pop stuff, they are not doing
>a good job of serving the "long tail" in marketing terms.

While it isn't the most professionally done bit of video, one can get
at least one perspective on the demise of the brick and mortar record
store by watching the documentary at www.JerseyRain.com

It is concerned with the closing of an independently owned record
store...devoted to popular music.

Donald would be pleased to know that back here in Austin we still have
one such locally owned and operated store, Waterloo, which has a classical
section.  The Classical Manager, Russell (a man who is held in great
esteem by the Classical music CD buying public in Austin...and a friend)
is indeed himself almost an artifact of a bygone era.  He has worked at
Warehouse, then after it closed, Tower, and then after it closed, Waterloo,
a store which seems to have found its niche in the market place.

While I miss the joy of going to "the record store," what I think I miss
the most is the Schwann catalog.  From time to time, mostly by accident,
I will find out about a CD that interests me, something I missed when
it was first released.  For example, I was amazed to find that the Roy
Harris Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra was out on CD...only a week
after I had spent several hours converting to CD an old tape I had of a
live performance of the work.  The closest thing I have found to the old
Schwann is the list of new releases produced by the library supplier
Gary Thal.  Gary is from the "old school" and very informed.

I will try and refrain from reminiscing about the good old days of place
like Music Masters in NYC, but while some vendors like Amazon try to
provide one with information about releases they think might be of
interest, there still seems to be something missing from the online
experience.

I am reminded of the early days of record marketing, before my time,
where women were the primary purchasers of recordings and women were
the record sales clerks.  Music was, like playing the piano, the
responsibility of the "homemaker." The clerks were encouraged to keep
track of their customer's interests and would call them to let them know
if a new recording came in that they thought might be of interest.  The
store provided places to sit down, how a cup of tea, and listen.  I guess
we do that now with sound clips and "recommendations." Of course I wonder
how those recommendations are made these days...I often wonder what
"machine" (I use the term machine since I see little to suggest that the
recommendations are being made by an informed human being) "thought" I
would be interested in a new recording of a string quartet by Beethoven
or the latest recording of the standard literature by the musician du
jour.

So how do the rest of you, keep up with new releases?

Karl

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