Mark Swed wrote a recent column in the Los Angeles Times about the
soon-to-be final dissolution of Tower Records' stores--the effects on
the classical music recording market (especially in some of the large
cities where Tower has been a fixture), the experience of going to a
store to browse, and what the future might hold, in LA and other places.

Tower has been the subject of the occasional thread (and often, bashing)
since the beginning days of this list; nevertheless, I find a certain
nostalgia about the place that will be difficult to revisit, even with
all the other options that exist for music these days.

One thing the article doesn't seem to address is the ultimate fate of
the online incarnation of Tower, which is up and running and doesn't
seem to mention anywhere that I can see that it too will be going down.

In any case, here's the direct link to the column:
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/music/la-ca-tower22oct22,1,2182529.story?coll=3Dla-entnews-music

Bill H.