All Things Vinyl

[Charger]

Most players nowadays seem to have BT...but it matters not to me as my AMP is before BT was even invented!

So analog connections for me.

[Vyn]

They are a reputable brand that makes quality components across a broad price range.

[Vyn]

I stopped at a gas station in town, and today (maybe for black Friday? haha) someone had a box of records for sale next to the check out. I thumbed through them, of course, and damned if I did not find a mint copy of Nightlife by Thin Lizzy. An original pressing from Germany with the UFO label and shiny laminated cover. I have a nice US pressing, but that shiny cover looks awesome, and the disk looks like it has never seen a needle.

No prices were displayed, so I asked the counter clerk and he said they were five dollars each. He went on to explain that they were so expensive because they were all old.

I didn't argue the logic. Nightlife is my fave Lizzy record and one of my fave records in general.

It sounds great!

[Charger]

Well goddamn! That's quite a bargain! 5 bucks! Goddamn!

[Zzzptm]

$5 is expensive?

Sorry, Vyn, I'mma gonna call da cops, on account you pretty much STOLE that record!

[Vyn]

No doubt - the clerk seemed like he felt he was ripping me off with the $5 charge. I just went ahead and let him think that.

[Vyn]

Inspired by my recent Thin Lizzy score, I ventured out into the wasteland of Kansas — where one of the few surviving record shops within 200 miles of home is situated. This place has been around forever, and honestly? I never liked it. The prices were ridiculous, and the owner was… let’s just say “not known for his sparkling customer service.”

But apparently that business model had legs, because they’re still kicking. And on this trip, I learned two things and walked out with one of them:

1. The owner actually passed away about fifteen years ago.
2. I stumbled across an imported gatefold copy of *Thunder and Lightning* — two LPs, one of them live.

I already have the original U.S. pressing I bought when it came out. It looks a little rough these days but still sounds fantastic. This UK copy, though? Nearly mint across the board, and it absolutely *smokes* the U.S. version. More dynamic, more punch, and when Gorham and Sykes start ripping, the whole thing hits harder in the best possible way.

Did I get it for five bucks? Haha...nope. I dropped $30 on it without blinking.

Totally worth it.