This, from the BBC Radio One Archives, is the last time Thin Lizzy was to take the stage with Phil Lynott as frontman. Try not to tear up at the last playing of ” Still In Love With You.” Dare ‘ya…
Sadly, you can hear the wheels coming off the cart on this one; the plot being all but forgotten. (Stevie Wonder and Pete Townsend on a Sprout LP? Naah.) Yet, there WERE a smattering of fine moments…
I saw The Replacements on this tour at Lisner Auditorium here in DC. While their live shows were notoriously hit or miss — that night they were spot-on. Thirty songs in an hour. As it should be.
Rick Carlisle at Orpheus Records in Clarendon. “They’re not making any more originals of albums. Vinyl may disappear as baby boomers disappear.” (Photo by John Mcdonnell)
Turnarounds Are Tough When You Can Only Go 33-1/3 By Marc Fisher Middle-aged man walks in to price a first-edition vinyl Bob Dylan album. Young woman collects a John Prine LP for her father. Longtime customer and vinyl enthusiast browses the latest rock reissues. And then, in a busy midday hour at Orpheus Records in Clarendon, the phone rings: It’s the landlord, and the news is good — sort of. Orpheus, already displaced from Georgetown in 1999 after a couple of decades there, is still going to lose its storefront on Wilson Boulevard, but the date of execution may be delayed.
Owner Rick Carlisle greets the news with a shake of the head. He is psychologically prepared for the end; a going-out-of-business sale banner is already waving outside. But the daunting task of somehow unloading 120,000 record albums weighs on him.
Simply put, from a branding perspective, one of the finest LP covers ever. In fact, the complete series of four is outstanding. (No foolin’.) Cover painting; Eraldo Carugati, Design; Howard Marks Advertising, Inc.
Simply put, one of the finest LP covers ever. Art Direction; Ed Thrasher, photography; Karl Ferris. Known as “the Innovator of Psychedelic Photography,” Ferris was the personal photographer to Jimi Hendrix and Donovan, and shot the cover of Hendrix’s “Are You Experienced” album and Donovan’s “A Gift From a Flower to a Garden.” He took some of the most unforgettable photographs of the 1960’s and was commissioned to do a multitude of prominent concert posters. He also received the compliment of a lifetime when Hendrix remarked to him on seeing his portfolio, “You‘re doing with photography what I’m doing with music – going far out beyond the limits.”.
Some quick first impressions: “Huh, this box is LIGHT.” “Ah, I see…it’s plastic. (Drag.)” “Hey, it took me only a half hour to get from this…
…to this. And I’m no technophile…” Next up, getting familiar with the Audacity software that comes with the ION — which seems to be where the learning curve actually comes into play…
Confirmed to TVD this morning is the sad news that Arlington’s Orpheus Records, one of that last surviving brick-and-mortar vinyl shops in the area is shutting its doors on April 1. Prices have been slashed 30% on all used records and much of the still-sealed merch will be 30% off as well. A harried employee this morning asked us to visit for details which we’ll do over the coming days.
Update: TVD’s just back from a few hours of rummaging through the stacks over at Orpheus and the place was wall-to-wall vinyl enthusiasts. My first thought was how sad is this — all of these customers here NOW that the store is shutting down? Literally there was a line and a significant wait to just check out. (Two guys in front of me bought 45 and 75 LP’s respectively. The stuff’s going out the door folks.) TVD inquired about the closure to the bearded owner who said it isn’t his wish to shutter at all – his lease is up and the landlord refuses to renew. There isn’t an option for him but to close. Asked if he’ll relocate, his comment was that after the move from Georgetown to Arlington, he vowed to never move again and that seems to be the prevailing notion. Orpheus will indeed shut its doors for good on 4/1.
In other closing news, the City Paper has reported the announced closing of Annandale’s metal and industrial niche shop Strangeland Records on March 17. Dan Boyd, a Strangeland employee since 2006 who plays bass for Fairfax metal band the Seventh Gate, admits. “To be completely honest, the metal scene in D.C. just isn’t that great.” Read more here.
The late Tower Records’ self-published magazine ‘Pulse’ crossed my mind the other day. If there ever was a publication with less discerning taste, I’ve yet to see it. Each CD or artist interview was positively fawning. “Well honey, here we are RIGHT in the Tower Records ready to purchase this new Insane Clown Posse CD but Tower themselves says it’s a boatload of crap – so why bother?!” That’d be self-defeating, right? So, every review spoke to SOMETHING redeeming for ANY CD, and let’s face it, Insane Clown Posse? (Shite.) What ‘Pulse’ did have as a feature was something called “Desert Island Discs” — the ten or so LPs or what have you that you’d want to turn your new pal Friday onto while stranded on the aforementioned desert island — and just listen to forever. And it was a pretty decent monthly feature. You could tell basically who you’d want to immediately hang out with given their taste in music versus the guy you’d wanna whack with a bat. Which brings me to today’s selection: “Together Alone” by Crowded House. I’d turn to Friday and he’d be singing “Well, I’ve been locked out/ I’ve been locked in…” and we’d laaaaaugh. He makes great Mojitos too, that Friday.
Mojito Recipe 3 fresh mint sprigs 2 tsp sugar 3 tbsp fresh lime juice 1 1/2 oz light rum club soda
In a tall thin glass, crush part of the mint with a fork to coat the inside. Add the sugar and lime juice and stir thoroughly. Top with ice. Add rum and mix. Top off with *chilled* club soda (or seltzer). Add a lime slice and the remaining mint, and serve. Enjoy!