Then when I break out of it, I think... "I wish my wife would hurry up home before the thrift shop closes, I want to break her off something proper..."
Just curious, but why would you do that anyway? its your own shit!
I can definitely relate to not caring about your own records. After you make a song or album you're pretty much sick of it, so why even have it around wasting space. Sounds stupid but its the truth. I'm probably missing half of the stuff I've done over the years. Getting paid is a lot higher on the priority list than having hella copies of a random record. That being said I don't think I've thrown any copies of my own records away. I always reckon that once you've spent ages busting ya knacks making an album, track or whatnot, its good to leave the shit alone straight away for like 2 months and then play it again after that man......... it makes me appreciate the shit out of it.
I am still putting my foot squarely up my own ass for throwing away boxes of those OG Phill Most Chill "On Tempo Jack" 12"s- how was I to know that one day people would discover it and want to pay me $500-$600 for a copy?
Just curious, but why would you do that anyway? its your own shit!
When I got married I had to move all my records pretty much by myself from my bachelor pad to our new apt. Only around 5-7,000 records at the time, but still a huge pain in the ass. By the time we bought our house the collection was probably somewhere around 15-20,000. Dog, I had big weightliftin' brothers damn near passing out in the summer heat helping me transport all of those crates! They couldn't handle the whole weight, so I had to haul the reminder all alone, just loading the car up and making multiple trips. After a while I started throwing shit into the dumpster... just physically couldn't take it anymore. Those boxes of Phill Most Chill records had been sitting in my closet for almost ten years- as far as I knew, nobody knew about the record or gave a damn about it. This is before rap records were seen as "collectible", for the most part- we speculated that the day would come that stuff would sell for big $$$, but at that time nobody really knew that it would explode like it did. $500-$600 for that record??? I would've drove yo' ass straight to rehab if you tried to tell me that that record would be worth that much one day. I was using those shits as frisbees, throwing them around and shit. I still have a copy that's got some kind of strange melt mark on it- I don't know if I was burning that shit with a blow torch or what! And I know some people probably think "ahh, Phill's got hundreds of copies in his crib, he's just making up the story about throwing them away so that the record will seem rarer than it really is and he can get more money for them"... I wish that were true, but unfortunately it's not. Every now and then I do find another copy mixed in somewhere it's not suppossed to be in my collection, though.
That's a real shame phil, that record is really dope. the reissue was a good look cause lord knows, i aint payin $500 for it. I only have 3 copies of my record. 1 in a frame, and two test pressings that I've completely worn to shit. And Jake, you're right, if i never hear it again, it'll be way to goddamn soon.
I helped Asprin load up his moving truck when he moved from VA to OR. There was about 5000 if I remember correctly. Just him and I moving that shit out of his dingy ass basement in the blazing summer. What do I end up doing when I go visit him in LA??? Arranging his damn records again. [email]T@#$*[/email], you better fly out here and help me next time i move.
I used to have over 3000 records, mostly promo 12"s that I had from years on the radio. In hindsight I wish I had kept some of them, but you really cant tell what will blow up. Or at least, no one will admit it at the time. I have it down to about 1500 now, and I feel damn good about it. It's still no small task to move though. I'm looking forward to getting Serato, so I can narrow it down even more.
it seems the very act of consumption is what drives us,not the music itself.
BUT NOT FOR ME (as ahmad jamal would say)
i wouldnt have acquired all these damn records if i didnt get some kind of pleasure from them - if i get rid of something, either its terrible or i found a double.
also: i never understood the concept of "getting rid of it because i wont have time for it." for me, either i like it or i dont. if im digging on it, i will FIND TIME to put it in rotation. cream ALWAYS finds its way to the top; maybe not right away, but eventually. sure, theres some stuff i held on to for historical reasons, but those things are relatively few.
Just curious, but why would you do that anyway? its your own shit!
I can definitely relate to not caring about your own records. After you make a song or album you're pretty much sick of it, so why even have it around wasting space. Sounds stupid but its the truth. I'm probably missing half of the stuff I've done over the years. Getting paid is a lot higher on the priority list than having hella copies of a random record. That being said I don't think I've thrown any copies of my own records away. You really shouldn't. It's your history. Of the few records I've been involved with, I've tried to keep at least two on hand - at the MOST. Don't need the entire run laying around; just one or two will do.
More than once I've seen interviews with some old R&B performer who doesn't own a single copy of their records. Not because they were ripped off or burned in a house fire, it just never dawned on them to save mementoes of a time that will pass away. Then thirty years later, they wind up going to collector's shops paying $50 and up for their own record. I never wanted to be like that guy.[/b] I realize the need for space and money, but DAMN.
I got around 1800 records now and even 500 of those i'd be happy to let go. I like having a small collection of stuff I REALLY like. A few years back it was bordering on 8000... and i'm glad I don't have that many now.
I have always said it's quality over quantity. That is number one rule of thumb for sure. I agree with PHIL that amassing these records is one of the worst things you can do. They have caused me nothing but problems lately. I never set out to do it, it just happened.
lately, i've been into trimming the fat, at least with respect to the regular stuff. i can always replace these things later if i regret selling them.
the way i see it, this dj/record collector/bedroom producer craze is at, or nearing, it's peak. how many of these kids have the staying power? in the shadow of the ipod...a small fraction, i'd wager. when their blushing brides tell them to get rid of those "damned, dirty records" a few years from now, the swap meets and record stores are gonna swell with used funk and soul records, various turntables and mixers. without the motivation to try and get the high prices they paid for them and with multiple copies of many titles flooding the market, things will be back down near where they were in the early 90s.
like the cat above said, sell high while they're hot and buy 'em back cheap when things cool down.
the way i see it, this dj/record collector/bedroom producer craze is at, or nearing, it's peak. how many of these kids have the staying power? in the shadow of the ipod...a small fraction, i'd wager. when their blushing brides tell them to get rid of those "damned, dirty records" a few years from now, the swap meets and record stores are gonna swell with used funk and soul records, various turntables and mixers. without the motivation to try and get the high prices they paid for them and with multiple copies of many titles flooding the market, things will be back down near where they were in the early 90s.
It's analagous to the syndrome where everybody and his/her grandmother (and no snide remarks about the Rappin' Grandma here ) thinks that s/he can rap - the # of records one has in one's possession won't translate into either making someone a better/hotter SELECTA nor ensuring beatmakin' cred - it still all comes down to one's ear and how well one can craft somethin' (or rock a crowd) w/ the instinct that's inherent - how many folls in the past have sat down w/ a typewriter back in the day and tried to be a writer (or better yet, author)? And how many succeeded in becoming the equal of someone like Graham Greene?
how many folls in the past have sat down w/ a typewriter back in the day and tried to be a writer (or better yet, author)? And how many succeeded in becoming the equal of someone like Graham Greene?
^^^^ shaky analogy. I think a being a writer is better than being an author.
Comments
Just curious, how much does one get for 1500 records?
I can definitely relate to not caring about your own records. After you make a song or album you're pretty much sick of it, so why even have it around wasting space. Sounds stupid but its the truth. I'm probably missing half of the stuff I've done over the years. Getting paid is a lot higher on the priority list than having hella copies of a random record. That being said I don't think I've thrown any copies of my own records away.
I always reckon that once you've spent ages busting ya knacks making an album, track or whatnot, its good to leave the shit alone straight away for like 2 months and then play it again after that man......... it makes me appreciate the shit out of it.
That's a real shame phil, that record is really dope. the reissue was a good look cause lord knows, i aint payin $500 for it. I only have 3 copies of my record. 1 in a frame, and two test pressings that I've completely worn to shit. And Jake, you're right, if i never hear it again, it'll be way to goddamn soon.
I helped Asprin load up his moving truck when he moved from VA to OR. There was about 5000 if I remember correctly. Just him and I moving that shit out of his dingy ass basement in the blazing summer. What do I end up doing when I go visit him in LA??? Arranging his damn records again. [email]T@#$*[/email], you better fly out here and help me next time i move.
I used to have over 3000 records, mostly promo 12"s that I had from years on the radio. In hindsight I wish I had kept some of them, but you really cant tell what will blow up. Or at least, no one will admit it at the time. I have it down to about 1500 now, and I feel damn good about it. It's still no small task to move though. I'm looking forward to getting Serato, so I can narrow it down even more.
BUT NOT FOR ME (as ahmad jamal would say)
i wouldnt have acquired all these damn records if i didnt get some kind of pleasure from them - if i get rid of something, either its terrible or i found a double.
also: i never understood the concept of "getting rid of it because i wont have time for it." for me, either i like it or i dont. if im digging on it, i will FIND TIME to put it in rotation. cream ALWAYS finds its way to the top; maybe not right away, but eventually. sure, theres some stuff i held on to for historical reasons, but those things are relatively few.
I can definitely relate to not caring about your own records. After you make a song or album you're pretty much sick of it, so why even have it around wasting space. Sounds stupid but its the truth. I'm probably missing half of the stuff I've done over the years. Getting paid is a lot higher on the priority list than having hella copies of a random record. That being said I don't think I've thrown any copies of my own records away.
You really shouldn't. It's your history. Of the few records I've been involved with, I've tried to keep at least two on hand - at the MOST. Don't need the entire run laying around; just one or two will do.
More than once I've seen interviews with some old R&B performer who doesn't own a single copy of their records. Not because they were ripped off or burned in a house fire, it just never dawned on them to save mementoes of a time that will pass away. Then thirty years later, they wind up going to collector's shops paying $50 and up for their own record. I never wanted to be like that guy.[/b] I realize the need for space and money, but DAMN.
I got around 1800 records now and even 500 of those i'd be happy to let go. I like having a small collection of stuff I REALLY like. A few years back it was bordering on 8000... and i'm glad I don't have that many now.
Depending on the records and how good your hustle is ... around 9K
the way i see it, this dj/record collector/bedroom producer craze is at, or nearing, it's peak. how many of these kids have the staying power? in the shadow of the ipod...a small fraction, i'd wager. when their blushing brides tell them to get rid of those "damned, dirty records" a few years from now, the swap meets and record stores are gonna swell with used funk and soul records, various turntables and mixers. without the motivation to try and get the high prices they paid for them and with multiple copies of many titles flooding the market, things will be back down near where they were in the early 90s.
like the cat above said, sell high while they're hot and buy 'em back cheap when things cool down.
On the flipside, I could take you to a few places with 1,000,000 records that I wouldn't even spent 2K on.
It's analagous to the syndrome where everybody and his/her grandmother (and no snide remarks about the Rappin' Grandma here
^^^^
shaky analogy.
I think a being a writer is better than being an author.
Duly noted - depends on one's vantage point though, I suspect...