My Record Store Day Pilipinas haul

Record Store Day Pilipinas and my haul

by rick olivares

Record Store Day Pilipinas is something I looked forward to. More than the Hi-Fi Show. More than the pocket sales such as Kagatan. I like that it’s a real big event surrounding vinyl and bands. Unlike RSD in North America and Europe where new and limited edition releases are the story of the day, here, at least for now, it’s about coming together for one massive record sale.

Last year, it was held at Buddha Bar last year and this time, it was at the UP Town Center; a much better choice and that it was located at the activity center, it attracted more people. Not just the music fans but also casual buyers.

And this conversation sums up that:

Curious person: What’s going on here?

Me: It’s Record Store Day Pilipinas.

Curious person: What are they selling?

Me: Records.

Curious person: Oh, really? You mean there is an audience and market again for vinyl?

And here’s another interesting anecdote from Backspacer Records’ owner Rob Tuazon: This guy bought a Pearl Jam record from me because he saw that I had a picture with Eddie Vedder!

Maybe next year, there should be several venues. You want the love for music and vinyl records to spread. Besides, you want to make a lot of noise. Musical noise.

As always, you want to go early so you can dig ahead of the others. If you go late, chances are the really good stuff will be gone.

I like the spaciousness of the area. The heat though was stifling.

There was a stall that sold records from Belgium, France, Germany, and the Netherlands for as low as P200 and as high as P800. If you aren’t particular about where the records are pressed then this wasn’t so bad.

There was the Seona Dancing song “More to Lose” available but at a whopping Php14,000! No way.

Instead… here’s what I got.

Rattle and Hum – U2

The Joshua Tree was the last U2 vinyl record I ever bought. After that, I switched to buying compact discs; U2 titles included. It has been a personal policy of mine that anything that came during the CD era, I will not get on vinyl.

However, you know there’s always a caveat there. Unless the record is darn good and has been re-mastered for vinyl. So I always liked Rattle and Hum. In fact, I wasn’t into The Joshua Tree too much until after I heard Rattle and Hum.

Luckily, this original pressing was available and in great condition. Bagged it.

Every Step of the Way – David Benoit

A sealed copy of this classic album. First press too. I’m kind of finicky when it comes to first presses.

Every Step of the Way was one of the more popular jazz albums of the 1980s. I first bought a cassette of this when it came out. Aside from the buoyant title track, there was “Shibuya Station” that when I first heard off the soundtrack of the Michael Jordan Come Fly with Me Video (it was the last song). My first time in Shibuya, I thought of that David Benoit song and Come Fly with Me. And there’s “The Key to You” featuring Ambrosia’s David Pack on lead vocals. I liked Ambrosia for its slow rock hits “You’re the Only Woman”, “Biggest Part of Me”, and “How Much I Feel”.

It’s a solid album through and through.

Imagine – John Lennon

The first US pressing of this album complete with its original inner sleeve. An introspective and anti-war concept album. Imagine is Lennon’s second solo album and it also contains the song “How Do You Sleep?” which is a response to Paul McCartney’s own songs about their fallout that came out in his own – coincidentally second solo outing -- Ram.

But this was a different record from the Plastic Ono Band which I also liked. Not bad. And I got it cheap too.

The Best of the Waterboys ’81-’90.

During the early 80s, bands like U2, Big Country, and the Alarm came up performing with a passion and earnestness that was called “Big Music” for their anthemic sound. Some called it “Power Pop” which I personally thought was stupid and missed the point. There was Mike Peters and the Waterboys that alternated with a neo-folk sound with the power pop/big music sound.

I remember hearing that song “I Will Not Follow” that was their response to U2’s “I Will Follow” and that got me interested. So I picked up the Waterboys’ debut in 1983. I bought that in Hong Kong as it wasn’t available here.

I regret giving away my original records when I picked up the cds. So now I have this...

Lazaretto Ultra LP – Jack White

The Blues Man is also a Renaissance Man. His approach and passion for vinyl has also sparked interest in the medium. With this, he’s created the ultimate collector’s record Lazaretto that features hidden songs, secret grooves, and holograms. And that doesn’t take away from the music that finds White at his weirdest and most energetic.

The Johnny Mercer Songbook – Ella Fitzgerald.

I absolutely love Ella Fitzgerald. I think the Gershwin Songbook is better but as a fan, still not bad. No one sings quite like the First Lady of Song.

Tale of Two – Identity Crisis

Finally. After all these years, I got it back. At quite a cost though. But it is rather rare you find one in great condition (I have to concede the handwriting on the sleeve though) so I paid the price for it. It is much satisfying though because last year, there was one that fetched for half the price but in a crappy condition that wasn’t even worth it. Plus, it skipped multiple times.

When Tale of Two first came out in 1988, I first bought this at the old Musikland in Ali Mall. Lost it when I left for abroad and my mother threw out some of my stuff that she perceived as junk and I’d never reclaim.

One of the last recordings of the Filipino new wave bands that came up in the 1980s.

All You Can’t Leave Behind – U2

How lucky can you get? A sealed first press of this album. When it came out in 2000, I got the CD (and I still have it), and it reignited my love for this band’s music. I wasn’t too crazy about the excess and pretentiousness of Zooropa and Pop. After a while they began to wear me down with their save the world shtick and Bono schmoozing with world leaders. I was waiting for their version of a “more-popular-than-Jesus” quote to be done with them. Then they came out with this album. Who says you can’t go back home again? It was revisiting the old stuff but with the benefit of hindsight.

Still happy to have it.

Other items I got: seven-inch singles of Rainbow’s “Since You’ve Been Gone”, the Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Cabale’s “Barcelona” and the compact disc of Offshore Music Vol. 1.