So a question I’ve always had as a record collector is “What’s in the collection of those lucky dogs that OWN a record store?
This year me (Brian Lee) and my buddy Matt Sands started “The Gold Pan Records & Recording” in our small town and a year later I realized it would be fun to answer the question for a few of you guys (and for me to see how crazy Matts collection was! since I hadn’t ever seen it.) We both had pretty heavy collections when we started and I hope they will continue to grow, but here are a few things we’ve found along the way this year and a few we’ve had since before the store. So if your’e as dorky and into this stuff as we are here we go… Starting with Matt-
Wild Butter? Not sure how they settled on the name but you know, it’s Art right? 1970 Folk-Psych
One of Van Morrison’s lesser know albums, Hard nose on the Highway.
An original copy of Nico, Chelsea Girl and Stooges, Fun House
A love Supreme by John Coltrane and Five Leaves Left, one of Nick Drake’s few masterful albums.
Phantoms divine comedy part 1- Rare, Doorsy Stoner Psych.
The Pretty Things- An early pressing by one of the kings of garage rock.
Two pretty rare birds… Cake- A Slice of. -female pop-psych, and The Count Five Psychotic reaction.
Captain Beefheart- Trout Mask Replica, a legendarily tortuous session by Beefheart at their rarest and weirdest.
The Savage, and Morgen s/t.
Morgen s/t- Matt calls this his best find ever at 25cents. Psychedelic goodness. Also, Matt and his wife’s daughter is named Morgen!
Sapphire Thinkers-from within.
Eternity’s Children s/t- Rare and fine… Glorious pop Psych with some amazing fuzz moments.
Where did it go?… The sign that you’re starting to have a good record collection.
Wool- Self Titled. Funny right?
The Velvet Underground with the banana sticker peeled. Sad but rad.
Blow Your Mind- Freak out party- The first side of this one explains how to have your own “freak out party”, second side has the music for it.
A signed Daniel Johnson LP- One of Matt’s early “expensive” records he had to get online.
Nuggets Lp and cd box set- The gateway for many into the deep world of Psychedelic and Garage music.
The Racket Squad-Corners of your mind- garage rock, with some sweet fuzz guitar.
Bluesy rock by Smoke-S/t
The Id-The inner sounds of – Radical, deep Psych.
The Bagatelle-11pm Saturday- Maybe they named their band after their bedtime? Amazing cover for a mediocre funk-soul album.
The Heads- Heads up. 1968 stoner rock.
H.P. Lovecraft- Psych-acid heavy dutyness.
Alright, Brians turn-
The Shadows of Night- Back Door Men, and Fallen Angels s/t -Psych Garage.
Found this Karen Dalton LP in a garage in southern IL. I ended up paying the guy a bit extra since he saw the look on my face when I spotted it… I’ve got no game face!
Funkadelic- Maggot Brain- Psychedelic funk-soul.
David Axelrod- Songs of Experience. An original pressing of this heavily sampled instrumental funk, Definitely my most exciting find of the year.
Robbie Basho-The Grail & Lotus – Found this for ten cents with a bunch of classical records, it’s a rare acoustic psych record with some morricone-esque whistling.
Two pretty rad soul, funk comps Pulp Fusion- Evolution and Soulin 1
Steve Reich Music for 18 musicians- Droney, repetitive, and beautiful.
Drum Suite by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers- A gift from my friend Andrew Staff. -Cool, instrumental afro, hard bop, jazz.
L.C. Good Rockin’ Robinson- Ups and Downs.- A have a bunch of blues stuff but this is one of my favorite covers.
Dorothy Ashby s/t- Jazz harp…
Robert Johnson- a gift from collector and friend Kevin Leitheiser, Sonny Stitt- Only the blues- Jazz, hard bop. Emmylou Harris’s gospel masterpiece bought at our friend Jeremy’s record store, Dead Wax in ST. Louis.
Blind Willie Mctell- 1922-1935
Negro Religious Music- Sanctified Singers. A pretty gnarly blues, gospel comp.
A few more Tom Waits originals for the pile.
Dusty Fingers is a series of compilations of rare breaks and gems.
So… There it is. We’de love to hear about and see what kind of stuff you guys have found and your best and weirdest stories of hunting.