Tuesday, February 19, 2008

I've Got Angst In My Pants!

See that album over there on the right? Nick Lowe just re-issued that seminal 1978 album today, complete with ample bonus tracks all in a beautifully designed package.

I wanted a hard copy.

I purchase most of my music via MP3 format now, but for special albums I will actually plunk down the extra money for the hard copy. The re-issue of Jesus Of Cool is absolutely one of those albums.
Since there are no brick and mortar record stores around anymore I am forced to go to Best Buy or...ughh...Circuit City. After work today I walked into Best Buy with my crumpled $20 bill and looked for that iconic cover in the 'New Releases' section.

Nothing.

I looked under the 'L's in the general inventory but they didn't even have a label for poor Nick. Not even a greatest hits comp. I asked one of the pimply-faced clerks who cheerfully said "Nick WHO?" and proceeded to look in her computer inventory. She informed me that they have two copies ordered and that it might take 10-14 days for them to arrive. I politely thanked her, walked to my car and drove to...ughhh...Circuit City. Same freakin' deal there, not ordered yet. 14 days, sir. Thanks for coming in!

Long story short I downloaded the sucker from iTunes, printed the album cover on some glossy photo paper, stuck it in a jewel case and burned an archival copy for back-up.

I guess Nick's just not that great a priority. There were, however, plenty of Panic At The Disco and Fall Out Boy albums...

Oh, and the bonus tracks? They're great! Worth my $9.99, for sure.

Anyhew, I'll need to own the hard copy someday but until then I'll have to make due with my cut-and-paste version.

9 comments:

PHILIP FOUNTAIN said...

You know what I'm going to ask...I have blanks now!

Anonymous said...

What were the bonus tracks?

Uncle E said...

Full track listing:

1. Music For Money
2. I Love the Sound Of Breaking Glass
3. Little Hitler
4. Shake And Pop
5. Tonight
6. So It Goes
7. No Reason
8. 36 Inches
9. Marie Provost
10. Nutted By Reality
11. Heart Of the City (Live)
12. Shake That Rat
13. I Love My Label
14. They Called It Rock
15. Born A Woman
16. Endless Sleep
17. Halfway To Paradise
18. Rollers Show
19. Cruel To Be Kind (alt. version)
20. Heart Of the City
21. I Don't Want the Night To End

Hal Johnson said...

Hey E, I coincidentally splurged last night and ordered "Jesus of Cool" through Amazon. It won't be in stock until the 27th, but after I load it onto my computer, you're welcome to it. However, it will cost you one Tecate at a Shasta County establishment of your choice.

Uncle E said...

Hal, I may just take you up on that!
Very coincidental, but not surprising. You've got great taste in music!

Holly A Hughes said...

Uncle, uncle, uncle...you MUST have the proper CD, the deluxe edition, which you can order directly from YepRoc records (www.yeproc.com) and get 6 EXTRA bonus tracks. The reissued packaged is fabulous, with loads of great liner notes etc. If you had ordered it from YepRoc you'd have had it a week ago. I ordered both the CD and the vinyl, plus my tasty little "We Finally Nailed the Jesus of Cool" T-shirt (now where am I gonna wear that one?), EVEN THOUGH I already have all the bonus tracks elsewhere.

Well, it is a shame that you can't go into a record store and buy things like this. I have three bins I always check in every record store as a gauge of whether the place is any good: The Nick Lowe bin, the Kinks bin, and the John Hiatt bin. If they can cover all those bases, then they deserve my money; if not...

Remember how cool it used to be to get the record -- and I mean the physical object -- the very day it came out? How on the way home you'd have to drive with one hand while you were peeling the cellophane off with the other? Our children will never know such pleasures.

Uncle E said...

The physical CD has 6 ADDITIONAL bonus tracks in addition to the ones I downloaded on iTunes? So, like, 27 songs? I'm so there...

Holly A Hughes said...

No, it's not on the physical CD, it's some extras you can download when you order through the good folks at YepRoc.

Mark said...

Uncle E, you'll have to get the physical CD, the packaging is great, all kinds of photos, good notes, etc. There's also pictures of Nick's 45 sleeves, and his Bowi EP, the lettering of which is the same as Bowie's Low LP. (Clever!)