Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Collecting CDs

stock photo...my collection has more SLAYER
So I was reading this story on Yahoo News the other and had a massive nostalgia wave wash over me. The compact disc is now 30 years old.

I know what some of you are thinking...what's a compact disc? Ha. Damn you iTunes! I still buy CDs whenever possible. I say whenever possible because, I usually can't find the CD I want. There's an FYE in the mall by my house but it's selection is crap. Same with Best Buy (no...there's is even worse). Oh how I long for the days of Tower Records, the Wherehouse and my old alma mater, Sam Goody. When you could get lost inside the record store and come out with life changing musical discoveries based solely on the album's artwork. Thank tha LAWD for Amoeba Music in Hollywood. They're got just about everything you could ever want (CDs, vinyl, cassette tapes, DVDs, Blu-ray, VHS, Laserdiscs!)...and more. But it's still a drive down there and who has the time for that?

No, it seems like the compact disc, and music/physical media in general has reached the end of the line. Even mp3s are old hat. Instant streaming is direction we're heading in...bummer. Here's a look back at some of the first CDs I remember owning:


The 1st CD I remember opening as a (Christmas?) gift and cranking this song on repeat after seeing Dangerous Minds:
"I'm 23, never will I live to see 24, the way things is going I don't know..." I am now older than Coolio in this song. FUUUUUUUuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu.

This next song ruled the airwaves like no other back in the day. I owned the CD but didn't really like any of the other tracks on the album, also, was too young to understand what the inside artwork meant (dripping condom cartoon figures holding guns), but still thought it was was cool =p


Asked my mom to purchase this CD for me after getting a new pair of glasses from Lens Crafters. All the kids in school were talking about how cool it was, so I figured getting this record would offset the glasses. Smooth huh?

Got my tickets for No Doubt in November (and what?!). Some things never change.

And finally, the album that got me started on the downward spiral of aggressive music. The precursor to the heavy metal virus that would contaminate my soul in high school:
I played this album a lot when I first got it (Columbia House mail order whats up?!) but once I got my first portable disc-man player, I listened to this album 24/7 all day erryday son!

So many found memories playing those compact discs. I guess it helps that I was an obsessive, geeky type collector who never lost or scratched my CDs. Happy 30th birthday Mr. Compact Disc. Hope you make it to 35.

Alright gang, what are some of your favorite early CDs you remember?

9 comments:

  1. 30 years...? Jeez, it's kinda surprising they're still in production when you put it that way.

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  2. I was just talking about my first CD purchase just the other day.

    I had saved up money over birthdays and Christmases and was finally able to buy a boombox when I was 13. I searched through the holiday deal fliers to find the one that was *just right*. Finally, I ended up at Fry's, with my boombox and a copy of Stone Temple Pilots' Core in hand.

    Every time I hear a song from that album, I remember feeling so accomplished with my big ticket item...

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  3. As a music blogger, I'm way too embarrassed to show off my firsts. Would've never guessed Coolio was your first though, that's badass.

    My most cherished CD is TMV's Frances The Mute. I stop by every once in a while to clean the dust off it. Keep it sparkly clean in the pile of dirty old CD's I've got.

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  4. This post is so much to wrap my head around man, it's great. Firstly the fact that the CD is thirty years old, over a decade older than me is incredible and then to see I Got Five On It, a song that I thought wasn't particularly well known only to find out that it was is incredible.

    I've also been listening to No Doubt a lot over the last few days and while I don't find their new album that impressive their old stuff is still the bomb and I'm pretty jealous you're getting to go and see them live, Gwen Stefani still has it! I also was reminded of the time I ended up seeing Coolio at an airport in New York with a lady friend, I was so star struck haha, he's probably the most famous person I've ever been that close to!

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  5. I never bought many cds, always getting mine off the net directly and such. Now dvds, that is an entirely different story haha

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  6. I also still buy cds. because I don't like paying for intangible data that is simply a series of ones and zeros on my harddrive

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  7. I never bought CDs when I was younger but now I own a few. I rather like them.

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  8. Psh! Bombtrack is amazing after all these years.. (damn it I'm old!)

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