This Week in Vinyl: (More) New Vinyl!

This was not a inexpensive morning. Fortunately, I am fairly skilled at justifying modestly expensive investments in… well whatever I’m attempting to invest in. It’s a gift.

This particular day I just happened to click on the Facebook Marketplace and an ad came up for rare vinyl. Now, if you know me at all, you will likely know, and probably eye roll, my rants about social media killing all of us slowly. While I stand by those beliefs, I have to (and hate to) admit that occasionally it can be useful. Ugh, I know…

So there I was, enjoying my morning coffee and I stumbled upon an ad with a few interesting titles. All of which are indeed quite difficult to find. Rarity itself is not necessarily a catalyst to buy a record, but it definitely helps. Here we have rarity in addition to colored vinyl and picture discs, and two of my favorite bands. Sold. I negotiated a reasonable deal and met the seller with cash.

Rage Against the Machine – Picture Disc & The Battle of Los Angeles – Rage Against the Machine was something of a gateway into harder rock music for me. Back in 2000 while working at the Burbank Airport, I had this friend who scored two tickets from KROQ to their show at the Olympic Auditorium in LA. It would turn out to be the last two nights they would play together for years. Not that anyone knew that at the time. At any rate, they weren’t really my thing and I only kind of knew who they were, but since any live music is usually good, when she offered me one of the tickets, I accepted. What followed was what I look back on now as a pivotal night in music. I had never before experienced the kind of energy that I found standing on the floor a few rows back from the stage and strategically away from the mosh pit. The very next day I went out and bought all four of their CDs. The sound was so different from anything I was listening to at the time. De La Rochas razor sharp vocals combined with Tom Morrello’s approach, or attack of the guitar simply blew my mind. As a bass player I was hooked by Tim Commerford’s style. All these years later I consider him and his playing a major influence in my approach to the bass. There isn’t a bad track on either of these albums. I’ve got my eyes peeled for Evil Empire (come on interwebz!)

Aenima – Blue Cloud Vinyl & Lateralus – Picture Disc – This is where my money went. These records encapsulated the best of all things I look for when buying vinyl. One of my favorite bands, very rare, and colored/pictured vinyl. When I turned thirty a friend of my bought me the 10,000 Days CD. The package was interesting including 3D glasses and art. Not only was it my introduction to Tool, it was probably my first introduction to a band selling more than just the music on the disk. Unfortunately, I’ve long since lost the CD package, but my friend and bandmate has a copy, so I know where to find one. As I went deeper down the rabbit hole I discovered Aenima and eventually Lateralus. Buying Aenima was an obvious choice. A reissue on blue cloud vinyl of one of my favorite albums of all time, shut up and take my money. At first I was going to pass on Lateralus. It was more expensive as it is a 2LP picture disc, and possibly my least favorite Tool album. “Least Favorite” perhaps in the entire Tool catalog (until Fear Inoculum came out, but we can debate that later). Regardless, some of my favorite songs are indeed found on Lateralus, and it is an original pressing. At the last minute I added it to the deal, and went to the bank.

So there you have it. I scored some new and rare titles this week, AND stayed married. Win and Win. All in all, not bad for a Monday morning.

Carry on.