Digital hunt for analog treasures

by Yome NetSan 1. June 2013

With the Blossom 95 download, the Ventura boxset, Mike Gordon's The Egg and three releases for the Record Store Day, Phish knows how to keep us busy before summer tour !

After going under the rain on the 20th April to my local record store to buy the Pink Floyd's See Emily Play and other french 7", the second part of the treasure hunt began on the Internet. But this year, several surprises made the search more interesting and easier.

 

The first vinyl to reach my turn table was the vinyl edition of By My Side, a collection of ballads from Ben Harper. I found it in a french web store (Fargo) thanks to a tweet from Planète Vinyle, a french website about wax discs. But it turns out that I was in Morocco by that time and I couldn't order it right away. I had to wait my return to France a week and a half later, hoping that the disc would still be available. Luckly I made the order almost as I stepped of the plane and got my package the week later for a nice price (25€ including 3€ for shipping).

 

For the next two discs, I had to rely on good old eBay...

 

 

Trey Anastasio's Blue Ash And Other Suburbs is a nice looking 7" Picture Disc which also contains brand new music ! So new I couldn't tell by listening to the first instrumental track if I should spin it at 45 or 33RPM !

It seems like it's been limited to 1200 copies so it's no surprise it was not easy to find it a good price.

I finally got it for 38€ (half of this was shipping fees) instead of the original 15$. I know it's almost third time the price but I don't have a lot or choices, especially for shipping.

 

 

 

 

Same thing for Page McConnell's Unsung Cities and Movies Never Made, instead that it was even more rare (only 1000 copies) and even more musicaly interresting. The only trace of 4 out of the 10 intrumental tracks of the disc can be found on this Film & TV Sampler CD that even the most die-hard US phans haven't heard of... I couldn't find it below 60€, even it sold for 20$ on the day, but I think it was worth it.

 

 

The final two discs arrived in my house with the help of very very nice people...

 

 

A few weeks before the Record Store Day, I sent a half-joking tweet to the Royal Potato Family, asking the Marco Benevento's record company how a poor french fan could get his hands on the vinyl edition of Invisible Baby. The answer that I didn't expect to have is the one I got : They'll keep one of the only 500 copies for me !
But a month later, I was in contact with then to buy the vinyl at the regular price of 14$ !

Unbelievable !

 

 

The last record which came to me (this morning) was ironicaly the most available (7500 copies), the most expensive (50$) but also the most wanted. It's no news that there's a lot of Phish fans in the USA and after releasing the vinyls of The White Tape and Junta in the past years, the expectation for Lawn Boy was rather high.
Like last year, ebay scalpers did their job and I waited for the euphoria to settle down a little.
Meanwhile, Phish released a download of a 1995 concert and announced a 6 CDs boxset of two shows from 1997 and 1998. For such announcement, I usualy got in touch with Beth Montuori Rowles from Phish Inc., who provide me with download codes and review copies. That's how I can set up some contests. I took the opportunity to ask her if she had hold some RSD vinyls and if she could sell me one. The Page's one was so limited that she couldn't hold one but she had Lawn Boy for sell !
A 50$ donation to The Waterwheel Foundation later, the disc was on its way to France... and she even paid for shipping !

 

So less than a month and a half after Record Store Day, I already found all eight discs I wanted and for far less that last years. As a comparison, I had to wait until October to get my hands on the fifth and final disc of 2012 at a reasonable price. But I am well aware that this year I got the intervention of three lucky stars : Planète Vinyle, Royal Potato Family and Beth.

Thanks to them and see you next year !

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