Broken Records

Our lives are like broken records*...... I fucking hate replacing records, I have not re-purchased stolen records, because I'll feel like I already did, and somehow hope that it'll turn up, or the person who "borrowed" it will give it back. There are so many records I want at all times, that re-buying them pains me, it's like paying for parking. The same thing apply to broken records, which some of the examples below is understandable, they still play, or may no longer be as readily available. But even a damaged beyond repair record is very painful to purchase again. I hate it, even if I didn't pay for it to begin with. Granted I have some record bowls (1st Teen Idols lp) that were made post replacement, or even some that I have bought again (my entire Still Life collection suffered a warping in the car one careless summer day of 1997). But here are few for whatever reason I have not replaced and I still keep around.

This first group I call the Stevens group. When I first got him, he was a kitten and chewed a couple of his Daddy's 7"s. The Mighty Purple When Kingdoms Fall 7" was the most damaged.


I played in a very early version of this band, so I have always held on to it, never replacing, cause well, I also don't really listen to that much.
But this Fastbreak 7", oh man, I was bummed at the little guy for this one. The Where It Lies 7" was LTD to 250, this one #145.


At one point this 7" fetched a pretty good price, not that I would ever sell it, but you know there is a little pride to keeping a rare record in good shape. As you can see the damage isn't too bad, and obviously is still playable, but it does bum me out a bit. As a result my cats are always locked out of record room these days if I am not in there with 'em, and one them even if I am.

A year or so before the Stevens Incident, there was the annoying fucking upstairs crack addict water leak incident. They were really annoying and one day while no one was in my apartment, they let the bathtub run all day(what the fuck? who does that?) it flooded and water leaked into my room down a wall right where I had some 10" records sitting. There was like 10 of them that got soaked, and nearly all of them are still playable, so that was at least good, here are a couple.


This Face To Face 10" was awesome, I think (typical of Face To Face records) all of the songs were on other records, but these versions were better in my opinion. Green vinyl is fine, but I don't think this record is too common, and as I said, I really hate buying records I already own.


The Coalesce record was something else, as I think I have every version of 002 and A Safe Place on their own. I really liked that band a lot back in the 90's, would buy anything they put out, and would drive all over to see them, so when this 10' of those two (not nearly their best, but still I loved them) came out, I had to have it. Crack heads living above you be warned, some crazy shit can happen to your records.

Those examples were probably lessons to what I could have done to better protect my records, but shit I am not Dr. Dre and I do not have a fire proof basement in LA to house my records. But this one was just kind of shit luck. I stumbled into a used shop and found a few old Straight Edge 7"s for really cheap, one was this LTD to 300 Chorus Of Disapproval 7".

I had loved some of their other records, and knew this one to be a gem. I was excited to bring to my DJ night and give it a whirl. No lie former Straight Edge kids at the bar love it when you play old SxE records, when I throw on Project X, oh man....Anyway, as so as I took it out, It crumbled, this chip popped out and became many small pieces, the one piece there was the largest, so I kept that too. There was a tiny hairline crack in it then I hadn't noticed at in the store, although I probably still would have taken the chance even if I did....Bummed me the fuck out, esp as Full Circle Stop, the 1st song was gone, and it was the best on the record in my opinion. Heartbreaking....

This last one isn't a broken record, just a huh????? The Clash made this amazing three record album on the heals of the amazing double London Calling. Sandinista was no London Calling, and was poorly received and reviewed upon release, but I love it. I think each side creates a great feeling, and judged side by side rather then a scattered, all over the place album, you really see some great songs as well as experimental. But what's puzzling about this is simple, where the fuck is my lp one? I have side three, four, five and six, but one and two? No idea. It would be easy to blame this on DJing drunk, as I am know to do, but I am fairly certain that this mishap happened pre regular DJ work. I have even looked through all my other records to see if it is in another sleeve by mistake, no it isn't. That shit is in the Bermuda Triangle, in a grave with Jimmy Hoffa or back home with E.T. And no I have never re-bought it, because I own two thirds of it, why spend all that $$ on one third of an album?? Damn, I feel like Charlie Brown, what a blockhead....
*Taken from song Broken Records by Jasta 14