Hardwired

My obligatory favorite band released their first new album in 8 years (!?) today.  Cliff was in the band for only 3 years and they wrote and recorded Kill 'Em All, Ride The Lightning, and Master Of Puppets in that time.  I know it was different times, the band guys were different people.. etc. etc. but still.

That being said, I haven't been this close to a Metallica album release since Ride The Lightning.  It all started 2 years ago when I was asked by the band to assist with the deluxe reissues of their first two albums and then being asked to be involved in a Spotify thing for the releases.  It was a trip being part of that historical process with a band who I've known since they only had a cassette tape demo out.  The Metal Godz work in mysterious ways.

Fast forward to almost 3 months ago and I was invited to hear the new Metallica album at their HQ in Marin.  I went straight from the airport after landing from a business trip in Dallas. I was running on fumes but when The Metal calls you must abide.. but at least it also included free pizza and beer.. but then I couldn't talk about it publicly until a couple of weeks ago... which was fine.

[Photo courtesy of Metallica.com]

Back in The Day an "album leak" was called an "advance tape".. but we still bought the album when it was released.  In those salad days we bought the album mainly to feel part of something.  The experience of going to a record store and holding the album in your hands, opening it, putting the disc on the turntable, and reading the liner notes during that first play bonded you with that band and that music.  I know, old man talking.. but we all interact with music differently now here in the 21st Century including me.  For the record here's how a Metallica album release day has been for Umlaut over the years:

• Kill 'Em All - The Record Vault, San Francisco
• Ride The Lightning - Tower Records, Mt. View, CA
• Master Of Puppets - Tower Records, Mt. View, CA
• And Justice For All - Tower Records Stonestown, San Francisco
• The Black Album - A Record Factory, San Jose, CA
• Load / Reload / St. Anger / Death Magnetic - I didn't buy any of these on day of release... 
• Hardwired - Metallica website (for the deluxe CD) and Amoeba Records (for the indie only red vinyl) 

When Ride The Lightning came out I heard Tower Records in Mt. View had a copy in the Import section the night before release so I drove to the store at around 10:00pm to get it... and I still have it.  I couldn't wait a minute to get it  

I still have a vivid memory of walking into the same Tower Records for Master Of Puppets and being greeted by their full end cap display for the album and thinking "What the fuck.."  I had been going to that Tower for years discovering the music that changed my life.. and now a band who I knew (actually Metallica were the first band I ever became friends with..) were having an album release of this magnitude there.  Crazy, man.

Times have changed and trivial events like an album release are now something you can participate with on your phone while sitting on the toilet.  However, deep down inside my Inner Teenage Metalhead is still excited today and remembers when this was how a Metallica album release day felt and looked like:

In honor of my obligatory favorite band releasing their new album today: This is my old friend Rich "Bang That Head That Doesn't Bang" Burch (R.I.P.) outside of The Record Vault in San Francisco on the day Kill 'Em All was released.  From the pages of Ron Quintana's legendary Metal Mania fanzine.

Bang that head that doesn't bang, forever.  Forever..  and, yes, I do like the band's new album.  Quite a bit actually.

Tower Records R.I.P.

Yes, it's like hearing about an old friend who, to be honest, you haven't thought about in years: Tower Records is gone after 46 years.

Like most folks my age, Tower was where I first learned my Music Geek ways. I spent ALOT of time (and money) at the local Tower (Mt. View, CA) in my formative years.. In the beginning I took the bus from my parents' house, then I rode a moped (before I had a drivers license!), then I drove my old VW down El Camino to rifle through the albums (VINYL!). Some Tower memories that quickly come to mind:

• Coming across Iron Maiden's Killers album in the import section and buying it only because the cover looked cool.
• Meeting Y&T at an in-store for the Black Tiger album
• Old friend John Silence worked at Tower Mt. View circa-1990 and his co-worker, a kid named Al, always wanted to talk Black Sabbath with us. History says that Al went on to become a Rock Star with the legendary band Sleep and now OM.

A coupon from Tower Records Mt. View - 1981

Y&T - Tower Records Mt. View - 1982

Anyway, Umlaut buys almost all of his CDs, 7" singles, etc. online now, so I suppose I'm partly to blame for Tower going into the shitter. Oh well!

===
June 5, 2007

What a bunch of crap:

Dear Tower.com Customer,

We are very pleased to report to you that the legacy of Tower Records will live on through Tower.com. We are currently in the final stages of the sale of Tower.com to Tower.com Inc., which is committed to upholding and maintaining the integrity of Tower Records, and positioning Tower.com as your preferred online shopping experience.

I am also very pleased to tell you about some important commitments to you with respect to the privacy of information you have provided us in the past. Tower.com Inc. will continue and is legally obligated to:

* abide by the Privacy Policy that has been posted on Tower.com;
* honor customer preferences and opt-outs; and
* continue the licensing relationship Tower.com has had with TRUSTe since 2003.

We respect your privacy and should you wish to continue receiving more information about Tower.com in the future, you don't have to do anything. However, if you would prefer your account information be deleted from the Tower.com database, you may click here for the next thirty days, through July 5, 2007, and your name and information will be removed from the database which may take up to 10 days.

Thank you again for your business and your loyalty to Tower Records and Tower.com.

Joseph L. D'Amico
CEO
Tower.com

Didier Pilon
CEO
Tower.com Inc.

Umlaut says: The only way the "legacy of Tower Records will live on" is if there's another late night, well-stocked, brick & mortar record store and I can jump in my car at 11:30PM on a Wednesday night and jam over to it to buy a copy of an album I just realized I have to listen to NOW.

Sometimes I wish The Information Superhighway had never been born.

===
April 21, 2008

This past weekend, Metallica had its first in-store appearance in 10 years at the old Tower Records Mt. View site as part of Record Store Day. The space is now a Rasputin's Records, a local Bay Area indie chain. Click HERE to see the festivities.

Umlaut and his Old Metal friends Big Wayne and John Silence spent MANY, MANY hours at Tower Records Mt. View.. John more than most since he worked at the Tower Books side.

Big Wayne: I drove by there twice yesterday. Honestly I can say it was one of the greater gatherings of white trash in quite a while. I joked about all the pickup trucks and El Camino flatbeds but some guy was there with his semi cab. I chuckled.

John: Ha ha ha! I remember working there, safely tucked away in the bookstore, of course, and watching the line to see (insert rock star name here) next door at the record store slowly move past. People would bring all sorts of things to get signed, like drums and who knows what else... I once sent a bookstore employee next door to have Danzig sign her absentee permission slip - just for laughs. Still earlier, I remember standing in that damn line myself to meet Y&T. I still have those pictures somewhere...

Big Wayne: The second time I drove by there was a fire engine out front. No doubt a fan got flustered and fainted! I miss visiting the bookstore and with you and Al. One of the hourly workers at my job was working at the new Rasputin's, part time. He landed a managerial position and took me around the "new" store. It was kind of surreal going in the back offices again.

Umlaut stood in line with John to meet Y&T... Click HERE to see the festivities. He also once went record shopping with Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield at that same location many years ago. The Drummer and The Front Man only garnered curious looks from patrons and no one asked them for autographs.

No one.

Sometimes I wish The Information Superhighway had never been born.