The Day The Music Died

When I recently learned of the closing of our local Record and Tape Traders store, it was like the end of an era to me. The good ol’ days of going into a traditional record store are gone. Large volume stores like Best Buy and Wal-Mart have pretty much put them out of business.

When I was a teenager, I can remember making frequent trips to the old Record Bar in the Glen Burnie Mall. You could always find the latest releases as well as the heavier rock stuff that I was into at the time. And the best part about it was that the employees actually knew a lot about the music. You could ask these guys questions and they would give you actual answers. Try that with a Wal-Mart employee!

There was one Record Bar employee who we used to refer to as “Outrageous Bob”. If we wanted a seal of approval before buying an album, we would go over to see Bob. We would ask, “Hey Bob, what’d ya think about this one?” If he responded with “It’s outrageous!” you knew it was worth buying.

There were other local stores where you could find the same type of setting. This was good stuff. Those were the days when it was all about the music. You knew all of the lyrics to the songs. You knew the band members. And whenever the bands came to town, you went to see them at the local arenas (mainly the Baltimore Civic Center and the Capital Centre in Largo, MD).

Many of us had dreams of becoming rock stars. So, we went out and bought guitars and learned to play our favorite rock tunes. Yeah, that’s right, we actually played real guitars. We shared our knowledge and taught each other how to play different songs. And I’m still friends today with many of my old musician buddies. Unfortunately, it’s another dying tradition.

Rap “music” has become the pop music of today’s youth. Frankly, I can’t stand it. I think it too often sends a negative message. It often degrades woman and glorifies the thug lifestyle. And every time you turn around, it seems like another rap star is getting arrested. They say this gives them “street cred.” I don’t understand it. Shouldn’t music ability take precedent over street credibility? When did the handgun become the instrument of choice over the Stratocaster?

Another thing, I don’t understand the whole East Coast vs. West Coast rivalry in the rap world. What ever happened to open-mindedness and respect in the music business? Back in the days of Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones, no one was “busting caps” in each other. They were too busy partying!

I dunno, maybe I’m just getting old. But I that’s the way I see it……

KW