Post WFMU Record Fair Post

11/01/11

Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale- Euro Market, 31 St. Astoria, NY- 12 oz. Bottle into Brandy Snifter- 6% ABV

beeradvocate.com rating

Head- Nice 1 1/2 finger head, no lacing

Color- Hazy orange

Mouthfeel- Kinda loose feeling, light

Aroma- Pumpkin spices, namely cinnamon, but a funkieness as well

Taste- Think this beer may be a bit skunked. I don't know. There is an unpleasantness to this ale. Maybe just hop bitterness I wasn't expecting. Not super pumpkiny but definitley spiced and no trace of alcohol. Kind of disappointing but I would try it again just to see if the flavors were intended or maybe I just got a bad bottle.

Since I am now officially inundated with records I decided that Instead of a standard blog post I thought I would write one regarding my post WFMU Record Fair analysis. I ended up with 25 records and spent about $80. I didn’t listen to them all, not even close, but I did listen to a couple. I cashed out a coffee can and a half of change at a local Coinstar machine a few days prior the fair and ended up with a nice little bankroll for the fair without going to the ATM.

So upon returning from a wedding in New Jersey the night before I headed downtown to the record fair during what some are now calling one of the worst storms the east coast has experienced in October. I was not dressed for the weather and once I arrived at the fair I was cold and wet but I was energized by the thrill of the hunt. My initial approach this year was to focus on some higher end records that the usual bargain bins I am normally drawn to. I also wanted to refrain from buying any country records. I succeeded at the latter but not the former.

I stopped at the WFMU bins near the front, which I usually do, but it was pretty crowded. I picked up an unexpected record, a double LP by John Renbourn from the group Pentangle. This was $3 and I think it is partially because the LP jacket was in pretty bad shape with at least one split seam, but the vinyl is in good condition. I did some research yesterday and this actually appears to be a twofer collection of his first two solo LP’s from 1965-66. I think Bert Jansch accompanies him on some tracks.

Then I headed into the main area and approached a few vendors’ tables here and there trying to find some things off my list of 10 or 12 records. I had very little luck and the tables were crowded for the most part. After about a half an hour I found a corner filled with about 20 crates advertising $3 records behind two dealers tables. Surprisingly there was only one other guy back there digging so I started flipping pretty furiously.

After about a half an hour or so I had gone through about 2/3 of the records and pulled out about 12. The crates were a mix of oldies, classic rock and miscellaneous. They were all in pretty good condition considering and I ended up with a couple of 80’s metal and classic rock LP’s. I even found a copy of Black Sabbaths Sabotage, which I passed on once and since got on CD, the cover was a bit worn but the record was in pretty good condition and I had always regretted not picking it up when I first saw it because I never saw it again until the fair. When I got home I cleaned the record with my friends cleaning solution and it took off quite a bit of grime and the LP now plays with minimum surface noise. I also found No Dice by Badfinger in these crates and I had been looking for it for some time.
After taking a bit of a break I ended up finding another list record Nursery Crymes by Genesis. The Genesis was an $8 (most expensive record of the day) British pressing, I wasn’t looking for a British pressing but that is all I could find. It was in really good condition. I haven’t listened to this yet but I have no doubt I will enjoy. At the same dealers table I also picked up The Dynamic Clarence Carter by Clarence Carter. This wasn’t on my list but it was a record I had seen before and wanted to buy but not at the price I had originally seen it for. I got this for $5 but the LP did have some light scratches.

For the rest of the time I was there I wondered from vendor to vendor hoping to pick up a few more “list” records. I didn’t. I did pick up a couple of more albums though and one by a group I hadn’t expected to buy was The Kenny Clarke/ Francy Boland Big Band. I found one of their LP’s I didn’t have for $5 and was pretty psyched because there LP’s can be expensive and I have never seen this one before. This particular LP has David Pike on Vibraphone which is cool because I like the presence of vibraphone in a big band setting.

So my aim to focus on nice, higher end LP’s was left unaccomplished, maybe next year. The dealer tables were really crowded and I put in efforts at some of them but if I had spent more time at them I may have higher end stuff to report. I probably could have also found some more things on my list but I enjoyed the crate digging I did since the element of surprise in the bargain bins really adds a different dimension to the experience for me. I am happy to report I didn’t buy any country stuff unlike last year. Overall I am happy with my haul and should be kept busy listening for awhile.