Old Rare New: The Independent Record Shop
by Emma Pettit

New take on the love affair between man and vinyl

James Dean Bradfield of Manic Street Preachers fame, music industry supremo Trevor Jackson, esteemed music journalist Everett True (aka Jerry Thackray) and record producer Joe Boyd are a few of the major names that contribute to this enjoyable flick through independent record store history.

The book takes you on an indulgent independent store magical mystery tour from Subterranean Records, New York, passing through Jazz Record Mart, Chicago and California’s Rockaway Records. The contributors provide evocative descriptions of their personal experiences in record stores, so you feel as if you are feeling the grooves on that old Bob Dylan record from the first word on the page. The big question is: what’s the future of vinyl and the humble record store? Indeed, the book recognises the impact of downloads and the internet and there is even a hint of smugness at the recent decline of the CD.

They weren’t lying when they said it was “vinyl fuelled”. The only disappointment is the fact that there are only a few pages containing pictures of rare sleeves. Makes you want to visit a record store, though, which is never a bad thing.

4 stars 4 stars 4 stars 4 stars

ISBN 9781906155322

Reviewed by Amy Briscoe
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