8D - Wednesday, September 5, 2001- The Michigan Daily - New Student Edition
COASTERS INTO CASH
record stores give options to financially strapped
d Edman
Harrison's re-release
proves solo talent
bought Melissa Etheridge's Your Little
37 at the 1996 Lilith Fair with your girl-
fttMEx-girlfriend. Now that your feminine
s as subsided, what the hell are you gonna do
Nxf; e CD?
M sface it: Everyone has CDs in their collec-
tisn'hat they could part with, especially with a
li!ash incentive. Why admit that you own
IT ; anilli's All or Nothing when you don't
l jb? Trading in your old CDs can be prof-
i rbAund easy, especially when there are stores
a round Ann Arbor that will give you money
fi 'actically any CD in your music collection.
at store you choose to sell your albums to
cEC termine whether you will be hitting the
bgat Windsor or your head at the counter of a
cj ppizzeria. It is important to keep in mind
t ores look for when they give you an offer
feso ur goods. There are some tricks when it
come to pricing that you should be aware of in
orderlo get the most for your troubles.
This is almost the Consumer Reports, if you
will= of buying, selling and trading CDs around
crmpns. The Michigan Daily supplied a decently
reiro,'ntative sample of albums (some popular
artists and some not so well known) which I took
toinsuspecting records stores in the area. Listed
below are the stores closest to campus that spe-
cialize in used music.
Record Exchange 1203 South University
It is difficult for music stores that sell used
CU3 to keep tabs on all their merchandise. To
organize the sporadic influx of music bought
fpom customers day in and day out you need a
god system. Record Exchange eliminates this
prob em very well. Along with the knowledge
that their traders have received on what typically
sells and for how much, they incorporate the use
o[ a special program on their computers to tell
them exactly how many copies of a CD they have
itt stock. This allows them to offer good competi-
twe offers on a variety of music. Offers depend
ourw many copies they currently have unsold
nit it store, not a guess at your gullibility. "We
ariAie most intricate in tracking products. We
k what's there, how it should be and what it
s4o br," said Chris, Record Exchange's store
ngager. "No one has our selection, organization
a juality."
ord Exchange at a glance:
%+-Buys, sells and trades all media-related
inm andise. (CDs, records, video games, sys-
tens;and even music memorabilia). This makes
f4 good trading possibilities.
Takes close to everything, from your more
p9pular artists to your local unknowns.
scUfi ecr
Ann Arbor resident Todd Cook is a frequent patron of Wazoo (3361/2 S. State Street), which has been owned by
John Kerr since 1996 and has been voted best record outlet by Daily readers for the last 12 years.
By Luke Smith
Daily Music Editor
Nevermind that Harrison was the sec-
ond worst Beatle. Nevermind that the
only Beatle he could say he was better
than was, well, Ringo. Forget that Har-
rison settled a lawsuit against the validi-
ty of "My Sweet Lord." And no matter
what, forget that Harrison video for
"Got My Mind Set on You, where the
patron saint of dull sat in a chair and
wouldn't move, so the director had to
move everything around him, (thank
you VH1 Pop-Up video).
Harrison is by no means a disposable
member of the Fab Four. He is not to be
confused with that Starr fellow.
Remember though, this is the album
that outsold both Lennon and McCart-
ney's first solo releases, but the whole
lawsuit thing kinda rained on that
parade. What a bitch.
Nonetheless, despite all these things,
Capitol Records went back, re-mastered
and repackaged this Harrison vehicle,
and made it a bit more road-worthy than
the original.
All Things Must Pass is a lucidly lay-
ered record, thick with texture and filled
with heavy rhythm tracks. Harrison's
album features Eric Clapton (unable to
receive credit for the record till now,
and Genesis post-Gabriel maestro Phil
Collins - "Invisible Touch" anyone?)
Complacent and lengthy (running
7:08) "Isn't it a Pity" is a tunefully rue-
ful love song winding behind a tam-
bourine, piano and drums. The track is
propelled by a series of lengthy guitar
solos, and in my 90's bred pop mind
that translated to, "Hey, he ripped off
'Champagne Supernova.'"
Infectiously written riff-age launches
"What is Life." Harrison combines so
much on this track like gang vocals,
"Hello-Goodbye"-esque horn sections
and a fabulous hook. Songs like this,
"Band on the Run" and "Oh Yoko" show
- Offers very competitive prices for all types
of music.
- Has a large selection of used CDs that typi-
cally run from .50 to $5.
- Displays their merchandise by alphabetical
order and price. Cabinets make all albums visi-
ble.
- Has a two-week, money back guarantee that
all their merchandise works (skip free).
Wazoo Records 336-1/2 State Street
Although Wazoo's does not have as extensive a
collection of used CDs as Record Exchange, they
still offer competitive prices, which can match
and beat other surrounding stores. They would
probably offer more for classic rock and oldies
albums than for more modern bands. Because
they deal a little less with used merchandise than
other stores you might be able to walk away with
a good deal if the trader believes that the album
is highly sought-after.
Wazoo Records at a glance:.
- Typically deals with high-priced trades of
$4 to $5 an album.
- Will buy beat-up albums, which they send
to be repaired.
- Offers are usually half the used sale price
and are at the discretion of the trader.
- Allows customers to listen to CDs in the
store before purchase.
Discount Records 300 State Street
Discount Records gives a flat rate of three
bucks an albums That's a pretty solid offer,
although you don't have to browse through their
selection to find that they only deal with very
well-known artists. They buy popular albums for
three bucks and jack their sales price to $8. If
you somehow convince them that your CD col-
lection is the hottest thing out there you can walk
away with a sweet deal. Otherwise you're out of
luck. You can most likely get more money for
your more sought-after CDs by going to another
store.
Discount Records at a glance:
- Offers a flat rate of $3-4 per CD.
- Deals with only more popular artists and
albums.
- Has a fairly limited used music section.
- Will not buy publicity promos.
Back in 1994 you bought Green Day's Dookie
for $17 and now a store will only give you a
buck for it. What up with that?
Despite small variations from one store to the
next, most will tell you that they look for two
things when determining the amount of money
they will give you for your used CDs: An
album's condition and its popularity.
Condition is easy. Stores first must determine
whether or not they think the CD will play.
Minor scratches are fine, but if there are dents,
nicks or any cuts through the album, stores won't
take them. They take on all the risks of purchas-
ing an album; even if it is a popular title, if it
doesn't play the store is going to lose the money
they gave you for it. The second thing businesses
look for is to make sure you have the album
booklet, back cover and anything else that came
with the original album. Jewel cases can be
replaced, so their condition is relatively unimpor-
tant.
An album's popularity can differ from store to
store. Stores buy what they can sell. You might
want to sell a copy of the new Rage Against the
Machine album, but if the store specializes in
classic rock and attracts a different audience
which listens to a different genre of music they
are going to offer you less for it. Think about
where you would typically go to buy the type of
CD that you are selling.
Stores also determine their own used prices by
their own supplies. If they have many copies of
an album in stock, they would keep lowering
their own price and in turn offer you less for
them. It is often good when you have a record
that people don't often sell to their store. These
rarities will give you the most money. If you get
a low offer because a store has many copies you
should try somewhere else. If you believe you
can get a better offer, consider waiting a while
until a store's copies are all sold out. Consider
these bits of advice. Just remember to shop
around; offers differ from store to store.
absolutely no drop-off in quality from
when the mop tops were still together
Harrison effectively moves back an
forth between Beatles-y pop and-his
own ornately fashioned songsmithery.-'
"Behind that Locked Door," even
teeters on the edge of being' a country
song, it does have that Bryan Whit
twang to it a la 1996's Between Now
and Forever.
These Harrison hooks and arrange-
ments do seem to find a niche some-
where in the back of my head.U
Exchanging confused glances with
other Beatles' fans and then plucking
the CD off of the shelf is more than a
good idea, for a lot of you out there, it
will be necessity. You will read this
review and go, "Luke Smith, this dude,
he knows his shit, and since he said that
Beatles' fans should own this record
and I certainly am a Beatles fan," you
will march your ass down to the redord"
store and you'll shell out something lk&
$25 bucks for this Harrison joint. Yowl
marvel at the packaging, which is a
sexy black box with both CD's stored in
free fall small cardboard slippers
because he says it's "environmentally-
friendly," or something.
Grade? What the hell do you mean
"Grade?" It's George Harrison.
Grade: A
No magic for DMB
i
By Luke Smith
Daily Music Editor
The gruesome soiree that is popular
music absolves and absorbs classic pop
and alternative acts from the mid-nineties
like Unicron. The maelstrom of kitsch
teen-pop and the rap-metal fusion has
swallowed 'alternative' music whole.
And so amidst the turmoil that is today's
mainstream, comes the triumphant return
of a modern day James Taylor, turned to
ten, bothered by Ballard and back to
bring folk rock to the forefront. Right?
Delayed countless times, Everyday
hung in the careful balance of pop's
throes for quite a while, with studio
efforts repeatedly halted by a pudgy
Matthews setting down his guitar and
walking out of the studio. Matthews
opened his unique song book to pro-
Morissette pro-pop caliber producing,
pro-bono producer Glen Ballard, who
ended up garnering co-writing credits for
all twelve tracks on Everyday.
Everyday is being pitched to con-
sumers as a grizzly moment of epiphany
for the tour-savvy Matthews. More than
content with his final product Matthews
asserted in Rolling Stone that these were
his "Best lyrics yet, and best songs yet."
Lou Reed was convinced that Metal
Machine Music was his best work as
well. Lesson: Drugs are bad.
Porous at times and blunt at others
Everyday's unique blend of - well alt
things not Dave crossed with moments of
classical Matthews pride creates a listn4
er supported dissonance.
Entrenched in, well not folk. Dave's
genre description will need a new catego-
ry for Everyday. Abandoning the col
misanthropy of Crash, and absolving,
some of the South African roots that held
him firm in Before These Crowded
Streets, Matthews utilizes a horde of new -
songs and styles under the careful guid-
ance and tutelage of sonic Buddha-meis4
ter Ballard.
The departure from his seemingly
entrenched acoustic-folkster-stoner roots'
in a way bode nothing but optimism fori
the dearly departed commercial touring
giant. Everyday is Matthews and gil
lard's plot to save Brandi Svenning gone
awry. There is no cousin Walter, and te
rest of us got one giant stinkpalm in' the
face.
I'm going to be sick.
Grade: C-
ABBY ROSENBAUM/Daily
Dicount Records, located at 300 S. State Street,
also sells new releases at midnight.
The Record Exchange, located at 1203 S.
University, has a wide selection of used music.
1 _-_-___
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