five horizons loves vinyl. we all have extensive vinyl collections, and if a new release is out on vinyl, we usually buy it on vinyl as our preferred format. We like the sound, we like the smell, we like the visual of the cover. wevinyl. ;-)
vinyl LPs are easy to find, at least in our areas. Tower Records is usually reliable, and there are several local, mom-and-pop type stores who specialize in it. We don't even mind that we have to scurry out in the first week or so if we want vinyl -- not because it's a limited run, we find, but because of unscrupulous dealers who hoard it. (How many vinyl copies of Vitalogy, Vs. and even Ten have you seen lately? I've sure seen a hell of a lot, all for under $10, as it should be. These were damn hard to find the week of release.) But in any event, we don't consider purchasing vinyl to be a burden or a drag or a pain in the ass. We like it. (Have I made that clear? ;-) )
Merkin Ball was released on 7" and was kinda-sorta hard to find, though Tower had a ton of copies when it was released. But still, not a big deal, because the cd was plentiful and easy to find. We all heard the music and if we were lucky we had a choice of what format we wanted to hear it in. Cool.
This brings us to "Off He Goes". Found a bunch at Tower, and ONLY at Tower. Our usual outlets couldn't help us. You probably know what you've gone through.... yes, there are mail order companies, but by the time you add on the shipping you're paying $5-6, MORE than the price of a cd single!
Are we the only ones who think that this goes against the whole point of Pearl Jam releasing a single on vinyl-only in the first place? U.S. retail does not like vinyl 7". They aren't going to change their minds because of one Pearl Jam single. It is hard to find, this has been proven (if you have a stockload, please write us so we can share it with others), and now we are paying a premium price to hear this song. I don't think this is a Ticketmaster-like issue, it's PJ being obstinate for reasons they probably think are fine and noble. That's great. Make it available on vinyl, but fer chrissake make it available on CD or make damn sure that it's easily obtainable for stores to carry it, make sure that stores even in the middle of nowhere are willing to carry vinyl (do you think a Blockbuster or a Wherehouse in Buttfuck, USA is going to carry 7" singles? I dont think so). Why is it acceptable for it to be released in Australia on CD and not here?
On a tangent, let's discuss the "Hail Hail" single. How much did you pay for your copy -- if you even FOUND a copy? To order one from Europe would set you back a MINIMUM of $20. Sony's effectively got a stranglehold on the retailers who used to bring in imports -- I haven't seen ONE copy of this anywhere: record fairs, collectible stores, chains. No one has it.
We now hear a rumor that Kelly Curtis has asked Sony to put a clamp on dealers importing this, possibly because it will be the next b-side. That's great, but it's not going to stop people -- and if so, why not tell us? They have an official forum with the Synergy site and the Rumor Pit, would it be so difficult to let us know that it's coming?
Wasn't this the same band who re-released all of their import singles domestically when they realized their fans were being charged through the nose for them? Do they think that the fact that Sony prohibits their import will stop us from wanting to hear the music? Why the hell do you find it necessary to release a non-lp b-side in Europe and Australia that the U.S., their strongest fan base, can't get to?
In any event, just some food for thought....
letting off steam this month: caryn rose
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