Part Two in a Series

How did one become a cover star?

Some. Not particularly glamorous.

Most. If not all. Unfamiliar.

Due to my age. More likely my location.

With the solo career. He became the cover star.

The way he always wanted it to be.

That's how I imagine it.

Putting himself out there. On there. On the albums. The singles.

The Smiths - Ask. Schine Student Center. New.

I Wish I Had a Pencil Thin Mustache

It's incredible when bands have careers. That span twenty. Thirty years.

Careers that don't become caricatures of themselves.

Deceased members. Estranged members.

This is probably easier. If your band never reached superstardom.

Instead. Operating with a cult-like. Yet influential success.

Sparks - Hello Young Lovers. AKA Music. Bargain bin.

No Chance of Owning It All

Colin pointed out the extent of their discographies.

Morrissey has had a long solo career. It makes sense.

The Smiths on the other hand. Had a relatively short career.

But they've been milked for all they are worth. Continue to be milked.

(Ahem, Joy Division.)

Each of us thought we had pretty nice collections for both Morrissey and The Smiths.

Not even close.

The first step to rectifying this. Filling the gaps in our collections.

Compare. Contrast.

Morrissey - Beethoven Was Deaf. ???

[Image via www.impawards.com]

Collecting Compact Discs Like Vinyl but Without the Appreciation in Value

With the exception of vinyl only releases. Tape only releases. Certain rarities.

I consider digital music files to be placeholders.

Filling in until I can track down the compact disc. Stumble upon the compact disc in many cases.

I will then delete the files.

Replacing it with a rip. Direct from disc.

Preferring to own a physical copy. In tandem with the digital files.

A dying notion. Old-fashioned.

Shift - Pathos. From Andrew. Burned disc.

[Image via thamaddoktor.com]

Repost

Hatfield and the North.

If a link is down. Please let me know. I will re-upload.

Feel free to leave a comment. Or email me at hedancesfornickels@gmail.com.

Sticky Buttons and a Slow Hinge

At the end of my shift I packed my bag. Placing an extra Rock Star inside.

Something to drink in the morning.

The problem could have started then and there. Or anytime between then and there and midnight.

Arriving home. Dropping the bag on my bed.

I went upstairs to eat. Go about my business. My business is television.

Time to sleep.

Moving my bag. I notice dampness. I notice wetness. I notice a full-on soaking.

Opening my bag. A Rock Star calamity. Bills. Paperwork. Compact disc maxi-single. All are wet. All have taken on a yellowish hue. Familiar among the energy drinking public.

My phone. My iPod. Not present. My Discman was.

Yes. I continue to use a Discman. My no frills, yet sensible Focus. Tape deck only.

Drying the Discman. It appeared to be over. It wouldn't play. Into the trash.

Going to bed. Thinking it might not be so easy to find a new one.

Waking up. I remove it from the trash. No luck.

Back into the bag.

The next day. One last try.

Success. Tuesday. Driving again like it was 1994.

Morrissey - Now My Heart Is Full. AKA Music. Bargain bin.

Repost

Up Front - Movement.

If a link is down. Please let me know. I will re-upload.

Leave a comment in the post. Or email me at hedancesfornickels@gmail.com.

Seven Years Can Feel So Long Ago and So Recent at the Same Time

The city was sealed off. Queens was out of the question.

Mobile phones were of little use. Spotty.

We ran into Laura. She lived downtown. There were few options. It seemed like the best.

Walking towards her apartment.

Hospital staff. Outside. Waiting for an influx that never came.

People eating lunch. Almost as if it wasn't happening.

Traders walking uptown. Covered in dust. A case of beer.

At Laura's. We watched television. The news. Non-stop news. Speculating. About that day. The days to come. Reaction. Response.

Little to no contact with our families.

The bridges. The tunnels. Reopened. The time had come for the long walk to Astoria.

She had borrowed Ágætis byrjun. I forgot to pick it up. That day.

Any other day. I might have remembered.

Sigur Rós - Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust. Target. New.

Downhill Since Mr. Joseph

Before Bamboo. Before The Piano Bar.

There was The Parkway.

Like all decent diners. It had a bar. One of my favorites.

It wasn't a great bar. It wasn't very nice. It didn't have a great selection.

It did have location. The end of the block.

Afternoon or evening. I would spend time there.

Bob would show up. Most days. Most nights. A local character.

Karaoke night. He'd be there. We'd be there. Moore was well represented.

Danzig. Oasis. James.

Bob encouraged fighting. On one occasion. He encouraged my brother.

He continues to wander the streets.

I continue to cross at corners. At lights. Jaywalking. Avoiding. Inevitable contact.

James - Laid. AKA Music. Bargain bin.

Enjoy Your Labor Day

Cathy asked me if she's nice.

I don't know.

We often speculate about famous people. Major fame. Minor fame. New fame. Old fame.

A list. B list. C list. D list.

"Do you think they are nice?" He. She. Them.

I say she isn't.

I say M.I.A. is worse though.

Santogold. Best Buy. New.