Record Store Day

April 19th was officially Record Store Day, and had now topped Christmas as my favorite holiday. While I unofficially celebrate the holiday a couple times a month, this day was specifically designated by the independent record store. Locally, I've got a handful of these independent record stores, and I sometimes forget how lucky I am to have so many options. I check messageboards and read about other people ordering everything online with Best Buy as their only option for record stores. That is truly sad, as there is nothing like browsing through a store and hunting for some kind of treasure. I made sure that I showed my appreciation for these local stores and Jeff and I planned on hitting them up on this holiday.

Our first stop was Enterprise Records in Portland. Before we got there, Jeff stated that he didn't really like this store because of the owner. Then while we were there, and Jeff was pulling some vinyl out of the sleeve to inspect the quality, the guy told him that there was no reason for him to check them as they only buy quality records. This certainly rubbed him the wrong way, and it got me laughing to see the guy irritate him. Anyway, this is one of the best places around to pick up some used vinyl at a decent price, and I sure walked away with my fair share.

• Anvil - Hard and Heavy : I had never heard this album from Anvil, but it was in great condition and was their first LP, so I picked it up. Pretty good Canadian metal.
• Dio - Holy Diver : No doubt about it, I love everything Ronnie James Dio has put his name on. After leaving Black Sabbath, Holy Diver was his first solo record, and man, it is damn near perfect. Another album in great condition from Enterprise.
• Rainbow - Rising : Another LP with Ronnie James Dio on lead vocals. Classic Dio and Ritchie Blackmore.
• Judas Priest - Sad Wings Of Destiny : I have been on a huge Priest kick lately, and this album is one of their best. Only the second album for the band, and for 1976 it was a huge statement for Heavy Metal. The transitions from the softer songs, like Epitaph, into the screaming guitars of Island of Domination is just mind blowing. Intense. The album cover condition on this one wasn't as good as I would have liked, but the vinyl is in mint condition.
• Judas Priest - Sin After Sin : Another one from Judas Priest. I didn't really appreciate this one when I was younger. I'm not sure why...the similarities to Sad Wings of Destiny are obvious, but as a teenager, songs like The Last Rose of Summer did not help my opinion on this album. As time has gone on, I find myself reaching for this album more and more out of the Priest library.

After our trip to Enterprise Records, we stopped in to Newbury Comics. These guys new how to celebrate the day by offering 15% off on all vinyl, and 35% off on all used CD's. Damn, how can I not show my appreciation for that! In addition to a few CD's, I also picked up the new album by The Sword. Packaged beautifully with a gatefold cover, this thing looks as great as it sounds. Only a metal band could get away with a song named Fire Lances of the Ancient Hyperzephyrians. After Newbury Comics, Jeff and I took a trip over to Bull Moose. While they had no sales, they did have free candy and sodas to go along with the two new CD's that I bought. Truly a great day.