My Chicago record store visit checklist got off to a start back on March 24th 2012. My brother and I went down to Logan Square for my birthday (Longman and Eagle) and when we were done making gluttons of ourselves we headed to Wicker Park to go to Piece.
Aside from all the eating and drinking, I made my first ever stop at Reckless Records in Milwaukee, just around the corner from Piece. I picked up Ripping Rhythms as well as the first Mahavishnu Orchestra album. The Shep Fields ended up being some rather tame big band type jazz with limited use of the instrumentation displayed on the cover but the Mahavishnu is one of my all time fave fusion records so I was glad to score that. I came across the second album this summer at a flea market but it was beat to shit and had to walk away.
I was in the neighborhood on September 23rd 2013 for a visit to Piece and had some time to kill before friends arrived so I wandered back in and picked up a couple new vinyls:
1) Joe Jackson – ‘Look Sharp‘ 2×10″. The collectible pin was missing and the jacket and records are beat but they play great, and its just one of my favorite albums ever. Would have passed if it was the simple 12″. Paid a staggering $1.99.
2) Added to my Sergio Mendes discography with ‘Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars‘ by Cannonball Adderley featuring everyone’s favorite Brazilian pianist. Also out the door for $1.99 but this is far better condition.
Just like everyone else, I have a ‘want list’ and things I look for but the best record stores to me give me some unorganized crates to dig through without having so much junk that its overwhelming. And while I don’t want useless, ruined vinyl (the records above as as low as I’ll stoop) I don’t need $30 mint conditions either. This is why Reckless Wicker Park remains one of my favorite stores – they have plenty to dig through and a great mix of obscure stuff to my own tastes (and beyond, but without being ridiculous) and lots of ‘regular’ old records to spend an hour or more sorting through. I must visit whenever I find myself in the area.