Savannah Trip-- Part 2: All Sorts of History, Records and a Huc-A-Poo

My sister Julie's boyfriend, Ed, really could be my brother from another mother.  We are really a lot alike.  He is a history nut, overly zealous collector and was even a deejay.  I sure did a lot with him while there.

APRIL 4, THURSDAY

A really busy day.  We (that would be Ed and I) went to Parris Island, a huge USMC training base and visited the museum there, then to Fort Fremont, an 1898 battery and drove around Beaufort S.C. and saw the house where the movie "The Big Chill" was filmed then went to the Beaufort National Cemetery and paid our respects at the Confederate section.

Later, we went to a train club meeting at the Savannah Round House and then saw a concert by Ricky Skaggs and his band.

APRIL 5, FRIDAY

This was record store day for us.  We went to Rody's in Savannah where I bought a Delbert McClinton and James Hunter Six CD.  Next was Coastal Records in Wilmington, Ga. (near Tybee Island).  I found out we were close to Huc-A-Poos on Tybee and went there.  Ed had never even heard of it.  Talk about an experience.

Then it was to Julie's cat rescue house and Ed's Ranch where he has a huge model train layout.

--RoadDog

Record Store Day Booty

This past Saturday was Record Store Day across the nation.  Mom and Pop Record Stores are one of the few places I feel like I'm home anymore.  In other words, I understand most anything in it.

As such, I visited my favorite Mom and Pop Record Store, The Vinyl Frontier, in McHenry, Illinois.  There were quite a few others also paying respects and buying albums and CDs.

I bought ten CDs and three albums.

ALBUMS:

The Best of Herman's Hermits Volume 2

The Box Tops: The Letter / Neon Rainbow

Beau Brummels:  You Tell Me Why / Don't Talk to Strangers

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CDs: 

These next six all had 22 songs apiece.

AM Gold 1966

AM Gold 1967

AM Gold 1968

AM Gold 1969

AM Gold: The 60s Generation

AM Gold: The Mid-60s

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Retro 70s  (two discs with 15 tracks each)

The Vogues Greatest Hits

Swing Time--  Wayne Hancock

House of Blues Swings!

--Love Those Mom and Pops.  --RoadRecord

Record Store Day Today

Today marks the 17th anniversary of Record Store Day in the United States and in several other world countries.

This is a day to show our appreciation for independently-owned record stores, those great Mom and Pop stores.  

And, I am fortunate to have a lot of record stores in the area, starting with my favorite one and another one in McHenry, Illinois.  My favorite one also has one great name for this kind of place, The Vinyl Frontier at 4720 W. Elm Street (Illinois Highway 120).  Kind of tells it all.  Especially with the near extinction of vinyl records, you know, vinyl.

The other record store is Siren Records at 3902 Main Street in McHenry.  Then we have two more places called Reef Records in Antioch and Lakemoor.

I'm sure going to The Vinyl Frontier and plan on buying at least one LP and several CDs.  I actually like CDs better than LPs now.

I Good Day for the Cause.  --RoadRecord

The Civil War, Some Hot Dogs, CDs and a Big Snow

SATURDAY, JANUARY 29

Drove to Crystal Lake, Illinois, for the McHenry County Civil War Round Table discussion meeting at Panera Bread.  Today's topic was the "The End, February and March 1865."  I, of course, brought up the Wilmington Campaign, also called the Battle of Wilmington, in North Carolina.  That was the follow-up to Fort Fisher's fall. 

It started snowing about half way through the meeting and coming down quite hard.  I decided not to go to Algonquin and visit Barnes & Noble or Half-Price Books because of it. Driving home, road conditions were getting quite bad.  

Stopped at Happy Jack's in McHenry for their great hot dogs and then The Vinyl Frontier Record Store, a real Mom and Pop store featuring albims, 45s and CDs as well as toys and stereo equipment.  One of my most fun places to go.

Snow conditions continued to get worse and I went home and stayed.  We had our biggest snowfall of the winter with around 8 inches by Sunday morning.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 29

Way too much snow to shovel by hand, and sadly, stoll couldn't get the snowblower started.  Later, I heard a snowblower out in front of the house and saw that a new neighbor was clearing my driveway and sidewalk for me.  I tanked him and said I couldn't start my snowblower so he took it home to take a look at it.  What a great neighbor.

Later I drove to Sunnyside and actually got a seat at the bar, something very difficult to do in Sundays when it gets reallycrowded.  Watched the NFC Championship game and part of the AFC one.  Came home and watched the rest of it.

--RoadSnow

About Last Week: Maxell Cassette Tapes, Alex's Gyros, The Vinyl Frontier Records and the Legion

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 8

Went to McHenry, Illinois, and to Meijer and was all too happy to buy two more 5-pack bricks of Maxell cassette tapes for recording purposes.  Yep, I still record on cassettes.  This is one of the few places I know of where I can buy them.

We had plans to eat at our favorite Chinese buffet, the Grand Buffet, and got the door only to find they are closed on Tuesdays.  Disappointed, but I remembered I wanted to go to Alex's on 120 in town because I'd heard they had a great gyro sandwich.  They did.

Then, we went to The Vinyl Frontier on 120, a great mom and pop record store that had just moved in the fall from its long-time store on Riverside Drive.  I bought eight CDs.  

Then, we wanted to go to the PLAV (Polish Legion of American Veterans), but they had too many people so went to the American Legion instead and had a really great time with the folks there and especially enjoyed the $1.50 rum and Cokes during happy hour.

I Was Very Happy.  --RoadDog

Record Store Day is Saturday, August 29: Tomorrow

It was canceled back in April, but rescheduled.  And, this year, something a little different.  To avoid the big crowds these events pull, instead of all the record releases being released on that one day, this year, they will be released over three different dates.

You've got to remember, these mom and pop record stores are usually on the small size, and any crowd seems to be a bit too much.  And, in these days of social distancing, not a good thing.

So, it is spread out over three days:

Saturday, AUGUST  29

Saturday, September 26

Saturday, October 24

I know I'll be heading over to my favorite local store, The Vinyl Frontier in McHenry, Illinois.

Old records.  Oh Boy!!  --RoadDog

PONDER THIS:  I used to eat a lot of natural foods until I learned that most people die of natural causes.

Two of My Favorite Things

The May 19, 2020, Hi and Lois cartoon strip hit home especially for me.

FIRST FRAME:

Lois is inside a store and speaks to someone else:  "It's great to see  a new brick-and-mortar business back in town..."

SECOND FRAME:

She finishes by say, "filled with paper and ink."

The owner of the store looks at her and says:  "Bookstores are back."

********************************

I sure am going to miss brick-and-mortar stores.  I love to walk around and look.  You never know what you're going to find.  Plus, I really like bookstores.  I am a book freak, even if I don't usually read all of them, I love them.

I still miss my McHenry Borders and then the nearest Barnes and Noble to me in Crystal Lake, Illinois closed down. Even though they are Big Box stores, they had that little book store feel, plus, of course, music in the form of records and CDs.  My other favorite thing.

--RoadDog


LAUGHTER HELPS WITH THE "V":  "We all owe an apology to 2019 for what we said about it."

Getting In the Yule Spirit-- Part 5: Christmas Songs, Christmas Parties, Bands, the Civil War and CDs

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20

The Drive (WDRV, 97.1 FM, Chicago) did their Ten at Ten on A Merry and Bright which were ten Christmas songs, many of which you don't often hear.

I BELIEVE IN FATHER CHRISTMAS--  Greg Lake
HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS--  America
I SAW MOMMY KISSING SANTA CLAUS--  John Mellancamp

FROSTY THE SNOWMAN--  Ronettes
WINTER WONDERLAND--  REO Speedwagon
MERRY CHRISTMAS BABY--  Bruce Springsteen
THE RIVER--  Joni Mitchell

WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS TIME--  Paul McCartney
SILENT NIGHT--  Stevie Nicks
CHRISTMAS IS THE TIME TO SAY I LOVE YOU--  Billy Squier

WE went to the Sunnyside Christmas party in Johnsburg.  The place was packed and we had a duo entertaining.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 21

Went to Crystal Lake for the McHenry County Civil War Round Table discussion group whose topic this month was Civil War engineers.  I, of course, talked about Maj. Gen. W.H.C. Whiting, CSA.  Someone should write a book about him.  Fascinating guy.  On the way home, I stopped at The Vinyl Frontier in McHenry, my local mom and pop record store.  I love these places and am sio embarrassed I missed Record Store Day this year.  Bought five CDs.

Liz and I went to the Squaw Bar in Ingleside for their Christmas party later in the afternoon and enjoyed the Average Joe Band.  Later to Sunnyside then home for "Star Wars: Attack of the Clones."

May the Christmas Parties Be With You.  --RoadDog

DID YOU KNOW:  A goldfish has a memory span of three seconds.   Sometimes, I think I do as well.

Lest Ye Forget or Didn't Know: Tomorrow, April 13, Is Record Store Day

Always a big day for me.  A day to get back to my past.  A day to Flip Through the Albums.  A day to be amazed at all the young folks looking at albums instead of downloading.

It's RECORD STORE DAY.

I'll be heading over to my favorite mom and pop record store, The Vinyl Frontier, in McHenry, Illinois.  And, then maybe over to Siren Records, also in McHenry.  I feel lucky to have not one but two record stores that close to me.

I'll be buying several albums and several CDs.

My favorite record stores that are no longer with us:

Full Cyrkle Records in Crystal Lake, Illinois
Record Revolution in DeKalb, Illinois
Record Rack in Goldsboro, N.C.

If you're not sure where a mom and pop record store is nearest to you, go to the site and they will tell you.

I should also mention that you should tune into Chicago's WXRT, 93.1 FM tomorrow as they will do a Saturday Morning Flashback to 1991 from 9 am to noon and then the rest of the day and night will be all album sides.  And, I mean album sides played on vinyl.  It streams.

Not That I Need Another Record or CD.  --RoadDog

I'd Celebrate That!!! March 28-31: Friday Is National Vietnam War Veterans Day

Note, there are other celebrations on these days.  I just pick a few of the ones.  For all of them go to checkiday and type in the date.

MARCH 28

CHILDREN'S PICTURE BOOK DAY-- **  So important for early reading.  Every child should have picture books.

EAT AN ESKIMO PIE DAY--  **  Avoid brain freeze, though.


MARCH 29

NATIONAL VIETNAM WAR VETERANS DAY--  **  The last American troops came home March 29, 1973.  I'll be putting up my flags on Saturday.

NATIONAL MOM AND POP BUSINESS OWNERS DAY--  **  The backbone of America.


MARCH 30

PENCIL DAY--  **  Our first real writing instrument.

NATIONAL TAKE A WALK IN A PARK DAY--  **  It is so relaxing.  When I see parks, I don't get as mad with my taxes.


MARCH 31

NATIONAL TATER DAY--  **  Any kind of potato is alright with me, especially loaded baked potatoes, French fries and, of course, tater tots.

NATIONAL CRAYON DAY--  **  Please don't eat the crayons.  Keep that point sharp.

Taters, Taters, French-Fried Taters.  --RoadDog

TOP TEN TRIVIA:  Underwater, you can hear a blue whale's heartbeat from two miles away.

Record Store Day Booty-- Part 2: Them Cds

SATURDAY, APRIL 21

The Vinyl Frontier Records, McHenry, Illinois

CDs:

YOU REALLY GOT ME--  Kinks

ULTIMATE COLLECTION--  Delbert McClinton

BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD

TRENCH TOWN ROCK--  Bob Marley & the Wailers

GOOD ROCKIN' TONIGHT--  Legacy of Sun Records



CDs Bought at Siren Records, McHenry, Illinois

THE SINGLES COLLECTION--  Zombies

GOLD--  The Mamas & the Papas

Got Some Good Listnin' To Do.  --RoadDog

AIN'T IT THE TRUTH:  You know that tingly little feeling you get when you really like someone?  That's common sense leaving your body.

Record Store Day Booty-- Part 1: Them LPs

Well, April 21st has come and gone.  It was Record Store day and I went to two places in McHenry, Illinois and dropped almost $50 in the process, but for a good cause.

First I went to The Vinyl Frontier Records on Riverside Drive.  As always, it was packed.  The owner said the people were standing in line around the corner, almost to the bridge when he opened a little before 9 a.m.

Specials today were $1 off every album and 5 CDs for $20.

I bought five vinyl albums and five CDs.

Albums:

HERE COMES THAT RAINY DAY FEELING AGAIN--  Fortunes

LIVE!  TAKIN' THE STAGE--  Pure Prairie League

CSN--  Crosby, Stills & Nash

THE SPIRIT OF '67--  Paul Revere & the Raiders

RETURN--  Dave Clark Five

Come On Turntable.  --RoadDog

Two Days to Record Store Day

Looking forward to visiting a couple record stores in the area.  We have three places withing 12 miles of us.

It is good to see all the young people going through the albums (and some CDs) these days.  Barnes and Nobles continues to expand their vinyl albums collections for sale, but my biggest problem with them is that they charge $22 to $30 for each one.  That is a whole lot more than I am willing to pay for an album.

So, I will just stick with the used ones instead.

Give me That Old Time Vinyl!!  --RoadDog

AIN'T IT THE TRUTH:  (From the January 2018 Wassup magazine):  I changed my car horn to gunshot sounds.  People get out of my way much faster now.

Today Is Record Store Day!!!

I am glad I was listening to Chicago's WXRT, 93.1 FM today as this date had completely slipped by me.  I knew it was Record Store Day, but had forgotten.  They reminded me.  Thanks, guys.

This is the day to go back into the past, go back to my time, when I used to love to go to mom and pop record stores, or even the big ones, and flip through those vinyl albums.  I could flip through them for hours, or until Liz got bored.  But, I had to go to clothing stores with her so this was a kind of payback.

I have gone to Record Store Day most years.  My local mom and pop record store is in McHenry, Illinois, and called The Vinyl Frontier.  I always felt that was a good name for a record store.  They get huge crowds for this day and open at 8 instead of the usual noon.  I tell you, it does my old soul good to see young people flipping through the albums and BUYING them in this digital download age.

I used to have a favorite record store in Crystal Lake, Illinois, where I'm heading in an hour for the McHenry County Civil War Round Table discussion group's meeting at Panera Bread at 10 a.m., about the month of April 1865, a really momentous month in U.S. history.  That record store was called Full Cyrkle Records.

I had another favorite one in DeKalb, Illinois, called Record Revolution and one in Goldsboro N.C., called The Record Rack.

So, I will stop at The Vinyl Frontier on my way to Crystal Lake.

There is a website and you can find record stores near you.  Just search Record Store Day.

WXRT has had many commercials about Record Day and starting at noon to midnight today, in homor of it, will only play vinyl records.  It streams.

Give Me That Vinyl.  --  RoadDog

National Record Store Day Saturday

A favorite time of the year for me.  This is a day to visit your local mom and pop record store and talk with others who are still fans of the vinyl record albums.

I'll be headed over to our local record store, The Vinyl Frontier in McHenry, Illinois, and no doubt will be buying some albums and maybe a CD or two.

Hope you're headed for one as well.

And, we have finally gotten spring with temps today in the 60s and 70s tomorrow.  Tomorrow after the record store, we're heading over to Route 12 Bar and Grill on US-12 (Rand Road) in Fox Lake where they will be having their first outside entertainment of the year.

About Time We Got Some Warm Weather.  --RoadDog

Record Store Day TODAY!!-- Part 3: Going

I know where I am going to be this afternoon.

I will definitely be at The Vinyl Frontier in McHenry, my home mom and pop record store.  But I am also thinking of possibly getting up to Track One Vintage Stereo in Antioch, Illinois at 348 North Avenue.

Plus, there is Black Circle Records in nearby Lake Geneva, Wisconsin at 772 W. main Street.

I like having at least a few record stores around me.

Every Record Store Day I like to think back on my three all-time favorite record stores, all now gone, but at least two I think still operate online.

RECORD RACK--  In Goldsboro, North Carolina.  Bought a whole lot of Beach music in there and had long talks with gene and Stan.

RECORD REVOLUTION0--  DeKalb, Illinois.  A definite stop anytime I was at NIU.

FULL CYRKLE RECORDS--  Crystal Lake, Illinois.  Always enjoyed talking records with Skip and, especially Shawn.

Be There or be Square.  --RoadDog

Record Store Day Tomorrow-- Part 2: Flipping Those Albums

Many artists are releasing vinyl for the event.  A new favorite of mine, St. Paul & the Broken Bones love their home state of Alabama and are releasing an Alabama-shaped record tomorrow,  It was recorded live at the Alabama Theater.

Two stores here in northern Illinois who will be participating are Sunshine Daydream--Hippie Store at 7085 Rand Road, by the Wal Mart in Lake Zurich.

Also, it is good to see a record store back in DeKalb, Illinois to replace my big fav, Record Revolution.  The new one is Green Tangerine Records at 1150 S. Fourth Street.  DeKalb also used to have Apple Tree Records which was a great place as well.

Getting Ready for My Kind of Day.  --RoadDog


OLD IS WHEN:  Your friends compliment you on your new alligator shoes and you're barefoot!!

Record Store Day This Saturday-- Part 1: A Trip Back in Time

Now just two days away, Record Store Day (RSD) will be celebrated here in the United Sartes as well as U.K., Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, France, Mexico, Italy and Spain.

This is a day for us old folks as we get to pay our respects to those old mom and pop record stores and again do that special album flips through the racks looking for that special treasure.  Just a couple months ago, I found the Jaime Brockett albums with "Ballad of the USS Titanic" on it.  A real experience at my usual local, The Vinyl Frontier, record store in McHenry, Illinois.

Not only do I enjoy flipping those albums, but CDs are almost as much fun.

I have been to most of the RSDs and plan to hit two of them Saturday.

And, I am really happy to be seeing more and more young people (a lot of high school students) who are coming into the stores.  I thought those of my ilk were going the way of the dinosaurs in this era of up and downloading.

Finally, a Day for Me!!  --RoadDog

Four New CDs (Well, New to Me)

Saturday, i went to my local mom and pop record store, The Vinyl Frontier,  in McHenry, Illinois to peruse the stacks of wax and whatever they make CDs out of.  The owner said that he had started the store when he heard that Skip at Full Cyrkle Records in Crystal lake was closing his shop.  He said that THERE SHOULD BE a place for us vinyl, non-downloading folk to go to and flip those albums until our hearts were content.

I not only flipped the vinyl, but also the CDs.

I bought Come Together: America Salutes rthe Beatles which is a collection of Beatle songs done by country stars like Tanya Tucker, Delbert McClinton Little Texas and even Chet Atkins.  I also got Music From Big Pink by the Band, that was their first outing in the record biz.

But two I was particularly happy with were by the Kinks.  I have been going back and collecting Kinks albums/CDs of late as I have gotten to like them even more than before.  They were the grungy Beatles before the Beatles got grungy.  The owner told me that someone had come in and sold their whole collection of Kinks and Creedence Clearwater Revival CDs.  I already have all the CCR/John Fogerty CDs.

I ended up buying The Live Kinks CD from the 1960s and Everybody's in Show-Biz.

Looking Forward to Some Listening.  --RoadDog

A Visit to My Record Store: Vinyl Frontier

Saturday, I negotiated the horrible mess that is streets in McHenry, Illinois, to visit my local mom and pop record store and spend some dough.  It didn't much matter which street you took, traffic was backed up and you waited and waited.  Il-120 and Il-31 in town are receiving a long overdue construction project.

Talked with the owner who said the Record Store Day we had several weeks ago was the best-ever.  He had over 500 customers that day and made enough profit to buy himself a new car with cash.  Perhaps there is hope for old non-downloading folk like me who just play cassette tapes, vinyl and CDs.

I bought four CDs and an album.

The album was continuing with my collecting Dave Clark Five music "I Like It Like That."  It features that song.and eleven others I haven't heard before.

As the liner notes said: "Exactly what consumes D.C. fans is Dave's compelling directness, a beat that's brazen and bold (to say the least), an approach to tunes (mostly penned with other members of his glad-all-over group) that's rugged and rousing.  In all, music that is as direct as its lyrics."

About Those CDs.  --RoadDog