Part 312: Reader Poll – Coming to a Close

POLL

RECORD STORE TALES Part 312:  Reader Poll – Coming to a Close

Folks,

Sharing my Record Store Tales with you these past two years has been something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. It took me years to finally start publishing them, but all good things must come to an end. The seemingly bottomless well of Record Store Tales is now almost dry. I’ve plundered papers, hard drives, journals, photos and memories, but it was inevitable that eventually I’d run out of good stories to tell.

Sure, there will always be an occasion when I say, “That reminds me of a Record Store Tale!” and I’m inspired to write some new content based on those memories. When that happens, I’ll post it. However, I do feel the need to wind down the Record Store Tales and get on with the ending, which was already written a long time ago.  I like to write so much more than just album reviews. When the Record Store Tales are concluded with the proper ending, I want to continue the storytelling. Music and retail will remain the main focus, it’ll just be from the other side of the counter.

The problem is…I don’t have a title.

“Record Store Tales” and…what? “Post-Record Store Tales”? “Record Store Tales: The Next Generation”? “Record Store Tales: The Other Side of the Counter”?

I invite you to come up with better titles than these. Submit ideas in comments below. There are no guarantees I’ll use your suggestion, but if I like it, you can be the person who names the next chapter of my story.

You in? Post your best ideas!

94 comments

  1. The end of an era. What a series it has been!

    May I be the first to say what an enjoyable, incredible, informative and excellent contribution to blogging and story-telling this has been. I knew the end had to come sometime, but it’s kind of sad that it’s here.

    If you recall something and need to make a new RST entry, you could use:

    Record Store Tales A.D.

    or take a page from Deep Purple, and call them MkII

    or maybe RST 2: The Remembering, like a movie sequel

    or go Naked Gun style, like RST 2 1/3 or something silly like that

    Or, well, who says you have to retire the numbering system at #312? Maybe just add the next instalment as #313 if and when another tale occurs to you? As long as we know the main series is done, when they do pop up they’ll be nice surprises, and that way you can maintain the integrity of the series numbering.

    If I think of more, I’ll throw them in here too.

    Well done, sir. Thanks for the RSTs. Take a bow.

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    1. All great ideas that I shall consider deeply. I’ve been sitting here for WEEKS trying to decide on a title. Of these ideas I like I like A.D. and Mk II the best. Those will go in the hopper.

      I don’t have to decide for a few weeks. I still have a few odds and ends RST’s to go, and then the big epic ending. The ending is finished it’s just a matter of editing it all and putting it into chapters. I figure it’ll end up being a 5-6 chapter series, the ending.

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      1. You still have a hopper? Sweet. I’ve tried to think of some more, but everyone else has thrown in some good-ers too. You wanted help, man you sure got it!

        I knew your ending for the series was coming for a while now, and its potential explosiveness. Cool. I know you’ll be fair while still telling your story. It’ll also probably be pretty cathartic to get closure in this way.

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        2. I still have a hopper! Some have been sitting there for months…one has been in there over a year.

          I’m really looking forward to the ending! It’s a positive ending, but you have to get through the darkness to get to the light. I even found a bunch of pics from my going away party that I can use! Young LeBrain and Young Mrs!

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        1. You seem to have that reaction sometimes (cupface was another). Is it maybe some sort of condition, maybe get it looked at? I mean, I was only making a series title suggestion… heh heh heh ;)

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        3. Public Service Announcement:

          Blogging & Eating is the world’s #1 cause of clogged up keyboards and spit-filthy monitors. It’s a little known problem, one which has gone undetected and undiagnosed for years, which a group of celebrities and doctors is now trying to bring to the public’s attention. I heard there was even gonna be an online telethon. Alas, there is already a genuine fear in the B&E (™) community that people will watch the telethon while eating, thus perpetuating the vicious cycle.

          ;)

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  2. Oh wow, it really is the end of an era! You mentioned that you were running out of these tales but I didn’t actually believe it.

    I liked RST: The Other Side of the Counter best out of your bunch. Can’t think of any suggestions myself.

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        1. “That, or His Dudeness … Duder … or El Duderino, if, you know, you’re not into the whole brevity thing.”

          I like A.D. too. I like a lot of these ideas. Which, perhaps, isn’t making the choosing easier.

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  3. Well, I knew this was happening because you told me! I’m glad I got to read a year’s worth of fresh entries! But, yes all good things must come to an end. It was a great journey!

    I agree with Aaron on one front: I don’t think you should retire the numbering system if you think of something from those days. The record store tales will always be, and it was the crux of your blog beside reviews. So, don’t have that disappear. Record Store Tales should always be there to leave you with an open should something pop up from memory. Just an idea.

    “LeBrain’s Beyond Record Store Tales” or “Beyond RST”

    “LeBrain Left the Record Store: Tales of Rock, Reviews and Beyond”

    Okay, time for coffee…

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    1. I like the word beyond. OK, these are in the running!

      I hope I don’t hurt anybody’s feelings when I have to choose just ONE title!

      I hadn’t considered keeping the numbering system. I had intended to start over from #1. So much to consider!

      Fortunately there’s a few weeks to go before I need to choose. There are some odds and ends that I am finishing up before I dive full blown into the ending. And the ending is a very, VERY emotional post. It was extraordinarily difficult to do. It may upset people I used to work with (if they still read this). So I’ve been putting it off and putting it off as long as possible, as I scrounge around for tidbits to put into some final few stories.

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      2. Maybe you could incorporate the ‘beyond’ thing as a play on Bed, Bath & F@*l Right Off, er, I mean Beyond. Sorry, I never seem to be able to type that store’s name without adding in how I feel about it.

        Anyway, maybe Big, Bad and Beyond. You don’t even need the aliteration. But you get the idea.

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  4. How about “The Third Side Of The Nickel”

    Anyway, congrats to you Mike, for making something unique and sticking to it! It’s way to easy to do nothing. I have enjoyed your stories.

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  8. Awww well, thanks for sharing the memories Mike. Your RST Series brings me back to my own retail days and to a much much simpler time in my life. I think we all need to move on at some point and think of it as a good thing. Really looking forward to this series.

    Ha, I agree with 1537, my fav Marillion album as well.

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    1. It is a damn fine record, and the very Marillion connection really makes me want to use it. But we shall see!

      I have a hard time letting go of the Record Store Tales. I’ve been extending it as long as feasible but now it really is bottom of the barrel!

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  9. Being new here and all I’ve got a lot o’ catching up to do on your tales. Of the suggestions I like Beyond … and Just For The Record …

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    1. Thanks for reading along J, hope you enjoy catching up. Any time I do a review or story that has a connection to a prior Record Store Tale, I always link up to ’em and I think that’s a fun way to catch up.

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    1. I appreciate that. Although to be honest it won’t always be about record stores. I don’t shop in stores that often anymore. So I’m planning to concentrate on music (as always) but also misadventures in retail from the other side. Like for example the time I went to Best Buy to buy the new Zeppelin blu-ray, but they were all in the FRIGGIN’ BACK ROOM. Whyyyyyy.

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  11. I say get a list together of your favourites from readers, then do a polldaddy thing like Geoff does – that is if you can’t pick just one…

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        6. Shit dude – that’s brilliant! Good start!
          Can I ask…are planning a site overhaul – redesign of your WP template? This change is all so exciting!

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        8. Really? Too bad.
          Did you pay for this one? If so, I don’t blame you for keeping it. I almost paid for one, but then I came to my senses.

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        15. Thanks :) It’ll probably get more hits now :) My WTF search terms might improve.

          Speaking of which, I got another one of those in the can ready to go, too :)

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        16. Awesome! Hey, I was jus looking at your shite photies lol and forgot you got an awesome LZ hoodie. I saw the exact one at an HMV. Almost bought it, but was way too big.

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        22. Hey. notice how the subject got changed, there? Mike does have a great new idea! See, as we discussed it, we’re gonna call it ‘porn’ (which is a clever abbreviation of the word pornography). The idea is, we’ll get attractive people to take their clothes off and do things to each other. It’ll be really sexy! I can’t believe no one else has never thought of this, before! Mike! We’re gonna be FILTHY RICH (literally)!

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  12. I’d advise against Record store tales: The College Years, that subtitle didn’t work out so well for Saved by the Bell!
    Looking forward to the next chapter, whatever its name may be

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    1. Thanks Stephen. The great thing about the new chapter is that the sky is the limit. I’m thinking about getting a dash cam for my car, to capture the idiocy from my daily commute, for example. That would be non-stop GOLD material…

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    2. There I was, deciding that if I decided to start a blog sometime in the future, I would call it this (or Memoirs of a Madman). Then I found this comment.

      Oh well, Mike didn’t use it so I will.

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        7. Definitely a compliment. But the admonition remains, young lady. Now go clean up your room… or… do some other thing that’s mildly unpleasant… BECAUSE I SAY SO!

          Bwahaha I have this parenting thing DOWN.

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  15. Coda. Cadence. Final Barline. Barra Finale. Double bar de fin. Der schlussstrich. Final stroke. Finale. Final masquerade. Say goodnight to the bad guy. Working Man. You’ve got to blame the thing up here. I am the music. Let the music do the thinking. One last shot. Music 101.

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    1. You guys are the well of ideas that never stop giving.

      I suppose I should announce that I have picked a name. And it’s not just one of these ideas.

      Thank you EVERONE for contributing. I’ll make the announcement when the final chapter of the original Record Store Tales is done. That’s still a few weeks away, and I still have a couple gooders left!

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