The Music Lover's Guide to Record Collecting (Paperback)

by Dave Thompson (Author) "I was lucky. I got my start in record collecting in what was a golden age-probably the last one there ever was..." (more)
Key Phrases: modern collectibility, mono albums, textured sleeve, Rolling Stones, Warner Bros, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
From advice on evaluating recordings to lively discussions of bootlegs to the history of recording formats, The Music Lover’s Guide to Record Collecting covers all the tracks. Designed for anyone who collects records for pleasure or profit, at garage sales or on eBay, this guide is both informative and entertaining. Author Dave Thompson, a 20-year veteran of record collecting, offers engaging essays on every facet of this fast-growing hobby including the evolution of recording mediums, from 78s to MP3s; the distinctive character of imports; the “most collected” artists, from the Beatles to Nirvana; collectible labels, such as Sun, Chess, and Motown; and original packaging that enhances collectibility.

About the Author
Dave Thompson is a regular columnist for Goldmine, America's leading publication in the field of record collecting, and has written at length for the UK's equivalent, Record Collector. Thompson has also contributed to Discoveries, Live! Music Review, Spiral Scratch, Record Mart, and similar magazines in Poland, Germany, Japan, Canada, and Australia. His work has appeared in such key music magazines as Rolling Stone, Alternative Press, Mojo, Q and Melody Maker, and he has written liner notes for such major artists as Lou Reed and Pink Floyd. Thompson's books - now numbering over 70 - include the best-selling Never Fade Away: The Kurt Cobain Story and Third Ear guides Alternative Rock, Funk, and Reggae and Caribbean Music.

Product Details

• Paperback: 326 pages
• Publisher: Backbeat Books; illustrated edition edition (September 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0879307137
• ISBN-13: 978-0879307134
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #628,211 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars An interesting read but loaded with errors and typos, May 4, 2004

By	Stormy Hunter (Encinitas, California USA) - See all my reviews

Having been a record collector for over 40 years, I am always interested in new books on the topic. One can never know everything about the hobby and indeed, I gleaned quite a few new pieces of information from this book. (A collectable three 8-Track Beatles set exists, as do 78s of such 60's evergreens as Ray Charles' "Georgia On My Mind" and the Everly Brothers' "Cathy's Clown").

However, this book is littered with inaccuracies. The reference to Arturo Toscanini as an opera singer who refused to sing on record until 1936 is ludicrous - not only because Toscanini was a conductor and not a singer, but because he did in fact record with the La Scala Orchestra during the pre-1925 acoustic era.

The Russian State-owned record label is referrred to as "Melodisc" rather than its correct name, Melodiya.

The author claims that there was no U.S. issue of the Black Dyke Mills Band's Apple single "Thingumybob" (There was - Apple 1800 - I own it.)

And from page 98, this pearl of wisdom about tape speeds: "[Reel-to-Reel] Tapes were issued at two speeds: 7 1/2ips (inches per second) and the sonically superior 3 3/4 ips, the standard to which both the later 4-Track and 8-Track cartridges adhered.." Ask any audio engineer which speed is "sonically superior". I could make this review a mile long with such examples.

There are also plenty of misspelled names here too: Paul Gayton (Gayten), Hal Blain (Blaine), Deutsche Gramophone (Grammophon), and on and on, but you get the point. This book is an interesting read, but if you know the subject, these errors come frequently and get more irritating each time. Backbeat Books needs to hire a proofreader.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Few Redeeming Qualities, September 28, 2008

By	J. Samarin "Book Fiend" (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

You remember those books we were assigned to read in school... Almost falling asleep as you reread the same tired line 3 times before you realized you had been doing so. Well this book is not entirely like that, but it does come close. I came away feeling like I was told to read this book instead of picking it up because I choose to.
While reading I came across some line about a shop owner having a priceless gem, and I realized I had better things to do with my life like check gemm.com to see if I could get my hands on a LP I've been wanting. At least this book did one good thing, when I went looking for that LP I found an awesome deal at GEMM.
It's all about that silver lining my friends...
The bottom line: the reading at times seemed laborious but it does help you solidify your own understanding of why you started collecting in the first place.

4 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Which Arturo Toscanini are we talking about?, January 30, 2004

By	workbook (Lee, NH) - See all my reviews

In an excerpt from this book posted on amazon, the statement is made that one Arturo Toscanini set the record industry back, in the 1920s, by refusing to allow his voice to be recorded. The Arturo Toscanini that most music lovers remember was conducting La Scala and the New York Philharmonic around that time. We don't think he was singing. Can the author address this? Perhaps I read the excerpt wrong. In this case, we're not talking about an obscure historical figure.