largest independent record store. Although A.K.A.'s collection of music leans more toward CDs, they do have a wide selection of LPs. In the newer music, the store features alternative and local acts. Their used collection has some great finds and wonderfully tempting bargains. Among the rack of 99-cent to $3.00 CDs, were rare (rightfully so) pieces such as B-movie actress Kari Wührer's 1999 release Shiny and central Pennsylvania act the Badlees' 1995 River Songs (for two-bits!).
The hour devoted to A.K.A. Music on the day's schedule was nearly over, so the adventurers made their way to the front counter. Found among the collection here was the album Fickle Heart by Sniff 'n' the Tears with its classic road tune Driver's Seat. And perfect for Halloween was Mike Oldfield's legendary album Tubular Bells, with the title track instantly recognizable as the soundtrack to the horror film The Exorcist.
Quite possibly, the most significant find of the day came from this store. Among the 99-cent records was Cheech & Chong's second album Big Bambu. Noteworthy for the Sister Mary Elephant bit on track one and its nomination for a Grammy award (losing to George Carlin), this LP is notorious for its packaging. Designed to look like a pouch of rolling papers, Big Bambu came from the factory with an actual rolling paper about 10 inches square. Four decades later, finding a copy of this record is difficult. Finding one with the rolling paper intact is nearly impossible. Finding a complete one for under a buck makes the entire trip worthwhile.
Foreigner, Howard Jones, and Eddie Money joined the lot in the Sealtest crate, and the Juke box rejoined the highway. This time, headed north on I-95 as the rain comes down harder. Approaching the next stop, the Juke passed more and more vehicles whose drivers had overextended their cars' capabilities. One after another, drivers found their rides sliding onto the shoulder or into the median. With proper care, however, the Juke arrived in Bordentown, New Jersey unscathed.
Packed on the narrow streets of this little hamlet were dozens of cars and trucks. You'd think it was January--except that the snow- and ice-covered trees still had much of their fall foliage. Even with parking spots at a premium, the Juke's luck continued when a space right in front of the next stop opened.
Farnsworth Avenue is Main Street America. Little mom-and-pop shops fill the tree-lined street, and that's where you find The Record Collector. This indie music store so embodies the specialist retailer spirit that they even reimburse students for their public transportation costs if they purchase more than $25.00.
As we entered the store, the owner was on the phone trying to decide whether or not to cancel that evening's live in-store performance. Posters on the wall and racks of records up front illustrate the level of musicians who have performed at The Record Collector. From local acts to artists known around the world, they've played here among the vinyl.
Up the ramp into the rear of the store, records are organized alphabetically in stacked shelves, just like your local library keeps their books. Only here, the records are in amazing shape and run the gamut of music halls of fame the world over. It's among these shelves that big-buck records can be found. An original copy of Johnny Cash at San Quentin, for example, and the rare Prince box-set Royal Jewels. Even a 12-inch single of Prince's Purple Rain-era I Would Die 4 U/Another Lonely Christmas was snagged.
Still unsure about that evening's performance, the store's owner offered a fond farewell to the travelers as they added more loot to the treasure chests stashed in the tail of the frog-eyed crossover. The little Nissan Juke continued its journey north.
After the highway dumps the explorers off onto the surface streets, they slip through the campus of Princeton. Students roam around, on foot and on wheels, trying to keep clear of the thick, wet snow that has blanketed the hallowed halls of this Ivy League school. Avoiding more than one oblivious driver, the Juke made its way to Tulane Street (barely an alleyway, really), home to the Princeton Record Exchange.
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