Showing posts with label UK. Show all posts
Showing posts with label UK. Show all posts

Thursday, 20 October 2022

Various "The British Psychedelic Trip Vol. 2 1966-1969" 1986 (comp)****

I had, until recently, ignored Netflix series The Crown. The news is always full of gossip regarding the British royal family, but I avoid reading about it. Now that queen Elizabeth is gone though, the series has a different character for me: a biographical drama about a dead historical personality is something I might be interested in. So we were watching it with my girlfriend the other night, when I came across a name I wasn't expecting to see: I knew of Chinese-Trinidadian actress/dancer Jacqui Chan as a guest vocalist on 60's hit single "Kites" by Simon Dupree & The Big Sound. Then she appeared as a character in The Crown; in what is the most explicit scene in the series so far, she is portrayed having sex with photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones, love interest and future husband to princess Margaret. So that prompted me to get the CD out and give it a spin, thinking I'd present it for my blog. Then I realized I had already presented it here. Undaunted, I remembered it also featured on an excellent vinyl compilation of mine. So here it is: as promised, I present you British Psychedelic Trip vol. 2.
Looking at the track-listing now, it seems to contain more mainstream artists than other psychedelic compilations which focus on the rare and unknown. But then, you have to make allowances for the time this was released: in 1986, many of the original albums here remained out of print; it's only thanks to the dominance of CD's as a medium during the 90's and 00's that almost all things 60's have become available again. Tomorrow open the LP with "My White Bicycle", one of the greatest psychedelic singles, ever. Like Barrett-era Pink Floyd, they combined catchy melodies with psychedelic effects (sitar, phased/double-tracked guitars etc) and whimsical lyrics. Apparently The Beatles were present at the recording and nicked a few ideas for their Sgt. Peppers LP. Conversely, Tomorrow cover here The Beatles' "Strawberry Fields Forever" - nice, but unnecessary. Tomorrow didn't get too far, but guitarist Steve Howe found fame in the 70's with prog superstars Yes.
   
Likewise, Idle Race guitarist Jeff Lynne would find fame later as leader of ELO. Singer Roy Wood would also have a successful career, both solo and member of The Move. They are represented here with the whimsical (that word again, but it can't be avoided when one's dealing with British pop circa '67) music hall-style "Skeleton And The Roundabout" and more typically psychedelic "Worn Red Carpet". Love Sculpture's "In The Land Of The Few" is another excellent composition. Closer to pop and psychedelia than their customary blues, with a brilliant guitar solo by Dave Edmunds, they are followed by the aforementioned "Kites", a gorgeous psychedelic ballad by Simon Dupree And The Big Sound, soon to morph into prog stars Gentle Giant. Actress Jacqui Chan adds some sensual Chinese spoken vocal. Locomotive's "Mr Armageddan" is a heavier piece with wah wah guitar and organ, while the vocals and sax give it a soul tone. "You've Got A Habit Of Leaving" was recorded in 1965, and is consequently more garage/R&B than psychedelic. Produced by Who producer Shel Talmy, and obviously influenced by them, the single wasn't a success, prompting singer Davy Jones to change style, as well as his stage name - to David Bowie. Tomorrow's Keith West sings on "Excerpt From A Teenage Opera" based on an idea by producer Mark Wirtz. It's a heavily orchestrated piece featuring a children's choir. Despite its success, the record company didn't approve the recording of a whole "Teenage Opera" album, and the idea was abandoned. Kinks-y follow-up single "On A Saturday" did not chart at all, and West fell into obscurity. Kippington Lodge, featuring later pub rock stars Nick Lowe and Brinsley Schwarz, offer two light and pleasant singles "Rumours" and "Lady On A Bicycle".
 
Lemon Tree's "It's So Nice To Come Home" is another heavily orchestrated pop single, followed by the refreshingly heavy "Real Love Guaranteed". Keyboardist Ken Hensley and drummer Lee Kerslake would later find fame with Uriah Heep, bassist John Glascock with Jethro Tull. Their cover of The Beatles' "Hey Bulldog" closes this compilation. The Moles are apparently Simon Dupree And The Big Sound in disguise. "We Are The Moles (Part 1)" is a much more experimental piece, yet very listenable. Chanted vocals, haunted organ, distorted guitar make for a great single that wouldn't sound out of place in a new wave 80's album. July is now considered a psychedelic classic, but back when this comp was released it was completely forgotten. "Friendly Man" and "I See" are British 60's psychedelia in its best: with trippy effects, sitar, and fuzz guitar, they combine melody and psychedelic weirdness in the manner of early Pink Floyd. Which brings us to the last group here. Formerly R&B tough guys The Pretty Things unexpectedly turned psychedelic in 1968, producing arguably the first concept album/rock opera S.F. Sorrow. From that rock cornerstone we get "S.F. Sorrow Is Born" and "She Says Good Morning". Those who want more details on any of the recordings/groups here only have to read the liner notes on the back cover. It has slightly fewer words than War And Peace, but that's all the info you'll need. Provided you can decipher those tiny letters; I can't now, and could hardly do so when I bought it 3 decades ago. As a whole, and despite the absence of obvious scene leaders like The Beatles and Pink Floyd, this compilation makes for one of the best single LP showcases of British psychedelic pop I've ever heard. Containing both classic and rare tracks, and offering a chance to hear the early works of future favorites, it's most highly recommended. For those who prefer CD's there's an expanded CD edition called The Great British Psychedelic Trip, Vol. 3.
 
 ***** for My White Bicycle (Tomorrow), Kites (Simon Dupree And The Big Sound), Real Love Guaranteed (The Gods), We Are The Moles Part 1 (The Moles), S.F. Sorrow Is Born (The Pretty Things)
**** for Skeleton And The Roundabout (Idle Race), In The Land Of The Few (Love Sculpture), Mr Armageddan (Locomotive), You've Got A Habit Of Leaving (Davy Jones And The Lower Third), Friendly Man (July), I See (July), Worn Red Carpet (Idle Race), She Says Good Morning(The Pretty Things), Hey Bulldog (The Gods)
*** for Excerpt From "A Teenage Opera" (Keith West), Rumours (Kippington Lodge), It's So Nice To Come Home (The Lemon Tree), Lady On A Bicycle (Kippington Lodge), On A Saturday (Keith West), 
Strawberry Fields Forever (Tomorrow)

Sunday, 28 August 2022

Oxford Record Stores

Right now I'm posting from my favorite holiday island, Antiparos in Greece. I've been vacationing here for many many years, always very late August or early September to avoid the big crowds. I only have one more item left in my drafts folder, so I may have to take time off from my "busy" holiday schedule and write. We'll see how it goes. Anyway, this is about a previous trip, about a month ago. My girlfriend was supposed to be in Oxford on University business twice in the last years, but the trip kept getting cancelled: the first time due to a snow blizzard and the second time due to the pandemic. So now that we can travel freely once again, we decided to visit even though we don't have business there any more. We got around, seeing the medieval buildings and visiting historic pubs, and cafes. The free tour took us to some interesting places, mostly staying at the yards or entrances. You see, the colleges charge tourists quite a lot for a peak at their famous halls: We paid £7 for a 15-minute visit of Duke Humfrey's Library a.k.a. the library of Hogwarts in the Harry Potter films. And you can't wander around its halls, or even take a photo with your mobile. They just take you to a corner and tell you a few words about its history. And that's only one of the rooms of the old Bodleian library, if you want to see more of it you'll have to pay £18. Now I get that these are educational institutes and that they must do something to curb the flow of tourists, but they could restrict visiting hours instead of this. Every college in Oxford has similar connections to history or pop culture, which they use to attract tourists. I doubt that any of the bright minds that taught in Oxford throughout the centuries would consider the dining hall of Christ Church college to be of equal standing to the Acropolis of Athens, yet visiting them costs the same because the former "inspired" Harry Potter.



But, anyway, the town is well worth visiting - think only of the great fantasy works it inspired: Tolkien (Lord of The Rings), C.S. Lewis (Narnia), Lewis Carroll (Alice In Wonderland), Philip Pullman (His Dark Materials) all lived here. Alas, with a lesser writer like yours truly, you can only aspire for a rather realistic description of the town's record shops. I nevertheless hope that there is a little value in that, too. The first one I visited was the only one that stays open until late (22:00 on Fridays, which was the first day of our trip). That's because Big Scary Monsters Social Club (98 Cowley Road) also doubles as a purveyor of artisanal beer - and triples as a meeting place. Just a few tables and benches to relax, listen to good music, and chat with friends. Nice ambience and a youthful crowd. Its record collection isn't vast, just a few racks of alternative rock bands (new vinyl, mostly £17-22). Just around the corner, there's a beautiful art cinema called The Ultimate Picture Palace. So glad to see a movie theatre that's not a multiplex and plays something other than Marvel movies! On the opposite side of Cowley Road (nr. 101) you can find a regular record store, called Truck Store - although this also doubles as a café, one of a few places that will serve you decent coffee in Oxford. But you'll go there, of course, for the records - and you will find a good selection of vinyl and CD's, both new and "pre-owned" (apparently the word used isn't politically correct any more). New CD's around £12, except for a few offers. New LP's £20+, used ones (classic rock, jazz, funk, indie) usually £4-15. The collectible items aren't cheap, but there are still bargains to be found: good albums that you will enjoy listening, but are just not that valuable or rare. Truck Store also sells concerts tickets, and hosts artists for signings etc. Charity shops are a good place to get CD's (£0,5-5) but LP's are overpriced - once they were the place to dig for vinyl treasure, but that time has passed. 

Worth a visit though, not just for CD's and DVD's but also for books and other items. Plus, you know your money will help a worthy cause. There are some OXFAM shops scattered around the city (17 Broad St, 135 Cowley Rd, 15 Turl St) as well as a British Heart Foundation one (32 Saint Ebbe's St) that you may want to check. At the most commercial street in the city center (52 Cornmarket St) you can find the last survivor of the megastores era, HMV. This stores chain also deals in electronics, DVD's, books, clothes, and all kinds of pop culture items. So not a proper record store, but it still houses the biggest selection of new LP's and CD's in town, on its 2nd floor. Many LP's are on offer 2-for-£40, while there are also some cheaper selected titles (both on vinyl and CD).

A bit to the north (153 Walton Street, in the Jericho district) you can find another independent record shop called Riverman Records. It may look small, but there's a big variety across many genres (jazz, punk, indie, folk, classic rock, world music etc.). New LPs from £15, used starting from £2. You can expect to find some good LP's around £8, although real rarities are expensive. Here you'll also find some cheap 60's originals (rock'n'roll/ British Invasion stuff). Also, during my visit, they had a lot of African records - e.g. around ten different albums by Nigerian Juju artist King Sunny Ade, when bigger shops rarely even have one in their inventory. A couple of other places on the same street that we liked: The Last Bookshop and Opera Café. We quite loved this city, and not just for the record shops; mainly for its history, architecture, atmosphere, pub food etc. If you're ever in London, you should certainly consider an Oxford detour for a day or two.


Tuesday, 8 October 2019

The Morticians "Freak Out With..." 1987 (1998 reissue)***

There is a certain kind of music associated with the 80's: synthesizers, big snare drums, above all clean, sterile sound. You see as MTV overtook radio, groups acted as TV salesmen of their own records adjusting their image and sound accordingly. But that's only part of the story: There was also a diverse alternative music scene catering to underground musico-cultural tribes. One of the most obsessive was the neo-psychedelic movement, intent on reproducing the sounds created by a score of semi-forgotten bands circa 1965-1968. Central to that was the reissue mania that started with Lenny Kaye's compilation Nuggets and continued with PebblesBack From The Grave, and many many others. These 60's revival bands favored a raw live sound and shunned all the modern studio techniques that producers of the era were so proud of, and which make 80's productions sound so lifeless and artificial nowadays. For some reason, while that garage punk renaissance flowered in the U.S. and continental Europe, the U.K. produced few worthwhile examples. Most, like The Prisoners and Headcoats, had a distinct English flavor which drew inspirations from the 60's without reproducing the Nuggets/Pebbles 60's sound as American bands of this kind did. The Morticians took the middle road, by covering the classic garage rock songbook while giving it their own spin: lots of distorted guitars, reverb-heavy production, psychedelic effects. Their sole LP is even split between a punk and a psych side to accommodate both directions. The punk side opens with band original "Now She's Gone", featuring groovy organ and fuzzed-out guitars, followed by intense -and fairly faithful- covers of the genre classics: "Action Woman" (The Litter), "Don't Need Your Lovin'" and "Sweet Young Thing" (Chocolate Watch Band), "Blackout Of Gretely" (The Gonn)," E.S.P." (Beaver Patrol), and "I Need You There" (The Chessmen). The psych side has a heavier jam-like feel, influenced by West Coast acid rock and the Pink Fairies. "Spiral Bat" incorporates a bit of "Who Do You Love", the Bo Diddley rocker as played by Quicksilver Messenger Service. "Carolyn", all swirling organ and fuzzy guitars, is probably a reference to Carolyn Jones, the original TV Morticia Adams, who inspired the band's name. A couple more covers follow, "Song Of A Baker" (Small Faces) and a freaked out version of  Country Joe & The Fish's "Section 43" (named "Section 44"). The album cover is obviously a tribute to Frank Zappa & The Mothers' 1966 debut, and was issued in two different colours: pink or green. 10 years later it was re-released on  CD with 2 bonus tracks: garage-punk "I Don't Care" and a cover of Donovan's "Hey Gyp (Dig The Slowness)". For some, the overabundance of covers would immediately relegate this band to rock's 2nd Division. I, personally, am not bothered by it. It's like the blues: there's a songbook of maybe 100 songs which every band goes back to. Even when they don't succeed to put their own spin on them, if they play well and put their heart in it, it makes for good listening. That's all I need in order to dig the Morticians!
**** for Now She's Gone, I Need You ThereSweet Young Thing
*** for Action Woman, Don't Need Your Lovin'Blackout Out Of Gretely, E.S.P., Spiral Bat, Carolyn, Song Of A Baker, Hey Gyp (Dig The Slowness)
** for Section 44, I Don't Care

Tuesday, 13 August 2019

Richard Thompson "Mock Tudor" 1999***

I was just reading a piece on Richard Thompson on the latest issue of MOJO. I was immediately struck by the beginning of the article, as it starts off with an unexpected scene: former bandmate Sandy Denny's funeral. Sandy died tragically at 31, after drunkenly falling down the stairs. Apparently everyone present commented on the singer's premature death and unrealized potential, but Thompson thought differently: she had glowed brightly for a while, but had nothing else to give as her creativity was stifled by her alcohol and drugs consumption. You may call him insensitive or just a realist. He made his opinion public anyway, on the spot as well as, much later, in this song: "That's All, Amen, Close The Door" on 1999's Mock Tudor.
After reading the article, I had to go back to the CD and hear for myself. Could the song be as cold and cynical as it sounded? In truth, no. It's rather sympathetic in tone, acknowledges its subject's (no-one specific is mentioned, but in retrospect it does fit Denny well) contribution to the world and expresses, above all, resignation in the face of death: "That's all, that's all there was/Say amen, close the door/She gave as much as she had to give/Please don't ask for more". Musically, it's a bluesy mid-tempo ballad, as blandly agreeable as can be expected from a middle-aged singer-songwriter. Closer "Hope You Like The New Me" is acoustic and desolate sounding as would befit a deeply emotional song - only the protagonist is as callous a bastard as one can find in Thompson's discography. After listening to the album's penultimate and last tracks, I took it from the beginning: opener "Cooksferry Queen" is a much better introduction, being a gem of a blues rocker with harmonica and electric guitar reminiscent of Dylan circa '65. It sets the pace for the first third of the album (which is clearly divided in three parts) entitled Metroland: the songs are a bunch of upbeat folk rockers revolving about different women - not all of which as wonderful as the the "queen" of the first song, though. "Bathsheba Smiles" sounds a bit like Tom Petty, "Two-Faced Love" rolls on rockabilly-style, and "Hard On Me" even borders on hard rock a la Pearl Jam. Not what I expected from a former Fairport Convention folkie. But then this is Thompson's "American" period on Capitol Records. It proved to be his last album for a major label, as it sold badly despite the great reviews. Part 2, entitled Heroes in the Suburbs, displays more "Englishness" as exemplified by "Crawl Back (Under My Stone)" which chugs pleasantly with a ska rhythm and satirizes British social class separation. The next three songs ("Uninhabited Man", "Dry My Tears And Move On", and "Walking The Long Miles Home") are more typical folk rock balladry - the latter with a distinct country flavor. The 3rd part is entitled Street Cries and Stage Whispers and starts off with "Sights And Sounds Of London Town", featuring a parade of Dickens-like characters living hard lives under the skyscrapers of The City at a time of booming stock markets and golden real estate deals. It is, at last, the traditional English folk song needed to justify the album's title. It's embellished with mandolin, acoustic guitar and upright bass - and all the social astuteness and satirical bite of a Ewan McCall to boot. Not that I didn't enjoy the rockier songs of Part 1, mind you. On the whole the album is a nice listen and displays a lot of wit and good musicianship - it's easy to see why critics liked it. If I was a critic, I'd also give it a glowing review. But, while there are no bad or even indifferent songs here, there's very little that's really memorable - maybe 3 or 4 songs I'd care to revisit. Don't be dissuaded by the 3* rating, though, give it a listen - it certainly is worth listening!
**** for Cooksferry Queen, Hard On MeCrawl Back (Under My Stone)Sights And Sounds Of London Town
*** for Sibella, Bathsheba Smiles, Two-Faced Love, Uninhabited Man, Dry My Tears And Move On, Walking The Long Miles Home, That's All Amen Close The Door, Hope You Like The New Me

Thursday, 17 May 2018

The Record Shop Tour of Edinburgh

I spent recently a few days in Edinburgh, and have only good things to say about it. Gorgeous city, beautiful Gothic buildings emanating history and an ambiance of mystery - it's not surprising that so many novelists of the mysterious and fantastic come from here: From classics like Robert Louis Stevenson and Arthur Conan Doyle to modern bestsellers Ian Rankin and J.K. Rowling - the latter may not come from Edinburgh but wrote the first Harry Potter novel while living there and incorporated many features of the city in her writings. The books' phenomenal success saw them in turn become an Edinburgh feature, as evident by the abundance of Harry Potter souvenirs on sale everywhere in the city. The local pubs were great, and so was the food: we ate, among other delicacies, haggis (with neeps and tatties), sausages and mash, mac and cheese, and pies filled with venison/stake & ale stew/fish/anything else you can imagine (including of course haggis, neeps and tatties). Still regret not getting to the bottom of mum's comfort food menu, but I intend to try on a later visit. Of course, like good tourists we took a couple of guided tours: the city history tour and the ghost tour. Maybe because the size of the city permits it, there is a plethora of walking tours to choose from: the underground tour, the literary tour, city of the dead tour, the Outlander tour etc. One thing's still missing though: it's the Edinburgh Record Stores tour, so let me be your guide: Seeing as the record shops are scattered throughout the city and not all within a 10 minute radius from the touristic Royal Mile, you may want to split your walk and combine it with visiting other sites. I split it in three parts, roughly 2 hours average, depending of course on how long you'll spend browsing.
DAY ONE: Right on The Royal Mile (the road to Holyrood Palace) on 110 Canongate Str, you'll find Unknown Pleasures - subtitled "rare records and cd's" but not as exclusive as the title implies. It's a medium-to-small-sized shop with a nevertheless good selection of LP's (mostly £7-20, more for the actually rare ones), 7' singles, T-shirts and CD's (£4-8). Near the university, and to the south, there's Backbeat Records (31 E Crosscauseway, just off Nicolson Street). It's packed to the top with boxes, which makes browsing impossible. Apparently the owner is much admired for his ability to produce any record you ask for out of the chaos of his store, which is exactly what I don't want when I'm record hunting. I like to be surprised by discovering unexpected gems while browsing, as well as finding a nice bargain: after 30 years of record collecting, I've learned that you can find anything for the right price, and I don't mean the one listed on Record Collector's Rare Record Price Guide, the book which the Backbeat owner uses. He told me that if I wanted bargains I'd have to "search the charity shops", which I did: within a few meters from his shop, I found a Barnardo's (45 Clerk Street) Oxfam, (116 Nicolson Str) and British Heart Foundation (102 Nicolson Str). Not much in the way of vinyl, but a random selection of cheap CD's for £1-3 - including many 4* or 5* albums from the 90's and 00's. I bought a few from that specific Bernardo's (UK's biggest charity for children). We have charity shops in Holland (they're called kringloopwinkels) but in Edinburgh there's literally one in every corner - not to mention that almost every establishment we visited (from hotels to cafes) seemed to promote another charity. If I ever get to heaven, I expect to find it choke-full of Scottish philanthropists. Further down Clerk Street (on number 69) you can find Record Shak. It has a run-down appearance, packed with LP's that seem to be lying there for decades (folk, rock, jazz, indie, a bit of everything really, mostly £7-15). Good stuff though, including some CD's and even cassettes.
DAY TWO: On the second day I started once again from my base in the Royal Mile and hit the closest shops: Underground Solu’shn on Cockburn Str is a really nice one. Its focus is in electronic music which isn't my cup of tea, but it also has some interesting rock and indie LP's.  Most CD's and LP's were priced £10-20. A few steps to the West (12 Bank Str.) you can find Coda Music. The shop has two rooms, of which the front one is dedicated to new vinyl (all kinds: rock, indie, blues etc, £15-25) and general CD's (many on offer £4-5) and the back one is full of folk CD's (mostly £7-12). Everything is here: Scottish folk obviously, but also Irish, European, Country, and World music. From there, one passes Princes Street Gardens (A.K.A. the former Nor Loch, liquid grave to the city's witches) to cross to the new city. On 3-15 Rose Street, right behind Princes Str, there's Edinburgh's Fopp. Fopp is a record store chain of the HMV family, I had earlier visited the one in London and knew what to expect: this large shop has a big variety on new LPs (£15-25) and CDs (many on sale for £5, the rest generally also rather logically priced). Also many offers on DVD's and books (music, fiction and non-fiction, small variety but good titles priced 2-for-£5).
Moving outwards from the city center, on 21 St Stephen Str, you'll find Vox Box. A small-ish shop with a good vibe and a mix of new (£18-25) and used (£5-15) records. Rock, Indie, Punk etc. The back room allegedly hosts non-crappy cheap vinyl (around £1,5) but it was closed when I visited. A bit further down on 64 Raeburn Pl. there's another Oxfam shop, this time one dedicated to books and music. LP's fall into three categories: cheap (not necessarily crap, but zero collecting value) £1-2, general £2-7 and collectibles £8-30. CD's £2-7. The median price of LP's and CD's was £4. Generally cheaper than other record stores, but don't expect to find great bargains. At least your money will be helping a good cause. On my way back to the center, I stopped at Assai Records (1 Grindlay Str), right under the feet of the castle. After all the crammed shops I visited, I liked how spacious and modern it looked. Only new vinyl (£15-20, indie, rock etc). A few bargains too, I left with a Bevis Frond LP (an older Record Store Day special reissue) for £3,99. Mind you, the second day's walk was almost twice as long as the previous, so you may want to split it more evenly.
DAY THREE: On the third day I visited a few shops on the road between the city center and the city's harbor Leith. It's a bit far from the center, but I'd certainly recommend visiting Vinyl Villains on 5 Elm Row. Nice decoration outside and cozy inside, big selection and affordable prices. Indicatively: LPs new £13-20, 2nd hand on average £4-8, a few offers £1-2. CD's mostly £3-5, max. £9. T-shirts, cassettes and 7' singles also on sale. Further up on that road, there's Elvis Shakespeare (gotta love the name!) dedicated to used books and music. At first it doesn't seem to have so many records, but that's just because they're neatly filed per genre in sliding cupboards. There are some £1 LP's and (indie) CDs. Average prices are £3-5 for CD's, £4-5 for vinyl, excluding collectibles. Last stop that day, the port of Leith. Some nice cafes and the Ocean Terminal shopping mall, which is connected to one of Edinburgh's more popular attractions, the Royal Boat Britannia. If you make it this far, it'd be a shame not to visit HMV. It may have the ambiance of a supermarket, being a remnant of the huge corporate record shops era, but it does have a big variety on CD's (£4-12, many offers for £5), DVD's and new vinyl (£15-25). If you're looking for something specific, especially on CD, chances are it'll be here.
  
Generally the UK gives me the impression of suffering from some kind of vinyl price inflation. I can't see why 2nd hand UK pressings should be more expensive in London or Edinburgh than at my local record store in Delft. The supply in UK should be larger, unless it was hit during the last decade by some kind of vinyl-eating virus which destroyed the country's reserves. Even in charity shops that give away other stuff (including CD's) dirt cheap, vinyl is relatively overpriced. Variety-wise, also, visitors from big European or American cities should not expect to find in Edinburgh more than at home - unless of course you're looking for bagpipe music. But in my experience searching always pays off, so I'd certainly suggest to take some time and visit at least a couple of these shops. You're bound to come away, as I did, with some cool souvenirs from your visit.
DISCLAIMER: The Record Shop Walking Tour Of Edinburgh Ltd. is not liable for foot blisters or empty wallets. Feel free to ameliorate or adjust the program according to your own needs on the basis of the information given. The prices are indicative and the information and photographs current as of April 22, 2018.