CaptnBob Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 A moment of silence, please, for Webster Records, which is closing its doors tomorrow after 62 years in business. It's one of St. Louis' last record stores, and the only one I know of which focused on classical, jazz and world music. It was "old school" all the way, complete with staff who would let you play several different recordings of the work you wanted, so you could decide on the performance you liked the best. I can remember going down there fifty years ago with my dad to pick out the new Christmas albums, and what a treat and adventure it seemed. Somehow Amazon just isn't the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest " " Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 I got a flash back to a few local outlets that closed in my area while I was reading this......doors that were always open...being called by your first name...good times...friendships....can't be replced with amazon and the like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skonopa Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 We don't have a single record store in this area anymore. When I first moved to the area some 19 years ago, there were FOUR of them! Today - nada! Yeah, you could go to Best Buy or Walmart or Target to get albums, but they typically only carry the big mainstream labels. No longer going and checking out albums from small independent artists and/or small independent labels. Now, I pretty much have to mail order such records from the internet or wait until I go to ProgPower and raid the merchant area for a bunch of albums. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boxx Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 I know nothing of Webster Records, however (if it is like stores I have known of in the the Dallas/Fort Worth Area) I am sad to here of its closing.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMcD Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 CaptnBob, I agree with you about record shops in general. My favorites in Chicago have shut down or dumbed down I hope that young lads still go out with their dads to find pieces for a Saturday project, if only to Home Depot instead of the town hardware store. That is part of the equation you mention. Granted, the local seller of classical recording is just about gone because of the effects of the Internet. If anyone has an interest in classical, let me highly recommend www.wfmt.com out of my hometown, Chicago. It streams, of course, and has Internet listeners worldwide. Often there are links to sellers of what you hear, discussion boards, remote broadcasts, interviews, contests, and a very knowlegable set of announcers who solicit real time e-mail. You never got that at the record store. It the upside of the Internet's effect on classical music. We're never going to put the Jin of the Internet back in the bottle. In times of contemplation of distress often from change and modern times, for inspiration I turn to the ancient words of the Sage of the Midwest. The Sage of the Midwest being Ann Landers. Ann Landers wrote, often: "Count your blessings and quityerbitchen." It always gets a smile! Try it. WMcD . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivernuggets Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Very sad to hear about Webster Records. 62 years is an amazing span of offering people music. I got a flash back to a few local outlets that closed in my area while I was reading this......doors that were always open...being called by your first name...good times...friendships....can't be replced with amazon and the like. Flashbacks for me too. From '96 to about 2000 I worked at a music store called Weebee CDs in Wausau WI. It was the best job. My two bosses were the coolest management I've ever had, treated me as an equal. Artist and Band info spread mostly by word of mouth from customers to us, and back out to other customers. It expanded my taste of music immensely, and as cheesy as this sounds, I'm a better person after having worked there. I still have a dream every so often where they are open again. Oscar and Mark are showing me the new tweaks they've made with the computer's inventory search engine and getting me caught up with a couple different CD distributors/supply houses. Best job I'll ever have. Here was the logo: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groomlakearea51 Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Appropriate memories with Mary Hopkins in mind: . Those were the days my friend We thought they'd never end We'd sing and dance forever and a day We'd live the life we choose We'd fight and never lose For we were young and sure to have our way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptnBob Posted February 2, 2012 Author Share Posted February 2, 2012 Webster Record's only serious competion in St Louis was the Record Nook in West County, well, and Streetside too. The Record Nook had a pair of AR LSTs on the wall driven by a Crown DC-300a. Roy (the owner) sold only classical and jazz, and was happy to do on the spot demonstrations for you. It's where I learned English import albums could indeed sound much better than the stateside counterpart. I still cherish the 15 or so EMI lps I got from him. While we are strolling, or stumbling, down memory lane, I'd like to give an honorable mention to the Classic Cup in Kansas City's Westport. The building was divided down the middle, with kind of an anteroom at the entrance. The anteroom sold art prints, greeting cards and crafts. If you went down the stairs to your right, you were in the record store, specializing in Celtic and classical music. The speakers were big Martin Logans. If you went down the stairs to the left, and had any money left, you were in a store filled with imported wines, cheeses, jams, cookies and fresh pastries and coffee. The aroma was heady and wonderful, and it was impossible to not feel incredibly civilizied and urbane coming out of the door. Last memory - after my mom passed on, the first Thanksgiving was quite dfficult for my dad, and me too. So we decided to do something different. The day after Thanksgiving, we got up at 4 in the morning, caught the 5:05 train to Chicago. This got us to Union Station about 10:30 or so. I don't remember if we took a cab or walked, but we wound up at Macy's for lunch. Then we spent an agreeable couple of hours window shopping and finally turned up at Rose Records, which was under the El tracks. Rose Records at the time featured five stories of records, including one floor of cut-outs, and a delightlfully seedy ambiance. After we had visited all five floors, and couldn't carry anything else, we rolled to the train station, boarded the 4:00 to St. Louis, and were back home by midnight. I rarely felt so close to my father... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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