Today Skip's CD World closed their doors for good. It was time. Skip wanted to retire. And while I've known for many weeks that the day was coming, it is still hard to believe that I won't get to go there again. Even when I walked through it one last time, the floor less than a third full and the walls nearly empty compared to how they used to be, just an hour before closing, I still couldn't believe it. And talking to the employees that I've known there for a long time, hearing the sadness in their tones, it's still something I can't wrap my mind around.
Purchasing and listening to physical copies of the albums I love has been a part of my life for so long that I think it might actually be part of my identity. I tried hard to make the switch to digital music exclusively (and I do have a lot), but no matter how I tried I couldn't shake the love for the physical. I like listening to albums straight through, not skipping around or shuffle or just hearing the hits. I like looking at album art and reading the lyrics, and notes. When all there is is the digital copy of something, even with the thumbnail sized picture of the cover, I can't seem to be able to remember much about an album or the songs. I wish I could, but it seems to be that my brain just isn't wired that way. I need the physical copy in order for an album to really make that imprint, the total package of art, reading, along with listening to the music. I'm not knocking anybody that prefers digital, this is just how music enjoyment has worked for me.
So, Skip's has closed their doors. I don't know how many albums I've picked up there over the years. My first trip there was likely less than a year after their opening, I was just a kid, my dad picked up our first CD. It was a big deal. The Eagles, Hell Freezes Over. We played that album through the desktop computer because we didn't have a stereo with a CD player yet. We listened close as a family to hear the differences between quality of a CD over a cassette tape and we were amazed. It sounded crisp and clear and amazing. Eventually we did get a stereo with a 5 disc changer and that was a big deal, too. I thought for sure that would be the end all for music. The CD.
For Christmas one year I received my first two CDs both in the same day. They were Michael Jackson's Dangerous and Led Zeppelin IV. Those two albums will always be two of my favorites. I listened to them a lot. Sometime around then I also got a boombox I could keep up in my room and wow did I feel like I had some high tech, fancy music listening equipment. I actually wore out the cassette deck and CD player in that machine until they wouldn't work at all anymore.
Then I can remember hearing Beck's Odelay for the first time in its entirety and thinking, I just wasted my money on this crap. Then I listened to it again and thought, I have just purchased the best album in the history of albums, nothing has ever been more genius. That is another one of my all time favs.
CD World gave out stamp bonus cards when you bought albums and I can remember filling up my first one. That meant I could get pretty much any album in the store for free and I chose Tom Petty's greatest hits. It was a packed CD and I knew I'd never be able to afford all his albums at the time, so the greatest hits was the option. I listened to that a lot.
Over the 30+ years I couldn't count the number of albums I've picked up from Skip's CD World, CDs and vinyl. Every time I flip through my collection I'll think of the place. They've made changes over the years to adjust with the times, selling more vinyl and other collectibles, and movies, and selling items online. They always stayed true to their roots though, being a high quality music store with great selection and good hours. There were all the great in store music performances where fans could meet musicians and bands. Some of the ones I can remember seeing and meeting included: Floater (of course!), Joe Bonamassa, Guster, and The North Mississippi All-Stars. I'll never forget those days.
And there's always been something about flipping through rows of albums, seeking that gem you couldn't think of or never knew about, or had been looking for for years, that appeals so much more than just ordering the album online. It's so much more satisfying.
So, I'm fortunate to still have a couple great music stores in my town, Epic Seconds and House of Records. I'm hopeful that they'll stick around for the long haul because otherwise I don't know what I'll do. I'll be driving to Bend and Salem to hit up Ranch Records, or going up to Portland. I know that it's a struggling industry, the music store. But, I still think they have tremendous value. And if there was only something I could do to get younger folks to see and feel about the physical album like I do... if only... if only.
For now, I'll just say goodbye to one of my all time favorite places on this Earth. The place that made me feel like I was in Empire Records more than any other place possibly could. So thankful I got to DJ there and be a part of so much over the years. So thankful I got to shake Skip's hand as I left this afternoon.
Goodbye Skip's CD World.
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