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Clueless Music Store Staff Rant

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Tim Meehan

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Mar 19, 1996, 3:00:00 AM3/19/96
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I was tired of listening to bad tape copies (and stiffing an artist that I
enjoy out of the royalties) so I went out to buy Ashley MacIssac's "Hi(tm)
How Are You Today?" CD. Excellent album, heartly recommend it to
everyone.

Brought it up to the counter to pay for it (under $20...I was impressed)
and the clerk ringing it through said to me "Oh...isn't he that violin
guy? Didn't he win some kind of award?"

Violin guy. Heh.

Ignorance of some new artist is one thing, but come on. To me that's the
same as a car salesman not knowing what "fuel injection" is.

Sigh....
--
Tim Meehan - Toronto +1 (416) 449-2369 | Never feed Cheetos
du...@interlog.com - http://www.interlog.com/~duke | to a hedgehog.

Michael Rohaly

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Mar 20, 1996, 3:00:00 AM3/20/96
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Tim Meehan (du...@interlog.com) wrote:
: I was tired of listening to bad tape copies (and stiffing an artist that I

: enjoy out of the royalties) so I went out to buy Ashley MacIssac's "Hi(tm)
: How Are You Today?" CD. Excellent album, heartly recommend it to
: everyone.

: Brought it up to the counter to pay for it (under $20...I was impressed)
: and the clerk ringing it through said to me "Oh...isn't he that violin
: guy? Didn't he win some kind of award?"

: Violin guy. Heh.

Perhaps he was interested in real music and not novelty shit, and
therefore paid no attention to Ashley whatsit. Maybe he likes jazz or
classical music, abstract noise or synth-pop. Because YOU think an
artist is important does not mean that the world should acknowledge your
opinion as truth. Go love Ashley and let everyone else make up their own
minds.

--

Michael

Richard Gordon Campbell

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Mar 21, 1996, 3:00:00 AM3/21/96
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hey micheal, why don't you shut up. i think that everyone should like
ashley macIsaac.

here in calgary we have fuckin freaks working at most music stores
(HMV). A&B sound doesn't employee freaks, had you had the opportunity to
go there then they would've known who the fuck ashley is....

out here i don't pay much more than 13 or 14 bucks for a cd (ashley was
11.99). i think you guys are getting fucked up the ass back east!!!

that's all i have to say, cheers

---------------------------------------------------------
i hate you.....you suck!!!
////\\\\rgca...@acs.ucalgary.ca////\\\\
******visit my home page @ http://dics.fuckin.smurfin.com******
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Michael Rohaly

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Mar 21, 1996, 3:00:00 AM3/21/96
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Richard Gordon Campbell (rgca...@acs5.acs.ucalgary.ca) wrote:
: hey micheal, why don't you shut up. i think that everyone should like

Well THAT was a little blast of eloquence. Perhaps your university
education will pay off in the ability to communicate, but it's too soon
to tell, I guess.

--

Michael

IAIN KENNETH MAC LEOD

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Mar 22, 1996, 3:00:00 AM3/22/96
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>: Ashley MacIsaac...
>: Violin guy.
>Perhaps he was interested in real music and not novelty shit...

I don't think anybody would disagree with letting people make up there own
mind in what they either like or dislike...I just have a problem with people
calling a fiddler who plays tunes that are eons old a 'novelty' act. Then
again, I like WEEN.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Iain Kenneth MacLeod
imac...@upei.ca
...just remember: I'm A Cleod
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Captain Reverend olo W. Spackle, D.pD.

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Mar 22, 1996, 3:00:00 AM3/22/96
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>Richard Gordon Campbell (rgca...@acs5.acs.ucalgary.ca) wrote:
>: hey micheal, why don't you shut up. i think that everyone should like
>: ashley macIsaac.
>: here in calgary we have fuckin freaks working at most music stores
>: (HMV). A&B sound doesn't employee freaks, had you had the opportunity to
>: go there then they would've known who the fuck ashley is....
>: out here i don't pay much more than 13 or 14 bucks for a cd (ashley was
>: 11.99). i think you guys are getting fucked up the ass back east!!!
>: that's all i have to say, cheers

It is quite likely I know the "freak" you referr to at HMV (SouthCentre
perhaps...?). FYI she happens to be a walking encyclopaedia of music
knowledge, and would not only know about Mr. MacIsaac, but likely a whole
slew of other musicians and bands she doesn't like, that you may just want
to know about.

Why not open your mind a little, and approach a "freak" every now and then
for some help. You will likely by suprised at how much information a
human can carry in their head, despite what their outside packaging tells
you they know about.

--
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How did mankind stumble upon Polypropalyne?

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buzz.

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Mar 23, 1996, 3:00:00 AM3/23/96
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In article <4in4fv$s...@gold.interlog.com>, du...@interlog.com says...

>Ignorance of some new artist is one thing, but come on. To me that's the
>same as a car salesman not knowing what "fuel injection" is.
>
>Sigh....

The problem is twofold. People who work at music stores treat it as a
McJob as opposed to a career. Managers seem to hire people with coloured
hair and pierced noses. People who have a great knowledge of an
underground scene, but are way too cool to deal with the everyday
requests of the people who like mainstream music.

Oh well....


Tim Meehan

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Mar 24, 1996, 3:00:00 AM3/24/96
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roh...@vcn.bc.ca (Michael Rohaly) writes:

>Perhaps he was interested in real music and not novelty shit, and
>therefore paid no attention to Ashley whatsit. Maybe he likes jazz or
>classical music, abstract noise or synth-pop. Because YOU think an
>artist is important does not mean that the world should acknowledge your
>opinion as truth. Go love Ashley and let everyone else make up their own
>minds.

I never said that everone must like Ashley but I think that someone in a
music store should at least KNOW who he is. Whether the clerk likes
Ashley should not be at issue; hell, whether *I* like Ashley should not
be at issue (maybe it's for a friend?)...what is at issue is service from
a so-called professional music retailer.

Maybe my local grocer dosen't like potatos but he should at least know
about them if he wants to keep my business.

jpe...@freenet.edmonton.ab.ca

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Mar 26, 1996, 3:00:00 AM3/26/96
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Craig Smith (craig...@sympatico.ca) wrote:
: In article 4j1bsb$9...@atlas.uniserve.com, bbi...@z95.com (buzz.) wrote
: about music store staff:

: >The problem is twofold. People who work at music stores treat it as a

: >McJob as opposed to a career. Managers seem to hire people with coloured
: >hair and pierced noses. People who have a great knowledge of an
: >underground scene, but are way too cool to deal with the everyday
: >requests of the people who like mainstream music.

: No wonder the record companies and CARAS are concerned about the baby
: boomers not coming in to record stores to buy product!!!

: Most record store personel know only the hip flavor of the month and of
: course it is important to know what is up and coming and popular, but
: there are belive it or not people who like Take That, Hootie and the
: Blowfish and Celine Dion and older hits from the 70's and 80's (Not to
: mention people who like other types of music)
: I used to work in a store that carried ALL kinds of music and we had a
: staff (a franchise of a major Canadian chain) with an age range between
: Mid-50's (the Owner) and late teens. We had our best sales years in the
: eighties with all kinds of ages groups coming in. I frankly don't see
: this same dedication in today's stores. When was the last time you got
: ASKED if you need help in a store. Maybe I'm just old and bitter

--
Katie email: jpe...@freenet.edmonton.ab.ca
EDMONTON
I agree. I was in HMV looking for Faure's "Requiem", and the girl
working there thought that Faure was a band, etc. She had no idea what I
was talking about and needless to say, I went to A & B Sound's excellent
classical section, and of course they were able to help me. And why do
people continue to shop at HMV when the prices are SO MUCH higher than A
& Bs?

Michael Rohaly

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Mar 26, 1996, 3:00:00 AM3/26/96
to
Tim Meehan (du...@interlog.com) wrote:
: music store should at least KNOW who he is. Whether the clerk likes
: Ashley should not be at issue; hell, whether *I* like Ashley should not
: be at issue (maybe it's for a friend?)...what is at issue is service from
: a so-called professional music retailer.

: Maybe my local grocer dosen't like potatos but he should at least know
: about them if he wants to keep my business.
: --
: Tim Meehan - Toronto +1 (416) 449-2369 | Never feed Cheetos
: du...@interlog.com - http://www.interlog.com/~duke | to a hedgehog.

You ask a lot for minimum wage. Give the guy a break.

--

Michael

D. Eby

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Mar 27, 1996, 3:00:00 AM3/27/96
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>The problem is twofold. People who work at music stores treat it as a
>McJob as opposed to a career.

Speaking in defense of music store employees (being one without any weird
piercings or hair colouration) I can't imagine working at a music store
as a "career"...I mean, I've been working at STRM for 2 years and I'm
only making $7 an hour, not exactly what I would call a career. Why don't
I leave? Because of the fringe benefits. It's a kewl job to have (part
time only) and I get cheap cd's...

> Managers seem to hire people with coloured
> hair and pierced noses.

Perhaps in Edmonton...or maybe that's just the type of store you're
frequenting. I know that for the chains (HMV, STRM) an overall neat
appearance is required of the staff. My boss at sam's freaked out when I
told him I was going to shave my hair for charity... I notice that at the
independent stores, you'll find many more pierced people (not that you
should allow the coloured hair or piercing to make your personality
judgements for you...)

> People who have a great knowledge of an
>underground scene, but are way too cool to deal with the everyday
>requests of the people who like mainstream music.

It's really tough to work in a record store and *not* know the mainstream
crap... and just because I think it's crap doesn't mean that:

a) I won't sell crap to people
b) I don't know the songs on crappy cd's

I know more about Bon Jovi than I've ever wanted to know. Boyz II Men
and Hootie are also on this list of bands I dislike personally, but know
inside out and sell every shift.

> No wonder the record companies and CARAS are concerned about the baby
> boomers not coming in to record stores to buy product!!!

That isn't the problem of the staff, it's the problem of the boomers.
In my store at least (we're a mall store) we get a tonne of boomers in.
But all they buy is the beatles, or Kenny G, or the Forrest Gump ST. If
all they want is rehashed crap, whose fault is that?

> When was the last time you got
> ASKED if you need help in a store. Maybe I'm just old and bitter

Again, my store might be an exception, but staff is *required* to ask
customers if they need help. Often times you get the feeling from the
customer that they would rather just be left alone.

Hopefully we've cleared up the fact that:

a) not all record store personnel have weird hair colouration and piercings
b) weird hair colouration and piercings is not indicitive of IQ
c) it is really hard to know the underground stuff and not know the
mainstream stuff as well, especially if you work in a record store
d) not all stores have apathetic staff

Later,
Dave

Richard Gordon Campbell

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Mar 27, 1996, 3:00:00 AM3/27/96
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: classical section, and of course they were able to help me. And why do
: people continue to shop at HMV when the prices are SO MUCH higher than A
: & Bs?

--> hmv has a policy where they will match any price from a competitor as
long as the price isn't below their cost. for almost any regular cd this
is $12.99. if it a rarer cd (eg. not in billboard top 200 or so) then
you can get it for 15.79. it doesn't matter if another store has that cd
for a cheaper price, the clerks are going to go and
check. to get this offer ask a clerk in a nice manner if they match
A&B's prices, when they say yes you're in there.

i think that the best place for cd's in calgary is music baron on macleod
trail opposite chinook center. the cd's there are almost always cheaper
than those of hmv [if you don't feel like scamming]
the staff at music baron are pretty good too, they know where to find the
cd's i want. the main problem is that their selection isn't as good as
A&B, but it's much closer.


dic

Craig Smith

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Apr 1, 1996, 3:00:00 AM4/1/96
to
>Speaking in defense of music store employees (being one without any weird
>piercings or hair colouration) I can't imagine working at a music store
>as a "career"...I mean, I've been working at STRM for 2 years and I'm
>only making $7 an hour, not exactly what I would call a career. Why don't I leave? Because of the fringe benefits. It's a kewl job =

to have (part time only) and I get cheap cd's...

Fringe benefits, thats exacly why I stayed in the store I worked in (a
Sam's) for 18 years! I got just slightly more thatn $7 an hour though.

>> Managers seem to hire people with coloured
>> hair and pierced noses.
>
>Perhaps in Edmonton...or maybe that's just the type of store you're
>frequenting. I know that for the chains (HMV, STRM) an overall neat
>appearance is required of the staff.

Have you been to the majors in T.O. -- HMV & Towers ?? Sam's bless their
hearts seem to not hire 'people with coloured hair' -- not that there's
anything wrong with living your life the way you want.

>My boss at sam's freaked out when I told him I was going to shave my hair for charity

What Sam's do you work for?


>
>> People who have a great knowledge of an
>>underground scene, but are way too cool to deal with the everyday
>>requests of the people who like mainstream music.
>

>It's really tough to work in a record store and *not* know the mainstream crap... and just because I think it's crap doesn't mean t=


hat:
>
>a) I won't sell crap to people
>b) I don't know the songs on crappy cd's

Remember (as my boss always used to say) The 'CRAP' is paying your wages
as little as they are

>> No wonder the record companies and CARAS are concerned about the baby
>> boomers not coming in to record stores to buy product!!!


>That isn't the problem of the staff, it's the problem of the boomers.
>In my store at least (we're a mall store) we get a tonne of boomers in.

In the store I worked in all they were buying was Big Band stuff and
Sinatra and yes the Beatles. Also most of the top 40 too.And that was in
the '80's. My point above was taken from a newspaper article in Toronto
that said while the 15-25 year olds were were going in to and buying the
majority of music the quotation was lamenting the fact that the 'boomers'
were not.

>> When was the last time you got ASKED if you need help in a store.

>Again, my store might be an exception, but staff is *required* to ask

>customers if they need help. Often times you get the feeling from the
>customer that they would rather just be left alone.

Yeah I know. I got the same thing from my boss. I found that I had to
pick the people I asked 'cause 90% would say no. But when I was on the
counter I always tried to say at least 'HI' when people came in, That I
found was as good as a 'can I help you' or something to that effect.

But i've only have been asked once in the last 3 years at least -- and I
go into record stores every week and that was by a manager.

>Hopefully we've cleared up the fact that:

>a) not all record store personnel have weird hair colouration and piercings
>b) weird hair colouration and piercings is not indicitive of IQ
>c) it is really hard to know the underground stuff and not know the
mainstream stuff as well, especially if you work in a record store
>d) not all stores have apathetic staff

In closing, Dave you have made a good points about some record stores in
Ontario. Again I wish you did I.D. the store you worked in as it could be
great publicy for the store.

But I just wish that the next time I buy a Take That CD that the person
behind the counter doesn't have a giggle as asked me if the CD was for me
a guy who's in his late 30's and a huge collection of top 40 hits and all
the 700+ UK Chart Number 1's (That's why I bought the Take That) though I
don't think I have to defend why I buy!!!! Again IT IS HELPING TO PAY
YOUR PAYCHECK !!!!

David and Jane Cooper

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Apr 3, 1996, 3:00:00 AM4/3/96
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D. Eby (de...@uoguelph.ca) wrote:

: > When was the last time you got
: > ASKED if you need help in a store. Maybe I'm just old and bitter

: Again, my store might be an exception, but staff is *required* to ask

: customers if they need help. Often times you get the feeling from the
: customer that they would rather just be left alone.

EXACTLY! When I go to a music store, I can spen hours there just looking
for something that catches my eye, the rest of the time, I waste looking
at my personal favorites wishing that they carried that special item that
I saw on the internet (POGUES!!). The ones that noone seems to carry.

I personally hate sales people in general. I know they're just doing
their job, and trying to get a commision (I saw'em first!), but it's just
annoying. I'm lucky now that I'm recognized at my local Sam's stores, and
they just leave me alone.

Whenever I do get asked, and actually tell them what i'm looking for
(Mollies Revenge, Cheryl Linder), they either haven't heard of it, or
they don't have it, or both.


OK, I ranted, I feel better,
Coops'

swo...@bconnex.net

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Apr 3, 1996, 3:00:00 AM4/3/96
to
Ok, I have to rant too. I don't care if someone in a music store
is only getting minimum wage, it scares me how little they know
about music....I ask for a CD by a really good band and if you're
not looking for Nirvana or Snoop Doggy Dogg, then you are S.O.L.
Don't you think that someone working IN a music store should know
a little bit ABOUT music?

My $0.02

Linda


Timothy Kelly

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Apr 5, 1996, 3:00:00 AM4/5/96
to
Hi,
Music store workers are just normal people like everyone else. They
may know a lot about music, they may know hardly anything. Theres no
reason to think they should be able to look at you and know what music
you might like or dont like.
Its your choice to decide what music you like or dont like. Do you
like something just cause your friends like it, cause your family
doesnt, cause it turns you on, off, sideways, upside down?
Music and sound is a personal choice, like clothing and food. Pick
music where the sounds make you feel good, happier, a better person.
Thats a good a reason as any and better than just picking something
your friends like.
In todays society, knowledge of a subject is no requirement for
working anywhere. Vegatarians cook hamburgers, people who cant even
drive work at auto parts stores, and people who dont even know who the
Beatles were, work at record stores.
Happy Holiday
Timothy Kelly
MidiVox
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Drums, Sing a Cello.

Become a Human Sequencer, Human Vocoder, Human Breath Controller.

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Keyboard.


Peter Dubuque

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Apr 5, 1996, 3:00:00 AM4/5/96
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swo...@bconnex.net writes:

Someone who makes minimum wage isn't being paid enough to care about the
kind of job they're doing. Minimum wage isn't a job, it's an insult.
Just my opinion.


--
Peter F. Dubuque - dub...@laraby.tiac.net - Enemy of Reason(TM) O-
ObCivilDisobedience#1: Planned Parenthood of Greater Boston,
1031 Beacon St., Brookline, MA 02146 617-738-1370
ObCivilDisobedience#2: Fuck Sen. James Exon and the horse he rode in on.


Katie Sehorn

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Apr 7, 1996, 4:00:00 AM4/7/96
to
In article <4k49vn$b...@reader2.ix.netcom.com>,
Timothy Kelly <mid...@ix.netcom.com> wrote:

> In todays society, knowledge of a subject is no requirement for
>working anywhere. Vegatarians cook hamburgers, people who cant even
>drive work at auto parts stores, and people who dont even know who the
>Beatles were, work at record stores.

Does anyone remember what the original complaint was? My copy
of it exprired about fifty articles ago. But I can think of one or two
invalid complaints (i.e. customer was being a smidge unreasonable) and a
handful of valid complaints that one could have in a service-industry
encounter, and I'd really rather know what was bothering the person
before I launch a counter-rant.

- Katie
--
*** Send meaningful responses, hugs and flames to seh...@willamette.edu ***
"...shared pain is lessened, shared joy increased. Thus do we
refute entropy." - Spider Robinson
--- Dole for Pineapple '96 ---

Tim Meehan

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Apr 8, 1996, 3:00:00 AM4/8/96
to
mid...@ix.netcom.com(Timothy Kelly) writes:

> In todays society, knowledge of a subject is no requirement for
>working anywhere.

Unfortunately, this is so true.

--
Tim Meehan - Toronto | "If (CFNY Music Director) Kneale Mann is reading
du...@interlog.com | this, stop playing the Smashing Pumpkins, Oasis
tim.m...@utoronto.ca | and Blur please. For the good of mankind. STOP."
http://www.interlog.com/~duke - +1(416)449-2369 | -- Andrew Prowse

Douglas Lathrop

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Apr 8, 1996, 3:00:00 AM4/8/96
to
swo...@bconnex.net wrote:
: Ok, I have to rant too. I don't care if someone in a music store
: is only getting minimum wage, it scares me how little they know
: about music....I ask for a CD by a really good band and if you're
: not looking for Nirvana or Snoop Doggy Dogg, then you are S.O.L.
: Don't you think that someone working IN a music store should know
: a little bit ABOUT music?

No.

At least, not if they work for some humongo-mega-chain store - I expect
more from indies, though, or even smaller regional chains. Why should
the drone behind the counter bother to learn anything about music whe he
or she can just glance at the playlists for each of the top radio
stations and know immediately what the store's customers are being
instructed to like during that particular week?

Of course, in the future this won't be an issue. After the starbuctation
of the world, we'll all buy our CDs at Tower, our books at B. Dalton, our
coffee at Starbucks, our videos at Blockbuster, and everything else at
WalMart. Then, on every other Saturday, we'll venture outside the walls of
our planned, gated communities and board buses that'll take us to the
nearest Disney theme park for some good, wholesome family fun (unless you
live in one of the places ruled by Bill Gates, in which case you'll go to
MicrosoftLand, which hasn't opened yet but Master Gates says will be
really cool just as soon as his people get the rides to stop crashing).

--
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Visit Stately PAPER CUT MANOR! http://www.primenet.com/~lathrop/index.html
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David Steinberg

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Apr 8, 1996, 3:00:00 AM4/8/96
to
In article <dubuque....@laraby.tiac.net>,
Peter Dubuque <dub...@laraby.tiac.net> wrote:

>swo...@bconnex.net writes:
>
>>Ok, I have to rant too. I don't care if someone in a music store
>>is only getting minimum wage, it scares me how little they know
>>about music....I ask for a CD by a really good band and if you're
>>not looking for Nirvana or Snoop Doggy Dogg, then you are S.O.L.
>>Don't you think that someone working IN a music store should know
>>a little bit ABOUT music?

(Peter's point about min wage deleted)

Let me see. You're asking someone what music they like and then you're
bitching about their taste?!?! I don't think many people here would say
that I know little about music, but if you asked me to recommend a cd,
I'd prob. say "Hundred Year Hall" or "Hejira". If you don't like long
jams or female singer-songwriters, you'd be annoyed by them

And what's wrong with Nirvana anyway. Selling a lot of cd's does not
make a band bad by definition.

-David "ZZYZX" Steinberg http://www.seanet.com/Staff/zzyzx
***********************************************************************
*"There comes a redeemer *"I can't believe I'm a junior and a *
* and he slowly too * film major, when all I really *
* fades away." -Robert Hunter * wanted in this life was to marry a *
*"very strange, raving egomaniac"* lobsterman and cook fish." *
* TIME FOR TIMER * -a letter from Christie Searing *
***********************************************************************


Stanton J Wonn

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Apr 8, 1996, 3:00:00 AM4/8/96
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David Steinberg (zz...@seanet.com) wrote:

: And what's wrong with Nirvana anyway. Selling a lot of cd's does not

: make a band bad by definition.

Sure it does. ;-) But only if you subscribe to the "anything popular is by
definition bad" philosophy, which I don't.

Stan
--
Stan Wonn------------http://www.primenet.com/~wonn---------Tucson, AZ USA----
-----------------wo...@u.arizona.edu or wo...@primenet.com---------------------
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R Scott MacDonald

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Apr 9, 1996, 3:00:00 AM4/9/96
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wo...@kitts.u.arizona.edu (Stanton J Wonn) wrote:
>David Steinberg (zz...@seanet.com) wrote:
>
>: And what's wrong with Nirvana anyway. Selling a lot of cd's does not
>: make a band bad by definition.
>
>Sure it does. ;-) But only if you subscribe to the "anything popular is by
>definition bad" philosophy, which I don't.
>

No, but how else does one explain Barry Manilow?

--Anne-Marie MacDonald, of the clan MacDonald


swo...@bconnex.net

unread,
Apr 11, 1996, 3:00:00 AM4/11/96
to
R Scott MacDonald <rscott.m...@sympatico.ca> wrote:
>wo...@kitts.u.arizona.edu (Stanton J Wonn) wrote:
>>David Steinberg (zz...@seanet.com) wrote:
>>
>>: And what's wrong with Nirvana anyway. Selling a lot of cd's does not
>>: make a band bad by definition.
>>
>>Sure it does. ;-) But only if you subscribe to the "anything popular is by
>>definition bad" philosophy, which I don't.
>>

I was not saying that Nirvana was bad because they are/were
incredibly popular and sell/sold a lot of records but that there
are other genres of music out there and other lesser known bands
that should be acknowledged by record store staff. I was not
insulting Nircana or it's fans but just wish that bands who
haven't caught their big break would get a little notice too. And
how are people going to know about these bands if the people who
work in the music store itself don't even know them?

Linda


Mark Schlesinger

unread,
Apr 11, 1996, 3:00:00 AM4/11/96
to
And how are people working in music stores going to know about these
bands unless people tell them about it?

--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
schlesin __ __ ____ ___ ___ ____
schl...@primenet.com /__)/__) / / / / /_ /\ / /_ /
/ / \ / / / / /__ / \/ /___ /-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Craig Smith

unread,
Apr 11, 1996, 3:00:00 AM4/11/96
to
Douglas Lathrop <lat...@primenet.com> wrote:
>swo...@bconnex.net wrote:
>: Ok, I have to rant too. I don't care if someone in a music store
>: is only getting minimum wage, it scares me how little they know
>: about music....I ask for a CD by a really good band and if you're
>: not looking for Nirvana or Snoop Doggy Dogg, then you are S.O.L.
>: Don't you think that someone working IN a music store should know
>: a little bit ABOUT music?
>
>No.
>
>At least, not if they work for some humongo-mega-chain store - I expect
>more from indies, though, or even smaller regional chains. Why should
>the drone behind the counter bother to learn anything about music whe he
>or she can just glance at the playlists for each of the top radio
>stations and know immediately what the store's customers are being
>instructed to like during that particular week?

O.K. HOLD IT! this is my third posting on the subject (Why bother!)
Points that I want to make. I'll shut up after this and let everybody
else rave on

1. Record/Music/CD stores should have a friendly staff to at least have
eye contact with the customer in a small mall store or a strip mall
store. If you go to a larger store people ASK THE STAFF!

2. Staff should go out of their way to LOOK AN ARTIST UP even if they do
not know anything about the artist/composer . There are many options to
do this out there including the Internet (Are you listening Jason S.)

3. Customers should find a store that they like (I know this may be
difficult but if you love music YOU WILL FIND IT.)

4.Staff no matter how much they know any type of music should be willing
to find about the customers request, no matter if it's Elvis (Costello or
Presley) Journey, Patsy Gallant, Our Lady Peace, Les Paul or Ms. Twain.

That's it for me.
Let's celebrate Canadian music in this newsgroup rather than slam the way
we buy it. (That could be another newsgroup. How about
'alt.canada.retail.slam'
Craig


David and Jane Cooper

unread,
Apr 12, 1996, 3:00:00 AM4/12/96
to
Mark Schlesinger (schl...@primenet.com) wrote:

: >I was not saying that Nirvana was bad because they are/were

: >incredibly popular and sell/sold a lot of records but that there
: >are other genres of music out there and other lesser known bands
: >that should be acknowledged by record store staff. I was not
: >insulting Nircana or it's fans but just wish that bands who
: >haven't caught their big break would get a little notice too. And
: >how are people going to know about these bands if the people who
: >work in the music store itself don't even know them?
: >
: And how are people working in music stores going to know about these
: bands unless people tell them about it?

The same way the rest of us do. Read! I know stuff about bands I don't
like, much like many of us. No one is saying that these min. wage
employees are supposed to research every band that they sell, on their
own time. But when things come into the store, they should at least look
at the CD, open it, play it in the store, and learn something about them.

I have a bad habbit of paying too much for CDs of bands I know nothing
about, because I find something about it interesting. The staff can't
tell me anything about these CDs, but I learn something about a band I
never heard of. LUCKILY, i've yet to be dissapointed. (dEUS, The Cranes,
and some others).

It doesn't take a lot to learn about bands, just a little patience, and
genuine attention.

Just a question, who here thinks that they could do a great job in a
music store? Regardless what colour your hair is.

Coops'

Sid Woods

unread,
Apr 13, 1996, 3:00:00 AM4/13/96
to
dub...@laraby.tiac.net (Peter Dubuque) wrote:
>Someone who makes minimum wage isn't being paid enough to care about the
>kind of job they're doing. Minimum wage isn't a job, it's an insult.
>Just my opinion.
>
>
>--
>Peter F. Dubuque - dub...@laraby.tiac.net - Enemy of Reason(TM) O-
>ObCivilDisobedience#1: Planned Parenthood of Greater Boston,
> 1031 Beacon St., Brookline, MA 02146 617-738-1370
>ObCivilDisobedience#2: Fuck Sen. James Exon and the horse he rode in on.

Peter,

I unfortunately have the token teenage job...I work at
McDonalds. Does this mean that just because I am getting minimum
wage....I don't have to know what a Big Mac is? hmmm, makes you
think......

Also, Many teenagers cannot get better jobs than minimum wage
paying ones....this doesn't mean that we should be ostricized for
this...how bout attacking the people who can't be bothered to get
jobs and mooch off the system...huh?

Linda


Eric Eisert

unread,
Apr 13, 1996, 3:00:00 AM4/13/96
to
In article <4kjp85$k...@nnrp1.news.primenet.com>,

schl...@primenet.com (Mark Schlesinger) wrote:
>In article <4kjabv$k...@news.bconnex.net>, <swo...@bconnex.net> wrote:
>>R Scott MacDonald <rscott.m...@sympatico.ca> wrote:
>>>wo...@kitts.u.arizona.edu (Stanton J Wonn) wrote:
>>>>David Steinberg (zz...@seanet.com) wrote:
>>>>
>>>>: And what's wrong with Nirvana anyway. Selling a lot of cd's does not
>>>>: make a band bad by definition.
>>>>
>>>>Sure it does. ;-) But only if you subscribe to the "anything popular is by
>>>>definition bad" philosophy, which I don't.
>>>>
>>
>>I was not saying that Nirvana was bad because they are/were
>>incredibly popular and sell/sold a lot of records but that there
>>are other genres of music out there and other lesser known bands
>>that should be acknowledged by record store staff. I was not
>>insulting Nircana or it's fans but just wish that bands who
>>haven't caught their big break would get a little notice too. And
>>how are people going to know about these bands if the people who
>>work in the music store itself don't even know them?
>>
> And how are people working in music stores going to know about these
>bands unless people tell them about it?
>

Live Shows for one. Ok so that only gets you the local stuff, but it might cause you to listen
with an open ear and mind to items beyond your horizon. We all have our personal preferences. I
hate opera for example. But I am willing to attend every now and then with friends who do enjoy it.
That is actually how I got into the Dead for example.

David and Jane Cooper

unread,
Apr 15, 1996, 3:00:00 AM4/15/96
to
Y'know, I don't know if it's the area I live in (Halifax, NS), but the
people in the stores here are quite good at what they do. The two main
Sam's stores I go to have emplyees who are in local (possibly well known)
bands. One is Leonard Conan (I think that's his name) who was spotlighted
on Much East, and a guy from the Booming Airplanes, who works at the
other store. These guys are great, and know a lot (especially Leonard)
about the more unique bands (a lot of indie, or little known).

I think that people like this are a little more open minded, and they
bring a lot of the harder to find stuff to the attenbtion of the
store/employees, and costomers.

Just a thought,
Coops'

Tara Lee Wittchen

unread,
Apr 15, 1996, 3:00:00 AM4/15/96
to
On 15 Apr 1996, David and Jane Cooper wrote:
> Y'know, I don't know if it's the area I live in (Halifax, NS), but the
> people in the stores here are quite good at what they do. The two main
> Sam's stores I go to have emplyees who are in local (possibly well known)
> bands. One is Leonard Conan (I think that's his name) who was spotlighted
> on Much East, and a guy from the Booming Airplanes, who works at the
> other store. These guys are great, and know a lot (especially Leonard)
> about the more unique bands (a lot of indie, or little known).

Actually, the person you are referring to is Andy MacDaniel, the name of
his band is Leonard Conan. :) :) They have a Cinnamon Toast 7'' out
called _pub slop_ and at least one independent cassette called _bringin
home the bacon bits_. Easy to get confused, I guess...lots of people
assume Allison Outhit's band name, Rebecca West, is *her* name. :)

Speaking of employees at Sam's, doesn't Al Tuck also work at the Sam's on
Barrington's? Another person involved with the local music scene and is
quite knowledgeable about music in general....


well anyway.


tara

--
Joe Chan is the big boss of alternative music.


Sid Woods

unread,
Apr 16, 1996, 3:00:00 AM4/16/96
to
schl...@primenet.com (Mark Schlesinger) wrote:
> And how are people working in music stores going to know about these
>bands unless people tell them about it?
>

And even if you tell them about new bands...they don't care! You
can order stuff in, but music that isn't commercially successful
is either not available or $8 more than mainstream stuff! Any
suggestions on how to inform the clueless?

Linda


Ken Alper

unread,
Apr 16, 1996, 3:00:00 AM4/16/96
to
In article <4kpe0p$a...@news.bconnex.net>, Sid Woods <swo...@bconnex.net> wrote:

> Also, Many teenagers cannot get better jobs than minimum wage
>paying ones....this doesn't mean that we should be ostricized for
>this...how bout attacking the people who can't be bothered to get
>jobs and mooch off the system...huh?

How about attacking the sytstem that pays them to sit home on their fat
asses, bearing more and more children for us to take care of?

--Ken

---------------------------------<*>------------------------------------
SMUG INTELLECTUAL. Formerly rampant human-coded AI with a sense of humor
seeks bipedal oxygen-breathing cyborg for serious relationship in the
galactic core. I've got cool guns if you like to break stuff. No yuppies.
Bored? Go hit Akbar & Jeff's Web-o-Matic at http://web.syr.edu/~ksalper

Travis Just

unread,
Apr 17, 1996, 3:00:00 AM4/17/96
to ksa...@monmouth.com
ksa...@monmouth.com (Ken Alper) wrote:
>In article <4kpe0p$a...@news.bconnex.net>, Sid Woods <swo...@bconnex.net> wrote:
>
>> Also, Many teenagers cannot get better jobs than minimum wage
>>paying ones....this doesn't mean that we should be ostricized for
>>this...how bout attacking the people who can't be bothered to get
>>jobs and mooch off the system...huh?
>
>How about attacking the sytstem that pays them to sit home on their fat
>asses, bearing more and more children for us to take care of?
>
>--Ken
>
HELLOOOOOOOOOOOO!
this ain't how the system works. its how dumbasses that buy proaganda believe it works. welfare is one half of one percent of the =
national budget. that's it. most of the people i've met on welfare are honest people that can'tr get jobs. society is continually=
downsizing--human beings are being replaced by technology--so how can poor women with only a high school education and children get=
a job with adequate childcare? this country has no adequate childcare! most jobs have shitty benefits, shitty pay. i think the s=
tatistic is like almost half of young black men are in jail--their wives/lovers are the one's with the children and no husband to br=
ing home the bacon while they sit at home. and the same people that want to get rid of welfare also want to get rid of sex educatio=
n in the schools, want to cut funding for education, which they are doing, stupidly, and are making it hard for teenagers to get bir=
th control and abortions. of course there are people that take advantage of the sytem, as there are everywhere with every system, b=
ut how many women do you actually think would bear a child for an increase in their monthly pittance that wouldn't begin to support =
the child, much less them? get real

cari
car...@minerva.cis.yale.edu


M.L. Bernais

unread,
Apr 17, 1996, 3:00:00 AM4/17/96
to
In article <4l18ef$b...@news.bconnex.net>,


ah, a problem that is near and dear to my heart. known in the various
music stores in burlington, ont., as "the girl who asks for stuff that we
never have and have never heard of", i've usually found the people who
work at such stores to be rather nice. but maybe that's because i spend
more than a suitable amount of time in record stores.

so thats how you inform the clueless...create some sort of mutual
relationship with them, i guess. they're going to want to listen to
what you have to say and eventually prove to you that they _do_ finally
know what you're talking about...

"hey, we finally got in that band you were talking about..." and
similar comments usually follow.


melissa

John C. Scott

unread,
Apr 17, 1996, 3:00:00 AM4/17/96
to
On 17 Apr 1996, Travis Just wrote:
> HELLOOOOOOOOOOOO!
[SNIP of clueless rant about welfare, birth control, and employment]
> cari
> car...@minerva.cis.yale.edu


I understood the subject of this thread to be a rant about clueless
music store staff. Instead, it has turned into a clueless rant about
politics. Isnt it amazing, whenever we talk about someone having to work
for minimum wage, we automatically get someone arguing that society owes
them more.

Hell, if we are arguing that the government owes us more, lets push for a
program that will give us music made by canadians so the conversation will
fit in the alt.music.canada newsgroup! (oh wait, we have one... Can Con)


Jay
(im on someone else's account. Mine is all...@server.uwindsor.ca )


Richard Gordon Campbell

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Apr 18, 1996, 3:00:00 AM4/18/96
to
.monmouth.com> <4l21fu$j...@news.ycc.yale.edu>:


why does everyone want the government to take care of them?? if you
don't have the skills for today's work environment go out and get them,
don't expect society to take care of you for ever. quit feeling sorry for
yourself because your stuck with a shitty job. no one forced you to take
that job and if you really hate it, you'll work to find a new job.

dic

-------------------------------------------
i'm sorry, i guess i'm the one who sucks...
richard campbell
university of calgary rgca...@acs.ucalgary.ca
============================================================

Stanton J Wonn

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Apr 18, 1996, 3:00:00 AM4/18/96
to
Richard Gordon Campbell (rgca...@acs5.acs.ucalgary.ca) wrote:
: .monmouth.com> <4l21fu$j...@news.ycc.yale.edu>:


: why does everyone want the government to take care of them?? if you
: don't have the skills for today's work environment go out and get them,
: don't expect society to take care of you for ever. quit feeling sorry for
: yourself because your stuck with a shitty job. no one forced you to take
: that job and if you really hate it, you'll work to find a new job.

Oh gawd, you must be one of those Canadian Reform Party geeks! Run for
your lives, everyone....aaaah!

Stan

: -------------------------------------------


: i'm sorry, i guess i'm the one who sucks...

Well, *you* said it, not me...

--
Stan Wonn------------http://www.primenet.com/~wonn---------Tucson, AZ USA----
-----------------wo...@u.arizona.edu or wo...@primenet.com---------------------

"It is a wondrous human characteristic to be able to slip in and out of
idiocy many times a day without noticing the change or accidentally killing
innocent bystanders in the process." --Scott Adams


Michael Morse

unread,
Apr 19, 1996, 3:00:00 AM4/19/96
to
: why does everyone want the government to take care of them?? if you
: don't have the skills for today's work environment go out and get them,
: don't expect society to take care of you for ever. quit feeling sorry for
: yourself because your stuck with a shitty job. no one forced you to take
: that job and if you really hate it, you'll work to find a new job.

Well, *duh*. But that's the *hard* way to do it. Having the government
take care of you is *way* preferable.

Michael Morse

Willa Dair

unread,
Apr 20, 1996, 3:00:00 AM4/20/96
to
Hey folks! Look...its like this. I work in a music store, I am not
clueless and (if you can believe this) I know lots about music and I
love helping people find music they will like. Lots of music stores
pay their staff shit and therefore their attitude is shit. I work
for HMV where we are treated with respect, paid well and therefore
we work hard and most of us love our jobs. So, maybe people should
start shopping at stores where they get good service or work on companys
to start treating their staff properly. It seems pretty cut and dried
to me!

Carla


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