God it’s cold out there today !!! When I came over from the French Alps 13 years ago, I am not sure exactly what it was that I was thinking, but I clearly did not expect it to be that cold, and neither did I expect to still be here today, writing one my last weekly update of the year and ultimately, the decade…
Oh yeah, the noughties! What did you guys make of it ?
For me it all started with one of those millennium’s fiascos, a booking to entertain a Camden club that ended only a third full (like most of them that night) and fighting teeth and nails for my cash at 6am with the promoter…. thankfully it got better from then on…now I wonder how it’s going to end!
Of course, of all the lovely events that occurred in ten years, finding this job was possibly the highlight, and since it is Thanksgiving, let me tell you, I am extremely grateful to all those who had a hand in opening the way for me.
But let’s talk about the music. I have taken the liberty to compile a list of 20 of the albums and 20 of the songs that really have left a trace on me, from the top of my head really, although with some of them I had to research the titles…. it is by no means implying that these are the best of the past ten years, just the ones that seem to have made their mark enough that listening to them still has a special effect. Make of it what you will.
You will find the list at the bottom of this message.
As for the shop, well, our stock for Saturday is as good as ever, with some absolute classics of the history of music in virtually new condition : Hendrix, Sonic Youth, Dinosaur JR, The Cure, Portishead, 2tone super rare live lp with poster, Snoop dogg, Wu tang, Cameo, Steel Pulse, Beatles, Clash…that is just to name the best known (for once).
We are still putting out the same collection of rare Funk/Disco/Reggae that has been the delight of our regulars and also have bought an amazing collection of rare Punk Rock/Indus/Metal/Alternative rock and Electronica on CD’s that you’re unlikely to ever find at the ridiculous £6.00 a piece we’re putting it out at.
So I know it’s a trek to Camberwell, but if you’re looking to stock some physical music for the winter, then don’t look anywhere else!
I live you with my list-please don’t send me any abuse because I omitted Amy Winehouse and Pete Libertines or whoever else you believe is the best-but feel free to send me compliments and your own list of records that just seem to have been tattooed to your soul.
All the best.
Philippe at Rat Record.
ALBUMS :
CW STONEKING : KING HOKUM and JUNGLE BLUES (2 albums)
PANDA BEAR : PERSON PITCH
ALI FARKA TORE : TOUMANI DIABATE
RICARDO VILLALOBOS : ALCACHOFA
TBA : ANNULE
AMIINA : KURR
THE CARETAKER : PERSISTENT REPETITION OF PHRASES
STARS OF THE LID : AND THEIR REFINEMENT OF THE DECLINE
EAGLES OF DEATH METAL : PEACE, LOVE, DEATH METAL
ALELA DIANE : THE PIRATE GOSPEL
BJORK – VESPERTINE
JOANNA NEWSOM : THE MILK EYE MENDER
SEBASTIEN TELLIER : SESSIONS
MELT BANANA : BAMBI’S DILEMMA
ROGER ALAN WADE : ALL LIKKERED UP
MIRACLE FORTRESS : MIRACLE FORTRESS
SUFJAN STEVENS : COME ON FEEL THE ILLINOISE
ARIEL PINK’S HAUNTED GRAFFITI : THE DOLDRUMS
CASSETTE BOY : THE PARKER’S TAPES
FANTOMAS : THE DIRECTOR’S CUT
HOPE SANDOVAL : BAVARIAN FRUIT BREAD
JEFFREY LEWIS ; 12 CRASS SONGS
SEXSMITH AND KERR : DESTINATION UNKNOWN
SEASICK STEVE : DOG HOUSE MUSIC
ABFAHRT HINWIL : LINKS BERGE RECHTS SEEN
SONGS :
GNARLS BARKLEY : CRAZY
WILD BILLY CHILDISH : JOE STRUMMER’S GRAVE
ANIMAL COLLECTIVE : MY GIRLS
SEXY SUSHY : PRINCESSE VOITURE
GREEN VELVET : LA LA LAND
WHITEY : MADE OF NIGHT
TUNNG : SURPRISE ME 44
HONKEY FINGERS : GOT THIS RAGE
YO LA TENGO : NUCLEAR WAR
QUINTRON : PLACE UNKNOWN
M I A : GALANG
M WARD : CHINESE TRANSLATIONS
TANYA STEPHENS : IT’S A PITY
MATHEW JONSON : TYPEROPE
CIBELLE : GREEN GRASS
PAN SONIC : LAHETYS
PENDULUM : ANOTHER PLANET
CULTURE CRUNCHER : I GET STUPID
3D!T : BLASPHEGMY
DIPLO : GOLDDIGGER
Well first of all I would like to thank Tom (otherwise known as “lord Rat” and otherwise simply as “the owner”.) for a lovely bottle of Spanish wine prima reserva.
You see Tom and myself had a bet a few weeks ago as we were preparing to launch our biggest ebay auction to date with a bunch of Beach boys bootlegs we previously told you about, a Beatles anthology boxset with holographic design and a Frank Sinatra 20 CD’s mammoth.
Our beloved owner took the bet with me that the Beatles would be the biggest auction while I put my guns with the much maligned crooner/mafioso… and won by some margin.
Now don’t get me wrong, given the choice, I’d rather be forced fed the jewel of England’s pop music than the serenades of a ruthless yankee, but seriously, I never had any doubt about the outcome.
But this time around, I would not bet against the Fab four’s item we’re just about to launch into cyberspace… I name you : THE BUTCHER COVER.
Any of you got one of those ? You might not even know you do, actually, since the butcher cover is actually not visible unless you look for a butcher’s apron’s shadow underneath the cover of a beatle’s LP called “YESTERDAY and TODAY.”.
Yes my dear members of Rat Records, run to your record shelves and start searching , try to stay calm, take a deep breath, and, well, here’s a little help to help you locate what would possibly make you a very happy bunny : http://www.christiewalsh.com/fun/beatles/images/trunk.jpg
Now if you happen to have the record, calm down because all is not won yet (what did you expect?).
What you need to do now is look for signs that the present cover of the record you are holding is actually glued over another one that looks like this : http://www.esquire.com/media/cm/esquire/images/butcher-cover-beatles-061808-lg.jpg
If that’s the case, then you don’t even have to look at the record’s condition because no one gives a damn about the music on there…. it’s all about the cover, the stuff of legend, the blood and disembodied baby dolls with the large grins of the evil four!!!!!
Well, I hope that was useful for you, but if you don’t own a copy suddenly feel like this could be the ideal pressy for Daddy, then be prepared to make your paypal account weep!!!
http://shop.ebay.co.uk/merchant/ratrecords_W0QQ_dmdZ1QQ_in_kwZ1QQ_ipgZ50QQ_sopZ12
Anyway, now to the racks of this coming Saturday : well it’s more of the same from last Saturday, and all you need to know is that this was our biggest Saturday of the year! The punters who made it down here all left with a big grin on their faces which was saying more than I could…Soul, Disco, Classic rock, Punk, Electro, Indus, we have it all and in superb condition.
Some people have been queuing outside this shop for years on Saturday morning and I’ve never seen them so excited!
You have been warned….it’s now or never.
Philippe at Rat Records.
Oulalalalalalal!!!! Mes amis de Rat Records, let me tell you, this is as good as it gets in here!! We are really excited by the stock that Tom has been bringing in over the past 3 days.
All in all, we are talking about 5 different collections, and our drawers that were completely empty on Monday, are now overflowing with enough stock for the next 6 coming weeks at least.
So it goes like this :
on Tuesday Tom visited a man who had decided to part company with his partner of 20years, a fine collection of bleak nihilistic dark metalist Rock that brought tears to my eyes and joy to my ever so disintegrating earing.
If you like Indus, Metal, Post punk, Grunge and growling Indie, then you’re in for a treat.
On Wednesday, Tom visited a man who had decided to part company with his partner of 40years, a pretty collection of over1000 Soul and Disco 12’s and LP’s he had barely ever dared touching with his own fingers , if we are to judge by the pristine condition they arrived here.
This was followed by yet another collection of the same calibre, and then a nice buy of classic Reggae roots originals-12’s, LP’s and &inches.
Our expert on the matter , Mr Dominic Dawson, has this to tell you all : Hello folks! Well I’m not even gonna go into names here but what I will tell you is that in 25 years of collecting and working in the business I have not seen a record collection in such amazing condition, you can safely asume thatthe quality is high too, oh and the reggae is great although been to a few parties but I have seen a lot worse…
And today, as if we didn’t have enough on our hands, he walked in with a few boxes of amazzing classic 60’s Rock and early Punk that he had bought from the survivor of a man who had decided (or not) to part with life!!!
And now we might just have a brand new lugubrious motto :
RAT RECORDS: YOU DIE, WE BUY!!!!
See you all on Saturdaze!!!
Philippe at Rat Records.