Brass City

Brass City Records in Waterbury, Connecticut was always a little too far away from me to be a regular stop.  Still, it's a place I've been probably a hundred times over the 25 years or so since I was sad to hear that Walt, its owner, had recently died from cancer.  His store was the kind of place where I'd spend a few hours digging around, usually turning up something odd enough to be worth the drive.  Last weekend, the store was opened by Walt's friends to clear out as much as possible at (for the most part) reduced prices.  I was initially resistant to making the drive but my friend Anthony made me go and I'm glad he did.  Here's the haul, $2.50 per album or 12", $1 for each 45.

45s

Sigue Sigue Sputnick - Sex Bomb Boogie

Christmas - Wilhelm Reich

Prefab Sprout - When Love Breaks Down (double 45)

Afraid of Mice - I'm On Fire

Craze - Motions

Gary Numan - New Anger

Positive Noise - Give Me Passion (Ghosts, the B-side is great post-punk)

Bow Wow Wow - Louis Quatorze

Icicle Works - Seven Horses (double pack)

NME 45 - includes a live Smiths song

Richard Thompson - I Feel So Good

Pretenders - Message of Love

King - Love And Pride

Hoodoo Gurus - Come Anytime

Tubes - Prime Time (on clear/splattered vinyl)

The The - Controversial Subject (1st single on 4AD)

Toto Coelo - Milk From The Coconut

China Crisis - African And White

Soft Cell - What

OMD - If You Leave (double 45)

Those Melvins - Wasted Hippies (CT's own)

Bill Nelson's Red Noise - Revolt In Style (on blue vinyl)

John Otway - In Dreams

Buck Pets - Pearls

John Fox - Ever The Angel

Comsat Angels - Will You Stay Tonight

Incredible Casuals - That's Why

British Electric Foundation - Music Of Quality And Distinction : Volume One (5 45 box set)

Fischer-Z - Wax Dolls

Fischer-Z - Remember Russia

Adam Ant - Friend Or For

Adam Ant - Puss 'N Boots (German pressing)

Adam And The Ants - Dog Eat Dog

Japan - European Sun

Japan - Cantonese Boy

Japan - Life In Tokyo

The Church - When You Were Mine (original Australian pressing - tough to get)

The Church - Almost With You (also orig Aussie pressing, and one of my favorites of theirs)

The Church - Metropolis

The Church - You're Still Beautiful

The Rumour - Frozen Years

Department S - Going Left Right

Lene Lovich - It's You, Only You (picture disc)

Lene Lovich - The Night (US white label promo)

Lene Lovich - Bird Song (Japanese pressing)

Nick Lowe - Halfway To Paradise (UK pressing)

Nick Lowe - Halfway To Paradise (Belgian pressing on yellow vinyl)

LPs / 12"s

Colin Newman - Provisionally Entitled The Singing Fish

Theatre of Hate - Do You Believe In The Westworld 12"

Lene Lovich - Say When 12"

Lene Lovich - Angels 12"

Gleaming Spires - Life Out On The Lawn 12"

Gleaming Spires - Welcoming A New Ice Age

Rave-Ups - A Chance Conversation With Jimmer Podrasky

Bruce Gilbert - The Shivering Man

Bruce Gilbert - This Way 12"

Various - Start Swimming (with the Bongos, db's, Bush Tetras, more)

Ian Gomm - Talks (Interview LP on Stiff)

Dept S - I Want 12"

Huang Chung - Self-titled LP

Roger C. Reale - Radioctive

The Reducers With Roger C. Reale - Wake The Neighbors

Midnight Oil - Species Deceases EP

Midnight Oil - Place Without A Postcard

Ultravox - The Voice 12"

Ultravox - Quartet (UK picture disc)

Ultravox - U-Vox

Thompson Twins - Interview LP

Triffids - Calenture

UB40 - Present Arms

UB40 - The Singles Album

Pointed Sticks - Out Of Luck 12"

Simple Minds - Alive And Kicking Australian  Tour EP

The Crowd - A World Apart (1st press on Posh Boy)

Various - Savoy Sound Wave Goodbye (with Tuxedomoon, Snakefinger, Mutants, more)

Some of these can be mildly pricey (The The, Crowd, Pointed Sticks, Colin Newman) and some are just because I can't stop buying terrible new wave records (Toto Coelo, King, Huang Chung).  The last seven 45's and a few of the 12"s are on Stiff Records, which I also can't seem to stop buying.  I actually bought the Huang Chung because it's a mid-80's German reissue that mentions the name change and includes "Dance Hall Days".  And what kind of idiot buys Thompson Twins and Rave-Ups interview records?  It's sad, really.  All in, it ran me $117 plus tax and I (and every other customer there last weekend) would give it all back for Walt to still be there and for the store to still be up and running, even if we were infrequent shoppers.  Whatever you think of the list above, I challenge you to find a store left on the planet that would have that smattering of stuff.  I'll take digging through junk over Academy Records any day.  So long, Walt and so long, Brass City.  

By the way, that Triffids LP is great.  If you don't know them, try "Wide Open Road".