Thrift Store Gambling: And Sometimes You Don't Lose As Much!

Here's my problem with the thrift store thing: it always boils down to "Well, I wouldn't pay full price for this, but at two bucks, what a bargain!" Sorry, but crap is still crap, no matter how little you paid for it. And then you're saddled with more stuff that you can't quite bring yourself to get rid of...
I think of the line in a recent article in "The New Yorker" about the still-touring remnants of  the TV cable show "Mystery Science Theatre 3000". One of the participants said ruefully "I realized I'd seen 'Santa Claus Conquers the Martians' more times than 'Citizen Kane'." (They broke up soon after.) Time spent listening to stuff that's 'not so bad' equals time NOT listening to stuff that's really, really good.

So, Sopwith Camel -- worth the $1.99 ?  I figure 7 of the 10 tracks are pretty good, tho the last is only a minute or so long. Brief history: Sopwith Camel was one of the very first San Francisco hippie bands to release a single ("Hello Hello") that charted, they released an album, they broke up. 4 or 5 years later, they reform (mostly), record and release "The Miraculous Hump Returns From the Moon". Reviews are harsh.

 

So here's the deal: I have this weird idea that there's some song or album I heard as a developing teen that I've forgotten.  That, when rediscovered, will open, Alladin-like,  portals of memory that will allow me to tap into my teen brain. What were you thinking, Teen David? I wrote notes, kept lists -- what I wouldn't give for my list of the bands I saw in concert -- but boxes disappear when you move a lot. Had lunch with a high school bud a few days ago -- most of our stories didn't match at all. Is memory real, or just a story we tell ourselves?

 

I remember hearing "Coke, Suede and Waterbeds", the single from the album, on FM radio, and thinking "Wonder what that album sounds like?" And yes, when I saw it at Value Village, I thought "Ah, the portal.."

(Jeez, bud, this can't be the portal -- were you even paying attention? If you haven't even heard it before, IT CAN'T BE THE PORTAL!) 

 

Guess what? It's not bad. 'Side One' (guessing) is pretty good, and 'Side Two' has one good song (and a cool outro). I did enjoy the good stuff, though . It's no portal, but, well your portal is up to you. I'll bet this review doesn't have you smoking the online used CD sites, desperate to find  a copy, but maybe you'll hear a song sometime soon and wonder, where could this lead?