NEW FLEA MARKET, OLD COUNTRY LPs

Here are three types of shoppers:

1. Get In & Get Out ASAP: This is the person who just HATES shopping. Shopping is a horrible chore only done when absolutely necessary, and there is no browsing or meandering or overbuying. Go in for what you need, buy it, and flee.

2. Money Burnin' A Hole In Mah Pocket: This is the person who MUST SHOP. Shopping is exciting and satisfying. If there is a dollar in the bank, that dollar will be spent on SOMETHING, no matter if there is need for it or not, like if you are compelled to buy a combination twistee-straw and fork, fake fur fingerless gloves, or a Lil Wayne CD.

3. The Relentless Bargain Hunter: This is the person who loves to shop, but is cheap. Never pays retail for anything, can spend hours sorting through hideous clothes to find one discount designer dress, and never goes to the mall. The thrill of finding something useful at 70% off induces euphoria.

There's no doubt: I am #3. So today I found myself at a new weekends-only flea market in my suburban Seattle burg, housed in an old strip mall that's seen better economic times. I like flea markets mainly because you can get stuff cheap, and sometimes you can find really bizarre and amusing things like strange mechanical toys from Japan, Beavis and Butthead trading cards, and fake fur fingerless gloves. I didn't have a lot of time to spend there, but I was able to make a nice score from a nice woman's stack of LPs that used to belong to her grandparents at a buck each.

You might be surprised what I purchased -- vintage country records, for the most part, which is pretty far from the indie/garage/British Invasion I usually favor. I loathed country music when I was a kid -- thought it was cornball and weird, played by weird cornballs with giant hair in sparkly Western gear. It wasn't really until my friend Kevin started making me cassette mix tapes of old country/rockabilly songs from the 50s/60s that I started dropping my old prejudices and embraced the strange and wonderful qualities of the Hillbilly. And after all, the Beatles' first few records were loaded with covers of rockabilly stuff, so it must be good, right? Plus you very often find some wicked hot guitar players on this stuff, sayin'.

Just the record covers alone would have been worth the cash. Grandpa and Grandma Flea Market Woman took good care of their platters, I'm pleased and not at all surprised to say.

Let's sample.


T. Texas Tyler, "Texas Boogie Woogie"




Hank Snow, "Music Makin' Mama From Memphis"



Porter Wagoner & Dolly Parton, "Milwaukee, Here I Come"  (They really mess this up and it's quite charming. Dolly was adorable, eh?)




Hank Williams, "Cold, Cold Heart"

Patsy Montana, "Back On Montana Plains" (wow, this is from 1939!)




Eddy Arnold, "I Walk Alone"




Chet Atkins, "Pickin' The Blues"





And to round out the day's purchase, some eclectic picks, including a one-off acetate from Grandpa Flea Market Woman and some other dude. I'll let you know how that sounds someday.

I really can't think of anyone else I'd rather be listening to on a rainy Saturday hard day's night than Mrs. Miller.

Mrs. Miller, "A Hard Day's Night"