Jed Pressgrove is a graduate student in sociology. He can be contacted at [email protected].Bebop Records, once the best place to buy music in Starkville, will be no more after the weekend.
I was a relatively new customer to the establishment. Some of the best records in my music collection, including My Aim Is True by Elvis Costello and a two-album set by Howlin’ Wolf, were purchased from Bebop just this year.
It didn’t take long for me to appreciate the incense-filled environment of Bebop. Shopping for artists as diverse as Wes Montgomery, Dr. Dre and Dream Theater seemed more like rummaging through a cool friend’s extensive collection than wading through a moneymaking establishment.
Unfortunately, perhaps this environment was the reason why the average Starkville citizen didn’t stop at Bebop more often.
The sign of the store didn’t shine brightly like Sam Goody’s. It refused to plead for your money.
There were plenty of records I should have bought in the low-key store, mainly because they were cheap or unavailable anywhere else in town.
Still, running across a Traveling Willburys set is something I will remember, even though it didn’t leave the store with me.
Unfortunately, our music purchasing in Starkville will now be limited to Wal-Mart and Sam Goody. And buying illegal CDs from your friends if that’s your scene.
Both of these places have their specific misgivings.
Wal-Mart sells quite a few censored albums, notwithstanding that the backward retailer will sell you hundreds of DVDs with even worse language and content.
Although the prices might be lower sometimes in Wal-Mart, what’s the point if the record intermittently pauses because our country contains a few unenlightened beings who cry, “Bad word! Bad word!”
And then you have Sam Goody, the place where prices never seem to fall enough. In many cases, a Sam Goody item on sale is still pricier than the same item at another establishment, totally defeating the purpose of lowering prices (hint: to stay competitive).
Nowadays you don’t have to sign a contract with the devil. You can support Sam Goody and writhe with worms whenever.
Some may call this an overreaction.
After all, this is the Internet age – point and click on a button and score 15 for capitalism and invisible people across the nation.
Or instead, maybe I should buy an iPod and go with iTunes. Maybe we should give everything the iPod treatment: Who’s up for tearing down Van Gogh paintings and stuffing them in our pockets? Call it an iDoodle.
Seriously, does anyone remember liner notes anymore? Sometimes they have wonderful essays in them, detailing the process of classics such as “Right Off” by Miles Davis and “Home at Last” by Steely Dan.
Other times it’s the album cover that warrants ownership. (Here’s looking at you, Abbey Road.)
Regardless, any time a city loses an establishment with personality and depth, it should be seen as a mistake on the part of the local populace. Yes, I blame you, Starkville: somewhat smoke-free but still under the sheets with Satan.