"All Things Must Pass"-Tower Records Documentary

The Sunset store had a wonderful catalog of great jazz and classical records. It was about an hour trek down the I-5 for me.The Topanga Canyon store was really good too but not as good as Sunset. Amoeba is the same distance and a real trip in more ways than one. Some of the weirdest people haunt the Sunset area and they all seem to collect themselves at the Amoeba store. Now if only they would get a customer restroom! Old guys have needs.

I worked at the London store in Piccadilly Circus early 90s. It was a great time for British music, just a short time before the Britpop explosion of Pulp, Suede, Blur, Oasis, etc.At the time, the scene was still indie, with most bands playing Brixton Academy, Town and Country, etc. I was fortunate to see the Fall, Wedding Present, Ride, My Bloody Valentine, early Blur, Dino Jr., Mary Chain, Nick Cave, etc.I also lived above a pub near Marble Arch, and worked a deal where all my fellow Yankee students would drink there on a regular basis, in exchange for room and board and drinks for me! I gained 50 lbs from shephards pies and Guiness! Lol! However, the Tower there was massive 3 story structure that really didn't feel like an independent store.However, I mainly worked there to meet chics and get promo cassettes! They also had a bunch of old/used equipment in the basement, and I was able to assemble a meager system featuring some early BBC monitors. I mainly dealt with cassettes due to cost, and the manager let me dub anything I wanted. Not sure about the other locations, but only the managers worked full-time/8 hr shifts. Most did it to have access to music, meet people, etc. Some great memories as this was a 24/7 store during my tenure. Although a huge store as I mentioned, the management had a laid back style, with informal staff meetings @ local Pubs.Miss Tower, sausage rolls, and curry!

Every week I took at least one trip to the Tower on the upper west side NYC and once there, would usually spend an hour looking and listening. Hard to walk out without buying something. Saw many Broadway performers, tv stars and rock luminaries shopping there among them:
Paul Simon
Stevie Wonder
Elton--who, as I recall they closed the store for. Great memories. Now I go to numerous smaller record stores downtown such as Other Music or In Living Stereo. For a big selection it's Rough Trade in Brooklyn but the whole experience is just not the same.

I liked the local (Austin) Tower store for its selection, its artwork on the building and its "instore" concerts (I took my kids to see/hear the Toeadies there). The store was in a building that housed a theater in earlier days (I saw "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" and "Stop Making Sense" in that same room). I miss it.

I lived on Broadway and 8th Street for 15 years and visits to that Tower Records store, as well as the used Record/CD shops on St Mark's Place, were essential parts of my week. Every week. Most days, in fact. It's a little sad that that ritual is gone forever.