Collector's Corner: Adam Eisenberg

Today, Collector's Corner returns and we focus on one of our own: Adam Eisenberg! At the 'org, Adam E serves as copy editor, combing over every single letter to make sure everything is up to Blue Book standards. He also edits reviews on Tuesday and Thursday and is a regular podcast panelist. He is also a mega Public Image Limited fan and was hip to Downtown Boys before pretty much everyone else. What I am saying is that he often discovers cool bands early on, and then the rest of us hear what he likes and act like we were down from day one when really the last "new" band we knew about was GBH.

You can see Adam E's segment below.

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What is your earliest memory of hearing a record?

The earliest thing that I can remember being in to was The Monkees. They were making a comeback on Nickelodeon around the time that I was in Kindergarten and those were most certainly the first tapes that I listened to. My mom also listened to a lot of classic oldies on the radio, so I was constantly exposed to music like that in the car as a young kid.

What was the first record that you bought with your own money?

I don't know. It could have been something I bought as a little kid with birthday money or allowance. The Monkees? Weird Al? I remember a year or two after getting interested in those things being interested in Def Leppard's Hysteria tape and also Michael Jackson. When I was a little older, any money I had was generally spent buying cassette singles or CDs of things I liked from the radio. I've always purchased music in bulk.

Why do you collect records?

There are a lot of reasons. I'm an album guy. I know singles are much more popular now, and have been more popular at times in the past as well, but I like the complete document. Vinyl is a great medium for that because it's generally where you'll also get the biggest and best artwork, inserts, etc. Part of it also has to do with preservation. I have plenty of records that sold tons of copies and will never go away, but I also have records that aren't exactly in heavy circulation, and I guess there's a part of me that feels like one of these copies will have a good home with me. I don't want some great but obscure record to be lost to history in 50 years because I didn't grab a copy and keep it safe. What if no one else does?

That said, it's not as if I keep them sealed in carbonite. It's not about mint condition and investment for me. I buy records because I like to listen to them, which I believe is the point.

What is the crown jewel of your collection?

I think my copy of Public Image Ltd.'s Commercial Zone is pretty neat. It's their "lost" album, which was released in semi-bootleg fashion by Keith Levene from the masters that he took with him when he left the band. I think there are a few thousand copies out there from two pressings. In terms of rarity that's probably it. Also, since Lookout Records went under I've made it my business to try to track down as much of the Lookout catalog as possible. In the process I've gotten my hands on some very cool records, and there are loads more I'm still looking for.

What is your most exciting story wherein you tracked down a record that you wanted?

I don't know that I have one particularly exciting one, but I have had some exciting finds over the years. I recall a few years ago being in a record store in Albany, New York of all places called The Last Vestige. It turned out to be a pretty excellent shop. I don't remember everything I found there, but I had a pretty big haul, and in the course of flipping through the 7-inches I came across the last Against All Authority 7-inch that was missing from my collection. I had all the rest for years but this one had somehow gotten away and there it was. That's always a cool feeling.

There's the old adage "You never regret records that you buy, but you always regret the one's you *don't* buy". What record got away from you?

There's nothing that I'm really chasing, but there are always records that you miss because you're late to the party on the band and then you find out the pressing of 500 of their first 7-inch is gone and it ain't coming back. Every so often, if you keep on looking, you can find it sitting in a store or a distro. It's happened to me plenty of times. So I don't really regret not getting anything in particular since I always feel like if I keep on hunting I'll find it.

But, is there any record that you *do* regret buying?

Of course. There are always things that disappoint. Sometimes it's something from the dollar bin that you took a chance on, and sometimes it's the next album from your formerly favorite band. When you spend $15 on one of those right when it comes out, there can be a tinge of regret.

How precious are your records- That is, do you play them regularly, or do you keep them safe and locked away?

I like to listen to them, so they are out and accessible in my living room. That doesn't mean I don't take care of them, I do, but I don't see them as something that needs to be stored under glass.

Is medium itself (vinyl, CD, mp3) important to you?

I like vinyl, but I use all of the other media too, so medium isn't that important. I can't listen to vinyl in my car or on a plane, so mp3s are necessary, and back in the '90s especially, CDs were pretty much the only way to get music -- it's not like everything was pressed on vinyl then -- so I have plenty of those little frisbees too.

What's your white whale record?

I don't really have one. There are plenty of cool things out there that I'd love to get my hands on, and I'll just keep on hunting for them. That's the fun part. If I had a white whale and found it, what would I do then? I like the idea of casting a wide net (to continue with the seafaring metaphors) so there are always things I'm trying to track down.

Do you have a favorite record shop?

I don't have a great one locally, so I try to hit as many places as possible when I travel. Singles Going Steady in Seattle is great. Big selection, interesting stuff, friendly and extremely knowledgeable clerks. I mentioned The Last Vestige if you're ever in Albany. Arrow's Aim in Gainesville is very good, especially during Fest, when they bring in some extra inventory and do some cool things to welcome the Festers. When I was a kid there was a great one where I live called Uncle Sam's, but it closed and I still miss it.