The "Finally bought it" thread

As the title implies, a place to rejoice and share the stuff you finally got your hands on. When sharing what you got, please do also tell the story of the how's and why's of how you finally got it.

I, for example, finally got hold of the limited first edition single of Kate & Anna McGarrigle's song "Love Over and Over" with the picture sleeve from 1982. Because this was limited and US exclusive, all listings in Discogs and such sites have been from the US or Canada. Not great if you're European - singles really aren't worth shipping overseas.

Then today, I saw someone in the Netherlands listed a still sealed copy for sale on Discogs! What a dream. Snapped it up as fast as humanly possible.

So, what have you *finally* got?

 

I'm not sure if my story fits in with the thread, but Neil Young's latest release, Homegrown, had a very complicated story.

First, there's its release story: it was finally out 45 years after its recording sessions, having been cancelled not once but twice over the years.

Once Neil finally decided to release it, it had to be postponed because of the pandemic. Two more months to wait.

Once it was finally released, due to this same pandemic the record couldn't reach this distant corner of the Earth where I live.

I ordered the album twice, but both stores had to cancel my purchase. A third store happened to have it but I arrived too late. It was already sold.

Finally, earlier this month, when I had already quit, I came across a record shop in São Paulo that happened to have this album in vinyl and CD.

I couldn't believe my eyes!

It even seems strange when I play this record. Feels like I cheated fate somewhow...

 

I think this fit! You tried, struggled and even failed to get your hands on this record. Before finally finding it by chance. Which is so great!

 

I've been waiting on a lot of must-buy's this year, due to health concerns.
I think I only started the year (before my hospital "visits") with four items:

Mary Fahl's Dark Side Of The Moon cover on blu-ray surround (thank you Bob Clearmountain!)
The Doobies' Quadio myth that finally is theoretically-within my hands (at least, UPS says it got to town this morning) [EDIT]: As of five minutes ago... [/EDIT] Time to cross something else off my list...
Tears For Fears' Far Too Many Seeds Of Love box, now in the que, and
four Quad-mix SACD's from Dutton I intend to order this month, before they raise the postal rates again.

Lord willing and the creek don't rise, my rumpus-room Surround Lounge will be able to make it up for the
cancellation of our annual "Friends Like Family" event, long enough to take the N95 masks off the speakers!

 

Wilco - Summerteeth.

I have always wanted an original pressing, but you never see them in the bins. By chance, my brother saw a NM copy in Rough Trade and alerted me. It was a good price too, so I'm very happy that itch has been scratched.

 

Mine was earlier this year.

I came just a little late to the Jethro Tull 40th Anniversary CD/DVD book sets, and missed Thick as a Brick. It was a gap on the shelf that bugged me. (Some of you have the same disease.)

I saw some pretty pricey versions, but I also knew that they likely had the flawed DVD.

But earlier this year I saw sealed version for a really good price and, recklessly, decided to buy it and not worry about the flawed disc. Surprisingly, when I got it and opened it, it was a version with the fixed disc. (It has a little line on a particular place on the DVD.) I was stunned... a sealed version with the fixed disc. Couldn’t have been more thrilled!

If I can go way back in time for another one...

Before the public internet, finding certain import CDs could be difficult. As a Slade fan in the U.S., getting their albums on CD when CDs first came out was a real challenge for someone not familiar with ordering overseas.

In the import section of Tower Records, there sat a CD of a Slade album I wanted. But the import price was more than I could afford. My mom said, “Don’t worry, you can always buy it later.”

I love my mom, but I came to realize she knew nothing of CD sales/marketing/production. That CD was soon sold and then it went out of print. It took me almost 10 years to get a copy! I know that sounds strange in these days of being able to get just about anything in a week, but it was a lot different back then when you lived in a relatively small town.

 

Awesome! This is the stuff I love to hear about!

I definatly have the "Empty Shelf" bugg at times. Similarily, I've been filling out with a lot of long time "must haves" this year. Some have been rare - like a few self-released CDs from different artists, but most has simply been finacially unreachable. $50, $80 - student benefits just doesn't pay for it. Getting a job for the summer despite the COVID-19 situation was a happy event and made me an even happier record hunter.

Good luck with your health, btw!

 

Thanx*cough*a lot!

I keep two lists on my device these days. One is the, "find if at an insane price" list, the other is the, "I know I'm never gonna find it, but in case it's the right one" list.

When I was in radio, I also kept a two-sided list in my wallet, of all the various-artists series I was trying to fill - one side what I needed, the other side what I already had, for double-checking. It's led to quite an awesome inventory of the best versions of many radio formats of hits in four boxes at home, so I could be counted-on at a moments' notice to freshen-up an on-air library, offer a disc to a dance deejay for copying, or send one off to another programmer if need be. "You want the Rhino one, the Time-Life one, the album version, or single mix...?"

 

Funny...I bought it the day it came out and have hardly ever been more disappointed in a purchase.

 

How so? Was it the mastering, the pressing, or the music?

 

It took until 2009 to buy The Who By Numbers which I had put on a wants list when it came out in 1975.

And I had a birthday recently which got me the following - all first time listens.

Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers
Kraftwerk - Trans-Europe Express
Kraftwerk - Computer World

 

Appropriate timing for this thread as I had been intending to pick up a copy of The Magnificent Moodies by The Moody Blues for more than 40 years. Finally arrived yesterday courtesy of a September discount code for the Esoteric website which meant I got it for about £4.50.

 

Are the Kraftwerk albums the 2009 reissues? What do you think of them?

 

I just couldn't dig the transition from the "No Depression" sound to whatever that new sound was. To this day My fave Wilco album is A.M.

 

Managed to bag The Jam's Fire & Skill and 1977 boxed sets both second hand. Recent sets, but I dithered, and they went oop. Lesson learnt.

 

Just now finally bought the final entry in my Canadian Beatle album collection. I found a decent copy of Twist and Shout on Discogs for not too much. I've had the Beatlemania! album for decades and bought Long Tall Sally last month (after purchasing a less than desirable copy earlier this year. I saw these albums all the time in the import bins in the 1980s and never picked them up. I also bought all the US LPs that I got rid of long ago, so I thought I might as well get the Canadian ones too.

 

Sound fine to me but then I have nothing to compare them with so...

 

I'm still trying to buy Pat Martino Live At Yoshi's. On the first attempt it came with the wrong disc inside. Some time later I tried a different seller and the package disappeared into the ether. I plan to triumph however.

 

I'm sure you will!

I hate when the wrong record is in the sleeve with a passion- and recently had it happen to myself.

I bought an LP from a store and when I got home it turned out to be another record inside. It was signed and right artist so I kept it. I was 100% certain this was not the shops fault. However, the next payday I actually went back and - would you believe it - the right sleeve for the record I bought was there. Of course I checked out the record and yes, that matched the sleeve at home. Apparently same guy traded in both records and they never checked. Now I got both!

 

Now that's good fortune!

 

Certainly. The weird thing is I was 100% they did not have any more records by that artist - the shop owner tried to sell me several of her brother's records as well when I was there the first time, but made no mention of the second record. Yet, when I came back, it was there. If it had been a more famous artist it probably would've sold before I gor back.

 

Finally bought a copy of something I've coveted for 6 years: George Harrison "Apple Years box " on CD. I missed my chance when it came out, and could never pull the trigger on the exorbitant price ($300 plus used)!

I've waffled between buying the remasters individual but never did. Just last week I found a used VG+ copy on ebay for $150 shipping included! The price was low because it had a small dent and was missing the DVD---but I don't care. So glad to have my hands on this beautiful set.

 

Mine is a case of not simply finally buying it, but finally one comes up for sale. This is a copy of Raffi "Lovelight" (Troubadour, 1980). A re-release of the classic childrens entertainer's 2nd non-kids LP, originally titled "Adult Entertainment". It's a mediocre folk album, but I've been wanting one since I first read about it on a website years ago. I'm not even sure what the cover looks like, but its on its way to me now.

 

I have been searching for a Cyrkle 45 of Red Chair Fade Away, which is non LP cover of the Bee Gees song, to complete a Needle Drop of their Mono 45s. I missed a Canadian Copy about 5 years ago. a year and a half ago I see a mint Promo Copy on EBay and buy it for $30 plus shipping. When it arrives I put it on my turn table and it is the Cyrkle, but the song is Turn of The Century, which was the previous single. The label has Red Chair Fade Away and the old record number and old flip side. The seller gave me a break but I have not seen another copy. A real cluster at the pressing plant and graphics dept!

 

Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers - A Night in Tunisia
Horace Parlan Quintet -Speakin' My Piece
The Horace Silver Quintet Plus J.J. Johnson - The Cape Verdean Blues
Sonny Clark - Cool Strutin'

XRCD24 Audio Wave Blue Note cds... in one fell swoop.

Plus in same Discogs order:

Cookin' with The Miles Davis Quintet SHM mono cd
Lucy Reed - This is Lucy Reed The Complete Recordings 1950 - 1957 (featuring Bill Evans and Gil Evans)

I went a little uncharacteristically excessive... Happy early Birthday to me. I needed a present in the present.

The last, what I'd call present I'd gotten myself was Bill Evans - Consecration box set and that was pre-Covid.