Tower Records founder, Russ Solomon to open R5 Records

And I also. There just isn't anything at all that exists today in this area that carries the depth of genre and catalog that Tower did. There are a few places with quality but not much depth. As for the remaining national brick and mortar stores (Barnes and Noble, Borders, Best Buys, FYE, Fry's etc) the lack of catalog or really minimal selection at all has turned me into an online purchaser. Although, I am trying to support one local store with having them order some things for me which usually costs me a couple of bucks more than doing it myself but if I want to be able to shop there I have to support them.

 

As long as Amoeba sticks around - I'm a happy man.

 

R5's last day of business was apparently yesterday, it's now closed. It will reopen as a Dimple Records location sometime in July.

 

Yeah, I think Russ has finally given up. It's a shame since the vinyl resurgence has helped most record stores including R5 but I think he waited a little too late to get into the game, especially used vinyl. At least it's only one of several record stores in town but I still wish his could have found some success.

 

It's amazing to me that record stores are extinct. There isn't one anywhere near me ... well, there is one, actually, within 25 miles of here (Johnny's in Darien, CT), but it's tiny and sells a lot more stuff like art prints, shirts, jewelry and other doo-dads than it does music.

 

I know! It was kind of a latecomer and the stock was only so-so. But still.

Count me among those who miss Tower Records. When it first opened in Philly on Broad Street, it was great. Huge classical selection. Then it got trimmed as DVD sales roared. Now it's an FYE, and it's OK, actually, all things considered.

I also miss the thought of the place at Lincoln Center. That one really had everything classical, at least as far as I could tell.

 

Wow, do you go to Johnny's? I grew up in Darien. I remember going there for tapes a few times.

After I could drive (late 80's), much more often though I went to a place called City Disc, in Norwalk. (They also had locations in Greenwich and then Stamford.) I probably went there twice a week on average, mostly Tuesdays and Fridays, when they got their orders. Those guys were cool.

 

I went to the new Dimple Records location today (formerly R5 Records). Far less music and much more emphasis on DVDs and video games. There's less space now for new vinyl, but there's also more used vinyl than R5 had. There's now more used CDs, but less CDs overall.

 

Tower Records was the pinnacle of B&M music stores. I doubt many people would argue with this assertion ...

 

I went to R5 one time, about 6 months ago. Wasn't very impressed.

I too miss the hey day of Tower - for me, that was the 80's.

I must say, the Arden Dimple location, with the "record store" in the back alley has a decent selection, and very reasonable prices for their used vinyl.

 

Did they take on any of the R5 employees?

 

I grew up in Darien too. Spent almost every dollar I could earn as a high school student at Johnny's Records.

 

I think R5 was having the same trouble as Tower the last year or two before it closed. They might have been purchasing less knowing they were folding or maybe they couldn't get much on credit if they were having cash flow problems. When R5 first opened, they had a decent selection and there was short window a year or so ago where they had a decent vinyl selection.
The Beat on J street has the biggest selection of everything is town and the prices are good. I went to the Dimles vinyl store on Arden and wasn't that impressed with their inventory. I was told by a friend a while back that when they first opened that vinyl only store they had a lot of good stuff but people flocked to the store when they heard about it and probably cleaned them out.


REimple absorbing R5 employees, I didn't see any R5 people when I went in the Dimples/R5 store recently and one of the young women who worked at R5 appeared to be learning how to sell pork at the Sunday farmer's market, so I think the answer might be "no" on that question.

 

The place I really shopped at was a hole in the wall store in Stamford called Disc & DAT. They moved far away about five or ten years ago. Wonder if they still exist.

 

Were there ever any Tower Records in CT? I did not move to CT until the late 90's ...

 

We had a superb Tower in Buckhead. Miss that store greatly.

No one left who has deep inventory and wide selection.

 

Tower here was the same. I guess yours had no customers either.
The jazz/classical floor was wonderful, but I never saw another customer in my few visits. Always found some full priced great stuff though. They had an entire bin of OJC cds, and another of EMI recordings of the Century. i..e.. pretty much the lot.

 

Actually the Tower here was very busy. Probably could have survived as a standalone would be my bet.

 

Drove by that location this evening on the way to dinner at Dante's down the Hatch. Great store.

Also sad to see the Broad St. Tower in Philly close... in the end they had many titles for $9.99 or less, but obviously tough to compete against the new model.

 

Yes, they moved to my neck of the woods!

Disc & Dat
107 Greenwood Ave
Bethel, CT 06801
203-797-0067

 

Everyone here was in Rasputin and Amoeba.

I don't really know why, the Tower was quite good for most stuff.

R&A are great for finding things you're not looking for. Most people don't shop like that any more, which is why sales in B&M stores are down IMO. It's 'these three discs please' and out. I still browse and find things.

 

I miss tower too. Portland had one on the Eastside and Westside, I remember

Xmas '84 seeing stacks 3 ft high down the middle of isles, the Prince catalog in

particular. I lived in rural eastern oregon then so I was even more shocked by the

amount of stock they planned to sell.