Amoeba Music

In 2003, my record collecting days would never be the same again as I discovered a Happiest Place on Earth for vinyl. Since then, my collections of vinyl, DVDs and laserdiscs has gotten bigger and better with gems I would have never thought of seeing and owning and at great prices. Not only that, the opportunity to trade in items for cash or credit is about the best deal in town. From music in mono to quadraphonic and beyond, Amoeba Music is the best. Thank you, Amoeba Music!

I began record shopping back in the days of the major record store chains and media mega stores. I would shop at them to find everything I needed but as my musical tastes got more obscure and diverse I needed more resources to find good music. As the internet rolled around, even that wasn't perfect. There is such much that just isn't available even on the web. Eventually I went up North to visit my friend in SF and she introduced me to Amoeba! It's been a love affair ever since and I was so excited the day Amoeba opened in So Cal. I go there as often as possible! One thing I would like to add is that another indie record store chain that is from out state had a booth at a major music festival, I asked them how they would categorize their stores. They asked me where I lived and I said So Cal. The salesperson replied, "We try to be as good as Amoeba." Talk about a compliment! All in all, Amoeba is the greatest record store ever!

I was 13 years old when i stumbled into Amoeba Records on a date. Growing up in the suburbs of LA, and not really traveling far distances, i was amazed stepping into such an enormous store. I was fascinated by all the posters in the wall. Records, records, records everywhere!! Im not a very good story teller, but it was a strange feeling that i had when i was inside Amoeba. I felt at home in a sense. It was my first year in High School, and i was "The Weird Kid" (Im sure alot of ppl can relate to this). But being there, i felt like i was just a normal kid. No one looked at me weird. As ironic as it sounds, i though other ppl dressed more crazier than me. I was at a place where i could express my self by just being me. Looking through records of artist that i really admired as a child. And i was glad i could search through the racks with out the kids of my neighborhood making fun of me for picking up a Michal Jackson album (this was in 1999). Amoeba is a very special place in my heart. If there is one band that has made me love music and has inspired me as a 5 year old it would have to be THE BEATLES. My sister would play Cassettes (this is how old i feel)of this British band. It is by far, the most influential band in my life. A band that changed Western Culture, and redefined an era. So to stand in line for over 12 hours, and see a former Beatles perform at Amoeba was beyond phenomenal to me. I might of shed a tear or two of happiness. But from the bottom of my heart, i thank Amoeba Records and its staff for making that day, a very special and memorable experience. Thank you Amoeba Records.

To start off, Amoeba was already great to start off with. Every visit id better than the last. I have a day that was just the best. Monday, I have class at 12:10 it ends at 1:45 and I am off. 20 minutes on the blue line and 20 more on the red. Short walk past Trader Joes and the delicious tofu burgers across the street. I walk in. Almost running to raid the 7s. So far nothing. my friends check the west and east coast, the $1 hc, garage, crust, the giant 7s. So i decide to flip through the 50 cent section. Still nothing. They find a couple things. Then on the 3rd row i come across a Cold World- Ice Grillz on pink. a test press. It does not get any better than this. I decided not to buy anything else. There was no way that i would find anything better than that. A cold world 7 for 50 cents. That right there was the best visit....so far :)

I was in my early 20s when Amoeba first opened. I grew up in the East Bay and would make the trek to the Berkeley store for a variety of the best music in the world. At the time, the chances of finding things like even Nine Inch Nails masterpiece "Pretty Hate Machine" in the early 90s, you'd have to seek out the better indie stores. I hated walking into a different store to buy a Morrissey or Pixies album and have only one or two from their catalogue to choose from. Amoeba had every title, every time. Some stores shipped vinyl out when it lost its steam around the grunge period, and then brought it back when it regained popularity years later. At Amoeba, it was ALWAYS there...and I love vinyl. I started at the Berkeley store, and then moved to San Francisco. I would actually go to BOTH stores, San Francisco and Berkeley, but San Francisco became my home store. My wife is originally from Los Angeles. She grew up in Glendale, which is about 10 miles east of the Hollywood store. We drove to LA just to make a trip to Disneyland with her entire family. We'd never all gone together. We drove down from San Jose, where we live now. I woke up Saturday morning in our Pasadena hotel and I explained to her, "Houston, we have a problem". You see, it was Record Store Day 2010. I dropped her off at the family home and told her, "We'll have to go separately." I got the "You gotta be fu***ng kidding me!" responses from the family. I responded that I just didn't care whether or not they 'got it'. What a great opportunity and day - Record Store Day at the Hollywood Amoeba! I got everything on my list - from the Beastie Boys vinyl EP featuring rare mixes by DJ Shadow, I got everything I wanted. I picked up a few other rare gems not from the RecordStoreDay deals as well. I first made me trek to the Telegraph store in the early 90s. I have been going to the San Francisco store too since it's opened, and I go to the Hollywood store on every single trip we take to LA. It's a tradition - Amoeba, and then Cat and Fiddle for a beer. I've been going to Amoeba for about 20 years now and it's always delivered. That import that you can only get in the UK? They have it new and they have it used. That vinyl copy of Tool's Aenima? They have it sealed. That free poster from your favorite Suede show at the Fillmore that your drunk friend stepped on in the car? They have it in Mint condition. I don't have a lot of time to waste and it's never been a waste of time.

I NOW LIVE IN LAS VEGAS BUT I'M ORIGINALLY FROM LOS ANGELES. WE DON'T HAVE THE SAME QUALITY OF RECORD STORES HERE IN NEVADA LIKE THE ONES IN LA AND AMOEBA IS THE BEST! I RECENTLY WAS BURGLARIZED AND I HAD TO REPLACE A LOT OF MY DVDS. I MADE A TRIP TO LA TO CHECK OUT AMOEBA AND WENT CRAZY!!! THEY ARE THE BEST! ROCK ON AMIE GONZALEZ

Well I look back at thee first time I visited Amoeba Records, And I spent almost three hours in their just absorbing all of the music. Really hard to put when and what my all time favorite part of going to Amoeba. (And still do!) From the Time I bought my first KISS album their, Destroyer. Seeing how much Blues 7 Jazz Amoeba store has... quite a selection!!! Me & a few of my friends would always say to each other how that we could live their & we would feed of the music for days & days! One of the true treasures Amoeba in Hollywood has to offer is of course the music!! But theirs just one little hidden treasure... For my favorite all time artist Enrique Bunbury (formally lead singer of Heroes Del Silencio) left a autograph in the section where all of his albums are. Every time I get the chance to go to Amoeba I like to stop by and hold it just to look at it, I've meet Enrique already by the way. I've heard he was their too at Amoeba in Hollywood. It is really really hard to pin point where exactly in the time I've spent at Amoeba to say witch was my absolute memorable... But I can say is this, Great people, Friendly Employees, such a good vibe all around... and of course THE MUSIC! @_@ Too many memorable moments I've spent their. If I dont win the prize its okay, as long as I get to share this with other Amoeba costumers/fans... thats fine by me. (But, who wouldn't mind winning right?) :3 Keep it up Amoeba! Your one of the last GREATEST stores out their today!! )By the way, you and me are the same age. Im older, Ha! ;D By a few months) Peace. Through. Music.

One word... Laserdiscs. Never in all my life have I seen so many beautiful shiny over sized discs. I love them, I love Amoeba Music even more though. I live in Hemet California... aka Hell on Earth. The only thing that keeps me going and not putting a gun in my mouth is the thought that every month, I get in my 2004 Toyota Camry and brave the 10W to the 101N and finally to 6400 Sunset BLVD. Hollywood CA. I load up two carts full of those long forgotten gems of the early 80's late 90's. I would truly cry 12 years of tears if my ritual was halted. I need my Laserdiscs... I need my Amoeba Music. Thank you... both of you.

I have been a rabid fan of Amoeba since I first visited the Berkeley store back in 1992. I couldn't believe the selection and low prices of the used 12"s. I walked out of there with the first of many sizable stacks of vinyl. I remember when the SF store opened and they had a huge selection of CD singles which I enjoy collecting. It was nuts. Ironically, I was there the day they dismantled what was left of the Rock CD Singles section about a year ago. :( I can spend hours at Amoeba rifling through the vinyl and cds. I never leave disappointed. Here's to another 20 years!

When I first started going to Amoeba, I would always check out the Bonnie 'Prince' Billy / Will Oldham section (sometimes there was one for each!). Sure enough, each different occasion I would visit the store, there would be some strange EP of his that I didn't know about for sale. Sadly, those days have passed as I own almost all of the rare ones now (mostly thanks to Amoeba). Who knows, maybe someday soon I'll send them back Amoeba's way (gotta keep thos BPB mp3 files flowing).