While watching "Papa Ray's Vintage Vinyl Roadshow," the owner's tribute to longtime St. Louis record store Vintage Vinyl on public TV station KETC tonight, I had several "These are my people" moments. The one that made me smile most, however, was when Tom "Papa" Ray held up a Soft Machine album. I don't work at Vintage Vinyl, but I knew immediately what I'd tell a customer who asked about that group. I'd say, "They're a good example of electronica that was progressive for the '70s. One of the best examples of that is their song, 'Nettle Bed,' an instrumental that's of its time in the best way. Also, I have to admire a group that's quirky enough to open and close an album by singing the British alphabet."
Perhaps only one in a quarter-million people would ask me about that group...
...but there's a strong chance they'd turn up at Vintage Vinyl, given the store's vast selection and history.
