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A Tale Of The Who



As many of you already know, on Mondays I go out and about to buy stock
(read: used CDs) for my store. These trips range far and wide, at least as
wide as a one day trip can range (and considering how fast I drive, that can
be some range). This week was Columbia, which has a Best Buy (the only place
reported to be carrying the 2 disc version of the Who's BBC set)...so I was
wishing it was a week and a day later (if they haven't changed the release
date again) and also that I could make some of these Who shows which are
getting such tremendous reviews. Alas, alack, and faraday. Whatever that
means.
So twas in this state of mind I ventured forth to find a fellow who several
years ago had a music store in Charleston, a fellow who is well versed in
music and while a stone Beatles fan (head of the local chapter of the fan
club, personal friend of Yoko's...OK, so that's probably not very hard) and
one from whom I have oft found interesting Who stuff in the past. I heard
rumour he was there; I hadn't seen him in at least 10 years and have since
gotten in the biz myself, so I was hoping to find the lad to converse and
otherwise hobnob about CDs and music. After all, I was going to be in town.
What the Hell.
The trip was a torturous one, but in the end I found his shop...one flight
up and no parking...the sort of place one might expect to find someone like
this. Entering the shop, I saw that it was indeed the fellow I had been
seeking. But that was nothing...my eyes were immediately drawn to the LP
behind him on the wall. For there, before my very eyes, sat one of the
(according to Clinton Heylin's definitive work on bootlegs, called Bootleg)
120 copies of Tales From The Who which made it out from under the FBI
crackdown. Sporting the famous William Stout cover and in near perfect
condition, too. Something I never thought I'd get to own, never ever.
To make a long story even longer...no, not really....yes, I bought it. And
for a mere pittance too (I don't know about where you live, but in Columbia
SC a pittance is $30-no tax) I even bought a Beatles bootleg CD, too, just
because I got carried away. What the Hell.
So now at least The Who shined a light down upon this little fan a bit
today, even if I can't make the big events this time around.