Why am I such a coward?

Having spent an hour wandering the aisles of my local Tower Records yesterday, a niggling anxiety burrowed its way into my stomach in a way not unlike some furry creatures in a cave grooving with a pict. What was wrong? What was it that was eating away at me? Ah yes, I'm getting fricking old! I had picked up at least a half dozen CDs by artists that I never heard of, CDs with cool cover art, and band names that said, "I'm hip, give me a listen, you whanker". But each time I put the CD back on the shelf, feeling that $13.99 or $17.99 was too much to spend on something I'd never heard of.

The old Rick, the Rick who wandered the stacks at Berkeley's Rasputin's back in the late '70s would have taken the chance, but not the mid-forties Rick, who seems to only buy stuff by artists he has been listening to for years. Yes, records were $3.99 back then, but I earned a lot less, so that is no excuse. Yes, experience has taught me that I brought home some real stinkers, but I also brought home Pere Ubu. Also true that back then I was hanging out with friends that would put Henry Cow or Gong on the turntable, but I was also putting interesting music on the turntable for them.

Have I become my father? Is Elvis Costello my Frank Sinatra? Please help! Send your suggestions. I promise to give a listen.

Oh, and what did I finally walk away with? Spearhead's "Everyone Deserves Music". And I'll recommend it to my readers that may have never heard Spearhead before.

And on slightly related notes. Brian Mickelthwait of Brian's Culture Blog has an extremely interesting posting about biological fractals effect on the sounds produced by your Nine Inch Nails CDs. Just smear some yoghurt on them and see what happens. Read it here.

And CNN's Showbuzz informs us that The Pixie's may be reforming. Here.