Films/DVD Asylum

Posted by stan2 (A) on November 03, 2015 at 12:44:48

I'm not sure how much screen time or Netflix this documentary about the rise and fall of Tower Records by Colin Hanks will get outside Sacramento. Sac is the home of Tower and of Hanks and his dad Tom. Anyhow, I saw it yesterday in - where else? - the original Tower location, here at 16th and Broadway. That's where Russ Solomon started the biz in his dad's drug store, selling used juke box 45's.

So the film is a slide show/film clips/interviews with Russ, former managers, store clerks, etc. It takes you through the beginnings in '63, I think, and how he jumped on the music wave that came with the Beach Boys, the Brit invasion, the transition to CDs, the international expansion and the eventual demise as the digital age and big box undercutting took its natural progression and knocked out a lot of CD business. Old photos and footage of a number of the former stores - SF, Sunset, NY, Tokyo, et al. Highly recommended if you spent a lot of time and cash in Tower. (But you'll come away knowing you didn't likely spend more than Elton)

I met Russ once. Nice guy and local hero, although I imagine there are some former record store owners who wouldn't have a good opinion of Tower. The stores were managed in hands-off Russ style and managers rose from the clerk ranks. No dress code. I sure miss hanging around in there. The former employees talk a bit of the drinking and drug culture (cocaine was referred to as 'hand cart fuel'. It even went on invoices that way...) A lot of history in a couple hours.

a couple iPhony pix:

• IMDB All Things Must Pass   (Open in New Window)

Edits: 11/03/15   11/03/15