Los Angeles is so different from San Francisco. In the immediate aftermath of traveling to both cities, my take is that I love visiting San Francisco as a tourist but I could see myself living in L.A.
It sounds funny, but we kind of ran out of touristy things to do in Los Angeles after a few days. So we spent a lot of time doing things we might do back home — going to the movies, shopping, walking through pretty promenades. And browsing at what has to be the greatest music store in the country — Amoeba Music.
Amoeba is a two-story warehouse that occupies a full city block and even has its own parking garage. It has such a massive collection of new and used CDs that it doesn’t have a section for The Beatles, it has separate sections for each Beatles album. The Elvis Costello section is broken down by decade. And the upstairs is similarly stocked with DVDs.
If I lived in L.A., I would spend hours in this place every week, which is why it’s probably a good thing I don’t live in L.A. I imagine there aren’t many other places in the country where a store like this could thrive in today’s digital era.
But it is definitely thriving. On our last day in the city (July 4th), we showed up at Amoeba Music right when it opened and within 15 minutes the place was filled with customers. They also do a lot of online business (with free shipping on all items).
I bought four CDs at Amoeba and I’ll play a track from each this week.
My first trip to Amoeba was solo while my wife and kids hung out back at the hotel. It took me a good 20 minutes to get there in rush hour traffic so I didn’t have a lot of time to browse. I got a good feel for the place and then made a beeline to the used Rolling Stones section.
I’ve been building up my Rolling Stones collection over the past few years, adding the albums widely considered essential. The next target on my hit list was 1978’s Some Girls, the band’s reaction to the disco era. Sure enough, Amoeba had several copies, including a weathered copy for around $5. I snatched it up and hit the road, pledging to return before the trip was through.
I’ve been sleeping all alone
Lord I miss you
I’ve been hanging on the phone
I’ve been sleeping all alone
I want to kiss you
Oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh
Oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh
Oooh oooh oooh
Oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh
Oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh
Oooh oooh oooh oooh
Well, I’ve been haunted in my sleep
You’ve been starring in my dreams
Lord I miss you
I’ve been waiting in the hall
Been waiting on your call
When the phone rings
It’s just some friends of mine that say,
“Hey, what’s the matter man?
We’re gonna come around at twelve
With some Puerto Rican girls that are just dyin’ to meet you.
We’re gonna bring a case of wine
Hey, let’s go mess and fool around
You know, like we used to”
Aaah aaah aaah aaah aaah aaah aaah
Aaah aaah aaah aaah aaah aaah aaah
Aaah aaah aaah aaah
Oh everybody waits so long
Oh baby why you wait so long
Won’t you come on! Come on!
I’ve been walking in Central Park
Singing after dark
People think I’m crazy
I’ve been stumbling on my feet
Shuffling through the street
Asking people, “What’s the matter with you boy?”
Sometimes I want to say to myself
Sometimes I say
Oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh
Oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh
Oooh oooh oooh
Oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh
Oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh
I won’t miss you child
I guess I’m lying to myself
It’s just you and no one else
Lord I won’t miss you child
You’ve been blotting out my mind
Fooling on my time
No, I won’t miss you, baby, yeah
Lord, I miss you child
Meet Me In Montauk 
Great story. The traffic is one of the reasons I could never see living in LA, but I get what you mean about it feeling more like a city to occupy rather than to visit. Can’t believe we missed this awesome record store!
Ditto what Amy said. Can’t believe we didn’t go to this store.
Unfortunately, I don’t share your optimism as to the long term survival of Amoeba Music. People may be visiting, but I suspect sales and profits have taken a hit in this ever increasing digital age and will continue to do so. I was shocked and saddened when Tower Records in NYC closed as it was arguably a similar institution. I hope I am wrong, but I suspect I am not.
Sounds like a wonderful music store; I hope it lasts (as Dana pointed out)and it doesn’t close because of the digital age. Your comparison with San Francisco and LA reminded me of how Dad and I felt between the two cities in Scotland–Glasgow and Edinburg–we felt Glasgow was a city you could live in and Edinburg the one for tourists. On another note, we just returned from the documentary 20 Steps to Stardom about back-up singers, and there was some great footage of the Stones and interviews with Jagger about the backup female singers the group has used. Good film.