Fawlty Tower
Having spent an embarrassing number of years slinging discs myself, doing everything from the mega-corporate gig (Musicland) to the regional family chain (Peaches — something like Florida’s equivalent to Turtles or Cats) to the underground indie hotspot (Uncle Sam’s — something like a combination of Grimeys and Karma, plus body piercing & a headshop) — you’d think I’d have a lot to say about the closing of Tower Records.
Somehow I don’t. I do feel bad for the people that worked there, a few of whom are my friends. But otherwise — eh. Corporate chain bites the dust. A *better* corporate chain than many, to be sure. But for all the talk about their magnificent selection, I still never found anything I was looking for there.
Stores like Tower filled a need that no longer exists. The masses looking for the latest hits don’t need a massive deep catalog big box. Niche customers — like, say, indie rock hipsters — need a niche store — like, say, Grimey’s. And meanwhile the internet gives us deep catalog ‘long tail’ customers a deeper catalog than any store ever could.
And this is without even *thinking* about the mp3-only movement.
