My friend is in Tokyo and went to Tower this morning! (Whatever day it is there)

I remember Tower Records in this town; it was an awesome store with some historical experience. Thank God, Amoeba Records is still here despite the pandemic. I'm so old I remember when Amoeba Records was still a bowling alley (they actually had glow-in-the-dark bowling LOL).

[Edited 4/14/23 2:38am]

purplethunder3121 said:

I remember Tower Records in this town; it was an awesome store with some historical experience. Thank God, Amoeba Records is still here despite the pandemic. I'm so old I remember when Amoeba Records was still a bowling alley (they actually had glow-in-the-dark bowling LOL).

[Edited 4/14/23 2:38am]

I have pictures in front of this one, 2006 and 2017, but I haven't been to the new location it moved to YET!

I would kill to walk into the Tower Records in Atlanta next to Lennox Mall. I miss the store, the people and every moment in that heaven on earth! I worked at almost every major record store in Atlanta but not Tower...ain't no way I wanted to mix business with that pleasure. Probably one of the wisest decisions I made as a young idiot.

The all things must pass documentary is a MUST SEE, you get to see how it formed how it spread and what led to its demise. And now ironically after the passing of the original TOWER guy, we are seeing the resurgence in physical media again, and with things like RSD and used cds etc.... Tower would be a plus today in a different way. Here IN NYC tower records 4th and Broadway WAS what became "The village" ironicallly it was never called that till TOWER opened. And I say this as a shot at the judge who ordered tower closed, they said "We simply aren't going to allow you to continue a dead industry, we could save this store, but its not in our interests to do that" and it was lost, I will also say SINCE tower closed in 2006 NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING that has gone in that space has lasted, its destroyed the area, its like a ghost town of vacancies now, and its NOT all on COVID shutdowns. So as I pass this area often, its always a dead space, RETAIL SPACE available etc... but please nothing is going to take that place and help that dead neighbordhood

As a teen from the San Fran Bay Area, my Tower was the one in Stonestown Galleria. I did more hanging around and magazine snooping than buying, by chance I said hello to Q-Tip from ATCQ in 91 when their album was out. Those were the days.

Cinny said:

purplethunder3121 said:

I remember Tower Records in this town; it was an awesome store with some historical experience. Thank God, Amoeba Records is still here despite the pandemic. I'm so old I remember when Amoeba Records was still a bowling alley (they actually had glow-in-the-dark bowling LOL).

[Edited 4/14/23 2:38am]

I have pictures in front of this one, 2006 and 2017, but I haven't been to the new location it moved to YET!

This is San francisco store in Haight-Ashbury that is still in a former bowling green. It is the LA store that moved from Sunset to Hollywood Boulevard. I have only been to the USA once but we went to the SF store as above.


Amoeba Music - Store Photos - San Francisco

This is the old LA store

[Edited 4/19/23 14:19pm]

IanRG said:

Cinny said:

I have pictures in front of this one, 2006 and 2017, but I haven't been to the new location it moved to YET!

This is San francisco store in Haight-Ashbury that is still in a former bowling green. It is the LA store that moved from Sunset to Hollywood Boulevard. I have only been to the USA once but we went to the SF store as above.


Amoeba Music - Store Photos - San Francisco

This is the old LA store

[Edited 4/19/23 14:19pm]

Yup, I remember the old L.A. Amoeba store before it moved; the San Francisco store is still in the old bowling alley location.

Drove by my beloved former Tower Records site in Philadelphia last week, still empty and basically the same layout. Made me sad.

https://hellomsc.com/prop...ad-street/

I regularly shopped at the Tower Records flagship shop at Piccadilly Circus in London in the 90's. They always had a great selection.
Those were great days, you had the Virgin Megastore and HMV flagship on Oxford Street, then a quick walk down Regent Street to Tower at Piccadilly. All long closed now, a shame.

ShellyMcG said:

Tower Records here in Dublin is located just above a huge book store. Two kinds of stores that seem like they're on the way out, unfortunately.

I assume that's the one on O'Connell street above Eason’s that you're referring to?

The one on Dawson Street is the flagship and it's bigger - although it's more diversified - there are big sections given over to selling DVDs, headphones, turntables and all sorts of other hi-fi equipment, so the O'Connell Street one probably has as good a selection of music.

But you should definitely check out Dawson Street if you get the chance. There used to be a cafe upstairs at the back, but I don't think it's there anymore.

There's also Hodges Figgis (part of the Waterstones group) opposite Tower Records on Dawson Street - the last remaining proper big book shop in Dublin, and one of the oldest in the world. Also worth a visit.

The Tower Records building on Dawson Street coincidentally used to be the home of Waterstones. Sort of odd that for years you had the two largest book shops in the country - owned by the same group - opposite each other and competing with each other. When Waterstones shut down the Dawson Street shop, Tower moved from Wicklow Street into there.

I don't think Tower are in danger of shutting down any time soon (hopefully not anyway), there's usually a good few people in there any time I go in, and I had to queue at the till for about 10 minutes last time I was in. That was shortly before Christmas, but still, a pretty good sign that they're doing ok.

I think Eason's are doing fine as well - they are a major supplier of school books, and they have a great range of art and stationery supplies. Decent range of books too. They do quite well with online sales too, which probably helps keep the physical stores open.

Apologies for going on like a history lesson / tourist information service, but music and books are two things close to my heart, and I like the fact that unlike many places we still have decent shops available to us. For me, nothing will replace browsing through shelves of books or cd's and vinyl - I have no interest in trying to find interesting gems by scrolling through websites dedicated to selling the usual popular shite.

Long live Tower records!
(and Hodges Figgis!)

AsylumUtopia said:

Cinny said:

My friend is in Tokyo and went to Tower this morning! (Whatever day it is there)

That is an incredible store.

leecaldon said:

Living in London in the mid-90s, I used to go to Tower Records probably at least once a week, if not more (the store on Picadilly Circus). What great memories...