FAQ: Sources of Live CD's (Anonymous Posting) 1. Live Recordings ================== I like the sound of live recordings. I'm not *exactly* sure why, although its pretty obvious to me that a song has been recorded live. The playing is a lot more energetic, songs tend to be lengthened with improvised segments, and you hear the audience reponse. A song may be in a much finer state on a live album, when the studio version has already been released and the band has had additional months of touring in which to perfect it. You sometimes get treated to unreleased cover-versions of songs, like Led Zepplin performing "Heartbreak Hotel", or completely new arrangements, like the "MTV Unplugged" performances. Many live CD's are available on the domestic market. They don't always sell well, so the prices can be a little lower than comperable studio releases, but they may also be harder to find. I bought "Uriah Heep Live" out of the cutout bin, but I had to order a UK release of "Renaissance Live at Carnegie Hall". Many live albums contain a large cross-section of hits, which I would expect to make them popular, but consumers seem to be fixated with the studio versions they hear on radio. On the other hand, there have been several live albums to rank high in the charts, some for long periods: Emerson, Lake, & Palmer: "Welcome Back" Paul McCartney & Wings: "Wings over America" Little Feat: "Waiting for Columbus" Peter Frampton: "Frampton Comes Alive" Led Zepplin: "The Song Remains the Same" Pink Floyd: "The Delicate Sound of Thunder" Some of my own favorites: Yes' "Yessongs", The Tubes' "What do you Want From Live", The Talking Heads' "Stop Making Sense", Big Brother & The Holding Company "Cheap Thrills". CD's have become cheap enough to produce that artists are releasing backlogs of studio material as well as old & new live recordings. Along with these "official" live recordings, there is a wide variety of material avaliable to radio-stations and on the overseas markets. The King Biscuit Flower Hour and Westwood One Superstar Concert Series are all distributed on CD these days. These are being sold on the collectors market, and the prices are becoming quite reasonable since the CD's are being re-pressed each time that the concerts are rebroadcast. This may well be the "golden age" of live recordings: CD's are cheap to manufacture, and DAT provides a hi-fidelity medium for transcribing radio, soundboard, and audience recordings. Both allow for exact copying, so each popular CD always has the potential to be reissued. In Germany, Italy, and Japan, CD companies are releasing a *wide* variety of live cd's. Bands like Pink Floyd can't tour without 3 or 4 double-live CD's showing up from various performances. In some cases the CD companies pay royalties for these releases, which are nonetheless done without the artist's consent. This has been the case in Germany, where if you don't release your material within a given time interval, anyone else can. In other cases the artists receive no compensation whatsoever; in Italy a radio broadcast is public-domain, so it can be recorded and released without benefiting the artist. I'm told that there are also "Concert CD's" released with the cooperation of the artist and the venue where the concert was performed; the one cut out of the deal, of course, is the artists' record label, so quite naturally the major record giants are doing everything within their power to restrict the sales of these kinds of CD's. We tend to call all of these releases "bootlegs". Many but not all are illegal under US copyright law, and are seldom illegal in the country where they originated. With the advent of the EEC and other global trade agreements, however, these sources may soon dry up in a new legal environment. 2. This FAQ =========== Any "completist" collector, if they don't already own a substantial number of "live & rare" recordings, is at least aware of their existence and may well desire to obtain some. As a collector myself, I have dealt with a number of sources, and am writing this FAQ as a service to the Internet community (at least "rec.music.cd"), to whom I owe a favor for providing me with so much information. In this "FAQ" I am listing all the information I can personally verify, plus the listings from an earlier Internet FAQ that was turned over to me. Please send me any corrections or additional info that you would like to update it with. I am not planning to post any recommendations for "local" stores that don't do mail-order business. I *would* encourage you to post this kind of information on the "alt.music.bootlegs" and "rec.music.cd" newsgroups, you may want to limit the distribution to the State that they're in. I also am not going to deal with legal or historical issues etc., these would well deserve FAQ's of their own. Any lawyers or music historians out there want to volunteer? This would be a good way to start a book... Also, this is not the first FAQ I have started, and as I have little spare time these days, I would love to turn this one over to whoever is willing to support it! As long as you are a serious collector, you'll probably know as much as I do; it would be nice if you could keep this posted about twice a month on the two newsgroups. I can tell you how to use the anonymous posting stuff. 3. My Own Background ==================== I first heard of bootleg records in 1974, described in a Rolling Stones book that my brother owned. It wasn't until a couple years later that he found some for sale in Seattle, and for my birthday he bought me my first (and only vinyl) bootleg, Yes' "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" from the Hollywood Bowl in 1975. Ten years later I bought my first CD player. Like CD clubs, Bootleg CD's seemed just a fantasy in the world of $20 CD's and reluctant re-releases of all my favorite albums. Then in 1991 I read an interview with Frank Zappa in a local paper. "What's this?" I thought... "bootleg CD's???" Prof. Zappa was complain- ing about people bootlegging his stuff, this time ON CD!!! About this time I started following "rec.music.cd" and accumulating information that would allow me to find the hard-to-get European re-releases of all my favorite vinyl stuff, utilize CD clubs to fill out my collection at a rock- bottom price, and find the elusive bootleg with the ultimate performance. Now that bootlegs are readily available, and the neglected "alt.music.bootlegs" newsgroup has been active awhile, I figured I'd return the favor and share some of the information I've been accumulating all this time. So read on! With the advances of the information age, I envision a day where every CD store will have a huge data-bank and they will press the CD's while you watch. You'll pay the copyright fee when you buy the CD. Performers will make masterings of their concerts available because it will be cheap and easy to do so, and they will get the royalties they deserve. 4. Frequently Asked Questions (see section) ============================= ============= What recordings are available for group XXX? 5 & 6 What songs are on this recording? 6 How good is this recording? 6 Where can I get this recording? 5, 7, 8 What's the lowest price I can get it for? 7 (sort of) 5. Sources of Advertisements ============================ Live! Music Review P.O. Box 1464 Rogers, AR 72757 Phone/FAX (501) 271-8025 $38 per year (U.S. subscription) I highly recommend this magazine, which bagan publication in 1993. Not only does it review all the great new stuff (Replacements, Crash-Test Dummies), it also has regular articles on Elvis (Presley), Jimi Hendrix, and The Grateful Dead, and carries ads from the dealers who can sell them to you! Before I subscribed to this I would hear bits and pieces about great bootlegs and *plead* with my dealers for them, to no avail. Now I deal with advertisers in Live! Goldmine 700 E. State St Iola, WI 54990-0001 Phone (715) 445-2214 FAX (715) 445-4087 $23.50 per half-year, published twice a month I subscribed to this before I discovered the aforementioned "Live!". This is a newspaper devoted to music collectors, carrying articles on bands, reviews, reports of new re-releases, and lots and lots of ads! They also have an extensive calendar of record-shows around the U.S. There is a general "no bootleg" advertising policy, which crumbled just as quickly as the one at our local record show. Bootlegs are advertised, but you will have to recognize them by their titles ("Rush: Bone the Rolls"). More interesting are ads with long lists of CD's from the King Biscuit Flower Hour and the Westwood One Superstar Concert series; these typically go for $20-50 per disc. I pick up a copy once in awhile to see what's on the market. Discoveries Arena Publishing, Inc. Box 309 Fraser, MI 48026 (800) 666-DISC (313) 774-4311 (313) 774-5450 -- FAX This monthly publication is nearly identical to Goldmine, except that it's not quite as extensive. There are fewer ads and more articles, and these people don't discriminate as much against detailed boot CD listings. A year subscription mailed in the US is $19; one can be had with Visa/MC by calling the 800 number. rec.music.marketplace rec.music.cd alt.music.bootlegs Don't forget the Internet. People are constantly advertsing some great stuff for sale, and there are some terrific online catalogs (see section 5). Several times I've sent money to people in good faith, and gotten the CD's each time. I can't guarantee that you can trust *everyone*, though... Also, this is a great place to post reviews. There are a number of e-mail "fan letters" that cover everything you would like to know about your favorite band, including bootleg ratings and discographies. 6. Sources of Reviews ===================== See "Live!" above, also. The Hot Wacks Press PO Box 544 Owen Sound, Ontario N4K 5R1 Canada Contact: Bob Walker (519) 376-9781 FAX (519) 376-9449 _Hot Wacks_ Book XV, "The Last Wacks", is an 802 page discography of bootlegs arranged both by band and label. It gives times, setlists, and sound quality ratings. This is the last publication of this book in its current form, as the bootleg market has grown too large to provide a complete discography (their term) in one book. The company has published a supplement (January 1993) and will publish another in January 1994. In January 1995 it will put out something called "The Ultimate Wacks". The 1993 supplement is available from most dealers for $9.95 plus about $4.00 shipping (U.S. funds). It emphasizes CD's over LP's. The large volume book is heavily LP and tape oriented, but it lists some CD's. Its listings for Rush, Sting, and the Police (the only ones I'm qualified to judge) are very limited, and in many cases downright wrong. They only rate sound quality in three categories (good, very good, and excellent -- I guess there's no such thing as a bad boot), which may not be specific enough for many people. There are ads for some European boot dealers at the end. Why A Pig? PO Box 3239 London, SW6 United Kingdom Quarterly publication reviewing bootleg issues. Separate quality rating systems for soundboard and audience recordings. As with _Live! Music Review_, each issue deals with a special subject/artist(s), as well as presenting a number of standing feature articles. A year subscription (4 issues) is: USA air: US$20 (cash by registered mail) USA sea: US$15 (cash by registered mail) UK: GBP10 (Sterling; pers. cheque, Postal Order, or cash by registered mail) Europe: GBP12 (Sterling; Eurocheque, Int'l Money Order, or cash by registered mail) 7. Dealers I Recommend ====================== I recommend several dealers here specifically for Imports, others for bootlegs. I'm told that you are better off buying bootlegs from domestic distributors, your packages are less likely to go through US Customs so you are less likely to lose your money, have your collection confiscated, go to prison, etc. Noteworthy Music 1-800-648-7972 This is my favorite domestic dealer. Their prices are as low as you'll find outside of the cutout bin. They have a *wide* inventory. Unfortunatly they don't stock imports, bootlegs, or even very small domestic labels. They are *very* convenient to use: call 'em up, give them your VISA number, and they UPS the order to you in a week. They are a pioneer in the mail-order CD business. They aren't so good on the internet, however: their telnet- interface acts weird on my RS6000. CD Now! cdnow.com This is my favorite import dealer. They have the best price for imported CD's. They have a *large* selection, and a self-explanatory online catalog. Telnet to them and give them a try. They stock bootlegs too, but the prices can be *real* high, in excess of $35 for 1CD. Service is terrific. They will e-mail you almost immediately if something is out-of-stock; they will generally fill your out-of-stock order through other dealers, such as ABCD listed later. Compact Disc Connection 1030 E. El Camino #322 Sunnyvale, CA 94087 (408) 730-9015 (408) 733-0801 -- FAX cdconnection.com (199.35.15.2) -- browse and order via telnet These guys have a smaller import selection than CD Now!, but still have low prices, many imports for under $20. Service is terrific too. CD Europe PO Box 8561 Deerfield Beach, FL 33443 (305) 481-8984 -- orders, 7 days, 9am-11pm Eastern (305) 481-8817 -- FAX, 24hrs, 7 days (305) 481-1724 -- order status, misc. inquiries; weekdays, 9am-5pm Eastern telnet access: cdeurope.com A large distributor of legitimate imports and bootlegs that publishes a free monthly newsletter with about 3,000 titles and has a large catalog (about the size of an average telephone book) for $15. They have instituted dialup access (any speed up to 9600 baud, 8 data, no parity, 1 stop) at the following numbers: Sunnyvale (408) 733-0801 Boston (617) 639-0238 Chicago (312) 477-3518 New York City (212) 532-4045 Prices are high, selection is extensive (they maintain no inventory, but order everything individually); Visa/MC, Check/MO. Service is undependable, but they claim to be cleaning up their act. For instance, they no longer charge your credit-card until they can deliver. Try CDNow! before you resort to these guys. CD Wherehouse 4779 Transit Road, Apt. 11-172 Depew, NY 14043 I highly recommend this distributor. Strictly bootlegs and an occasional King Biscuit CD. Prices are typically $20 per 1CD, and $40 for 2CD. They have a lot of stuff. They take checks. Smokin' Soundz P.O. Box 353 Dunedin, FL 34697 phone: (813) 736-8136 fax: (813) 733-0580 TFCB16D@prodigy.com Prices are a little more here, $25 for 1CD and $45 for 2CD. Strictly bootlegs and an occasional King Biscuit CD. They generally have all the stuff I want, though, so I give them most of my business. They take personal checks, and you can e-mail them if you're looking for something specific. The Music Specialists BLK A, #07-28 Leonie Towers Leonie Hill Singapore 0923 phone/fax: 734-3775 I like these guys. The prices are cheap, averaging $18 per 1CD and $36 for 2CD, and many under $10. They take VISA. I just about flipped when I saw the bill, until I realized it was Singapore $$ and it came out okay on my monthly statement. The only problem is their selection, which is quite wide, but never seems to have the stuff I want. Their catalog is sketchy, usually artist/venue/code, categorized by label rather than artist. I have trouble figuring out if these are the recordings I want since they don't always list the titles. CD Connection P.O. Box 10 14 31 69004 Heidelberg Germany I hate these guys' guts. They were the first bootleg dealer that I could find in Goldmine, so I bought several from them until I found other sources. They have a really good catalog now, which includes track listings. They don't take VISA, you need to buy an international money-order, which adds a couple bucks to your costs. Worse, they couldn't fill my order so they gave me "credit", and then cancelled my "credit" and kept the money. I suspect VISA probably rejected their business. Record Shows Support your local Record Convention! I have about 50 King Biscuit and Westwood One recordings that I bought from the same dealer each show. The prices are down to an average of $15 per disc, which is competetive with regular releases. Bootlegs are becoming *very* common, some for as low as $10. CD singles are usually $1 cheaper than in any store or mail-order business, and you don't pay taxes or shipping charges. Its always a treat to see what else is out there. Goldmine Magazine has a calendar-of-events which lists all the shows in the U.S. several months in advance, so you can see when the nearest one will be. Sid's Music Server mwilkenf@silver.ucs.indiana.edu Subject Line: BOOTLIST, BOOTHELP, SELLLIST, BOOTADD, PROMO, TRADELIST Not a dealer per se (this person trades from his large music collection and also sells/trades radio station promotional material) but if you send a letter with any of the above subject lines you'll get an immediate automated response. BOOTLIST will get you an extensive list of net boot tape traders and what they have available, what they want, and other information of that ilk. BOOTHELP is a partially accurate, limited description of what boots are. SELLLIST is basically a list of tapes, LP's, and CD's that the person (Missi Wilkenfeld?, Sid?) wants to sell; I believe it is constantly updated and SUBSCRIBE gets you on a mailing list of updates. BOOTADD is a way to add your list of rare live recordings to the big bootlist trading list. 9. Dealers Others Have Recommended ================================== Here are listings from the earlier version of this FAQ. I have not dealt with any of these personally, so I cannot vouch for their service or even their honesty! The notes with them are quoted because they are not my own. This information may also be *way* out-of-date, so please send me what info you have. Also, would any of you internet dealers like to be listed? ABCD 33 North Main St Port Chester, NY 10573 (914) 939-2223 (914) 939-3879 -- FAX "ABCD deals primarily in legitimate imports and has extremely quick delivery time of items they have in stock. They can get almost any import, bootleg or legitimate (so they claim) but take notoriously long to do so and their prices are sky high. I notice that they lag behind others in awareness and ability to get new titles. They take MC/Visa, and charge about $35 per CD (for bootlegs; legitimate CD's vary) plus $5 UPS shipping on any size order; computerized ordering and distribution makes it easy for them to check on your order. They have a decent reputation on the net, but do not rely exclusively on them to find what they say they will. You might be left hanging for a long time." CD Banzai PO Box 17081 Beverly Hills, CA 90209-2081 (213) 965-1103 (24 hour phone line) FAX (213) 653-2311 "This place says, "If it exists on compact disc, we'll find it!" I've begun to test this claim, and I think it's just hype. They have a great listing of bootleg CD's from many artists, but a spotty record of finding even semi-rare stuff. Several reports from (very) dissatisfied customers say that CD Banzai is unreliable as far as shipping dates and credit card overcharges; be careful with any orders. Prices are slightly above average. I believe Rodney at CD Banzai sells a catalog for $10." The CD Bar 281 Queen St W Toronto MSV 1Z9 (800) 663-1616 and (416) 977-6863 FAX (416) 977-6865 "A high class place that deals mostly in legitimate imports, but can order CD boots. Since they're in Canada, they take advantage of looser import laws to get boots more easily. The owner's name is Paul, and he is extremely willing to help find anything. He won't, however, send out a list of what he has; you have to call and ask. I haven't been too pleased dealing with the order takers at the toll free number, but they basically know what they're doing. CD Bar has a fancy computerized ordering and distribution system and they take credit cards; you can call at any time to check on the status of your order. Prices vary from very high (about $37 American for _Rushian Roulette_, 1 CD boot) to very low (same price for _Happy Birthday Sting_, 2 CD boot). Make sure you know how much you will be paying; they have occasionally tried to get by without telling me how much my cedit card would be billed. An excellent an reputable source for legitimate imports, especially Canadian CD's. "Orders can take a long time, especially discs they have to track down in Europe. I ordered some rare legitimate and bootleg CD's from them and called back six months later to check on the status; the discs had been deleted or were otherwise unavailable, but no one had notified me of that. I recommend this place for legitimate imports and common boots, except for the long waits for rarer stuff. They don't charge your credit card until they ship your order, there's no chance of losing your money, and all the calls are toll free." Kim Brandner 717 East Jerico Turnpike Suite 113 Huntington Station, NY 11746 (516) 724-8337 -- voice and fax "This catalog lists legitimate imports, bootleg CD's, and bootleg videos. Prices and shipping costs are higher than average. I haven't ordered from this dealer or heard from anyone who has." CDC Co. 618 S. Northwest Hwy. Suite #120 Barrington, IL 60010 "This place deals in CD boots only. They have a wide selection from many artists as well as the _Hot Wacks_ collector's guide for $20. I received _Hot Wacks_ from them within a week of ordering it. Their prices: 1CD - $25, 2CD - $48, 3CD - $68. Shipping is $3.50 per order (in the U.S.), insured. They take Visa/MC; allow 4-6 weeks for delivery of most items. Write them for their extensive catalog; they'll send frequent updates, too." The CD Exchange 430 E. Kirkwoods Ave, Units 8 and 9 Dunkirk Square Bloomington, IN 47408 (812) 334-2588 AND Roscoe's 430 E. Kirkwoods Ave, Unit 19 Dunkirk Square Bloomington, IN 47408 (812) 333-0272 "The above two businesses are in the same building and have the same owner. I haven't figured out why. They have CD boots (I only asked about Rush, but they had some hard-to-find titles) for $30 for 1 CD ($55 for 2), and will ship for $2. They don't take credit cards, so you have to send your check or money order to them first. A couple of people on the network have dealt with them and have good things to say. Like most retail stores not geared toward mailorder, they allow customers to listen to CD's in the store. This means what you order often is unwrapped, but the discs I got from them were in very good shape." C.D.I. Imports PO Box 471 Lincoln, MA 01773 (617) 259-9155 "Their Goldmine ad says to send $5 for their catalog of 4000 titles." Chicago Compact Disc 1640 Orrington Ave Evanston, IL 60208 (708) 328-2202 "All I know about this place is that the owner's name is Michael and the manager is Cliff. They're supposedly very helpful, but I have never dealt with them." Compact Platters 9102 N. Arch Village Ct. Suite B Richmond, VA 23236 (804) 330-5618 MWF 6-10pm Eastern SatSun 12-7pm Eastern "This guy (Jeff) seems to have a good operation going, and he caters to Rush and Beatles fans. Call before ordering for availability. Prices are average ($25 per CD, $3 shipping). Unlike many other dealers, he will not cash a check until he gets the items in stock and ships the order. He does not take credit cards. My shipment from him arrived about two weeks after he said it would, and the case to one CD was damaged, but I'm not unhappy with his service." Digital Disc 1125 Rt. 112 Port Jefferson Station, NY 11776 (516) 474-0167 "This place is on Long Island. The manager's name is George Siciliano. He takes credit cards, but selection is limited to what he has in stock, and his prices are high ($35 for a 1CD boot)." Dr. Wax 5210 S. Harper OR 2529 N. Clark St. Chicago, IL 60615 (312) 493-8696 OR (312) 549-3377 Bill Dorsey 1312 French Rd #A-30 Depew, NY 14043 (716) 668-4316 -- voice and fax "Average selection with the occasional hard-to-find selection; $25 a disc. Some multidisc sets are cheaper. Shipping is $3 for the first three discs, fifty cents each additional. I have not ordered from him, but one person said he had no real trouble. He waited three weeks to receive his shipment, even though he ordered with a money order, so perhaps Dorsey takes a while to ship. Another report says that he occasionally misrepresents what he has in stock or how long an order will take to arrive (not unusual with most dealers)." Hip Cat Records 1098 W. Dundee Rd Wheeling, IL 61042 Tom Hudson 156-47-77 Street Howard Beach, NY 11414 N. Lafferty PO Box 142 Bloomfield, NJ 07003 (201) 743-0878 -- voice and fax Mad City Madison, WI (608) 251-8558 "This place said over the phone that they have no Police or Rush at all." Madhatter Music 143 E. Wooster St Bowling Green, OH 43403 (419) 353-3555 "Ask for Jim or Billy. They don't have much in stock but they will try to find it quickly. Prices: $26-28 for 1CD, $45-50 for a 2CD set. Delivery time varies." Magic Com PO Box D-56294 Gappenach Germany 49 2654 7031 -- PHONE 49 2654 8175 -- FAX (reachable via e-mail; I don't have address available) Mother People PO Box 16908 West Palm Beach, FL 33416 "This place (the owner's initials are R.C.) will send you a catalog for $2, refundable on your first order. Subsequent catalogs are free if you make a purchase. He has an extensive selection for average to low prices, and he gives all sorts of bonuses for frequent and large orders. I have never ordered from him, but we correspond somewhat regularly, and he appears to be quite reliable and conscientious, definitely in the business for the long haul. Cash, check, or money order only." Revolver Records 45 West 8th St New York, NY (212) 982-6760 "This place would not discuss live recordings in detail with me over the phone, but they have one of the largest boot CD selections in the City. If you call and ask for specific titles (that they have in stock), they will hold them for you to send a check/MO. No credit cards accepted. Prices about $20 a disc. Their selection of live recordings is very good and rotates frequently, though the employees are quite unfriendly. They are slow on mailorder, though they do send the discs -- just a week or more after they say they will." Rocks In Your Head 157 Prince St New York, NY (212) 475-6729 "I hear they have a handful of boots at really high prices. They have no Police, but I didn't ask about others." Sean? smiegs@delphi.com "Apparently active online dealer. I've never dealt with him." Second Coming 235 Sullivan Street New York, NY 10012 (212) 228-1313 "This place sells only what they have in stock, and the manager says that varies from day to day. Their selection of bootleg CD's is tremendous for a retail store; prices usually a little under $20 a disc. Call and ask them about specific titles. They apparently will do mail order." Second Coming 1105 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02138 (617) 576-6400 "Perhaps a branch of the New York store; a very popular place in the Harvard Square area. Their mail order service record is uneven, but they have high turnaround of their very large volume, so it's worth a call. They take credit cards." Second Hand Tunes 2550 N. Clark St OR 2604 N. Clark St. Chicago, IL 60614 (312) 281-8813 OR (312) 929-6325 "One store has vinyl, the other CD's, but I'm not sure which is which. Neither place will order special, but both will ship what they have in stock." Sound City 2000 (503) 654-1296 -- Pacific time zone "I don't have any address information, but this is a very well-known and controversial dealer. Some people swear they're criminals, others swear they're completely reliable. They have definitely changed their name because of problems with the Better Business Bureau. They claim to be able to get anything -- legitimate imports are probably more likely than bootlegs." Stray Toasters PO Box 130475 Houston, TX 77219-0475 "From their catalog it's apparent this is a small operation. They have a small compact disc, LP, and video selection, but nothing from the artists I concentrate on. It's mostly the typical stuff: Zeppelin, KISS, Queen, The Stones, etc. Prices are $25 single CD, $45 double; base shipping is $2.50 plus extra depending on what is ordered (first class mail)." Ten Mile Music 13722 Nicolett Ave S. #135 Burnsville, MN 55337 (612) 894-9982 supposedly 9-11pm Eastern "This guy (Dan?) guarantees all discs against physical defects (not recording sound quality, obviously); he replaced one person's faulty CD within a week. Notifies in case of greater than two week delays and gives honest reviews of quality. He may have mostly Bruce Springsteen stuff, but he never sent me his catalog. Prices are about $25 a disc, and he holds checks for clearance the first few orders." Tabou Records 1318a Ste. Catherine Street West Montreal, Quebec H3G 1P6 (514) 861-8767 (514) 861-0917 -- FAX John Young PO Box 14126 Gainesville, FL 32604-4126 (904) 336-8096 e-mail: jry@reef.cis.ufl.edu "I got a few bad reports at one time, but this dealer has been very reliable and straightforward in my dealings with him. He sends a four part e-mail catalogue about 200K large. He will refund money if titles aren't available. Four other customers have good things to say about his service and reliability, saying he replaced defective disks promptly, etc. His selection and prices are almost exactly average, maybe a little high. I ordered a disc from him and got it with no hassle. Check/MO; shippping is $3 for the first CD, fifty cents each additional." EAR/Rational Music 1118 Castillo St Santa Barbara, CA 93101 (805) 564-4949 e-mail: angst%cs@hub.ucsb.edu "Does not sell bootlegs, but specializes in obscure alternative imports. Send a message with CATALOG as the Subject line for a quick automated response. I have ordered from him a number of times with no problem. I believe he can also get mainstream imports. Check/MO only." Ranjit Padmanabhan PO Box 10151 San Jose, CA 95157-1151 (408) 255-6077 -- FAX ranjit@netcom.com "A well-known and reputable dealer, specializing in progressive rock with a small number of live releases. His listing is available for ftp at netcom.com in the pub/ranjit/ directory, along with ordering information. He will also mail it to you. Ranjit waits until he has something in stock before you send payment to him; check/MO. I believe he has a mailing list for his new releases; write him to get on it." Sights and Sounds Robert Wolf Suite 246, 1050 Route 35 Shrewsbury, NJ 07702 (908) 922-6311 -- 4-10pm (908) 922-4668 -- FAX 24hrs genesisman@aol.com "This guy will send an extensive catalog though the mail (his listing is not online) for no charge. The place specializes exclusively in progressive rock from all over the world, more obscure legitimate than bootleg releases, though some live stuff was listed at one time. He apparently (judging from letters to me and posts to newsgroups) has a spotty record of shipping dates, offering numerous excuses for delayed orders. Check/MO only."