Miles of Smiles at the Annual Eslite Clearance
Nov. 13, 2019 was the first day of the annual Eslite Clearance sale at Chung-Yo Department Store in Taichung. On the first day of the Eslite
clearance sale, this is what I got:
1.
Confessions
of the World’s Best Father – Dave Engledow 630*
2.
G
is for One Gzonk – Tiny Diterrlooney – 455
3.
Game
of Thrones Coloring Book – 560 (33% off)
4.
Revolution
Radio – Green Day - Picture Disc Vinyl 995 (50% off)
5.
Petty;
The Biography – Warren Zanes (hardcover) 1050
6.
Paul’s
Records – Andrew S. Guthrie 640
7.
Brian
Jones; The Making of the Rolling Stones – Paul Trynka 595
8.
Taking
Woodstock – E. Tiber with T. Monte 560
9.
Yellow
Submarine – Beatles DVD 88
10. Twentieth Century Colonialism and China –B&D Goodman 1650
The
first three items are for my son-in-law, granddaughter and her mom. The entire
cost was $85. For the first time, I saw no CD’s at the clearance. There were LP's but the
albums were so expensive that, even at half-price, they weren’t worth it.
On Nov. 20, I went back to Chung-Yo. Unlike last time, they had CD’s and DVD's. This is what I
got:
1.
The
Man Who Sold The World; David Bowie – Peter Doggett 595
2.
Fighting
the Banana Wars and other Fair Trade Battles – H. Lamb 680
3.
Cinderella
The little Glass Slipper – C. Perrault Illus. C.R. Garcia 595
4.
Synthesis
– Evanescence CD & DVD 600
5.
Jazz
Avenue; Divas and Masters CD – Various Artists 110
6.
For
the Good Times; Ray Price Tribute CD – Willie Nelson 520
7.
Super
– Pet Shop Boys CD 475
8.
A
Night in York – Blackmore’s Night CD 430
9.
5
Original Album Classics – Harry Belafonte 5 CD’s 900
10. Five
Miles – Miles Davis 5 CD’s 695
11. Wembley
1996 Live – Bryan Adams DVD 650
(* 30 Taiwan Dollars equals $1.00 US)
The
total original price would have been 6250-$208. I spent 2750-$92. The Cinderella book is a holiday gift for a private student. The Belafonte set is going for 389-$13, shipping included, on EBay. I
paid half the 900 list price and got it for $15. The lowest Miles Davis is
going for on EBay is $22. I paid $11.58. I’d been thinking about getting it for
months. Miles Davis collection of five digitally remastered albums from his
Columbia years includes “Porgy & Bess”. I wonder what it sounds like;
jazzed up with no vocals. As usual, I left some of the selections I initially chose,
this time, twice; once for lack of interest and twice, at the counter, for lack
of money; I brought 3000-$100 with me. The sale ends Monday, December 2nd so I have plenty of time to return.
"Kind of Blue" is Miles Davis masterpiece and I had to
get it (eBay $8, shipping included) since I got "Five Miles"
collection of the previous five Columbia releases at the Eslite sale. I don't
know if I will ever to listen to any of them. I got his "Live at the
Fillmore East" at the last Feng-Yuan CD store closeout and it was pretty
good fusion-rock, and I do like Mahavishnu Orchestra and Return to Forever, the
imprint of the genre for me. I generally don't like instrumentals preferring to
hear singing voices in my music so I am taking a chance.
I
listened to Miles Davis’ “Porgy & Bess” riding the bike to language
exchange yesterday morning. Besides the opening line to “Summertime”, I had no
idea what songs he was playing. I would have to go back to the folk opera to
try and match them up with his interpretation. That’s the problem I have with
jazz; after a line or two from the original song, the melody is gone and the instrumentals
morph into a cacophony of sounds, not grating but disengaged. Funny that after
the CD of Gershwin interpretations ended I had no idea that the Walkman
continued into the next Miles David CD until I heard the first few bars of “Bye-Bye
Blackbird” form “’Round About Midnight”. Three songs into it, it was then I realized
“Porgy” was over. True to jazz, “Blackbird” also disintegrated into ad lib
tones for a good ten minutes until they found the melody in time to end the
song. I’m not regretful I got “Kind of Blue”, what is supposed to be Davis’ greatest
CD, but I’m sorry I didn’t see the $2.99 offer on eBay before I spent $8.99.
They can keep jazz instrumentals in Peanuts cartoons and elevators for all I
care, though I do like jazz vocals like Nina Simone, Nancy Wilson, Billie
Holiday, and Nat King Cole Trio.
I went back one last time to the
Eslite clearance to see if there was anything new and I’m glad I did. I didn’t find any new books put on display
but I found three CD’s that I missed the other times. All were 50% off listed
price:
1.
Montrose
– Montrose 2CD Deluxe – 399
2.
Does
Led Zeppelin – Train – 445
3.
Back
Up Train – Al Green – 450
The
total price would have been 1294-$43 but I paid 648-$21.60. It is going to be a
pleasure listening to my new acquisitions already ripped into my PC and
downloaded into my Walkman. “In this lost and troubled world we sometimes lose
our way, but I am never lost; I feel this way because: I have rhythm, I have
music, I have my girl, who could ask for anything more?”
The sale ends on Monday, December 1st so there is still time to go back for more English language and music bargain in addition to the majority of Chinese titles.
Copyright © 2019 by David Barry Temple. All rights reserved
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