Music & Vinyl Records: Stories and Collecting with Ron Frizell

In this episode of Clarksville Insider, host Josh Atkins sits down with local vinyl enthusiast Ron Frizell for a deep dive into the booming world of record collecting. From discovering rare pressings and supporting Clarksville’s own record shops to the powerful connections between vinyl, nostalgia, and live music, Ron shares the stories and albums that shaped his incredible year. Whether you're a seasoned collector or just vinyl-curious, this conversation captures the warmth, community, and memories that make music feel personal again.

Transcript

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Well, welcome back to Clarksville Insider. I'm your host, Josh Atkins. Yes, like the diet spelled exactly the same. And today we are diving into a world that a lot of us love, but maybe don't fully understand. And the idea and the area of vinyl records. Maybe you grew up with them around your house. Maybe your parents had them. Maybe you've got a few and it's we've come through all this technological advances. And at the same time, The thing that has stayed true is that vinyl records have survived it all. All the tapes and the CDs and the MP3 players and it's still vinyl. It's still records. You can still go and find anything you want and they're being more uh actively produced. And my guest today is a vinyl records fan. Like I'll say I'm a fan. He's more than that. His dude is a collector. He's got Rare things he's got things that he's looking for ways that he does it and I want to talk to him about Records and music and just all all of the things and how they work together. My guest name is Ron Frisell man Ron Thanks for coming out and being on the show here today. Thanks for having me So you are a Clarksville just a native you've been been here How long you've been here and give us a little bit of bio on your connection to the local community here, man So how born and raised were raised my family is from here Even during my ancestry, they always been here. so, oh left here, went to Memphis, went to school for music, four years, came back, this is where I say. Huh. So you went to school for music and somehow you ended up back in Clarksville. Back in Clarksville, yeah. oh What was it that drew you back here? To be home, to be home close to family. You know what saying? Close to family. I mean, We are an hour outside of Nashville. Got some good proximity to music and those kind of things and. So when we're talking vinyl records, which I just want to jump, dive right off a cliff, right into here, uh how in the world in the age of streaming and even CDs and uh all of that, how did you decide or get into either collecting or just even listening to? Because I would imagine it probably took a few steps to get there. or at least some inciting kind of moments and things like that. How'd you even get into just vinyl records and as something that you're like, man, I kind of like this. Yeah, so it all started, I it was 2022. I went to a museum down by Broadway in Nashville called the National Museum of African American Music. And just basically seeing the history of music and the influence that music has throughout the years, throughout the decades, to really see records presented in a really special way. to really, I mean, we had CDs, we had cassettes, we had vinyl, but vinyl is something about holding a piece of history, music history, album artwork that you look at, liners, always pay homage to the people who wrote the songs, produced the songs. And to really, vinyl force you to sit and listen. It's like, can't passively listen when you're spinning records. You have to actively sit down and listen, then get up, flip the other side. gotta flip it, yeah. Clean it, and really take care of it. So I think when you got anything remotely, as a time consumer, that is worth having because it's special. Yeah. So you said 2022. What'd you get into? then what did you have like a first or did someone give you a few to get you started kind of what was the what was the beginning of your collection like so I Really? I played it safe And so I the first record I bought was Shannon let the music play oh It was only four bucks and then I went and got a Victoria suitcase record player now the sound of that record player make me cringe now, but It was safe. It was a start point. It was a start point. It was a point. So I didn't want to go crazy unless I was serious about this hobby. But three years later, I'm pretty serious. I was going say, do you feel like you've gone officially crazy in that realm? Oh, yes. Mad crazy. So do you have like a style preference? Do you have? like uh just an overall list and you're like, all right, I'm hunting these or is it I'm going to the store, I'm leaving with something, we'll see what happens. um What's your compass, I guess, for like when you're out and looking for something? it I'm trying to get this one thing, I'm gonna see if they have it or it's ordering or is it in person? What do you like to do there? Well, I think... Really preferably you would like to get something in person. You would like to get a record in person because it cuts the mailman, it the shipping costs, the fees that comes with ordering from an online dealer like Discogs. So I have my want list, I have my list out and I pay attention to the price. And if I see a record. out in the open that I really want, and I'll go in the app and compare the price, I'm like, is this worth it, or is it no, or what are people saying about this kind of pressing? So more than likely, I'm making an educated purchase. So people think about what you've got, maybe what you're into. What's a record that you feel like somebody would go, oh, I didn't know you'd have that? Maybe you got some surprising uh gems in there. And I've seen you on your Instagram, which is vinyl.rs. I've seen you on there displaying uh some surprises and that's usually how you set it up to like, all right, I got some surprises here, probably you wouldn't think, but for the listeners, for people that might not have found you yet on Instagram, you got any, huh, wouldn't expected that, records in your collection there. You got like a top one or two, either artists or records that you could display and show it off. So this is all for all the Swifties out there. I have about 10 Taylor Swift records. Probably the most collected artist in my collection right now. Probably the most expensive artist that I have in my collection right now. Ten. Does she have ten albums? Yeah, I mean, you got the debut. Yeah. And then you got, I got the Speak Now. Then I have the, I have Midnights. And then 1989. 1989 Taylor version. Red, Red Taylor version. And then my most expensive record that I have is Folklore, Long Pawn Sessions, the special she did on Disney Plus. That was a release for one day on Record Store Day. And Never Pressed Again, that's worth about 400 bucks now. Now with something like that, is that a sit-in store or is that a bust out every once in a while and listen to kind of thing? Like something that's worth something like that. The majority of the things I have in my collection, they don't shy away from the record player. The majority of the stuff that I buy, I listen to, you know. So it's different than like a baseball card collection or something. You look at it go, oh. And then you put it in the box and don't get it out for a while. But it sounds like you're sifting through and getting through. matter. If you want to listen to it, I'm pulling that sucker out and I'm putting it on. Yes. But I do take really good care of the record. They have more important things. So it's all about storage safety, cleaning the records, make sure you put in the certain sleeve, inner sleeve, outer sleeve. So I do take care of my stuff. More likely those things are getting played. Yeah. Why don't you just play it on Spotify? Why don't you just dial it up on a Bluetooth speaker and crank the volume? What do you like about the vinyl experience? I know you mentioned a little bit how it's like an actual process of going through it. But is that part of what draws you to it, or is there more to it than that? It's a sense of ownership, right? So you listen to it on Spotify or YouTube Music or Apple Music. don't necessarily own it. You're just monthly buying the access to the music. far as everything in my collection, it's mine. And with the right equipment and the right setup, it brings out different sounds that you don't normally hear on a streaming service. That's what I like about it. And I found two. And maybe you can kind of echo this. I feel like when I'm on streaming, I keep running into, like I'll look for an album, like even like The Beatles, and it says like 2015 remaster, 2012 remaster or whatever. And I'm like, I just want to hear what it sounded like then when it was released. so that was a little bit of what... got me into it where I was like I wanted the way it was supposed to sound when it came out and in whatever that was however the the guys wanted it to be released and the produce all that stuff because I feel like sometimes remastering you're like hey where did that guitar part go hey where did it's almost like the special edition Star Wars movies where you're like okay I definitely didn't need that I just give me give me the tried and true and I don't know if that's similar to kind of what you what you like about it That's I do like, but if a record, let's say a lot of 90s records, especially R &B, are, I mean, that was a different time because CDs were available, cassettes were available. They weren't necessarily making music specifically for a vinyl, and I could be wrong on that. But for me, if I could find, to be honest, if I could find a record that's cheaper on a repress, that might be more expensive on an old copy, I'm buying a repress. I'm buying a repress. Now, like I said, like 70s, 80s, a lot of those are really not that bad. oh But some of the most sought after 90s vinyls, pretty bad. Yeah, I think that was like the forgotten era because we were just way more into tapes and CDs. And I would imagine for a lot of those, they weren't even putting them out. records and vinyl and so to get to get to something from 94 96 98 whatever it was like that it would almost have to be a repress or a first-time press but more recent more recently getting into it so do you have any rare pressings or a specific album that you like chased for a while that not like I don't want to repress on this one give me Give me the original. Are there any that you chased for a while and got or that's still like, still this is on my list of things to get? Well, I did bring some records today and one of those records I would have to show you. Okay, not yet, not yet. see now I'm excited. And just to give you a little preview, I had Ron bring me some records. I said bring me some 90s gold, bring me some. Or at least some things like that. Growing up in the 90s, I said, give me some of that. And so hopefully, he came in with a stack. I tried not to peek. I tried not to look so we could live react when he throws these out here. But I'm looking forward to it. that sounds like you've already got one lined up. And is there one that you're chasing right now? Man, I'm chasing, I'm really chasing Monica. Monica, Her debut album. I forgot what it called. on the blank. That's on my want list. Is the album just one of them days or is just a song? Yeah, the song is on That's song I remember. Yeah, it's on there. Okay. It's on there and people probably listening to this probably like Ron, you know the name of the album. They're like, come on, man. Come on, man. You know the name of the album. But I mean, there is also one that I waited for a while and got a repress. Brandy. Never Say Never our second album. Yeah, it came out until the end of 90s I remember I was in a movie theater with my friend watching one of the Halloween movies and I was in a big room with eBay trying to get their original pressing and I lost out it became too much $400$300 I'm like, I'm not spending that much on it. Yikes. And so not too long after that It was a repress that will put out so good things come to those who wait. Yeah, is that the those our boys mind on it? Boy in Mine, Angel in the Sky, Top of the World featuring Mace. Oh man. Yeah, second album. Probably my favorite Brandy album. A lot of people would say Full Moon, her third album. A lot of people say Aphrodisiac, her fourth album. Me personally, that's my favorite Brandy album. No skips. I don't know if it's my favorite, but I really do like the first album. Oh yeah. Just because I remember, I think she was on All That when I was a kid. Yeah. I don't know if she did Baby or... Wanna Be Down. Be Down, baby. The tracks are so like just early mid 90s classic on there. I think they came out what, 93, 95? Yeah, something like that. Man, that was a good era for the drum machine. I'll tell you that, because they were making some sweet, sweet music on there. All music in the 90s are sweet. OK, see, I knew it would be good getting you in here. we could just, everyone else just ignore, I mean. Tag along if you want, but we're just gonna have a 90s music conversation for the next three hours. ah But thinking like record collecting, some people, like if you think of any collecting, and there may be, like I said, baseball, I got some baseball cards. ah Do you have any that's untouchable? And maybe it's in the stack, but do you have any that's like, I don't care what you offer me, I'm not giving it to you, it's mine, maybe it's not worth. money, maybe it's like the connection that you have to it. Do you have any that are like, will always keep and have this record. I will always take care of it because of whatever reason. Do you have any that are untouchable? Yes, I have one in particular. oh It's Beyonce's second solo album, B-Day. It's the reason why that's untouchable is because that was my second concert ever. The first concert being the Destiny Child last tour, Destiny Fulfilled. And I went to that show, the B-Day tour, like the summer before I started college, back in the 07. And it's the last concert me and my late aunt went to. You know, she passed away some time now. And so, that, listening to that album, having that album in my collection, it really takes me back to that time where concerts were definitely affordable because I don't know how I would afford four seats, six, three rows from the stage. And I still have pictures from that show to our poor look pull away camera Those are all like time stamped Items pull away camera and an affordable concert like those are definitely from a bygone era for sure. Yeah Yeah, definitely with in with the death of a child was six rows from the stage You know, Mario opened up for a Marie open up for him and then Robin think open up for the bidet tour Still fresh on my mind Wow um So, that's what I like personally. That's what I like about records. A lot of them, least a lot of the ones that I have. They're usually attached to something. Like I've got a Michael W. Smith record. It's called The Big Picture. This came out in like 86. I was three, four, four years old. I wasn't a record collector then. My dad had a big Christian music collection. And that album in particular, there's a story in our family where we talk about how they left me with the babysitter because they were going to see that tour, like when he was coming through. We lived out in Long Beach for like a year. And so they were going to the Hollywood Bowl to see Michael W. Smith on the Big Picture tour. So I've got the record from that tour. you could buy it anywhere on eBay or whatever, but it's just that particular record from my dad's collection. It's even got like a little like... tour, stick, it's got all the liner notes, things you mentioned. That's all the stuff where you just sit down, you're like, I'm gonna be in this record for 45 minutes. I'm just gonna be here. And it's hard to get that with really anything else. Yeah, yeah. I have a 30, I think 30 Crazy Hits by Aretha Franklin. And it takes me back to the time when my dad had to like the two, the double CD or three CDs. Those thick cases? Those thick cases. I remember to cover everything. I was able to... get that into my collection and my uncle on my dad's side was getting rid of some records and he told me to come over and look at them before he got rid of them and it was in that stack. I like, and then like when I pulled it out, like, man, I remember like all the songs, all the times that my dad and my mom would spin it at their house back on Glenn Street. Yeah. And it's, it's different brushing the record, setting it on there, putting the needle on as opposed to pulling it up on your phone, which it's the way it is. That's fine. Like I'm driving. I've got a Spotify, can't whatever, but like it's an event like, okay, I'm gonna be doing this now. And you get to just kind of be in all of the aspects of it. Definitely. It really takes time. like, I think about record collecting that you have to be really careful about. If like you can easily buy more than you can listen to. It's nothing to like go to the store and buy them, but it's like. you have to have time to sit and listen to the record, clean the record, put it back, take it out, pull it back. If you have so many, find where it is. I got so many, I have to find where it is. Even bringing some records today, I like, okay, where is this at? I keep them locked. Where is that? I've been looking for it. I keep it logged in to my app on Discogs. But I'm like, where is it? I'm like, that's the challenge, but. I wouldn't try, yeah. Speaking of liner notes, I feel like even in the CD world, I remember the books of CDs, and that was like your status symbol. Hey, check out my CD book, and you would just flip, flip, flip. And the CDs themselves were art. They would go out of their way to put a picture, put artwork on there. So even with records, sometimes they got the fold open. Sometimes it's just front and back. Sometimes the liner notes, like there's a poster in there. Do you have anything in your collection that you bought that was just like, man, this just looks awesome? I'm sure it sounds great, but I've just got to have it for the way it looks when I hold it. Do you got anything like that? there is, of course, the Clips Mayer Resurgence this year with their album, The God Thorne Out, and they release multiple variants of that album on vinyl. But there was the Birdie edition where they had like a dog and Jesus in a Cadillac or in a car driving off to each other. It was like a cartoon draw. And I was like, man, I do not care about all these other persons. I don't even want the original album cover. I want it. that even if it means that it wasn't the full album, I had to have this version. Oh yeah, got got it. Definitely hanging up on the wall right now. Yeah, all right. You got nine, top nine? Like you got your spot? Yeah, so I got nine. A lot of people around this town post all their Christmas albums on the wall. I don't really collect seasonal records because I feel like all my records in my collection, I want to be able to spin and get around. I don't want to have to wait all the way to Christmas to spin a Christmas album. I mean, you could, Boys of Men Christmas album. I feel like it's a R &B album, I have that. You can listen to that all year round. Now, the funny part about that one is, I remember my association with the Boys of Men Christmas is when they did a guest spot on Fresh Prince. Yeah. And it was their... The whole family's fighting throughout the whole episode. I think it's the little Nicky Christening, he's a little baby. And then everyone is arguing in the church and then they sing Silent Night from the back and everyone just... It's truly a silent room. so whenever I hear that, I think of that. And so it's just funny to think of even having seasonal stuff. that exists outside of the season, but that's definitely one of them, I'm sure. Right, right. So this month, I really did the top nine records uh that I collected over this year. oh but it gets challenging to try to figure out a theme every month to put on your wall. But this is I decided to go with. And that's stuff you go over and share on your Instagram, right? That's what people could expect if they're following you on vinyl. R.us I'm gonna hit this a couple more times, but just make sure if you're not if you're listening on your phone Obviously in driving keep driving. Yeah at some point find them on there and you'll see what we're talking about We were talking about record walls and top nines and all that kind of stuff But definitely definitely go out there and check it out. Well think about like the toy Doris final. Oh, vinyl are us and that's Probably the best way to describe it now Do you have rules for yourself where you're like, all right, if it's not this or this or within this price range or in this condition, do you have rules? So maybe you find one you like, but it doesn't fit within the realm. How do you not just, first of all, go just spend all your money? It's easy to do. Yeah. So how do you set up your rules? Do you have any, and what are they? Yeah, so I mean, I usually wait for a while and wait for a repress before I spend any kind of cash on it. If I find a record, like whether in person or online, that's probably the cheapest I'm going to find it based on what I've been going for. Then I'll just go ahead and spend the cash, especially if I see it in person. You have to jump on it because if you don't, because you buy it online, it can be cost more online. which is one that I brought that I'll tell you later. But I'm just like, man, I got to jump on it now because this is cheapest price I've seen it. But I usually try not to go overboard and I try to wait for a repress. Another rule that I have, I don't usually try to collect multiple variants of an album. I try to stick to one. Nowadays with the vinyl community, well not the vinyl community, vinyl business. They know, they know what work they know, especially Taylor Swift. She's the queen of it. You know what I'm And I'm not mad at her. Get her money. I'm not mad at her. But start with Midnights. You buy four variants, you can turn it into a clock. Recent, oh the life of a showgirl, she released like nine or 10 variants of that one album. And immediately, I bought two of them. I bought two of them, but... oh She had multiple variants and multiple variants of the CDs and the cassettes. And there's a lot of people that bought all of them. They bought all of them. so, which is not bad for me. I can count on one hand how many variants of albums that I have. Like Confessions, I got Usher, Confessions. I got the BMP Golden Nugget pressing. Wow. Because that was the only one available. And then I got the 20th year anniversary because they got two extra songs on it. And then I got Dua Lipa, Future Nostalgia. I got the Sander Black. Then I also have the uh Zootrope version. It's gotta look cool. And yeah, I feel like you gotta have at least some level of a system. um And I've had two times where you mentioned if you see something you like in person, you gotta get it. And... I've had two times. One was Michael McDonald's first So Well O' Alive album that's got Keep Forgetting on it, which of course is the Warren G track for Regulate. I saw it. It was at McKay's in Nashville. I know if you ever get over there. And it had a little cut in the thing. I think that's how people used to store them or keep track of them. And I was like, I don't know. And I went somewhere else. came back, was like, okay, I gotta get it, and it was gone. And I was like, pizza. And it was like 14, it wasn't like even outrageously priced, like I'm some sort of like, I wouldn't dare pay that much. It was just like, yeah, I'll keep looking. And then Civil Wars, which was an acoustic duo back in like the 2009, 2010 range, their first album I saw, Ed McKay's. And I just, went in for something else. I was trying to get... like some like books or something. saw it right there and I was like, ah, and it was the same thing. And I went back like a few days later, I was like, gotta, oh, it's gone. So you get a little bit of that, but that's, you would think that that was like, would be, I mean, yeah, it doesn't feel great. Cause you're like, oh man, I gotta have it. But it also like, all right, gotta keep hunting. If I see it again, like it almost like keeps you moving more in the pursuit. Do you feel like that or is it? Yes, yes. You know, I'm a big, I'm a big Rafferty fan. But it's correlate about what I'm about to say at the point I'm trying to make. They always say the baby faces, the chase is always good for the baby face. But once they get that championship, what? Same thing with the records is like, the chase, the chase, and when I finally got it, I'm like, oh man, I finally got this record. Now what? Now you're looking to chase something else. You're always looking for the thrill of a hunt. And then also another thing, if I'm gonna spend a lot of money on a record, it has to be like very VG Plus, which is very good plus. Or the condition of the record, especially on the app that I use, Discogs, where you can buy the records. I always ask for a picture. And then they send me the picture, I'm like. I'm not going to buy this record in the condition that it's in. I'm not going to do it. And so, yeah, it has to be somewhat of a good condition in order for me to really spend that money on it. And what's your local go-to spot for records? I have a feeling I know what you're going to say, but please share. Give this place as much props as you can give, because I feel like they're a... Really cool spot in town. Yeah, so and vinyl down the street Downtown Clarksville ran by Tony he's really a great guy and He really does well if you he'll order Every you know anything that you want if you can get hands on it, and you know that you were actually gonna come and buy it He'll do it. You know, you know, hold it for you for some time, but He's a really great guy. I take pride on being the pioneer of new, sealed R &B section. Man, that man don't know anything about R &B. But- You're a resource. You're there to help. I'm a resource. I'm a resource. Expand the market. Expand the market. Expand his knowledge because he definitely don't know, but he definitely don't, he's not, prideful. He'll admit it. And uh he did it. And so- That's why he's my guy. That's why I keep on giving him my money. Yeah. And I feel, I mean, I've been to a lot of places in last couple of years and I feel like price-wise for the condition you get, like it's hard to beat. Like there's plenty of times where I've seen stuff out and around, like a Tom Petty record or something like that. And I'm like, I don't know. I bet I could get a better quality, better copy of the end vinyl and I don't get it. And so, and there's been a lot of times where I'm going in looking for something else and I'm walking out with something I need. It's like, oh, I guess I'll get Journey's record today. Cause it was right here. It looks awesome. And I can't wait to play it. Like he just, the, new arrival section for me is just like, okay, well there went 20 minutes. Like you just commit to it and you, I gotta be careful cause I'm usually walking out with full hands. But here the thing though, if I, this is not a knock. Hello Tony. And this is why made Tony special, running that store, because if I was like, hey Tony, can you order this? He will, he'll let me know it's in store, I can go get it. I thought it good to go into the store and be surprised. I was surprised he ordered like, Dangerously in Love, Beyonce, her debut album. And I was like, wow, okay Tony, okay, I'll see you out here, I'll see you out here. But he's really great guy, he does really good running that store. And good business down there. Yeah, I'll tell you a story about him. I was looking for a record player. Because I told you my dad had a bunch of records. That's what got me started. We've had these records that moved with us since I was a baby. Everywhere we go, there's a stack, a pile of records. Well, a couple years ago, I decided to just start flipping through them. I'm like, oh, OK, cool. And man, I'd love to listen to these. I don't have a record player. I'm thinking like, okay, I got to go to Walmart, Target, something like that, and get a record player. But I ended up calling him. I just called Ann Vion. I said, hey, I'm looking for a record player. And he goes, well, I got a few used ones down here. I got some new stuff too. said, great, I'll be down there in 20 minutes. And I get down there and he's got this just glistening, just pristine pioneer, clear top case. It's like gray tone with just like a great looking arm too and just everything. And he was getting it all dialed in. I'm like, there it is right there. I don't care. That's what I want. And so that was the one that, that's what I have now. And it's just like, he had it and he knew he was taking care of it. And so he was really, really a cool, so I've loved going back in there for sure. And he don't try to haggle you to buy something that you may or may not want, he's like, look, I got a new this price, but I got a used somewhere, so they'll get that. Or he'll be like, I'm not sure you want to buy it, they don't buy it. He's not like, oh man, you gotta walk out with it at the store. He's not like that, he's no pressure, so that's I like about him, he's a good dude. And guess what, this episode is not even sponsored by Ann Vinyl. It may sound like we're doing an ad read, but no joke, if we're talking Vinyl, we're talking Clarksville, you gotta get over there. I'm sure there's some other places that maybe you don't wanna share where you get, because sometimes it's like, this is my spot. He also have a booth at Miss Lucille's, Well, shifting gears a little bit toward, I mentioned, my parents go into that Michael W Smith show and how like the show is connected to the vinyl and it's all some mashed up like memory. uh We were talking a little bit how this year was just an incredible year for you and me like for us for live music. And so give us like I don't know if you can give like just a aerial fly overview of who'd you see. uh Like how many shows did you get to and kind of what the connection was to vinyl in general? Because just even talking music, ah which is what we talked about even getting on here and doing, like the draw of the live show. It's hard to beat. It's hard to beat. uh give us a little bit of your 2025 when it comes to live shows and live music. So these live shows have no correlation. In vinyl for me. I just happened to have the vinyl of the arts that I attended to and so The first concert would kick the album Kendrick Lamar says That that show I drove to st. Louis for that show because they've not come to Nashville I think that last time they came to Nashville it was for the damn tour, but Yeah, I went to that fire very cultural still coming out for the Super Bowl So I went to see that then a week after that with Drew Hill down old growth. Yes. Yeah, Drew Hill. Yes. Yes And so I saw them pure nostalgia Cisco could still hit that one handy cartwheel. Wow, he could still hit that and so August was definitely a good month because I went to the Nissan Stadium and saw the weekend I have a lot of his records too. I think I have about eight whole discography So I saw him at the stadium show. He had the first time being in Nashville since I think 2019, I think. And so, and then later on that month, I went to Atlanta for Chris Brown celebrating 20 years of his career in the truest part in Atlanta Brave Stadium. So I saw that. And then the next one, October Leve, I got her tour hoodie on right now. And so... I saw her more so with her, it's just appreciation for her musicality. You know what saying? So I made a blind purchase at AMVion for that record. I listened to it, it home, or her EP. And I went back and bought her Be Which album. And so I got all of her stuff too now. And then the last concert was Leon Thomas, probably my cheapest concert of the year, besides Drew Hill. But also another thing, man, just... At every show that I went to this year, I made a point to buy a TOUR shirt because this time, around like last year or early last year, was very on the much heavier side, so I lost a whole bunch of weight, over 100 pounds to be exact. And so now I get to wear these TOUR shirts. They got my size, I can wear it. So guess what? I'm buying a TOUR shirt at every single show, besides Drew Hill, because they have no merch. They're just like, all right guys, thanks for coming. Yeah, yeah, we even sold merch back in the 90s, early 2000s. We ain't really got nothing for you. Yeah. You got anything with like a dragon on it, you know, from the... No, I don't. I don't. But the funny thing about it was, is like, didn't, you know, I always had a plan to make a video at all the concerts I went to with the vinyl of the artists that I have. At the time, like, I might have to skip out on Drew Hill, because I don't have a vinyl from him. But they re-released their... They entered the Drew, their second album, on vinyl, repressed it. And that was on my list too, but it was so high. So they repressed it, it, and I'm like, now I can make this video complete now. Now got it. Now we got it. yeah, I mean, geez. Like, the number, that's a high number of high-level shows too. Like, it's one thing like, okay, this year I did, I went to Chris Brown, this year I went. But you're like, and then I went to, and then I went to, and then I went to. I it just, it's wild. Like, 2025 for me was the year of 90s acts. Like, I saw... I saw Pearl Jam at Bridgestone with a buddy, with a buddy Seth. And then I went to, this was a big one for me. This was like a, well Pearl Jam was a rush more for me of bands that I could see that like have all the members still alive, like that kind of stuff. And then I went to Columbus, met up with a buddy that I grew up with like in youth group in college and hadn't seen him in probably 15 years, but I was like, hey man. Wu Tang is playing in Columbus. And I sent it to him as a joke, not like a joke, but like, hey, we should go, ha ha. And he's like, seriously? And I'm like, are you serious? And so we ended up going up there for their final chamber tour. they were ripping through. They started with the whole first album, entered the 36 chambers. And they did their solo stuff and finished. So it was quite the evening. And then I ended up catching. when he came through on his 30th anniversary tour coming through Nashville just even about a month ago. And so with my buddy Brad, it was like, hey, man, I don't know if you know anything about Gizzo Wu-Tang or whatever, but I need somebody to go with me. He's like, oh, man, in my dorm room, when this came out, we used I was like, OK, I got the right guy. Let's go. Let's go do it. And so just being able to see shows like that, it's cool just to. Like I said, it's hard to beat the live music experience. um Even sports, because you could pay a bunch of money and your team loses and then you're leaving like, well that was a lot of money for nothing. But I mean, you go see a show, you're like, they're gonna play the songs I want and it's gonna be awesome. So how can I lose? Exactly. Sometimes I do a horrible job at spoiling myself. Instead of being present in the moment, I would look at the set list before I go. And so I basically kind of know what they're gonna play and just need to stop that because it just takes the surprise. It's like, okay, what song are they gonna play next? Oh, they're playing that song next. Oh, and like, oh, no, I tell everybody, like, yeah, they're gonna play that song next. Yeah, it's something cool, but all right. The 90s, you want to call it a heat reveal, an unboxing, so to speak. Oh yeah, like a heat reveal. Yeah, let's, because. The setup, I tried to just be like, hey, bring some stuff like that. And I'm gonna this out of But so really, I came up, I was a junior high in like 95, seventh, eighth grade, like in 95, I graduated in 2001. So like 90 stuff was right in the middle of when you're starting to like build and create and curate this musical identity when you stop, or at least you expand beyond. what your parents are listening to. And they control the radio, so that's what we're listening to. And then to be able to say, I've got my own collection. I've got my own CD tower. And it's Newsboys and DC Talk, whatever. was out, youth group kids listened to back then. But you start to grow up and get in that. So that's my connection to 90s. so uh what I asked you to do, I said, bring some cool stuff. Pretty much. And I'm interested to see what you got, and we're going to live react a little bit. OK. Just to what you got. just, we mentioned a little bit, it sounds like there's a uh real big one, real heavy hitter in there. Yeah. I'm sure they're all great. But uh let's see, what do you got here? So the first one I got is. Usher My Way. Okay, so we're starting with a... easy. And I brought this person because the person looks so cool on that. Check that out. Yeah. So that's a cool person. That's a BMP exclusive. And so I had to bring that. And then the next one is Deathly Child's first album. Okay. Does this have the No, No, remix on it? Yeah, they're in the part one, part two. Okay. Yeah. That beat with the... Like just came... I remember that was like the introduction to them because a lot of their other stuff was very like slow and melodic and even the original I think is pretty slow. And then the remix like beefs it up. Is Wyclef on it? Or Wyclef does it? Yeah. Yeah, this is the remix. Yeah. Yeah. But that one came from Japan. This one right here? Yeah, it came from Japan. I had to order it. It was like cheaper from Japan. So yeah, so I got that from Japan. And it's got a, well, this one and the next one, Riders on the Wall, it's got the two, these two members on it. I got Riders on the Wall at home too. I got the first three. So I got that. The next one is Mary J. Blige, Share My World. Classic. I mean, no skips on this album. This one has that song with Lil' Kim, I Can't Love You. Does this have the, no, that was probably the first one, or I'm thinking of, but which one is this one? This one has, so you have What's the 411? Then you have her second album, Share My World. And then you have this one. This one, okay. Share My, well no, second one is My Life. This one, the third one, Share My World. It's a, I'm not gonna cry. You know what I'm I'm not gonna cry on it, stuff like that. has... Is that a, from the Waiting to Heck Sale soundtrack? Yeah. Yeah. You know the vibes. You know the vibes. I got a fun one for feel like I can see uh Angela Bassett walking away from a burning car. for the video, I feel like they used that scene in all the videos, but that one for sure. Yeah, definitely, definitely. When you hear that song, you think about that scene. For real. I have a fun one for you. is Hey Arnold soundtrack. Okay. I was not expecting a Hey Arnold album. Yeah. Because I guess you don't think about the show, the music-wise. Very jazzy. But until... So what's cool about that one? So I mean, it's just a stack. It just takes me to a time where it's like, know, Stu kids never leave a Stu. And it's like the times I watch it, like, I want to be in that neighborhood. I want to live in that neighborhood. And uh man, the jazz, the jazz music, especially at the end of the oh Roland credits. And so a very jazzy uh soundtrack. for a kid's movie. I mean a kid's show. And so, I mean not technically not R &B, but it's 90s royalty. You got 10 Taylor Swift albums, so just bring whatever you got. It doesn't have to be that for sure. These are just cool records to have for sure. Now the next one. Is this it or is this? This is it. It is Tony Braxton. debut album. The Netherlands pressing. They're like, Netherlands, Brazil, I think Jamaica, it's the Netherlands pressing. I found a couple months ago, or a few months ago, at a record fair in Nashville. And I couldn't find it no cheaper than 300 bucks. You know what I'm But. I found it less than 300 bucks and I didn't have to even pay tax for shipping on it. And so it was pretty pricey. Probably like the most that I paid, but it's mine. Does that not breathe again on it? Breathe again, seven whole days. I could see like that video. Yeah. that was like, you know, 12, 13, what's that like 90, is that 93? About 93. Okay. So remember and she's like it's black and white and she's like running through like a hedge maze It's a very Victorian era and did babyface do that album babyface did that album and babe and also introduced her on the boomerang soundtrack to Yeah, yeah, definitely right if I you have to understand I like you enough to bring this out the house This is not, this wasn't gonna leave, but I'm like, for the show, I have to bring this out. Well, as much as I can convey, you know, yeah. And I brought a one. You know, this one, not 90s, not R &B, but I know you really love this artist and that's John Merrick, continue. That album. Yes, after a long day of work, gravity. See folks, you didn't know you were gonna get a vocal band here, but look at us. Let's just go right through the album, just all the way through. Definitely go to album. Man. I feel like what you just did, like this is a connection point even between... Like people between friends, between other collectors. Oh man, you got that, where'd you get it? Oh, I love that, been looking for it. Oh, I never even, I forgot about that. Like there's just so much to take in and connect to with records as opposed to going, hey, check out my Spotify playlist. Look at this playlist. Come on man, give me some hands on it. And the vinyl community is a welcome community. You know, it's a really very positive community. I have to give a shout out to my My homegirl, Rene, she's very supportive and very, one of the nicest people you will meet in the record community. Also, she went to that Wu-Tang concert too this year. Yeah, she- Where'd she see it? She seen it in Denver, Denver, you know what I'm saying? So her and her husband went to go watch that show. But yeah, man, people like her, people like Jason, I'm just- Tony, I'm just throwing out a whole bunch of names on the TikTok machine. Friends, if I can't remember them all, I'm sorry. But the vinyl community is really strong and they're really helpful too. I'll tell you what I like about it is there's no level of, you have to be in it for a certain amount of time to earn respect. like, all you gotta do is say you're into it, people are like, oh. Awesome. What kind of player do you have? Where do you like to go? And it's like just instant, you get an instant connection because there's so many facets of it. There's so many like, is it genre? Is it the, like you're abandoning the streaming world and you're just physical media? Cause that's a whole new thing too. Where people are even like buying CDs. I they've got tapes, CDs. Yeah, so it's it's that whole thing and I really do think it gets back to this idea of ownership Which is what you said probably in the first four minutes of us talking the idea that Like you're not paying for access like you're paying for ownership, right? And and so as long as you've got Electricity and a player you can listen to that music because even like streaming me movies. It's like hey I thought that didn't that used to be on Oh, that went off. Or actually, it's over on Peacock now. it's not. HBO's got that. Or Max or whatever. And it's like, dang, I was going to watch that. uh It's like, well, maybe I should have just paid $3 and go buy it used somewhere. And then I've got it. so I think that's part of the, there's a little bit of a backlash that sounds overdramatic. But just the idea of the pendulum swinging back toward tactile. Touch hold yeah play like just that idea and there's some albums on streaming services that they don't have the full album like for instance Telling on myself here, but I do have the PCD pussycat dolls album their first album that came out But this is a plan of fitness here man's judgment free zone But that album if I yeah, I bangers on and It's not available, the whole album is not available on streaming service. I checked, and so for me to have it on vinyl, I have the whole album. No, no selective songs. The whole album, physically, man, I own it. oh That's the power of ownership. Yep. And I think that's really what the cool part is about records and music and just even that connection. um Just how... how fast it can happen and just how like, hey, oh, awesome, great, tell me more. Like there's just little ways to do that. so, so last thing I want to wrap with this. Somebody listens to this, they stick it out for the full 55 minute conversation. And they say, man, I think I want to, I'd like to get into, I want to get some records. What is, where do you think, what's a good start point? Not for players, just find a player that plays music. like, well geez, all the music out there, it can be daunting I would imagine, and it was for a little bit. But what would you suggest that would be a good way to just, like a nice on-ramp to the community to get in some records? First of all, get a player. But like, beyond that, where should somebody start? If I were to like... as far as like what record should they buy first? Or? like how should they start building their collection? And this is just your opinion, doesn't have to be like, definitely do this. Well, just for me, like I said, it's like, just be careful, know what you're gonna get yourself into because it can get pretty expensive. But I would just say like for me, I just started small. I started small and I bought an inexpensive record, know what I'm saying? Sat with it for a little bit and. really made sure that this is the hobby that I wanna dive myself into and just collect the music that you like. know what saying? Collect the music that you like, that you really, I think my goal for 2026 is just me sitting down with an album, whether it's on streaming service or whatnot, and make sure that I, I buy this record, that it's gonna stay in my collection, that I'm gonna spend multiple times. that is not gonna be a FOMO buy. Like, I'm not gonna, like, fear missing out buy. It's like, I'm sure I'm gonna buy that. So wherever you decide to get into violin, make sure it's something that you wanna do. Make sure it's a record that you thoroughly enjoy. And most of all, man, build memories about, know, think about the uh album that took you back to a time in your life and own that copy. Own it. violin. oh I like the idea of just listening, listen to, collect what you like. Cause that's where I started. It was just like, oh, I like them and not worrying about getting like these iconic records, whatever. It's just more like, oh, I like that. Oh, they've got it. I'll pick it up and just kind of starting there. And it seems like a good point. Yeah, a lot of records that I bought that I like, I sold, kind of like, man, I really bought it because of the hype, because of. peer pressure on TikTok, everybody are buying it and I was like, fear of missing out. And so I bought it and then turns out I really didn't like it. And so I have to sell it and get probably a fraction of the price that I pay for it. So I just make sure that when you buy a record that you actually, man, this is an album that I really enjoy and therefore you get your money worth. Well, man, I really do appreciate you making the time, coming down here, pulling out some real gems. just to share. so first of all, thanks for being on the show today, man. Thanks for having me. uh Yeah, it's great uh having you and just kind of sharing your thoughts on just music in general and just getting us to the point where we can talk about all those things because there's so many elements that people can get into the live shows, the records, the t-shirt collection, like those kind of things. They all have different... different points to begin with, is pretty awesome. But yeah, that wraps up today's episode of Clarksville Insider. And I'm your host, Josh Atkins. And I hope you all enjoyed diving into the world of vinyl, vinyl records and music and concerts and all of the other things as much as I did. Man, it's wild to see how something as old school as a record player, things that people just have thrown away, maybe they're stored up in an attic somewhere, but they are back. and have become one of the most talked about trends again. And uh I hope you enjoyed really hearing Ron break down why the experience still resonates uh with him, with the people he's into. if you want to check it out here one more time, look him up on Instagram, VinylRus. There's a few dots in there, but just look up VinylRus, you'll find him. And he's unboxing, he's getting new stuff, he's sharing his display. It's just... fun to check out and going, oh, he's got another one. What's it going to be? And so he's got all that, man. It's great to check out. He's on TikTok too. And he's, it's not vinyl rs. It's just Ronald Frazell. They can find you. And that's a little more, a little more, it's got the vinyl stuff, but it's got some other, you know, some dance stuff, some more just regular life, some variety. So if you want that, you can find them on TikTok too. But just really, really thanks for taking a, taking a listen, taking some time to, take some time with us here. if you got any other suggestions as far as what you want to see or who you think I should talk to, reach out. You can find us on Instagram, Clarksville Insider. You can email me if you're over 50. You can Clarksville Insider at Gmail. yeah, thanks for hanging out. Thanks for listening. And we will see you next time.