Needle and Groove Records – 73 Atlantic Ave., Lynbrook, NY 11563 – Open
A smallish shop opened in 2018, Needle and Groove Records specializes in classic rock, prog and psych records. It also has some jazz and blues records, as well as cds.
But what makes it stand out is the abundance of high end collectors’ albums it offers for sale. As they say on their website “Certified Rare. Needle and Groove specializes in ultra-rare and hard to find records … made available to the fine people of Long Island.” And as my visit there confirmed, they do indeed have the good stuff. And while pricey – these things are valuable – they were reasonably priced for the market.
No try before you buy, but they will give it a spin if you ask nicely.
Why Do We Go To Record Stores
So why do we visit record stores? Lawrence Melilli, owner of Needle and Groove Records, said “There is nothing like listening to a record,” he said, “looking at the jacket, reviewing the liner notes, comments on the inner sleeves, or inserts in the record, and you get to know a lot about the musician, the band, the era, the genre that they are producing, so to me, there is nothing like it.” 1
But then store manager Joe Macchia said it best: “The idea of coming into a record shop is really a treasure hunt because you are looking for your own personal treasure.” 2
And this is indeed one of the thrills of going to a record store, especially one that specializes in used records. You never know what you will find as you flip thru the racks – whether its on your list of wants, or something new you discover only because you went to the store. And that is certainly true of Needle and Groove, as you never know what high end collectors’ item they may be offering.
Wanna go? You can find Needle and Groove Records on our Record Stores Map.
What The Press Is Saying
From the as local as local news can get (no not News12), Horizon Online, the student newspaper of Lynbrook High School gives you this 2021 piece on the store titled Needle and Groove: Not Your Ordinary Record Shop.
Cool Vinyl Bought There
Big Star – Third (1978)
This was the third and last of the original Big Star records, and the only one I didn’t then own.
We have written about the great and criminally underappreciated in their day Big Star before. Purveyors of exquisite guitar driven Power pop from 1973 to 1975, their music was grounded in the British invasion, the Beatles and the Byrds, and replete with ringing guitars and harmonies. They were initially led by Alex Chilton of Box Tops – The Letter fame and Chris Bell. From Memphis, their first two records featured such greats as The Ballad of El Goodo, In The Street and September Gurls, to name but a few.
Alas, the label they signed with went belly up, the records received poor distribution and the public was not ready for this sound – instead caught between classic rock, new wave, punk and disco. But like the Velvet Underground, many other bands took notice. They are cited as influences by REM, Elliott Smith, the Replacements, Wilco, Teenage Fan Club, and the dbs, to name a few.
By 1975, when the recordings for this album were made, the band was down to two original members – Alex Chilton and drummer Jody Stephens. Chris Bell had left after the first record and bassist Andy Hummel after the second.
Gone was the sunny power pop of their first two records. It was replaced by music dark, introspective and sparse, often described as harrowing, with production choices that seemed to intentionally sabotage some of the songs. But still haunting, and often beautiful, melodic songs led by Chilton’s and Stephens’ singing and guitar.
The band lost funding in the middle of the project. Alex Chilton was not in a good head space, with two albums under his belt that shoulda been, but weren’t. The resulting tracks were shopped to the industry, who rejected them. No proper group approved album was ever released. This 1978 pressing on the PVC label was the first of several that brought these songs to the public. These tracks were released again in 1992 as Third/Sister Lovers (Chilton and Stephens were dating sisters) and in 1998 as Third Complete. Each subsequent release added new songs from the sessions, and changed the track order, as no official release was ever made.
Here’s the haunting Holocaust. An ethereal ballad, with Chilton’s voice floating above a piano accompaniment, with lyrics so depressing. “Your mother’s dead You’re on your own She’s in her bed Everybody goes Leaving those who fall behind.” To me, sounds like it could be on Neutral Milk Hotel’s classic album In The Aeroplane Over The Sea. Or like Elliott Smith’s Waltz #2. Which is not surprising as Smith cited Big Star and Alex Chilton as an influence.
Want a little more Big Star? Here’s a 1974 recording of Big Star performing September Gurls in the studio. Released by Norton. It’s not the same version that is on Radio City, but its still worthy.
Endnotes
1 Source – Long Island Advocate – The collectors edition: Record store is a Long Island hidden gem – March 26, 2024.
2 Source – Horizon Online – Vinyl Makes A Comeback – November 18, 2021.
