Jenn D'Eugenio lives in the wonderful city of Nashville, TN. She's done everything from designing kids clothes for mass market retailers, to working as a career adviser at an art college; but her passion is music and working in that industry is her eventual goal. She is also a huge record hound and collects all types of music, but anything that has a heavy blues-based stoner and psych bent to it is her sweet spot.
It's an honor to have Jenn join the Record Collector series.
How long have you been collecting records?
I grew up with records around; my mom and dad had a small collection. I started my own collection though when I was 16, so over 15+ years. That makes me feel a little old! It started with a purchase of a Led Zeppelin record at an old shop (a dilapidated house turned record store) called Dragon Song in Northern Virginia with a wall of "moldy oldies." Fortunately, the Zeppelin I bought was not moldy, and that experience and sound got me hooked.
Where/how do you usually find your records these days?
I'm a huge supporter of a brick and mortar record shops first. Whenever we travel that's the first thing I look for; sometimes that's part of my reasoning to travel places. There's nothing like digging and finding something you haven't seen before or didn't remember that you needed. Next would be be from the labels or bands themselves, and then Discogs. With the current vinyl popularity again it's hard to find some of the stuff out there you would've found for normal prices at local shops, or it's just not as accessible any other way if it's a pressing from another country; as I'm sure most reading this would understand.
What is the most you paid for a single record, where/how did you obtain it, and what was it?
My max for a single record is just under $100 but not far from it, and I've been lucky in that way. I'm a huge Master of Reality nerd and am on a mission to collect all the variants. I know I'll have to pay up for some of the ones I still haven't found.
If you to pick one record label you feel had/has the best track record of quality releases, who would that be and what are some key titles you love?
Riding Easy, I have almost his entire vinyl catalog from the start. I think I'm only missing three. The label has it's own divider and section on the shelf. I tend to be on the heavy psych, blues end of metal and stoner rock, so they're my go to. Key titles would be all Monolord's Vænir, and now Rust, all Salem's Pot, and Here Lies Man's self-titled (everyone needs this record :: description "What if Black Sabbath played Afrobeat"...), but I really like all of the bands on that label. Tee Pee also has some of my favorite bands with Elder, Earthless, and Ruby the Hatchet releases.
Of everything in your current collection, what is your most prized record and why?
This is a hard question, so I'll name a few. Not to sound like a broken record (no pun intended) by my Master of Reality variants, I'd never be able to get rid of them, they're all so unique and have a different sound. Then probably my Tony Bennett Greatest Hits collection because I remember both my grandpa and my dad listening to that growing up and it was part of my parent's collection. It's a $2 record but because of the sentimental value it's important. Finally I'd have to say Coven's Witchcraft Destroys Minds & Reaps Souls because finding that record was one of the reasons I love collecting. We went to a garage sale here in Tennessee and were digging through the guys random collection and found an OG first press gatefold in great shape, and payed much less than it was worth. It's one of those records that you need but don't necessarily remember you need and then randomly find... the treasure hunt aspect of digging in the crates.
Is there anything that frustrates you about the current record collecting scene?
I think the resurgence is a blessing and a curse. On one hand it's awesome that so much new stuff is coming out on vinyl, and the variants and things that can be done with pressings are really cool. On the other hand you have people selling a crappy G copy of a basic Warner Brothers, let's use Led Zeppelin record for instance for $50 because it's a "vintage record," it makes me insane.
Which records are still on your want list that you've had a tough time tracking down through the years?
I guess technically some of these I could buy online but at what cost...
Black Sabbath Master of Reality Malaysia, South Korean, and Taiwanese versions. I realize these are unofficial, I'm sure I'll hear about it form some collectors but that's a whole other conversation and I still need them:
- Uncle Acid|Danava, White Nights of Murder/I'll Cut You Down (Kemado Records)
- Motorpsycho, Lobotomizer (Voices of Wonder Records)
- Smashing Pumpkins, Machina/The Machines of God (Virgin or Hut Recordings)
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Tagged: record collector
