What Was the First Album You Ever Bought?
by Ryan Vlastelica
The first album we ever bought was The Joshua Tree, by U2. It was on cassette and we used to listen to it in the dark, in our bedroom, and think very deep thoughts. We are very deep and interesting.
CHRIS
Where he presides: Bourbon Street Bar & Grille,
Midtown
Favorite drink: Captain and Coke
Supernova, by Oasis [Ed. This does not exist.]. They were my
favorite band at the time, and I still give them a listen every now and
then. The last album I bought was by Arctic Monkeys. I'm Scottish, and
most of the bands I like you can't find here. I have a lot of CDs,
there are more than 160 in my collection. The last time I counted I had
more than 130 and I've bought more since then. I may be older now, but
I still rock out.
MARIYA
Where she presides: Whiskey River, Kips Bay
Favorite drink: Sapphire straight up
Ooh, I don't remember what it was, but the first CD I ever got was a
Hanukkah present when I was 11 or 12. It was an Ace of Base album. Yes,
I still listen to it... sometimes. I don't have the album itself
anymore, though. I threw out all my CDs when I put them onto my PC. Now
I don't buy them at all anymore, I just get them online. [Regular:
The first one I bought was Combat Rock, by the Clash. I was
maybe 9 or 10. Then after that it was Speak of the Devil, by
Ozzy. When I opened that one, it smelled funny, a strange burnt plastic
smell. Like evil. I thought, "Oh my God I'm going to go to hell if I
listen to this." I never played it. My Roman Catholic upbringing
wouldn't allow it.]
JOHNNY
Where he presides: Nevada Smith's, East Village
Favorite drink: Guinness
When I was nine, in 1977, I bought a single 45. It was "Rat Trap,"
by the Boomtown Rats, and probably cost me about 99 pence. It was at a
record store called Golden Discs in Cork City, Ireland, that no longer
exists. It was a great song, though the Boomtown Rats never made it big
in America.
SUTHER
Where he presides: Rye, Williamsburg
Favorite drink: Classic Old Fashioned
I'm embarrased to say it was Synchronicity by the Police.
[That's not embarrassing.] Well, it was an eight-track. That's
the embarrassing part. [That is kind of embarrasing.]
BEN
Where he presides: Libation, LES
Favorite drink: Shot and a beer
Eazy-Duz-It, by Eazy-E. It was a CD. It was in my gangsta
days. I was 11. I would play it for my Mom, but turn it off right
before the really bad parts. I don't know how I got away with having
it, because it is a very nasty album.
