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Amoeba Music
Category: Shopping Books, Mags, Music and Video Music & DVDs Music & DVDs [Edit]
2455 Telegraph Ave(between Haste St & Dwight Way)
Berkeley, CA 94704
Neighborhoods: Telegraph Ave, UC Campus Area
(510) 549-1125
Announcement
We're having sidewalk sales in front of the store every weekend this summer from 12-7pm! http://bit.ly/qG9sMJ
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 10:30 am - 8 pm
Fri-Sat 10:30 am - 10 pm
Sun 11 am - 8 pm
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
236 reviews for Amoeba Music
Review Highlights
236 reviews in English
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Review from Christal B.
San Diego, CA
2/26/2012 1 Check-in Here
Coming from San Diego, stores like Amoeba are practically non-existent.
I was overwhelmed (in a good way) with the extensive selection of music and movies.
Had a great time browsing the classics/ indies movie sections.
Ended up buying Requiem for a Dream and Run, Lola Run for a little over $10
bucks,
Oh yeah, 10% student discount.
Win,
Can't wait to come back so I can start building my movie collection :) -
Review from Zwolf A. U.
Concord, CA
5/6/2012
Pondering the reasons for the inconsistent experiences one gets at Amoeba - Telegraph is heady philosophy. First read other reviews -- same mixed experiences from many, many people.
Same as many people, I've been shopping at the local music stores for a lot of years (more than 20 for me). Now it's a 20 mile drive to Berkeley and all the pain-in-the-ass aspects of Telegraph (parking, parking meters, filth, addicts, stinking incense, etc.) make a return trek that much more reliant on the store experience. So when my partner tells me that my negative store experience has ruined our entire evening, it's another nail in the coffin.
Took in a few cds and dvds so that I'd have some trade to play with, but the staff was all bitchy last night and the buyer I got (the big dud with a black birthday-cake hat and beady eyes) only bought 1 cd and 1 dvd and gave me $3 total -- stuff I had paid more than $15 for at Amoeba. He didn't look anything up, and was snarky when I asked him about it. Just another ugly experience to go along with the growing list of reasons not to return. I stopped dragging books to Moe's, clothing to Buffalo Exchange and perhaps it's time to add Amoeba to the list. Unfortunately, the competition hasn't been better in this regard, but it's donating to Goodwill is becoming more gratifying.
For years, the bricks-and-mortar independents have been railing against shopping at the big chains that carry music, and the ever-growing number of on-line options, and the trend toward digital downloads from home, but when they take away the remaining reason for going -- getting some trade-in so you can happily browse the racks for an hour or two -- they aren't doing themselves, their customers, nor the music industry any favors.
Telegraph dishes out more toxicity than the Rasputin experience in Vallejo, Concord, Stockton, Campbell or Mountain View. Perhaps Amoeba will soon be added to the gravestones on the Rasputin shopping bag. If you don't know what that refers to check out the music-store cemetery on the bag. It's great and sad all at the same time... and maybe that's why Amoeba employees get into their funk and now frequently cheat their customers out of a good experience. -
Review from Eve O.
2/23/2012
I really like digging for records, but I don't love it like I used to. The reason is two fold: First, I've acquired a taste for heavy vinyl, and what you'll usually find here are re-releases and less substantial stuff. That's cool, those are fun and useful too. It's hard to afford the other stuff, anyway.
But also, I used to ravage the dollar bins. For that, Amoeba was unparalleled. I could kill 4 hours in the one on Sunset, spend 8 bucks, and walk away with a ton of essential collection stuff. Not so much anymore, as the dollar bin stuff never tends to change. I bought every copy of Nebraska that was ever in there, so that's gone. And surely I don't need more than three Frampton Comes Alive albums. Even that's probably three too many.
This situation could probably be solved if the the service wasn't less than stellar. Perhaps new life could be breathed into the whole endeavor if an in-the-know employee would take a minute or two and have a conversation. You know, what stuff to look out for, this sounds like so-and-so, or recommend something I maybe haven't thought of. No one seems willing. What is up, my musically-inclined brethren? Grace me with your knowledge!! Sell me rad stuff! Sigh.Listed in: My Reviews
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Review from Jonny S.
Los Angeles, CA
5/24/2012
Smack dab in the center of Haight-Ashbury, Amoeba Music is an absolute institution in the Bay Area. It is a HUGE music store: A place where you can get lost for hours on end. I certainly do. Obviously, they have every conceivable new release, but the treasures as Amoeba can be found in their used section. Whether it's vinyl, videos, CDs, DVDs or vintage rock posters, this is THE place to go in Berkeley. Trust me.
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Review from Jon T.
3/31/2012 1 Check-in Here
Not bad, but not great either. After being very used to the selection and organization in SF, this Amoeba seems a little lacking. There's still a pretty large vinyl selection, but when I went, I couldn't find what I was looking for.
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Review from Marty M.
Ontario, CA
4/19/2012
Decent.not as good as LA amoeba and not as bad as sf amoeba.
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Review from DJ Guan Yu M.
Pittsburg, CA
5/12/2012
This Amoeba is another great place to find a variety of music, movies, and shows. The place is very close to the Rasputin in Berkeley. Amoeba is close to a lot of good stores, restaurants, and UC Berkeley. Bringing your student ID is a good idea to save money. Parking can be a pain, but it is bearable.
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Review from Tommy M.
St Helena, CA
3/27/2012
The heavy metal buyer here is very good. They are not afraid to carry albums that other stores may consider obscure or weird. This is the main reason I come to Amoeba, and the reason I will continue to come here. If I wanted just your average metal album, I would just go to any other store. Highly recommend for fans of Black Metal, NWOBHM, and Doom Metal. Keep up the good work, don't give into social pressures and remove these obscure foreign bands from your selection, if the buyer reads this, they should know what Im talking about. Also! on a side note, I met the buyer and now I receive call occasionally when titles that they think I may like come into the store....who else does that?!
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Review from Bettie P.
Oakland, CA
1/28/2012
My review is the same as JR and Kyle's. Exact same happened to me as what bb wrote about on 1/27/2011. And i'm glad i'm not the only one!
Seriously? I will never step foot in this business again. How RUDE!! This place needs a training not only in simple customer service, but just simply how to treat people IN GENERAL.
WHY are you so hostile, aging Berkeley hippy CD-buyer guy?!?!
I mean, look at all the BAD reviews you are getting, and it has to be YOU, because all the reviews with only one-star are all people who came in to sell things.
I had some CD's and VHS to sell. I was on my way to Rasputin (as i called Rasputin the day before and made an appointment to sell 2 suitcases full of media) , but passed Amoeba first and saw the sign that they buy these things, so I went in.
I met with a middle aged guy with blond hair chin length and glasses. He looked through about 200 of my CDs, and said he would give me a small amount for only 4 of them. Then he said... or you can take them somewhere else and see what you can get. He didnt even look at any other media I was selling.
So, I took him up on that. I said, well let me go down the street and see what they say. I said I'd be back. He said OK.
I went to Amoeba, where i had the nicest customer service and they were all friendly.
I was Greeted right away at Rasputin..... I was GREETED at the door at Rasputin, not "HEY CHECK YOUR BAG" at the door like at Amoeba.
The Rasputin guy looked at every single one of my CD's, VHS, video games, and cassettes, and scanned them all into the computer.
He bought most of my things, but not all.
So, i took what was left and went back to Amoeba. This guy practically chases me out of the store when I walk in... and for what?! Did he have a sudden change of personality in the 1/2 hour i was gone?!
He was fine with me when I was first there. Then I come back and he's all hostile. He asked "you went down the street didnt you?" As if I was not allowed to visit another music store!? Plus, he told me earlier that he did not mind if I went somewhere else first to see if I could get more money.
When I said yes, i had just come from another music store, but i still had some nice stuff to sell -- he actually swatted my arm and said 'yeah, no, i'm not interested' and like physically shoo'd me out of the store.
WTH!? I'm not a hobo, i'm not homeless. I'm not gross. I wasnt rude. I dont stink. I wasnt begging. I was polite. I'm an upscale, married, regular 45 year old lady who just wanted to sell her old music to others who might appreciate it.
I was very surprised at the clear, obvious difference in customer service and customer treatment between Rasputin and Amoeba.
From now on, Rasputin is my place and has my business and referals to anyone I know. . I'll never step foot in Amoeba again and be treated that way.
Have you heard of that restaurant in New York where they humiliate you, are mean to you, and rude, but thats just part of the theme for that restaurant?? Well thats how Amoeba is, but for a music store. -
Review from Kyle L.
Berkeley, CA
9/23/2011
First of all let it be known that I love Amoeba and I was a patron of the Hollywood location for years before moving to Berkeley.
With that said, I have a complaint.
I really wanted this album I discovered the night before and I take 5 CD's with me to trade in at Amoeba. The guy at the trade counter offers me $10. The CD I want costs $10.76. I kindly explain the situation and ask for the difference in trade-in value. The guy says no (saying he can't because they're all scratched, I won't go into the problems with this situation as they are many) and having no cash on me, I take the offer, buy the CD I came for and I am thus forced to charge 76 cents on my credit card.
FAIL!
Now, from an objective standpoint I would say that this store is mediocre at best. This is the case not only when compared to Amoeba's other locations, but especially when one considers Rasputin Music, which is literally next door and offers a wider and larger selection, at equivalent if not cheaper prices.
Sorry Amoeba, you still have your place, but it will unfortunately be a back-up one from now on.
So I wrote the first part of this last week and I wasn't going to post it, as I decided to give the benefit of the doubt.
And then...
I go there again this morning before class and this time experience what I can only call poor customer service. I'm the only one waiting to buy, that's right I wait for at least a good minute before one of the clerks breaks from his conversation to help me...wait, what's this?...he's not done with his conversation, he 's going to continue it while he checks me out, which normally would not bother me, but when he answers my question in a curt manner and then, because of the aforementioned conversation, doesn't realize I'm waiting on him to hit whatever button he needs to to complete the transaction, yeah I got a problem.
FAIL! Again!
What the heck Amoeba? I thought we were cool. I'm not sure I'll be back even as a last resort now. -
Review from Return T.
Emeryville, CA
3/16/2012
Love it. The smell of the CDs is intoxicating.
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Review from Mari V.
Berkeley, CA
3/8/2012
Have been coming here for years. Sometimes people are nice and helpful, sometimes annoyed to be bothered. Sometimes I get a decent price for my CD's to sell, sometimes I get peanuts. Sometimes my returns are carefully calculated, sometimes a figure is tossed off without much effort to be accurate. EVERY time I get charged tax on both my credit and my new purchases, so in effect I am paying tax twice. How they get away with that, I have no idea!
Till I read other reviews I thought they were the only game in town. Despite the problems, I HAVE to have a music store. So, think I'll give Rasputin's a shot next time. -
Review from Eric B.
7/30/2011
I was showing my Brother around the Cal Campus area last week and of course Telegraph Avenue was part of the adventure. I personally think that North Gate (including the various GTU buildings) are more interesting, but I guess the South Side has it's own version of spirituality.
Tom lives in Taiwan and listens mostly to music downloads. He had never heard of Pandora, but I assume that there are other local options. I still like my music on CDs and with Amoeba and Rasputin's on the same street, there's no excuse for not finding what I want to hear (new or used). And if I still had a Turntable, so much the better. However, my Dad still listens to 8-Track, so he would be out of luck.
We wandered in and since I had bought "Back in Black" years ago, I passed both Amy Winehouse and AC-DC by. Maybe Linda Ronstadt and the Stone Poneys? There are lots of possibilities here, which allowed my Brother and I to walk through much of our High School (including Roof Garden) band music experiences. -
Review from T N.
Davis, CA
12/17/2011
I always come here to look amongst the records and CDs for vintage stuff and classics.
The place is dusty so take a benadryl for allergies to molds/dust before you enter.
Staff kind and resourceful. -
Review from Tony B.
San Jose, CA
7/31/2011 6 photos
This place is pretty dope. There is a huge selection of music, posters, art, collectibles. The place can get crowded and stuff can be kind of scattered around, so be prepared to spend some time in here.
I managed to find a Foreign Exchange album here that I was unable to find up the street at Rasputin. Music is pricey, but nowadays music either costs nothing or a lot, right? -
Review from J R.
Berkeley, CA
1/9/2012
I have to agree with Kyle's review below - I used to love this place, but have recently found the customer service here at the Berkeley location to be lazy, curt and apathetic.
Back in early December I was looking for a particular classical CD, and given that they didn't have it in stock, I asked if they would order it, and if they could get it in a week's time. Apparently they COULDN'T confirm if it was available, and therefore WOULDN' T order it for me because if it came in later than a week, it wouldn't be a sale. Now, I was taken aback by the attitude - this wasn't a rare CD, and if it didn't show up in time, couldn't they just return it to the distributor? At any rate, they said they wouldn't even try to order it.
So I walked up to Rasputin's, and NOT ONLY were they able to confirm that the CD was orderable from their distributor, but they had a friendly and helpful attitude. The sale went to Rasputin's, and I won't be going to the Berkeley Amoeba any time soon! -
Review from Akvile H.
The second Amoeba location I've been in the Bay area wow, I am just in love with this music store!
I could spend hours digging through vinyl records and looking through old used CD's...which is exactly what I did. Looking at old album covers brings back a sense of nostalgia, it's quite nice.
Their selection is top notch, prices are really good, and the staff is friendly. They do ask you to check your bags in at the front before you go in, so make sure to bring your phone and wallet along with you. I had a small purse and they allowed that through though, that was nice.
Stop on in to find some musical gems for a great price!Listed in: Bag It Up In Berkeley
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Review from Cara D.
9/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
I was really excited to check out this Amoeba since I LOVE the Haight location, and this one is much closer to home. I wasn't able to devote as much time to it as I would like -- I can seriously spend hours browsing -- but I was able to check on a few artists I've been looking for and have had trouble finding. One of which was Ingrid Michaelson, and I am happy to report the store had two of her albums -- one less since my visit, but still. It definitely made me happy.
The Verdict: Still my all-time favorite store and this location was no less awesome. -
Review from Jenn C.
1/8/2012
I love the giant Amoeba store in SF with the live concerts but it's so far away and often such a zoo. This Amoeba store has just as good a selection of the genres and artists that interest me - so when I'm looking to pass a rainy afternoon, I hop on the 1, walk a few blocks and browse Amoeba and the other excellent music & book shops on Telegraph. It's definitely worth your while to pop in and browse this store - support your local merchants!
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Review from Jeremy G.
Humble, TX
8/13/2011
One of the coolest stores on the planet!
Maybe a little too cool for me. In a place like this, a Puritan WASP like me sticks out like an orange traffic cone on an icy road. But I don't let that deter me from frequenting places like these.
The Amoeba stores are gigantic in comparison to most used record stores, which earns them five stars by default. Of course, that's also the problem with this place - it's almost impossible to simply browse; it's better if you're searching for a specific item. On the other hand, one can find hidden gems by bouncing from stack to stack like a billiard ball.
The only negative: sticker shock, baby. -
Review from Nicole B.
3/22/2011
My favorite spot to go digging for used CDs! I lived on College however, I always found an excuse to walk home on Telegraph just so I could stop here for some new music. I could spend hours in here and do some major damage. They even have used movies here too, which I think is way better than paying full price!
Just be warned ladies, if you have a bag (or a backpack in my case) they'll want you to check it in. So be sure to grab that wallet if you plan on buying something!Listed in: Cal College Stomping Grounds
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Review from ben s.
Oakland, CA
7/19/2011
BIGGEST FUCKIN RECORD STORE IN THE EAST BAY.
ok so the best thing about amoeba is also the worst and that is its vast size and variety of music.
you will always find something you want. the workers are almost always helpful and friendly. i'm a little biased cuz i've got friends that work here but they definitely hire people who know music, a good thing.
my advice if you don't wanna be in here all day is know what you are looking for in advance, go straight to that section and get it. otherwise its like some kinda crazy casino trap type situation. before you know it hours will have gone by and you will have spent all your money. -
Review from Frances L.
Los Angeles, CA
9/4/2011
Of all the Bay Area Amoeba's, I have a special place in my heart for this location. While it may be one of the smallest locations, this Amoeba has a ton of character and a more local charm than the bigger shops. I always find something good here browsing through their records and vast used CD collections. The Hollywood location is still my favorite, but when record shopping in the Bay, this is definitely a must-stop because of their often great selection of small-print, local labels and independent artists. I prefer the record stores in SF a little more,but for the Berkeley area, this place won't disappoint.
Listed in: Yelping in High Fidelity:…
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Review from Laurie H.
4/20/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I like to support independent....every time I go to Amoeba I hope for more than what I get. Not sure why, exactly. While there are dozens of people working here, finding one of them to help is a challenge, at best. Once you do find one, they are helpful, but sometimes I just give up.
And please....could you stock more Hawaiian and Polynesian music? Do you know how big the Pacific Islander community is here? And you barely carry the local people making Hawaiian music. Get in touch with someone - go to http://pica-org.org and get a consultant....seriously - the number of halau is off-the-charts in the east bay alone and you could really be tapping into that. -
Review from Anne N.
3/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
Able to find a lot more new records. Used items were mostly CDs and DVDs. I like to go music hunting with Lewis :). 10% off used items if you showed your student ID.
The haul:
- Andrew Bird: Useless Creatures
- Sufjan Stevens: The Age of Adz
- Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong: Ella and Louis
- Pink Martini: Hang On Little Tomato
I feel like I'm missing a record from our list. Otherwise a great place to look for new music, but keep an eye out for used items, you might just find a keeper. -
Review from Amy J.
4/22/2011 3 Check-ins Here
It was absolute chaos here for Record Store Day! That said, Ameoba never disappoints with their selection of new and old music. I haven't been to a record store in awhile but coming here always brings back good memories.
I don't always find what I'm looking for but it always makes me happy. This past visit I did end up grabbing a couple of good albums for a friend of mine. -
Review from Mimi C.
11/14/2010
I LOVE Amoeba ... but the one in Berkeley is really small and has a very limited selection. Yes, I'm a bit spoiled from the Hollywood one... but there wasn't even a section for top 20's pop nor pop for that matter (they only had pop vocal).
They DO carry a HUGE selection of rock, electrionica, jazz and classical though. =) Don't expect to find Backstreet Boys. =P We left with an out of print Disney CD, though! =) -
Review from NeO B.
Bay Area
8/31/2010
One of the few Record Shops still standing after the MP3 take over.
In my younger years I have always walked in with the hopes of diggin for rare finds with plenty of success. And even till today I still feeling that it's that same feeling that keeps me coming. Unfortunately I do more "window diggin" than before, but the fact is, I'm still walking in to the store everytime I'm in the area.
Not fancy, not the most cheery staff, but staff is knowledgeable (Of their favored genre that is.) And you can almost always find what your looking for. -
Review from Murphy O.
San Francisco, CA
2/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
I prefer the SF store, but this one's pretty neat in it's own way.
They've got lots of CD's, Vinyl, DVDs, and VHS for pretty darn cheap. Last time I went I got four VHS movies for about three bucks and six used CDs for a little over two.
Definitely worth checking out, even if you just want to browse through a different selection than the SF location. -
Review from Ksenia B.
Piedmont Ave, Oakland, CA
5/9/2011
I'm giving 2 stars to the Berkeley store mostly because of the staff. It seems like everyone is too cool to pay enough attention to customers, no one cares to help if there is a special event and you supposed to enter a sweepstake or get a poster, and on the record store day almost every worker was severely depressed (yes, it is a lot of pain for the staff, but it is an exciting event!). Plus, they did some restocking on the RSD, which was quite annoying,
Selection of LPs is pretty good though (probably much better than your local indie record store), but Amoeba San Francisco and Amoeba Hollywood easily beat that. And people at your local indie record store are more likely to be much helpful and guarantee a better experience. -
Review from Lolia S.
San Francisco, CA
7/29/2008
It's not as large as their location in SF and my fond old memories of shopping for music in Berkeley belong to the Rasputin's (and Leopold Records, RIP). The lack of a goth/industrial section is also disappointing (and not one Sleep Chamber CD). The goth/industrial selection at the SF location is definitely better. Still, their selection of CDs, DVDs, vinyl and even cassette tapes and VHS tapes is impressive and covers everything from world music to jazz to electronica. You'll find classical music on the second floor. It looks like they're phasing out the cassette tapes though (Does anyone still buy those?)
Rare vinyl LPs line the walls and they sell vintage children's lunchboxes too (didn't see any that were too interesting). They do a great job of keeping things organized, even the $1.99 clearance bins. I've found some good CDs in the clearance section too and try to take advantage of the buy 3, get 1 free deal. It takes a long time to find four clearance CDs you want but it's worth digging.
Students get a 10% discount. It smelled like weed inside the store - maybe it was coming from People's Park?Listed in: Where you should buy gifts
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Review from Jose M.
San Francisco, CA
8/10/2011
So I was totally pumped about shopping for LP records at this place HOWEVER I hit up Rasputin (which is a block away) before coming here and they were cheaper, had ten times the selection and the place was crawling with easy going staff that know their stuff. Amoeba guys were kind of rude and uptight. I'm totally never going back. I really, really want to give this place one star but whatever, I'll be nice and give a pity star to them.
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Review from Ken K.
10/7/2008
I'd deduct one star because it smells of hippies and runaways with Alsatians in here, but it wouldn't be fare to this landmark and store considering the variety and type of products offered therein,(as they do attract the kind of afforementioned crowd, what can you do but hold your breath) .
When a store has to proactively worry about thievery and make you check your bags at the door as if you have a premeditated plan to steal Milli Vanilli Ice Kids On The Block CDs that they can't even give away, it has got to be something better than paranoia. And it is if you don't mind the 3rd degree, just be glad you are not subjected to a full body cavity search instead.
Diversity is the spice of life, and that is why stores like Amoeba and its comic book equivalent in the same city (Comic Relief) are still standing high and tall to this day. Sure you can specialize, but if you offer a lil' sumthin' for everyone and do it well, people will flock back again as they have time and time again.
Out of countless visits in thelast 10 years, there was almost always treasure to be found in the used bins. One person's junk ends up being in someone's trunk. Collectible used CDs (limited edition promos, vinyls in the form of singles, album's EPs, DVDs of rare movies, imports from Europe, Australia, Asia, indie label stuff, jazz, classical, pop, rock, r&b, soul, world (ethnic) music, uncategorized, to all sorts of DJ dance club techno trip hop ambient rave drums n' bass for the budding hip hop, DJ, sucka MC, or all in one.
If you are a buff in one of those categories, be it movie, music, media for consumption, chances are you will find something you like here. -
Review from Eryka V.
Oakland, CA
1/8/2010
Some:
Morrissey - for the emotional lesbian in me not to mention the soundtrack to my first drink of the evening
Alton Ellis - so me and my lady can laugh and enjoy some drinks during the evening
Prince - So we can begin to feel sexy and buzzed, and start the question of the night "Where do you wanna go tonight"
The New Snoop Dogg - So we can motivate our ass to start getting all sexy and gangsta, so we can be "giggin" on em
Hector Lavoe - Towards the final touches of our outfits and the straight shots, so we can groove a little and have some steamy kisses before we head out.
On the way out grab 2pac, Erykah Badu, Dilla, Flosstradamus, DJ Platurn, Maxwell, and don't forget all the spanish cds too!!!
Bump all of the above as me and my gorgeous lady are out and about!!!
Come home from a great night out put all my Sade cd's in rotation, and turn up the volume. Come up behind my girl grab her ass, kiss her on the back of her neck, remove her clothes, and wrap those pretty thighs around me all night.............................
Thanks AMOEBA for always having what I need to perfect the soundtrack to my days. Couldn't have hit it so well without ya! -
Review from Eric E.
San Francisco, CA
3/23/2008
For me, music shopping is all about the hunt. I approach it with the same sweaty-palmed rush of adrenaline that many get from sex, sports, gambling, or a hundred other vices. I'm not talking about just popping in to pick up the new Arcade Fire album. Oh no! I'm referring to the prolonged visits to a music store where my fingers turn black with grime and my eyes start to hurt from excessive browsing. I fall into a trance where all surrounding noise vanishes and it's just me and the "clack-clack-clack" of flipping through row after row of compact disc.
I've been like this since high school--I can't help it! Amoeba on Telegraph has been my first choice for hundreds of hours of aimless music shopping. Nowadays I only have the time and energy to do this a few times a year, and I have to be alone or in the company of fellow music freak Renee E (who I've shopped at Amoeba with for nearly a decade!). Anyhow, here's the way my most recent trip to Amoeba went down when I had some time to kill the other day in Berkeley...
First, I hit up the New Release displays...I'm usually aware of what's recently come out, so no surprises here...but I always have to check. Then I zeroed in on the two discs I planned on getting with premeditated surgical precision. (This time around, it was the BRMC Baby81 outtakes and "100 Days, 100 Nights" by the lovely Sharon Jones).
Now that I had what I came for in hand, I was free to really do some damage. First, a cursory walk through every aisle of the pop rock section, stopping at my favorites (David Byrne, The Smiths/Morrissey, and Patti Smith)--a futile maneuver to be sure--there's not a chance in hell I wouldn't have anything they'd put out within a second of it hitting the stores.
Alright, so then it was off to the R&B/Soul section where I combed through every single row of music. This is where the agony always happens. Give me 5 minutes and I can come up with at least a hundred soul albums that I can't live without--and can't afford all at once. So instead, I limited myself to one or two. Alright, alright. Three.
Then it hit me that I needed some stuff by Eydie Gorme and Peggy Lee, so I headed all the way to the back corner of the smaller room where they keep the vocalists/easy listening section. It's a small section, so I got what I needed fairly quickly and headed back over to the soul section to further torture myself, and then up to the counter to pay since they were closing soon.
A hundred dollars later and I had Sharon Jones, the BRMC, Eydie Gorme, Peggy Lee, Freda Payne, Gwen McCrae, and Honey Cone all securely stashed away in my manbag...dance party to follow!
**I dedicate this review to Renee E who first fanned my musical flames when I was but a freshman in high school.** -
Review from Joey J.
4/20/2009 1 Check-in Here
According to my iTunes, I could listen to it for over 80 days, or roughly two Ark-worthy floods back-to-back, without the same track playing twice. So you would think it would be possible for me to go into Amoeba Records without walking out with an arm full of used CDs. You'd think wrong.
Herein lies the problem. That rare ________insert band name you drop to give yourself indie cred_______ album? It's there. You can count on it. Though lately, my addiction has been going through the $1.99 Used CDs and telling myself "It's only two bucks" as an excuse to put the stuff from the 90s that I listened to in high school. Normally, I pick up three and then get told I can get another one free, so I run back and get that Poison CD nobody really wants (there goes any bit of indie cred I may have had right there). As an added bonus, if you need to kill off an hour while the significant other shops for, um, "less manly" things, there are thousands upon thousands of CDs and DVDs to ogle and dream of owning. It's really a win/win/win situation.
Yes, in the end you have to pay the piper to the angry glower you'll get from the girlfriend when you walk out of the store with another armload of used CDs. But, what can you do. We all have issues. -
Review from Carrie M.
Berkeley, CA
12/20/2008
I love Amoeba. I give it five stars because going there is always a 5-star experience.
Amoeba may not have the perfect selection of super rare recordings that uber music fans hope for, but it has a great selection. And plenty of vinyl. They have a lot of good stuff covering many, many genres and sub-genres of music, from show tunes to dubstep to death metal to...whatever your heart desires. Their jazz collection is awesome, and they always carry the latest rereleases, many in vinyl, lovely 180 gm vinyl! And folks, if they don't have exactly what you are looking for, they will be happy to special order it just for you. Ask and ye shall receive. Their used selection is the best around, and is always changing, so I love to check it often. I've found some awesome stuff there.
And let's acknowledge Amoeba for being there for us since 1990, as an independent store the whole time. That means something to me.
Five stars for Amoeba. -
Review from Jeff M.
San Francisco, CA
11/27/2006
After years of going to both Amoebas (usually in SF though) I never bothered to look through the bargain CD racks. Until this weekend in Berkeley. I'd say it was a big mistake because there was a lot of good stuff in there that I wanted to buy, but for $2 each, I actually can! An album called "Taking Advantage of Stupid People"? Brilliant, I'll take it! Old Blues Traveler albums for $2? Brilliant, I'll take 'em! Minus one because they didn't have two of the three things I was looking for, and the one they did have, there was only one copy left, which led to a somewhat-awkward showdown with the lead singer, who also happened to be there to buy the album. I'm sure there must be some kind of etiquette in place for that. What it is, I don't know, but I got the album.
ETA: They also had theSTART's new album yesterday, when Amoeba SF, Streetlight 24th St, Virgin, and Sam Goody didn't. And they held it for me.Listed in: West East Bay
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Review from Kalyani Y.
Oakland, CA
6/7/2007
What with Father's day right around the corner, I've been revisiting a yearly tradition of mine: freaking out about what to get dear ol' pop that shows him how much I love him. You see, the problem is that my father isn't like most men in his hobbies, and exactly like them in his dislikes.
Let's take a look.
He's Chinese (=cheap), middle aged, doesn't like sports (nothing besides hackey sack and tai chi in Chinatown, anyway), doesn't grill (naturally, he prefers stir fry), and isn't interested in cars (he's going to drive his 12 year old Toyota until it dies).
But, he has a life long love of music, world music in particular. Amoeba, with it's stupendous variety and great prices, is his candy shop. So, this year in the middle of June, after I freak out I'll take a hike to Amoeba and buy him a gift certificate. He's bound to show up by 3:00 on Father's day, gift certificate (and coupons, cheapie that he is) in hand.
*Father's day is June 17th, in case you forget. -
Review from Haaay East Bay l.
Oakland, CA
8/5/2011
Oh honey, let me tell you. I've probably been squatting and lying on the ground in the aisles of Amoeba since I was 16. I actually have the patience and quick fingers to go through the boxes of 45s and the dollar bins. I've contributed to the very slow depletion of the cassette shelves (it never hurts to have a back-up of a favorite album WITH the art for a friend's '80s car). I probably own 5 separate copies of Orff's Carmina Burana, Satie piano pieces, the Ravel string quartet, and Bach's cello and violin suites just for the sake of hearing different ensembles and soloists play them. I've written to bands years after they put out single albums and went defunct (hullo Bubble Core Records, reply to me!). I've stalked bands nobody likes in England based off random bin purchases from years before, I've duplicated buys of stuff I already own just to give as gifts, I've asked for advice in the Berkeley classical section just to hear them talk, and I probably have the saddest, dustiest collection of VHS tapes from below hip level than anyone around.
Yep, I'm into FINDS. Sometimes just for the spectacle, most of the time because I've had so much success finding things I love almost at random. I even had a system - judging a random clearance item based on the album art, the looks of the artist, the cleverness of the title, the instrumentation (if listed), and the year it was published actually works!
But I think one experience that ties all this cray-cray together must be the time I walked into the SF store with my brother and a friend from high school. I was wandering the aisles and finally got a call from another friend who had been MIA for weeks. By gut instinct I said, "Wait, you've been getting laid, haven't you? In fact, are you getting laid right now as you're talking to me on the phone?" Well I was right on the first count! Hmph! Psychic AND neglected.
But as my friend described the Irish dude whose best friend was also picked up by her co-worker (ewww), I exclaimed, "Oh HELL! The Hairspray soundtrack, with an OUT OF PRINT sticker, on cassette tape!" I think it was $1.95! Just then, my brother poked me in the shoulder to tell me that he and my friend were tapping their feet at the front waiting for me to finish.
I started to walk to the line, and noticed what looked like the holiday wall decorations of a suburban '60s family to my left. John Waters was in the store signing autographs! And in addition to my Hairspray snag, I had my Pink Flamingos CD in my bag because I was about to lend it to my friend!
I think the signs and the security guard's growl said that only those who purchased a new triple-DVD set could stand in line and get John Waters' autograph. But I thought I'd lollygag and stare at him for a moment at least. You know, for a mental reference so I could get my future pencil-thin mustache *just so* in the far future.
The guard just put his mom-arm across my chest as John Waters spied me and the items I was holding. He motioned for me to come over, and when I showed him the cassette and the CD, he just said, "OH MY GOD. Take a Polaroid with me!"
I cannot tell who's more amused in the photo. Later on in life, I met a banker who owns a can of AquaNet signed by John Waters. I wonder how THAT one came about!
