Review of I Need That Record! (2008) by Walter M — 12 Jun 2011

"I Need That Record! The Death(Or Possible Survival) of the Independent Record Store" is a nostalgic documentary about the disappearance of independent record stores with just a little bit of hope for their resurgence at the end.

Instead of regurgitating the usual corporate plans for world domination(proving that music companies are their own worst enemies when it comes to falling sales), more time should have been spent in independent record stores across the country, showing why their continued existence is so very important.

(I'm going to need a ruling on Newbury Comics, by the way. I know they don't exactly look corporate but 29 locations sort of makes them a chain.) That's when the documentary is at its best as these record stores promote local bands(there's footage of one band performing at a store in Nashville) and keep the profits local for owners who love what they do in introducing new music to people who otherwise would not have heard of it.

And a lot of these stores are not just in the big cities, as Connecticut comes up a lot in this documentary.