Dave's Side One

Dave remembers buying America’s Harbor as a discounted cutout from a kiosk outside a shopping plaza.

The jacket carried a mark and the album came at a reduced price, but the music—especially the atmospheric “God of the Sun”—gave the record lasting value. Over time, the bargain purchase became more meaningful than many albums bought at full price.

Sometimes the least expensive record on the shelf becomes one of the hardest to replace emotionally.

Dave once owned a copy of KISS’ Rock and Roll Over—and made the mistake of trading it away.

The regret lasted for decades. Around 2018, he finally found a replacement at Josey Records in Dallas. The new copy returned the music and artwork to his shelf, but it also taught him an important lesson: a replacement record can never carry the exact history of the copy that was originally yours.

Which record do you most regret letting go?

Dave remembers buying Kansas’ Monolith at Raspberry Records near Cottonwood Mall during the week of its release in 1979.

The album became so familiar over the years that every transition and musical turn now feels expected. But that familiarity raises an intriguing question: which beloved album would you erase from your memory just for the chance to experience its surprises again?

For Dave, the answer may be Monolith.

Most people know Agents of Fortune because of one unforgettable hit. But Dave argues that Blue Öyster Cult's breakthrough album deserves to be heard as a complete work, filled with overlooked songs, outstanding musicianship, and a unique atmosphere that still holds up decades later.

If you've only listened to "Reaper," this episode may convince you to give the whole album another spin.

Before listeners heard a single note, an album cover could already begin telling the story.

In this episode of Dave’s Side One, Dave looks at Styx’s The Grand Illusion and explains why its mysterious, theatrical artwork became inseparable from the music inside. He also reflects on what has been lost as album artwork has moved from twelve-inch record jackets to small images on streaming screens.

The music still matters most—but sometimes the cover is the doorway that leads us into the album.

What album cover has stayed with you as strongly as the music?

Dave shares the story of walking into a stereo store planning to upgrade his equipment—and leaving with a Supertramp album instead. That unexpected decision taught him a lesson that's shaped the way he's listened to music ever since: great recordings often matter more than expensive gear.

If you've ever fallen in love with an album because of how it sounded, this episode is for you.

Not every memorable record purchase begins with a shopping list.

In this episode of Dave's Side One, Dave shares the story of walking into The Record Bar at Crossroads Mall in Salt Lake City around 1979 and leaving with I Robot by The Alan Parsons Project. What started as an unplanned purchase quickly became one of the most treasured albums in his collection after three straight listens that same afternoon.

What's the best record you've ever bought on impulse?

Some records entertain us while we go about our day. Others ask us to stop, sit down and give them our full attention.

In this Sunday Slow Down episode of Dave’s Side One, Dave reflects on Dan Fogelberg’s Nether Lands and how an unhurried album can change not only the atmosphere of a room, but the pace of the listener.

It is a reminder that there is a difference between having music on and truly listening.

Tonight’s Side One Spin: Choose one complete album. Put away your phone, turn off the other screens and listen from the opening note to the final groove without skipping or multitasking. For forty minutes, let listening be enough.

Some albums become classics.

Others become companions.

For Dave, one of those companions is Joe Walsh’s So What. It may not be the rarest or most valuable record on his shelf, but it is one he continues returning to because it has become part of his life’s soundtrack.

In today’s Dave’s Side One, Dave explores why the albums we play most often are not necessarily the ones with the highest rankings. They are the records woven into our memories, routines, homes, and milestones.

Tonight’s Side One Spin: Pull out the album that always seems to find its way back to your turntable. As you listen, think about all the places it has been with you—and all the versions of yourself that have heard those same songs.

Every record collection has a turning point.

For me, it was Sweet's Desolation Boulevard (U.S. version). I'd heard it at a friend's house and loved it, but I knew my parents probably wouldn't approve. For a while, I kept walking past it in the record store. When I finally brought it home, I mostly listened through headphones.

Looking back, it wasn't just another album. It was one of the first records that felt like it belonged to me—the beginning of discovering my own musical identity.

🎵 Tonight's Side One Spin: Pull out the first album that truly felt like your music. Listen to it with fresh ears and remember the person you were when it first entered your life.