Some records enter a collection immediately. Others remain on the want list for years.

In today's episode of Dave’s Side One, Dave explains why Montrose’s Paper Money became one of those long-term searches. He already knew the music and knew the album belonged in his collection, but he continued waiting for a copy he would be happy to keep.

The eventual purchase became more meaningful because the search, the patience, and the anticipation had become part of the album’s story.

Today’s Side One Spin: What album did you wait years to own?

For many listeners, Journey begins with Steve Perry. But before Perry joined the band, Gregg Rolie handled the lead vocals as Journey developed a more progressive and exploratory sound.

In this episode of Dave’s Side One, Dave revisits In the Beginning, a two-record compilation drawn from Journey’s first three studio albums. The episode explores Rolie’s voice, Neal Schon’s already-recognizable guitar playing, and the musical ideas that connected Journey’s experimental beginnings with its later melodic success.

Today’s Side One Spin: What band surprised you when you explored its earlier work?

Great record stores do more than sell music. They become classrooms, meeting places, and gateways into larger musical worlds.

In this episode of Dave’s Side One, Dave remembers Smokey’s Records in Salt Lake City and the role it played in shaping his approach to music discovery.

Browsing the bins taught him to read credits, follow musicians and producers, connect albums, and explore without knowing exactly what he would find.

Today’s Side One Spin: What record store helped shape your musical life?

Some albums make an immediate impact. Others become more meaningful as the listener changes.

In this episode of Dave’s Side One, Dave revisits Chicago’s Chicago VI and considers how time, experience, and attentive listening can transform a familiar record. The album did not become deeper over the years—Dave became more capable of hearing what had always been there.

Today’s Side One Spin: What album means more to you now than it did when you first heard it?

Why Styx's Crystal Ball Never Left My Turntable

Dave reflects on the first album he loved enough to literally wear out—and why those records often become our most treasured possessions.

Some records become favorites. Others permanently change how we listen.

n today's Dave’s Side One, Dave shares how Rush’s 1978 album Hemispheres introduced him to a different kind of listening—one built around long-form composition, dynamics, instrumental relationships, lyrical themes, and the full-album journey.

Today’s Side One Spin: What album changed the way you listen to music?

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.