Judging by the surge in collectors and listeners over the past few years, vinyl isn’t dead, it just took a little sabbatical. Try telling that to Greville Records though, as the Prahran stalwart has been in steady operation since 1979 – or in music terms, a year before Springsteen released The River. Through a long and storied history, they’ve supplied the good people of Melbourne with fresh-pressed hits and deep cuts for almost 50 years, and recently they were given their dues by the Financial Times, who included Greville Records on their list of the world’s best record stores.
This is surely nothing your music-loving Melburnian won’t have already told you, but honestly a dig through the crates at Greville Records is the basis for a weekend well-spent. The shop is a glorious assault on the senses, with tour and band posters adorning every wall, and every table groaning with records, CDs, turntables, and more. When the shop first opened back in the seventies, it specialised more in punk and metal records, but as middle age beckons, it’s tastes have mellowed and expanded to encompass a wide range of genres and artists.
They stock new releases – a quick scan of the website lists Kali Uchis, the Weeknd, and Arcade Fire amongst the most recent record drops – and do a roaring trade in secondhand vinyls, making it perfect for hunting down that elusive disc you haven’t been able to find anywhere else. Oh, and if you’d like to represent Melbourne’s legendary record store wherever you go, Greville Records have a range of merch you’ll want to pick up, ranging from tote bags to t-shirts to slipmats. Why not pick something up and spread the gospel far and wide?