This July, I had a little trip to Norway to visit relatives and relax a little bit. I have never been to Norway before which is weird considering the fact that my parents have been working as musicians there for such a long time. While I was in Norway, I had to, of course, do a little music shopping and explore some of the stores available near me. I mean after all, Norway is famous for its solid rock/metal scene and so many outstanding bands and artists came from there. I had high expectations of their record stores and wasn’t disappointed. I also knew that Norway will offer me a selection of CDs and records which would be very difficult to find in my country. That’s why I couldn’t wait till I see what I can dig up.
I was staying in Sarpsborg – a lovely little city, full of atmosphere and great landscapes. I must say, I really loved it! At the very center of Sarpsborg, there was this cozy little record store, named “Retro Vinyl & CD” where I found most of the CDs. The store was well stocked, it offered a wide selection of new and pre-loved CDs and vinyl records and last but not least, the staff was incredibly kind and spoke English very well. I have nothing but great things to say about it!
On my last day in Norway, I visited Oslo, which was equally appealing. I loved the dynamics, the architecture, the global atmosphere coming out of it! I visited two record stores in Oslo – Big Dipper and Råkk & Rålls. Big Dipper was very fancy and offering vinyl records only. Råkk & Rålls was the place for me – a true music paradise, full of endless selections and tons of rare items. I got lost inside it, honestly! The staff was also very helpful and kind and assisted me in finding what I was looking for so quickly! If I have the chance to visit Oslo again, I’m coming back here for sure!
Now, let me show you a few photos of the stores and the things I got from my trip to Norway. Some of those CDs are impossible to get anywhere else except Norway which makes them very valuable to me. Others are easy to get but since I didn’t have them in my collection, it was the perfect time. In terms of prices, I have to say music in Norway costs money. Don’t expect a 4.99USD brand new CD. A second-hand CD was around 5-10EURO and a vinyl record starts from 7EURO and can go up to 30-40EURO and more. Anyhow, it’s photo time! By the way, I haven’t removed the prices because I think it’s charming. Might ruin the photo but I decided to keep them!
This is how “Retro Vinyl & CD” looked from the outside and inside. Very welcoming, isn’t it?
Rakk & Ralls in Oslo – what a view!
You know how much I love TNT and me being in Norway meant that I just had to buy all the TNT I could find. Coming across a TNT CD in Bulgaria is almost impossible and now was my chance to stock up on their music. I couldn’t find “Intuition” – my favorite album of theirs which made me quite sad but there’s always a next time!
TNT – TNT (1982)
TNT – The Big Bang – The Essential Collection (2003)
TNT – Give Me a Sign (2003)
TNT – My Religion (2004)
TNT – All The Way to the Sun (2005)
Whitesnake – Good to be Bad (2008)
Kingdom Come – Kingdom Come (1987)
Def Leppard – Now (Collectors Edition) (2002)
Def Leppard – Slang (Strictly Limited Edition) (1996)
Classic Albums: Def Leppard – Hysteria (2002)
Bonfire – Fireworks (1987)
John Norum – Total Control (1987)
A-ha – Hunting High and Low (1985)
Thin Lizzy – Thunder and Lightning (1983)
Guns N’ Roses – Use Your Illusion I (1991)
Pink Floyd – A Momentary Lapse of Reason (1987)
Audioslave – Out of Exile (2005)
The Best of & the Rest Of Original Pistols Live (1985)
CREED – Human Clay (1999)
Van Morrison – Super Hits (1999)
Simply Red – Stars (1991)
I also got Paul Young’s “Other Voices” (1990), Chris Isaak’s “Silvertone” (1985), Kenny G’s “Breathless” (1992), “Broken Dreams” – a compilation CD featuring modern-day love rock anthems and Maroon 5’s “Songs about Jane” (2002).
I also got my FAVORITE Helix album, “Long Way from Heaven” which I was so happy to find…Finally I added it to my collection.
Tina Turner’s “Break Every Rule” (1986) was a gift from Retro Vinyl&CD because I got so many things from their store. It’s great because you all know how much I love Tina Turner and I didn’t have this album actually on vinyl! What a great gesture…
I think this is pretty much it. One more country added to my list of countries in which I did record shopping. I really enjoyed my time and I think I got plenty of great music for my collection. My suitcase wasn’t that big so imagine putting all that on the way back, along with my other belongings. Once again, it took me forever to close it haha. All worthy, though.
Hope you enjoyed my photos and stories.
MY ROCK MIXTAPES 