Back Once More to Rocks In Your Head

Howard’s done it again.

Back in August, you may remember a quick post wherein my friend Howard Forbes spotted a fleeting cameo of pre-Bleecker Bob’s record store Bonaparte in the otherwise forgettable slasher flick, “The Last Horror Film.” Well, given Howard’s endearingly macabre predilections, he was recently watching another shlocky gore-fest (hey, someone’s got to), this being William Lustig’s “Maniac Cop” from 1988. In doing so, Howard spotted another long lost music shop (and longtime Flaming Pablum favorite), Rocks In Your Head. Evidently, the “opening assault scene” takes place right in front.

I’ve invoked SoHo’s Rocks In Your Head here numerous times. When I think back to the scores of since-vanished record and disc shops of Manhattan, it’s probably the first one that springs to mind. Everything about the place, to my mind, was perfect. Tucked away in a basement-level space off West Broadway, Rocks In Your Head felt like a furtive, underground lair for clandestine music procurement. The staff were gracious and cool (not stereotypical music snobs ala “High Fidelity”) and there was always something new to be heard therein. It was amazing.

These days, the space that had been Rocks In Your Head is now a real estate joint.

Here, meanwhile, is the trailer to "Maniac Cop." It’s a little fuzzy, but you can catch a glimpse of the scene in the beginning….