Man, I just had a lot of fun Sunday hooking up my DAT recorder and listening to collections of various artists I recorded in the past, my own work, etc. Must be something wrong with me.
A downside of digital media is the management of it. My Zune really sucks at organizing songs particularly songs I recorded from various media like records and cassette tapes. 'Course it's from Microsoft.
Also, what about the other physical elements of recordings? i.e. enclosed booklets, DVD's w/interviews & concerts? I'm going to pop almost 100 fazules for the Genesis 1970-1975 boxset just to get all the tinsel surrounding the music.
--- On Tue, 1/26/10, Revfever <revfever@ubergadget.com> wrote:
From: Revfever <revfever@ubergadget.com>
Subject: Re: Brian Eno about recorded music
To: Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com
Date: Tuesday, January 26, 2010, 4:26 PM
> One thing to keep in mind is archiving which generally requires a phisical medium that is relativly permanant. That's why we can still hear Edison's voice.
How about Edison as a ring tone? Or, maybe the voice of Alexander Graham Bell be more appropriate? :-)
However, even though I am a LONG time admirer of Eno (and still very much am), I do not completely agree with what he says here. (And with what Per says, as well. Sorry. :-))
Physical media for music may be "dying" in general, and in the (gag!) "industry", but it will still be with us in it's various forms for many years to come. In the last few years,
there has also been a noticeable revival in interest in vinyl records, both new and used, and even a wee tiny one in cassettes. And, there are more turntables
(and accessories) being manufactured again than what was done in the last 10-15 years, or so. Now of course, none of these physical medias will
ever come even close
to their former positions and stature in the music "industry", but at least records have made a bit of a "comeback", and there must be some reasons for that.
These types of things just do not "happen" for no real reason. (see at least one reason later below...)
As for the various physical medias for music, there is obviously still a very big interest in all of them, since records, both new and used, are still selling like hot cakes,
both in kool indy record shops, and online. I also witness this with the numbers of regular sales of LPs and 7"s on my ebay site (going good for about 10 years now),
along with even *cassettes* (both very rare and not so rare) and even *8 track carts* and *reel tapes*!
(No kidding. A LOT of people. of all ages, still look for and purchase all of these formats.)
As for records, here in the Portland, Oregon area alone , there are around *20*, if not more, RECORD stores
and it appears that most (or all?) of them continue to do good business,
or at least good enough to keep the doors open, and especially during one of the *worst* economic times in decades. (With "thanks" to that a-hole Bush and the Rethuglicans!)
And, as for those who think that an all digital world is the only way to be and go, well they should be grateful that those "old" physical medias still exist since there is a near infinite number of great, rare (and not so rare, but still not in digital format) and incredible musics that can *no longer be found except* via those same "outdated" medias, but can of course,
also be transferred into the digital realm, which is something I do all of the time and on a regular basis, for both my own personal use in iTunes (or whatever) and also to share for
free ( I NEVER SELL dubs of anything!) to friends, and sometimes others in money-free trades. And, the newer LPs (and?) that come out
also serve as LONG lasting "storage units"
or "back ups" (or "physical holders") for musics of all kinds. Don't write all of these things off yet, or at least not so quickly.
Also, it seems to me that someone runs the risk of *losing* a *lot* (or even *all*!) of their vast collection of great music by keeping it all only on an ipod or computer, etc, should
something really bad happen to any of those. But of course, they likely could retrieve most, or even all of it back again, but it *would take a LONG time* of looking, searching,
to do so. As for me, I believe and use ALL ways and means to have music, all the way from many LPs and 7"s and 10"s, to cassettes, to reel tapes, and yes, even some *8 tracks*,
and also streaming, mp3s, or whatever. (still don't have an ipod yet. Maybe one day...?) If I am simply able to just HEAR something at all , then I'm HAPPY!
I have also never believed in limiting my options
with just about anything, especially the experience of music. And as for "how" something sounds? I'm not picky.
I can easily enjoy some scratchy old LP on my turntable, just as much as the cleanest, "purest" 16-24 (and?) bit rate recorded music, and everything else in between.
But also, in "defense" of the all-digital-world of music folks , one *reality* is that *not everyone* can have or afford to have a *place* that they *live in* that can also accommodate
the storage area necessary for having whatever numbers of the physical formats (especially if someone is a music *fanatic* like Moi!) , and I can certainly sympathize with that
situation that a lot of folks unavoidably find themselves in, and / or folks who, by the very nature of how they make their living, have to relocate on a frequent basis.
Lucky for me, I am not in either of those situations, but do understand what many others may be dealing with, and if
all-digital, etc, is only what they have, then so be it.
But, do not say or mandate that this is the "only" way it has to be, or even will be. Personally, the idea of an "all digital world" with anything / everything, besides music, and more especially if forced / mandated, kind of kreeps me out. But, maybe that's just me....? :-) (but I am also not some "Luddite", either.)
Also, as far as making CDs being "stupid" as someone on the list said, he and anyone else who thinks that way should take a look at the still ongoing success (about 10 years now)
of a business such as CD Baby (also here in Portland) which still continues to expand and sell their stock of those "stupid" CDs, along with also digital downloads, of course.
(these CDB folks ain't "stupid". :-)) My own CDs still continue to sell there, along with DDLs of course, and the same goes for a LOT of other musical artists that signed up with CDB.
(
Disclaimer: I do not work for CDB, but do like their service.)
And in closing, around 2 or so years ago, I read a report about the new growth in popularity of LPs (both "old" and new) among a range of ages of teenagers and young
20-somethings adults. The answer that MOST of them gave for WHY they, those who have grown up surrounded by and with computers ipods, mp3s, and even CDs,
liked that "old" format of vinyl was that those records "sounded much better" (verbatim) than anything else they had heard. No kidding. That is what they said.
Now of course, there can be a big and LOOONG debate over "how" or "why" something sounds better over something else, and I *ain't* going *there*. So if that comes up,
then I'm staying out of that argument, because I honestly just do not care. I just wanted to share what I had read about with a lot of "today's" kids and the resurgence in
popularity of vinyl that they have apparently
helped to bring about. :-)
Cheers,
Rev. Fever
Portland, OR
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