I have a question for you, do you go out and buy cd's anymore? I personally have not liked the switch to the non-disc era of music. I understand why others do like it, it is easy to organize your music through an itunes library and you can instantly download more any time you like. It can also be cheaper since most songs are .99 cents each while letting you buy that one hit you want off the cd without having to pay for the rest.
Now why I prefer cd's. There is a presentation factor when buying cd's or vinyl that gets lost when you download. I like to have something tangible in my hands. The artwork and booklet is part of the presentation of someones creative work. Some will argue there is no difference but the sound quality of a cd is richer than that of a downloaded mp3. The difference is even greater when your dealing with vinyls vs. downloads.
A factor that I account for is that when listening to a iPod or full library of music many are prone to shuffling around songs to get to there favorites. I do this to but this instant gratification can make you miss hidden gems within your library. Recording an album tells a story, a track 1 might not work as well as a track 8 or 9. Listening to a cd from start to finish will allow you to see the story being told in its whole. Often it helps me find a deeper appreciation for the music. Almost all my favorite cds were nothing special to me when I first heard them. I can be prone to wanting to skip to my favorite songs, but when I listen to it from start to finish a few times some of those songs that didn't seem like much to me at first will begin to grow on me and end up being a bigger favorite then the ones that I initially wanted to skip to.
I would love to hear anyone's opinion on this. Whether it is for or against the download. What do you prefer and why?
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I prefer the download method because I found a program that lets me convert youtube files into mp3's so it is nice and free. I do see what you are saying about albums telling a story though. For instance Green Day's "American Idiot" was basically a rock opera, but most people would just go for a few of the hit songs and listen to those. You miss out on so much if you don't listen to the whole album because it tells a story from track 1 to the final track. They actually made the album into a musical and it is coming to theatres around here in March I believe.
ReplyDeleteWith that being said you can still download an entire album and get the story, so that really isn't a flaw in downloading. I do see what you are saying about the sound quality as well. Vinyl has the best sound quality but it is hard to come across players for vinyl as well as the vinyl itself. Downloads are quick and easy and that is what this culture looks for. It is definitely more convenient.