Human nature doesn't change (Do you doubt me? Pick up your Old Testament sometime, and take a look: problems with power, children, anger, all that stuff hasn't changed much in thousands of years), but technology does. People, I'm told, used to tell jokes at watercoolers at work, then they faxed jokes to each other, now we forward them by e-mail. Among the constants I see in the many "you know you're old when..." e-mails I get from my middle-aged friends is "you know you're old when you own vinyl records". I own hundreds of 'em. I don't listen to them anymore, because I don't have a working turn-table; but, I can't seem to part with them. I miss the album art (check out Asia's debut album cover, at left). I miss big, readable liner notes. I miss stereo. Digital music offers lots of advantages: portability, and consistent quality after lots of uses are a couple of them. Still, after years and years of improvements in digital music, analogue sometimes seems better. Remember the 1980's group "The Cars"? Sure, you do. I own a couple of Cars albums. I remember the song "Moving in Stereo". It sounded great in stereo: the sound moved from speaker to speaker, right to left; left to right; front to back (if you had quad speakers). The first time I heard it on a Compact Disc, I was gravely disappointed. Where the sound used to move around, it just got louder and softer. Digital "Moving in Stereo" was a cruel joke. Subsequent versions got better, but, well, I still miss hearing "Moving in Stereo" in stereo.Thursday, March 24, 2011
One for the Records.
Human nature doesn't change (Do you doubt me? Pick up your Old Testament sometime, and take a look: problems with power, children, anger, all that stuff hasn't changed much in thousands of years), but technology does. People, I'm told, used to tell jokes at watercoolers at work, then they faxed jokes to each other, now we forward them by e-mail. Among the constants I see in the many "you know you're old when..." e-mails I get from my middle-aged friends is "you know you're old when you own vinyl records". I own hundreds of 'em. I don't listen to them anymore, because I don't have a working turn-table; but, I can't seem to part with them. I miss the album art (check out Asia's debut album cover, at left). I miss big, readable liner notes. I miss stereo. Digital music offers lots of advantages: portability, and consistent quality after lots of uses are a couple of them. Still, after years and years of improvements in digital music, analogue sometimes seems better. Remember the 1980's group "The Cars"? Sure, you do. I own a couple of Cars albums. I remember the song "Moving in Stereo". It sounded great in stereo: the sound moved from speaker to speaker, right to left; left to right; front to back (if you had quad speakers). The first time I heard it on a Compact Disc, I was gravely disappointed. Where the sound used to move around, it just got louder and softer. Digital "Moving in Stereo" was a cruel joke. Subsequent versions got better, but, well, I still miss hearing "Moving in Stereo" in stereo.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
9 comments:
I hear you man! People used to have to listen to my whole albumn, now they can just skip to that "One Song." Man, I hate that crap! I long for the day when you couldn't get to Cheesburger in Paradise until AFTER The Great Filling Station Holdup had finished on the 8-Track.
Good old days, eh SuperDave?
-James "Jimmy" Buffett
Indeed, Jimmy (and, for what it's worth, I never skipped The Great Filling Station Holdup).
Wow. I'm glad I'm not the only one with a ton of albums. Literally.
I haven't listened to my Buffet albums in probably 20 years. If I remember right, the problem with skipping a song on a Buffet album was that I'd have to get out of the chair and walk to the turntable. Which was quite difficult after so many drinks.
What do they say about the 1970's and 80's? If you can remember them, you weren't there.
...and, um, J.D., you wanna buy some records?
"All of this has all happened before and it will happen again..." -The Cylons
I've not heard that, yet... it seems oddly familiar.
Hey Jimmy, didn't you say that on one of your records? I think you did.
I'll admit, I like my I-Pod touch, they don't last and they aren't cheap, but handy, and lot's of music...
Or you can store it on your phone/camera/computer/i-pod. 'Course, if you lose it, you're contractually obligated to give Steven Jobs one of your cousins...
Post a Comment