Comments on Absolute Classic Masterpieces: Bridging the Media Gap

dan,I still buy plenty of CDs myself and I certain...

2007-03-30T11:44:00.000-04:00

dan,

I still buy plenty of CDs myself and I certainly don't go looking for more MP3s to download. I can barely keep up with the physical media. But I think eventually all us fans will have to face the day when music we want is available only via download. I can see this happening sooner for small indie labels that don't want to spend money on manufacturing and distribution.

I'm just praying that the software interfaces catch up in time, in terms of managing and browsing my MP3 library. The AppleTV is a decent first swipe, but amazingly it doesn't have iTunes Coverflow. It would be ideal if AppleTV had a controller like the Wii, that I could point at the TV and "flip" through albums and turn them over to see tracklists. I don't see that happening, considering Apple is definitely moving towards Multi-touch navigation. Too bad my TV isn't a giant touch screen.

I still buy CDs. From a store, even. I'm a membe...

2007-03-30T11:14:00.000-04:00

I still buy CDs. From a store, even. I'm a member of iTunes, but have only purchased ten or so tracks, all of them unavailable in another format. I don't keep up with it, though. It's been months since I even considered looking for tracks to download. I used to use file-sharing programs but I don't any longer. I like my CDs and am happy to be old-fashioned.

which brings up the topic of the u2 ipod - blech! ...

2007-03-29T17:46:00.000-04:00

which brings up the topic of the u2 ipod - blech!

i wonder about that too, though there are a lot of other weird currents already running through the many sometimes awesome, sometimes incredibly crass new kinds of merch we sometimes see lately.

i used to think of the record as this thing i owned and a live performance as being special partly because it wasn't associated with a particular physical thing. i wonder whether people's attitude toward live shows would change if their way of looking at what music fundamentally had already changed.

anyway, i should have introduced my earlier comment by pointing out that this is a good, thought-provoking post. one of those things that you read and realize you had already kind of thought about this idea, but not quite that way or fully consciously.

karen,Thanks for commenting.I think some of the mo...

2007-03-29T17:32:00.000-04:00

karen,

Thanks for commenting.

I think some of the more design-y labels will continue producing physical objects for a while to come, simply because there is a small group of enthusiasts that want it. But I do see music packing becoming even more of a marginal, specialized collector-centric endeavor than it is even now.

I wonder if bands will turn to other means in order to establish a physical presence. Are we in for even more badges and t-shirts? Or maybe something else altogether? How about a Junior Boys digital watch?

i think a lot of us will find it hard to completel...

2007-03-29T17:19:00.000-04:00

i think a lot of us will find it hard to completely give up the object associated with a piece of music. there's no reason there has to be an object so you could argue that it distracts people from the music itself, but perhaps out of defensiveness about fetishing records and cds i don't think that's really an issue.

people who are ten years younger than me, much less twenty, etc. will grow up on ipods downloading and probably won't have the same hangups that i do. i don't think that will really be any worse, but it does make me sad to see something i enjoy slowly become obsolete.