Media consumption paradox, dilema, tragedy.

[cheezydemon3]

Do you know that there was something beautiful about the cassette tape?

nothing nostalgic or sappy here, PURE, PRACTICAL, Life altering beauty.

WTF? OK.

For those who never had a cassette player in the car or walkman or whatever:

Rewinding a tape and hitting play over and over was impractical, hard on the tape, a PITA, and a little douchey.....my point?

What invariably happened, as I was forced to listen to the 10 or so songs that I hadn't heard on the radio, was that I found an unreleased song on track 11 or 12 that turned out to be WAY better than the one I had bought the tape for.
In other words, my FAVORITE, and a song that had an effect on my life in a good way.

 

[cheezydemon3]

Was that really all?

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

They still do this with CD's.

But hey, at least a tape didn't skip at every seam in the roadway.

 

[cheezydemon3]

No, gila, you are right, but even I have ditched all of my cd's. they convert for free to mp3's on my computer that don't skip or get scratched.


Ahem.......( no disrespect but to continue)

So Itunes, MTV, top 40 radio, etc. are killing real music making, and filling people's Itunes and IPODS with top 40 BS, or even for the most discerning consumer, just the 2 or 3 songs off of an album that they had heard.

Why even make an album? or even a song if it doesn't have a top 40 hook?

 

[Hang Glider]

Why even make an album? or even a song if it doesn't have a top 40 hook?

right there with you cheesy. This makes me sad. I must admit to far more vinyl than tapes... but I know some priceless songs that never get airplay for spinning that vinyl. Like the entire Eye in the Sky (alan parsons) album...!

 

[cheezydemon3]

right there with you cheesy. This makes me sad. I must admit to far more vinyl than tapes... but I know some priceless songs that never get airplay for spinning that vinyl. Like the entire Eye in the Sky (alan parsons) album...!

Vinyl even more so. To play the same song over and over ad nauseum would be unthinkable.

NETFLIX STREAMING, strangely, has had the same positive effect for me (or similar) to what tapes did.

Briefly, for anyone in the dark, Netflix streaming (NS as I will call it here forward) has thousands of AWESOME titles on demand instantly, but only select ones and few late release Hollywood....ahem......gems. (just threw up a bit)

Netflix forces you to find something else (think track 11 or 12 on a tape) that, often as not, is FANTASTIC and otherwise would never have even been heard of.

The worst thing on Netflix is the damned "search" function.

It is fine to just "see if they have" something, but if you can't find something that interests you in the casual browsing of that magical thing, I PITY YOU.

 

[wildwest450]

What's this netflix you speak of?

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

No, gila, you are right, but even I have ditched all of my cd's. they convert for free to mp3's on my computer that don't skip or get scratched.


Ahem.......( no disrespect but to continue)

So Itunes, MTV, top 40 radio, etc. are killing real music making, and filling people's Itunes and IPODS with top 40 BS, or even for the most discerning consumer, just the 2 or 3 songs off of an album that they had heard.

Why even make an album? or even a song if it doesn't have a top 40 hook?

I know this. But I don't "listen" to MP3's. Too much clipping. At any decent volume it all distorted. I'll keep to the higher fidelity file formats thank you.

 

[Homercidal]

From my point of view, I find that MP3s and the internet combined are set up to provide you with more unknown and fantastic music than you probably could have found using cassettes.

The reason?

Because with a cassette you get songs from the same artist, most likely, and you might find a few songs you like better than what was the HIT songs on that album.

With streaming and downloadable music, you have instant access to sampling TONS more music in TONS more styles.

There is an incredible selection of unsigned, independent artists out there waiting for you to listen!

With Spotify you can see what others are listening to, or you can play whole albums and live version with EASE! You get the best of BOTH worlds!

And if you want to take that stuff anywhere, you probably know how to rip with your sound card. If your computer speakers can play it, you can record it...

 

[cheezydemon3]

Agreed Homer, but even I, experienced tape player, find the temptation to only pay for 1 song or several songs from an album means most others don't even think twice about JUST getting that 1 that they have heard.

Vampire Weekend? Hayes Carl? Josh Ritter? Ryan Adams?

All AWESOME from my estimations, but I can count on my 2 hands the # of songs I own from the 4 combined.

Granted I am accessing more artists, but far less content from each artist.

Things like Pandora are GREATTTT for finding new artists, but however obscure the artist, I bet only 10% of their songs are played.

 

[Homercidal]

Nobody is forcing you to buy singles. If you want to relive the good old days, then go ahead and buy the full albums for $13.99! It will be up to YOU to not skip tracks though..

 

[cheezydemon3]

I was not lamenting MY loss of albums, it is more the death of the music industry as we know it, the need for artists to make "popular" songs to make money period, and to sell those to ads, etc.

Also the tragic loss of unreleased songs to our young people.

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

Yeah man, that is all your fault. I only listen to albums. Typically, if a group only has one song I kind of like, I do not purchase their album or any songs. I support skilled artists and they always deliver in their albums.

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

Also, this is not because I am a snob in anyway. I grew up listening to albums and always enjoyed getting the actual feel for a group as opposed to what their producer wants to put out as a single. As a consequence, I am terrible at naming song titles of things I like. I am better with albums though.

 

[Berniep]

I have found lots of great music using pandora radio that i never would have heard of.

 

[cheezydemon3]

I have found lots of great music using pandora radio that i never would have heard of.

Yes, but Pandora ionly plays 4-5 songs from those great new artists, not the rest of their work.

INTERNET TV was where I was going to end up

WTF is up with cable?!? LIKE RIGHT?????!?!??!?!?

It isn't on demand (forget tivo or whatever for the moment), it is expensive, and when nothing is on, I AM INCONVENIENCED, RIGHT?????

But oh wait.

What about a special on Discovery, or History, or Public TV or wherever, that I didn't know I was interested in until I saw it?

Kinda track 11 and 12 all over again, I shall call it......unintensional media phenomenon activity Literal unintentional media pattern adaptation.

UMPA LUMPA for short.

I am not ranting, just want a discussion.

In a completely "on demand" world, we would hear, see, or learn nothing but what others have "liked" and moved to the top of a nearly infinite media pile.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

The best result of my choice to get off Cable/Sattelite and use IPTV is that I usualkly find something else to do rather than veg out in front of TV.

 

[cheezydemon3]

Damn Gila! You have me at every turn. I do like some good discovery or history, or Cooking channel, so LIGHTEN UP!!!!!

I feel that internet TV is wetarded.

We will be down to JUST computers, pads, big honkin screens to hook the ol apple or PC into, etc.

No "TV's" per say. so why the segway?

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Damn Gila! You have me at every turn. I do like some good discovery or history, or Cooking channel, so LIGHTEN UP!!!!!

I feel that internet TV is wetarded.

We will be down to JUST computers, pads, big honkin screens to hook the ol apple or PC into, etc.

No "TV's" per say. so why the segway?

*segue

I agree that IPTV devices are "wetarded" IF you have the capabilities to connect mutiple screens to a centralized host. Or, if you have no "need" for a media network.

I bought into Roku for the wireless streaming capabilities to connect to TV's that do not possess the skills inherently.

In my opinion, "channelizing" internet TV is rediculous. Just give me a small wifi box I can install a browser and media player of my choice to and leave me alone.

 

[wildwest450]

I have wetarted family members, I don't appreciate the slur.

 

[TxBrew]

Lets not forgot how easy it was to make mix tapes.

High school was great.

 

[Homercidal]

Cheezy, you need to check out Spotify. You can tune into their "stations" and get what they give you, or you can search for songs and artists and load FULL ALBUMS! Or find other albums from artists that you didn't even know existed! Or find similar "genres" of an artists style.

It's really a great time for finding new or unheard music!

The only real downside is the sonic quality, but then cassettes were not always so great, depending on the player, and a record player, the same, depending on the components and the needle etc.

Well, I'm off to listen to some Spotify suggestions.

 

[dfc]

No, gila, you are right, but even I have ditched all of my cd's. they convert for free to mp3's on my computer that don't skip or get scratched.


Ahem.......( no disrespect but to continue)

So Itunes, MTV, top 40 radio, etc. are killing real music making, and filling people's Itunes and IPODS with top 40 BS, or even for the most discerning consumer, just the 2 or 3 songs off of an album that they had heard.

Why even make an album? or even a song if it doesn't have a top 40 hook?

Yeah, but MP3's suck. You're getting 11% of the true audio. Eff that noise.

 

[dfc]

I know this. But I don't "listen" to MP3's. Too much clipping. At any decent volume it all distorted. I'll keep to the higher fidelity file formats thank you.

I still have a CD collection and it is still growing. I have over 3 weeks of music (all of which I have the discs for) and I have also imported them to my computer. I have a 2TB external HD dedicated to my music all of which is in the .wav or .bmf. format.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

I still have a CD collection and it is still growing. I have over 3 weeks of music (all of which I have the discs for) and I have also imported them to my computer. I have a 2TB external HD dedicated to my music all of which is in the .wav or .bmf. format.

I have lost track of how many CD's I have collected over the years. Last count there were a couple thousand.

Haven't "listened" to a CD in almost 3 years. I upgraded my PC to total nearly 10tb of HDD for media use and just haven't cared to sit down and rip everything to the pc.

 

[E-Mursed]

Lets not forgot how easy it was to make mix tapes.

High school was great.

I made mix tapes on 8-tracks.... :rockin:

Albums back in the 60's, 70's and 80's had one thing today's CD's and MP3's don't....quality song writing.

Every album I owned a a teenager(70's) had quality song writing front to back and both sides. Today's music is like processed food made on an assembly line.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Albums back in the 60's, 70's and 80's had one thing today's CD's and MP3's don't....quality song writing

I was right there with you til' you said 80's.

 

[cheezydemon3]

*segue

Dammit.

*ridiculous

I have wetarted family members, I don't appreciate the slur.

I myself am wetarded so **** OFF!!!! I don't appreciate your insinuation that you should decide how I talk......



I am not so big on sound quality. call me a super wetard. I don't sit in my livingroom naked and Turn my stereo up so loud that I give a sh!t.

And YES, E- mursed, THAT IS WHAT I AM FREAKING SAYING!!!!!! Whay make a GOOD song that no one will hear?

(nothing magic about the 80's either)

Next stop SPOTIFY.

Thanks Homer.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Dammit.

*ridiculous

Two shays, and a bottle o bourbon.

 

[JonM]

Y'know, I had a similar thought last night when I was watching The Terminator. There's a scene where Sarah Connor's roommate puts a tape into her Walkman and slaps the lid shut and that just took me back:

The old outside-the-ear headphones, you'd hit play and hear the little motor start to buzz, then once the leader is past the head, you start to hear the a little hiss coming into the headphones, fast-forwarding and hearing the the high speed stuff waiting for the little gap, knowing juuust where to turn the tape over to be at the beginning of your favorites, knowing the subtle warning signs of when the Walkman was going to start crunching up the tape, and on and on.