I am not a member of the iPod generation. I like my music to be more touchable and tangible; I like CDs, I like cassettes, I like vinyl. I have music in abundance in all of these mediums.The fact that ‘virtual’ music on a computer can just disappear when the mood takes it was graphically illustrated to me when my computer died and had to be resurrected a few months ago. But it’s more than that: I like to look at album sleeves, read the notes and see the case sitting on the shelf along with its compatriots. I like the smell of vinyl records. I like the car compilation tapes I have made over the years.
I bought three albums on eBay over the weekend for miniscule amounts to replace some rather ropey tapes that are near the end of their useful lives and would probably – in their wisdom – allow themselves to be eaten by the stereo. But the problem with Internet shopping is that you don’t receive immediate gratification. I can understand why downloading tunes appeals in this context, but I want CDs with cases.
What we need is someone clever to invent a transforming machine, where the seller could load the item in at their end, and send it through the ether to the recipient’s machine. Something like the Flue Powder or Portkeys utilised by Harry Potter. If I’m not mistaken, the Americans have secretly been able to do something of this sort for decades ….
17 comments:
My husband still likes vinyl and plays them on a record player, he bought a new one recently.
My sons are both experts on the ipod, but I haven't tried it myself. I like to "feel" it too.
A transforming machine would be wonderful - not only could you receive your tangible music but I could hitchhike a lift and avoid the horrors of Heathrow, Gatwick et al.... just a thought.
what you want are entangled electrons; or in your case entangled CDs..
I saw a rather impressive collection of vinyls in the medina last week. I was trying to remember what year it was when I last saw a record player.
If this teleport machine is invented then we shall be able to bea, kathryn Tickell herself right into your front room M&M!
although with my keyboard skills you probably shouldn't ask me to operate it.
Slim Shady, I agree that the whole 'digitisation' of music, from CD onwards, is predicated on getting people to pay again and again and again for the same bit [bytes?] of music. How many people have got the Sergeant Pepper album on tape for the car, then CD and are now astonished to find that they need to buy it yet again for their iPod, after years of legal wrangling over the 'Apple' name ?
By the way, you would enjoy the book 'The Men Who Stare at Goats' by Jon Ronson - where the US Army was taking all this mumbo-jumbo about ESP, sixth sense, psychic phenomena and mind reading far too seriously...
Transporting music would be great, but being the hog that I am, and often tired at the end of the day, I would love to transport Gordon Ramsey or Rick Stein, loaded with yummy ingredients and some nibbles to keep me happy whilst they rustle up something splendid. Twice a week would be good.
You are certainly missing out if you don't own something like the iPod on top of what you already have. I have over thirteen thousand songs, and about two hundred or so on my iPod at any given time.
I used to love my CD collection but then I transfered it all to PC and forgot all about them stagnating in my hallway cardboard.
mopsa - you are talking about, ahem, food there, are you ?
Ah the Philadelphia Experiment. Apparently they switched it on, there was a loud POP, the ship disappeared and all that was left was a small tub of soft full fat cheese floating in the water.
l do like my ipod, or should l say son's, it even survived the washing machine!!!
My husband transferred all my CDs onto a digital-radio-box thingy, supposedly as a 'favour'. So now I only ever listen to Abba or Aerosmith. I'm hoping to make it to Alicia Keys soon.
I mostly listen to music on my computer unless I am in the car. What I like is the choice of stuff you can download- obscure things like Alvin Lucier that you might not want to listen to forever but just suit your mood at the time.
Thanks for all your comments.
I am not against iPods per se, I wouldn't mind one if I had music on it as 'repeats' of what I had on hard copy. I just don't trust 'virtual' stuff... I have had my fingers burnt too many times!
you can get a back up system like 'ghost' that stores your files somewhere else. Possibly on the astral plane??
I am against ipods. I am against the use of the term ipod when you should use mp3 player. It's like Hoover. I have a Creative Zen Micro and currently have around 1000 songs on it.
I still have cassettes, some vinyl (bought off ebayand living at my parents house as I don't have a player) and loads of CDs. I prefer cds as I too like the artwork and being able to flick through the booklets etc. Downloading is good because then you can try out a couple of tracks from the album to see if you like it. Or you can just download the songs that you want without having to download the whole thing.
The children all have ipods but I haven't progressed beyond CD's. Still have a vast vinyl collection, but sadly nothing to play them on.
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