l*y
发帖数: 21010 | 1 http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/15/opinion/the-internet-not-the-
I WAS the worst kind of music retailer. I got high on my own supply. What a
rush it was to anticipate the new release from a favorite artist. If my
store
was out of stock on an item, there was a good chance it was because my
partner
and I took the last copies home.
I was — and am — a music junkie.
We were on top of the world for a while, but as soon as business dropped, we
blamed the “suits” at the labels. It was their fault for raising CD prices
.
It was their fault for reissuing the same music over and over. Now, almost
10
years after we closed the shop doors for good, every last note of recorded
music is at my fingertips. No more waiting and anticipating. Just get up,
pour
some coffee and minutes later, every release is on your hard drive.
Quite frankly, I hate it.
As an ex-indie record shop owner, I never thought I’d say this, but I miss
those suits at the major labels calling the shots and deciding what was
worthy
of release.
The suits made hits and created stars because they knew something. The suits
had been around the block and back, having experienced, firsthand, everyone
from Jimmy Dorsey to Jimi Hendrix to Jeff Buckley to J. Lo. I trusted them
because they earned that trust, at least on a purely musical level.
There is a lack of education now, an often insufficient respect for our
music
history. While artists big and small continue their quest for sales and
stardom, teetering among the pros and cons of the Internet, downloads and
streaming, little is ever mentioned about the product itself. And product is
foisted upon the masses whether we want it or not.
I say this in the wake of the producer/musician Steve Albini’s recent
keynote
address at the Face the Music conference in Melbourne, Australia, where he
discussed, among other things, the current state of the music scene, about
which he is both “satisfied and optimistic.” He likes the way things are
now.
And I suppose it is wonderful, in a way, that the music of some 16-year-old
kids in Chicago, say, can be heard in Malaysia with one mouse click.
But maybe this music shouldn’t be heard. The Internet has enabled anyone
with
a computer, a kazoo and an untuned guitar to flood the market, no matter how
horrible or simply unready the music is. This devalues the great music that
is
truly worthy of being heard, promoted and sold. And it is much more than
just
an endless supply of choices. The Internet has become a forum for all,
regardless of talent. Anyone can be a writer. Anyone with GarageBand can
make a
record.
Continue reading the main story
Recent Comments
Louis
3 days ago
The people who the writer calls suits -- people who exercise control, don't
produce content, usually stay behind the scenes, and retain a...
dean
3 days ago
Folks, for a different perspective read today's NYT obituary on Neil Reshen.
Among other things, Mr. Reshen helped Waylon Jennings and...
Adam
3 days ago
This argument is true of all content on the Internet.
See All Comments
I don’t want thousands of choices. Some choices would suffice, and the
suits
made that happen.
This really isn’t any different than a restaurant with a five-page menu
versus
a menu with five items on it. New Yorkers might remember America, on 18th
Street near Broadway. You needed a back belt to lift their menu up to eye
level. They served every type of cuisine imaginable, most of it mediocre.
Yet
America was always mobbed because the room was colossal and you could always
get a seat. But if you’d taken that menu and opened a smaller restaurant,
it
wouldn’t have lasted a month.
The ability for anyone anywhere to create and distribute music that has the
best chance ever to be heard is a double-edged sword. Citing the documentary
about the Detroit band Death, Mr. Albini explained that the band’s “sole
album was released in a perfunctory edition” in the mid-’70s “and
disappeared until a copy of it was digitized and made public on the Internet
.”
The band found a new audience and now has the career it was originally
denied.
That’s nice. But not every story is like Death’s, and many would argue
that a
brief return to the big time is not really a career. I know the suits would.
I would never discourage any musician, however green, from making music. But
I
would strongly discourage most from releasing that music just because they
can.
It seems like a kick to the faces of the genuinely talented and deserving,
all
because of a technicality called the Internet. Where are the suits when you
need them? | l*y
发帖数: 21010 | 2 I agree with what this author says completely.
and I strongly disagree with what Steve Albini said in a Keynote a couple of
weeks ago.
a
we
prices
【在 l*y 的大作中提到】
: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/15/opinion/the-internet-not-the-
: I WAS the worst kind of music retailer. I got high on my own supply. What a
: rush it was to anticipate the new release from a favorite artist. If my
: store
: was out of stock on an item, there was a good chance it was because my
: partner
: and I took the last copies home.
: I was — and am — a music junkie.
: We were on top of the world for a while, but as soon as business dropped, we
: blamed the “suits” at the labels. It was their fault for raising CD prices
| l*y
发帖数: 21010 | 3 Steve Albini couldn't explain why today's indie scene is full of shit.
of
【在 l*y 的大作中提到】
: I agree with what this author says completely.
: and I strongly disagree with what Steve Albini said in a Keynote a couple of
: weeks ago.
:
: a
: we
: prices
| l*y
发帖数: 21010 | 4 technology is disaster
internet sucks
programmers are mostly full of shit
i hate my job
【在 l*y 的大作中提到】
: Steve Albini couldn't explain why today's indie scene is full of shit.
:
: of
| l*y
发帖数: 21010 | 5 i hate the 21st century!!
【在 l*y 的大作中提到】
: technology is disaster
: internet sucks
: programmers are mostly full of shit
: i hate my job
| l*y
发帖数: 21010 | 6 SteveZodiac
New York, NY 3 days ago
W.S. Gilbert addressed this in 1889 in "The Gondoliers": "When everyone is
somebody, then no one's anybody". All part and parcel of the dumbing down of
culture. I'm convinced a good portion of the population, having never
actually
been exposed to skilled music, literature and art (and that doesn't
necessarily
refer to the classics), no longer has the acumen to recognize it, or the
time
and desire to search for it.
The lust for instant fame has trampled the quest for art. How ironic: the
very
tool that allows brief "fame" for mediocrity also ensures eventual anonymity
due to shear volume. Too bad so much true talent ends up being casualties
thanks to the cacophony of the internet.
【在 l*y 的大作中提到】
: i hate the 21st century!!
| l*y
发帖数: 21010 | 7 fuck the internet
fuck the mass
fuck the people
of
【在 l*y 的大作中提到】
: SteveZodiac
: New York, NY 3 days ago
: W.S. Gilbert addressed this in 1889 in "The Gondoliers": "When everyone is
: somebody, then no one's anybody". All part and parcel of the dumbing down of
: culture. I'm convinced a good portion of the population, having never
: actually
: been exposed to skilled music, literature and art (and that doesn't
: necessarily
: refer to the classics), no longer has the acumen to recognize it, or the
: time
| l*y
发帖数: 21010 | 8 John
is a trusted commenter Hartford 3 days ago
The reality is that the suits sorted out the gems from the dreck because
they
were qualified to do it. Today this task is left to the consumers who aren't
,
with predictable results. Winnowing out of the memorable from the mediocre
is
actually an essential part of the artistic process if one wants to enjoy
excellence.
【在 l*y 的大作中提到】
: fuck the internet
: fuck the mass
: fuck the people
:
: of
| l*y
发帖数: 21010 | 9 naive and stupid people believe shit like this:
"I would submit that the free and open market is the best 'valuer' ever
conceived by human beings. If something actually IS valuable, it won't take
long before people are more than willing to pay for it. "
that's just bullshit
't
【在 l*y 的大作中提到】
: John
: is a trusted commenter Hartford 3 days ago
: The reality is that the suits sorted out the gems from the dreck because
: they
: were qualified to do it. Today this task is left to the consumers who aren't
: ,
: with predictable results. Winnowing out of the memorable from the mediocre
: is
: actually an essential part of the artistic process if one wants to enjoy
: excellence.
|
|
