So I finally went and did it. I bought myself an MP3 player for Christmas. Actually, make that an MP5 player.
For those who read this column fairly regularly, this may come as bit of a surprise as I've been known to rave on a bit about things like the poor sound quality of MP3s. I've also been known to rail away about how today's delivery systems of choice have helped contribute to the whole concept of the full-length album as a dying art-form.
The instant accessibility of downloadable music has once again turned music more towards a single track based medium, essentially turning time backwards to the days of the Fifties soda fountain jukebox. Which, at least to me, explains why you don't see as many truly game-changing albums released these days. That's my opinion.
Case in point? Look no further than at how much better Radiohead's In Rainbows sounded once it actually had a proper commercial CD release, as opposed to its original quality when it was a free download.
My views on these things are for the most part unchanged, by the way.
I could go on for days about how I think the "forward-thinking" progress of instantly accessible music is, in reality, a nefarious trojan horse hell bent on destroying music from within. The advent of these palm-sized delivery systems have certainly played a large role in the downturn of the music industry (not that the "industry" itself didn't already have plenty of problems of its own).
When I heard that Porcupine Tree's Steven Wilson included a scene in the trailer for his new album, Insurgentes, where he actually target practices his shooting skills on a bunch of MP3 players, I about did a Tom Cruise back flip off my couch!
The truth is, much as I'm pretty sure my more forward-thinking fellow BC music scribes like Mat Brewster, and Zing-Zing have a soft spot for the ol' Rockologist, I've often suspected that it was in more of an "Andy Rooney of rock" kind of way.
And, they may be right. I don't really like cell phones either.
But this Christmas, I finally bit.
And you know what? The damn thing came in kind of handy this Christmas season. For those who haven't heard, up here in Seattle we've been snowed in under as much as about two feet for more than a week. Every time the stuff starts to melt, the temperature freezes down to around the teens, and we then get a fresh new dumping of snow. We're supposed to get another six inches tonight.
Article comments
1 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
BOSE: Better Off w/ Something Else:)
Good for you Glen! Seriously, welcome to the digital world. For a portable player nothing beats flac &/or WMA(lossless) and from the tech specs at Amazon, the battery life seems decent especially when you are not using the LCD TFT. I would suggest using the home stereo headphones with a 1/4th to 1/8th adapter for your listening pleasure. I also suggest using dbPoweramp for all your audio converting needs.
*Warning*: Quality Stereo headphones will drain the battery quicker than normal.
2 - Mat Brewster
Welcome to the digital age, Glen. For the record, it isn't that I love the sound quality of the mp3 or anything, it is the portability of the players that make them worth while. Plus while the delivery system may in fact be destroying the album, it has opened the floodgates from a fan point of view in our ability to find new music.
Enjoy your new toy!
3 - Glen Boyd
Thanx Mat.
Though I still have a minor quibble with that whole "floodgates of new music" argument. This is true only if you enjoy searching for needles in a haystack (which I don't, particularly).
What has really happened is that playlists on radio stations have become more restrictive than ever, and with record stores all but gone, even established acts are forced into retail exclusivity deals with the WalMarts of the world, or selling their souls to Madison Avenue for use in commercials for Ford Trucks and the like just to get their music heard.
Sites like MySpace are, again, great places for new bands to be heard. But finding that band is another matter entirely. If not for satellite radio, real exposure for these new artists would be all but non-existent...and even satellite has become more restrictive since the XM/Sirius merger.
But apples and oranges, right? And yes, I do love my new toy.
Guppus...the stats you found by looking at the ad actually don't match the player I have. It's similar, but not the same. My player is actually a chinese product I found on ebay (at the bargain basement price of about $50.). And so far I've been able to use it on both a dock and on standard stereo headphones (not those damned earplug thingies) without serious battery drain.
Anyway, thanks to both of you for the comments. I guess, like it or not, I am a digital baby now. But I came in kicking and screaming...trust me...
Merry Christmas!
-Glen