A Few Intemperate Words

Holy Balls of Fuck!

This copy protection stuff has gotten way out of hand! This has been written about and discussed thousands of times all over the internet (and many times here in the Blogcritics archives). I am ready to start a new flame war on the subject.

I just bought the new Switchfoot CD, Nothing is Sound. It took 15 minutes or more of searching and a software download to get the fucking CD on my iPod. In fairness to Apple, I could have just waited until I got home and used my PowerBook. But I am at work now and I want to hear my new CD and I want to hear it on my own terms on my own iPod. So I spent 15 minutes researching the issue and downloading a free application called CDEx.

The good news? CDEx worked and I am now listening to the new Switchfoot CD (I like it so far and plan to write a review directly).

I know there are a lot of you out there who tell me I am part of the problem because I buy the tampered with discs. And you’re right. But I do not want to cut off my nose to spite my face. I don’t want to just not buy the music. I love my CD collection. I love music more than I do most people (yeah, I have a future date with a therapist or twelve).

So I buy the inferior product and grouse about its inferiority. It seems as though I have poor choices. Buy the iTunes version AND the CD? Expensive. Buy one or the other… that comes with complications. Buy neither? I have nothing. This is intolerable. I am thankful that as I scoot past the halfway point of Nothing is Sound it was worth the trouble.

Sony music must still feel my wrath. To aid in that… here is how you get Nothing is Sound on your iPod if you are a PC user (prior to inserting the disc in your machine):

1) Download CDEx 1.51. Type in CDEx in GOOGLE and you will be able to find it. Installation is straightforward.

2) Hold SHIFT key down as you insert the Switchfoot CD in your computer.

3) Use CDEx to rip your CD. You can rip it to WAV and then to AAC (as I did) or you can use the application to rip directly to MP3 (whichever you prefer).

4) Move your files to your iPod using iTunes.

For his judgment cometh, and that right soon!

Discuss.