Burried in the playlists at the iTunes music store I found one for songs released in 1979. It's not strictly perfect, some songs are listed in both 1979 and 1980 (i.e. "Babe" by Styx) but I guess the ITMS can be forgiven since we probably listened to them during both years (in fact, I've heard interviews where Tommy Shaw has whined about "Babe" being so popular).
So, in my current (recently) single and (mostly) melancholy state, I went digging thru the music of Jr. High and High school. And I rean across Andy Gibb, England Dan and John Ford Coley, and even a classic from The Who that I didn't own yet.
Since I'm still living off birthday gift certificates, I thought nothing of downloading them all – and I still have twenty something dollars left!
In my old age, I've gotten to the point where there is always music. iTunes is always playing. Whether it's the alarm clock waking me up, or the computer playing while I work at home, or the iPod in the car or in the office, my iTunes collection is always on, always shuffling thru the single tracks.
I'm beginning to wonder if that's a good thing.
In 1979 if we purchased Shadow Dancing, then we were stuck listening to the rest of Andy Gibb's album. I mean what were we thinking? Andy Gibb on an 8 Track Tape? You had to listen to a quarter of it just to hear the song you liked a second time. And while I never minded looking at Andy Gibb, I don't really want to listen to the fillers on the album. Now with iTunes, we can listen to Shadow Dancing and look at the picture and skip the rest of the crap.
But in the process, maybe some of the nuance is gone.
It's really hard to describe, but imagine listening to "Another Brick in the Wall" without also listening to "Goodbye Cruel World", "Hey You", "Goodbye Blue Sky", "The Thin Ice" or even "Comfortably Numb".
What if we get to the same place with videos and movies. Don't want to watch smallville? how about just the part where CK flies thru the air and rips off the door on Lex's plane?
Or what about when live people talk, if you just cut them off and make them say the part you want to hear?
It's a strange thought, but I'm not sure all the Life on Demand™ is a good thing.
There are still reasons to just watch the clouds drift by, and all of them have to do with the quality of life.
If you followed all of that…
10 Comments
Man Paul we are on the same wavelength. I allways feel that I never really listen to an album/cd anymore. The song I buy it for gets itsfair play and a few others but then it gets thrown on to the Ipod. This is where it is condmed to shuffle pergatory. I'm sure there's many songs out of the 14834 on my ipod that I wont even relize I own EVER. Itunes and the such also took the mystry and the fun out of music shopping. 20 years ago you only had a groups rep and a few radio songs to go by. You took it on faith and a little prayer that the 6.99 you were about to spend would be worth it. It was like going on a trip to somewhere you had never been with only a small guide for reference. No you can pretty much hear enough of the whole album on itunes to know if your going to want to get it. Yea its safer and more consumer friendly but the mystic is gone. No adventure at all. And like you said sometimes the pieces of an album are'nt that great but taken as a whole it is a sublime experiance. And thats all i have to say about that.
Remember when we used to make "mix" tapes for each other (and everyone else)? And the RIAA didn't even exist.
I remember coming to your house once after I graduated and moved to Dallas and we were both amazed that we had both hooked into Pete Shelley, independently of one other! I still listen to parts of that album on my iPod…
Remember how we used to shop and shop for that one song we couldn't find? now we just pop onto the internet and order it from somewhere. It's just not the same.
OMG, i just realized that I mentioned Pink Floyd and Andy Gibb in the same article. If that doesn’t piss off the RIAA, then they can’t be doing their jobs.
*Is appaled, and goes to hide in shame under bed, remembering how I first bought 'Flowing Rivers' and sighed at the album cover while listening to it*
(Andy Gibbs FIRST album, for those not up on their Gibblore) Even more chringe worthy from the 70's …sigh…partridgefamilyalbums…morethanone….
Well, gonna go go outside and wait for the pitchfork waving, torchbearing cool police to come and take me away…
Do they have a spaz70's witness relocation program??? I mean, now…Pink, and and fingerelevin on my Ipod…I have nothing avacado green in my wardrobe now!! No pantsuits or plaid….Mercy!!
Mel..Remember submitting us to Dan Fogleberg in Boger's class. I still have nightmares.
Paul I still have Shelly on vinal somewhere my CD version was swiped along time ago….I really do miss record shopping. Now I just fire up the Russian mobs MP3 site and get anything I want..Oh yea. Camelot Music off of Alabama just closed this year. The owners retired..
LOL I can continue to horrify, Tracy, I went to the Van Morrison with my best friend for birthday last week. Her teenaged daughter went with us, and was horrified that the concert only lasted 90 minutes!! I had to explain that with real musicians, who play more than 3 cords and don't lean on an opening act, they get tired…
Last concert I went to before this was before the kids came…I saw Depeche Mode, and we were the only people in audience who were as old as the band.
Le Sigh.
Russian Mob MP3???
I remember when we were selling them the tech!!
back in the day, concerts lasted 15 hours. Or maybe it just seemed like 15 hours when Sting was on stage.
oh, and last time I saw depressed mode, I was the only sober person (including the band) in Reunion Arena.
Lalapaloza 1992 and 1993. I'll remember most of those days forever. I miss the early 90's sniff….
P. S. not to sound too old….remember I'm a year younger than you guys. I can now say to some of my friends I've forgot more concerts than you have gone too. Hey P.LEE want to go to the superbowl of rack and roll. I heard Ozzy is going to take out his pacemaker this year..
shhhh! don't tell anyone that I've seen ozzy in concert…
man, it was hot that day in the cottonbowl. who could blame him for taking his hair off?
when I saw Grace Jones in San Francisco, she did him one better by CHANGING her hair in between songs. you have to understand, it was Grace Jones, so when she changed her hair, it went from marine cut neon yellow to flourescent italian green, then day-glow orange, then chips ahoy blue. the woman is amazing, and a little scary.
I saw Grace at the DNA lounge around 1990. She actually could be the Demolision Man…shudder..
….nightmares still…..