I consider the $15 (US) I pay for a cd to be very well spent money.

I really enjoy having the cd, and not just the music and certainly not single tracks. When I sit down to listen, I generally read the liner notes, or if I am doing housework, I often find myself stalled by the notes. I want to know the instrumentation, the artists, the producer, the lyrics. I feel cheated if I purchase a cd and they have skimped on the notes. I want to hear an entire cd, front to back, because the flow of the cd adds to my enjoyment and appreciation.

I will probably never buy a shuffling 5 disk cd player for that reason. I will probably never compile cds of various artists for that reason. However, if I were doing purposeful research, then I can imagine going on-line to collect various versions of a song I am learning - haven't done that yet, though.

As a cd buyer, I really want to support the artist, and as a cd maker, having just put a cd out, I want the entire product to be listened to. I would much rather someone purchase the whole cd than only one track. No single track could give the full picture of the music as my band portrays it.

If this is indeed the wave of the future, then it is a shortcut, which will limit artistic expression in the long run.

Guess I'll go now and buy that Cherish the Ladies cd with the one song that I want on it. Maybe there will be something wonderful on the next track.

Claire