6 reasons why I don't buy CDs ...

Subject: RE: 6 reasons why I don't buy CDs ...
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 16 Oct 03 - 02:10 PM

The best reason not to buy CDs is to encourage performers to take up other jobs.

Subject: RE: 6 reasons why I don't buy CDs ...
From: NicoleC
Date: 16 Oct 03 - 03:05 PM

>You pay your money and you take your chances.

Yup. And this is why record sales are in the toilet, because the chances of spending $18 (US) and getting a CD off the shelf with good quality all the way through have dwindled to almost nothing. Yet many musicians and the industry seek to blame the buyers for their response to their lackluster product.

Subject: RE: 6 reasons why I don't buy CDs ...
From: Thomas the Rhymer
Date: 16 Oct 03 - 03:32 PM

dick greenhaus...Though I may in fact intuitionally 'know' what you meant by the posting above, would you mind stirring the pot abit by clarifying your point? I'm listening... and eagerly too...ttr

Subject: RE: 6 reasons why I don't buy CDs ...
From: GUEST,pdq
Date: 16 Oct 03 - 03:53 PM

IMHO, anyone who cannot find something worth buying from the combined catalogues of Shanachie, Rounder/Flying Fish, Rebel/County, Sugar Hill, Acoustic Disc, Nirada or Folk Legacy is not much of a music fan. Ooops, left out Vanguard, Folkways, Bear Family, and probably 50 others. This is the greatest time to be a music fan in history unless you listen to AM pop radio which truly sucks.

Subject: RE: 6 reasons why I don't buy CDs ...
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 16 Oct 03 - 04:18 PM

Martin - yes, I heard that story directly from Pete's lips, as have many people. I do agree with you in that over time I am sure the story has changed. There is no question, even from Pete Seeger, that he was angry at the time.

Subject: RE: 6 reasons why I don't buy CDs ...
From: PoppaGator
Date: 16 Oct 03 - 04:32 PM

Thomas:

Isn't it evident what Dick Greenhaus means (seriously or otherwise) -- that most performers offer so worthless a product that we'd all be better off if they just shut up and got a day job?

I don't necessarily agree with such an extreme view, but I do feel strongly that many excellent *performers* -- players and/or singers -- are woefuly deficient as *composers*. The sad fact is that so much of the potential money to be made in the music business comes from publishing, royalties, etc., and that therefore anyone looking to make a living as a full-time musician owes it to him/herself to try for a piece of the writer's action.

I live in a city (New Orleans LA) that is a hotbed of musical activity, with plenty of live-music venues operating 6 or 7 nights a week, providing plenty of gigs to a wide variety of players. It's a very common experience to thoroughly enjoy, and be genuinely impressed by, a group or an individual interpreting traditional or "cover" material, and doing a great job of it -- and then to hear the announcement, "And now, one of our originals," only to witness the entire proceedings take a nosedive into mediocrity or worse.

All of the above, of course, speaks to the superiority of traditional music (folk tradition, jazz tradition, whatever) over the commericial music biz.

Subject: RE: 6 reasons why I don't buy CDs ...
From: GUEST,brookeburkesluvr
Date: 16 Oct 03 - 05:26 PM

I'm pleased to see that people care enough about this issue to post so many thoughtful opinions about it.   It irritates me that the music industry is so profit-focused. It would seem to me that whether you buy the commercially printed CD, or use an online digital music subscription service, the artist is still getting the short end of the money stick. Free file-sharing is out of the question as far as I'm concerned, because I don't want to be sued and, aside from publicity for lesser-known artists, there's not much benefit to anyone other than the person who gets the free music file. Short of contacting various artists directly and sending them a personal check for copies of their music, I don't really know what we could do to change this mess. In the meantime, I think a nice compromise is to use a subscription based online service to find, preview and burn copies of certain tracks that you just want individually (Rhapsody has the lowest per-track cost at 79 cents - http://www.bestbuy.com/rhapsody) and then go to the store and buy the commercial CD for artists who you really want to support or that consistently put out great CDs.

Subject: RE: 6 reasons why I don't buy CDs ...
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 16 Oct 03 - 05:40 PM

I don't want to speak for Dick, but I think some of you are mis-reading his note.

I believe what Dick was saying was that IF people do not support artists, you will be telling them to find other jobs.

Subject: RE: 6 reasons why I don't buy CDs ...
From: Bill D
Date: 16 Oct 03 - 06:04 PM

Oh, I'm sure that Ron is saying what Dick meant..*grin*...if no one buys CDs, the production of them will 'probably' decline!!!

Subject: RE: 6 reasons why I don't buy CDs ...
From: greg stephens
Date: 16 Oct 03 - 07:05 PM

Poppagator: well said!!!!

Subject: RE: 6 reasons why I don't buy CDs ...
From: Blowzabella
Date: 16 Oct 03 - 07:19 PM

I know I'm probably in the minority, but I tend to do exactly what brookeburkesluvr seems to draw his line at - I do send cheques direct to artists! I'm fortunate, though, in that my work brings me into contact with a lot of performers and I can often either buy at gigs or catch up later with a cheque. The next CD I plan to send off for will be for Jim Eldon's latest. I anticipate that it will be excellent value for money.

Subject: RE: 6 reasons why I don't buy CDs ...
From: freightdawg
Date: 16 Oct 03 - 07:31 PM

Touche' Steeleye!