Countered
Doctor, I believe that you are muddling two issues that needn't be muddled. I don't believe that downloading music ruins the sanctity of the album as an art form. The mp3 (i.e., the download) is merely a vehicle from which music moves from the musician to the consumer. The mp3 as a vehicle has proven so popular because it is convenient, cheap, easily transferred, and reaches an ever widening audience.
In addition to all of these characteristics, it seems as if the mp3 is now the main method of releasing single songs. But singles, and EPs also, existed well before the current trend of downloading music. Record companies have always released a few songs by a given artist that they felt would appeal to the largest number of listeners. It was true with The Beatles and "I Want to Hold Your Hand", just like it was true with Nirvana and "Come As Your Are" (which, if my music history serves me correctly, was a B-side to "Smells Like Teen Spirit"). This is a way to spread music without going through the exhausting process of recording and releasing a 30 to 60 minute album (which would be done later). Thus, there has always been a strong incentive to release individual songs. The music industry didn't need mp3s for this to be true.
But the album survives. Yes, there will always be albums which come off as little more than two or three hit songs coupled with eight or nine filler tracks. But this is less a reflection on the impact of technology on music, or the state of the music industry, and more of a reflection on the value of the artist himself. Artists that are truely memorable will continue to release albums that have been thoughtfully written, recorded, and arranged, regardless of any technological innovations.
In addition to all of these characteristics, it seems as if the mp3 is now the main method of releasing single songs. But singles, and EPs also, existed well before the current trend of downloading music. Record companies have always released a few songs by a given artist that they felt would appeal to the largest number of listeners. It was true with The Beatles and "I Want to Hold Your Hand", just like it was true with Nirvana and "Come As Your Are" (which, if my music history serves me correctly, was a B-side to "Smells Like Teen Spirit"). This is a way to spread music without going through the exhausting process of recording and releasing a 30 to 60 minute album (which would be done later). Thus, there has always been a strong incentive to release individual songs. The music industry didn't need mp3s for this to be true.
But the album survives. Yes, there will always be albums which come off as little more than two or three hit songs coupled with eight or nine filler tracks. But this is less a reflection on the impact of technology on music, or the state of the music industry, and more of a reflection on the value of the artist himself. Artists that are truely memorable will continue to release albums that have been thoughtfully written, recorded, and arranged, regardless of any technological innovations.
posted by Mr Beerman at 10:44 AM
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