Originally Posted by stud u like:
“HMV is coming back at least to 363 Oxford Street.
Music has evolved and I have found plenty of new bands on Spotify I have not heard of before. Newspapers and music magazines are also useful for learning about new music.
Some people prefer to be minimalist and not want massive equipment in their homes especially if space is sparse.
I have a decent Hi Fi I got from Argos which does the job and sounds great.”
Yes there is online like Spotify but to me 'online' fails on so many counts. This is from my viewpoint remember.
1. Where to start? Even being a music fan I don't have the time or enthusiasm to trawl through endless artists to find one I may like.
2. Online music. I value a physical format that is something tangiable and has some value after I have paid for it. A download is easier for the distributor but not better for me.
3. Looking through the racks. HMV - especially the larger stores - had categories and new releases on the end of the racks. Just picking up a CD with an interesting cover has led me onto some new music.
4. The 12" rack. HMV used to have a 12" single area with limited run white labels, special DJ versions and a turntable/headphones to try them. I bought loads in the Watford branch and on selling some last year (after putting them onto metal tape) I got back 3-4 times what I paid. Some even included window stickers and other freebies. I discovered some great new music there (Royksopp - before they got into the mainstream).
5. Music video and DVD. The record shop in Aylesbury had a comprehensive rack of rare VHS tapes and DVD's of concerts, music shows and hard to find world music. These were expensive but 'online' has not replaced them as he got them from limited runs and was a music enthusiast himself so guided me onto what I may like.
6. Sound quality. Despite trying some music downloads I have given up with them. Some combination of compression, bad mastering and general ineptitude has messed up what could be a good thing. I tried downloading Steve Hackett's 'Cured' album but it fell way short of my old vinyl with a muddy and clogged sound (Amazon Music). Pop music was even worse and my recorder showed the signal as being constantly pegged at 0db.
7. Attention span. People with large collections on their MP3 player seem to constantly skip track/artist. I say 'leave that on' sometimes as I am fed up with the constant track skipping. With a cassette or LP you were encouraged to listen all the way through and in doing so listened to the album as a whole and not just the first 30 seconds of each track.
8. The good old 'B Side'. Yes, much dross but 1 or 2 in 10 were better than the A Side. Sparks extended 'Number 1 Song In Heaven', The Scaffolds sublime 'Buttons Of Your Mind' on the flip of the terrible 'Lily The Pink' are two.
9. Lastly the equipment. It seems like most stuff these days is either cheap tat or expensive audiophile grade. 20 years ago there existed a middle ground where one could pick up something simple but well built.
On the subject of records, I tried a few modern ones but all it was is the harsh MP3 recorded to vinyl - just with added surface noise. Total waste of money and cashing in on the hipster craze. I am ending up feeling like trying to enjoy modern artists is a futile effort so I am looking into artists from the 70's - 90's and picking up their tapes and CD's.