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I miss scarcity

This is not a complaint. Or, if it is a complaint, it's half-aimed at me. Mostly this is a reflection.

In the old days, I got to know music really well -- in great detail, sonically, musically, reading all the credits, the liner notes, etc. A friend would have an album I didn't, so I'd go to his house to listen. We'd talk about the music. We'd talk about how album sides hung together or didn't. We were thrilled by double albums.

Now, a torrent of information is everywhere. I listen alone, often to a single song, often not listening to anything over and over again.

You will tell me, "That's your choice." I'd half agree. It's like agreeing that "It's my choice not to live off the electrical grid." 

As I read and teach about AI, I am learning that our tools often prioritize speed and information glut. It seems, initially, like a cornucopia but it becomes a wash of "content." I must admit, I'm losing my talent for managing all this content, and I'm losing my love for it. And it's making me into a different person, somewhat, and I am not so sure I want to be that person. End of reflection.

Wizard Conjuring Cosmic Chaos Art Print featuring the drawing Let There be Content by Benjamin Schwartz

hilde45
yesiam_a_pirate's avatar
yesiam_a_pirate
323 posts
 

It's absolutely true that my streaming front end has the world of music at my fingertips. The recordings and the components that process the digits are getting very good and will continue to get better. Soon mid-priced digital will eclipse vinyl's quality. 

But;

After years of digital I recently bought a good TT. A buddy lent me a crate full of records (remember when records shipped in crates? I think Peaches or School Kids in Ann Arbor MI sold the crates and they became a fad) and I'm once again transported back to the 70s (which I loved) and the fun and even exhilaration of thumbing through albums looking for one that matches my mood. Then the art work! Each one unique and special. The sleeve has the words on it! No more asking AI what I thought I heard (was it wrapped up like a douche or revved up like a duce?) Then the joy of tubes glowing, tone arm riding the curve of the record, my subs flexing and the warm bath of old school analog filling my room. No digital can match this experience. 

My conclusion? We need both. Digital for convenience and research, and vinyl for the interactive experience. 

thecarpathian's avatar
thecarpathian
6,194 posts
 

@yesiam_a_pirate , Well said!

mambacfa
112 posts
 

We now have a tsunami of entertainment at our fingertips, and most of it is worthless crap. You're entitled to your opinion as to what is good, but your enthusiasm doesn't equate with greatness. A three-note melody sung by a weak, auto-tuned voice amidst highly-mixed electronic instruments doesn't deserve anything more than a phone and a pair of wireless earbuds. You spend most of your time scrolling to find your next trivial listening experience (only it's probably a video of provocative dancers prancing around amidst an overload of visuals.)

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parkergetdean
1,098 posts
 

@goodlistening64 you probably misunderstood me. I work on and write and deploy code on the high side every week. I know exactly how it works.

You would seem to be hell-bent on being a harbinger of doom

No, I argued for the opposite.

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