Sunday, August 03, 2008

Empire of the Senses

I bought a CD the other day.

Good disk - Suzy Bogguss "Swing" - her cover of "Comes Love" is a sexy, cozening treat like a wink from a stripper...

But it got me thinking about the LAST music I received, Madeline Peyroux's "Careless Love". I love the disk, love the thoughtful friends who downloaded it to me, and as much as I enjoy certain hard-to-get music, it made me wonder why I don't download more.

What I realized, as I thought about this, is that in some ways I'm a crusted old tawny conservative, and music is one of them. I actually miss vinyl albums; not for the sound (which was mediocre at best and a popping, hissing ugliness at worst) or the turntable needed to play them (a huge unmoving Slorg, brittle and cranky and fussy).

I miss them purely for the tactile enjoyment. The same way I enjoy CDs more than downloads; the liner notes, the photos and the odd pastiches the artists create to go with their music. The lyrics, helping me to understand that what Cindy Wilson says is "Tin roof! Rusted." and not "Hen-ry! Busted."All that and especially the cover art, an art form in itself. Some of the great moments in my past have been illustrated by great album covers.

So downloading's great. But I think I'll resign myself to being one of those irritating geezers, forever bloviating about how great the music used to be.

OK, not ABBA. Never.

But you know the story. Sad old bastard.

9 comments:

rangeragainstwar said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Lisa said...

"Geezer"? I think not! I share your pleasure of the tangible. I don't do ebooks nor music downloads, though I confess to reading some big papers online. That's the only virtual experience I'll deign to, out of sheer fiscal consideration.

Though expedient, it can't replace the pleasure of an actual NYT in hand on Sunday morning with good coffee and croissant, and fine company. (D'ya know where I might find some o' that?!)

"Love Shack"--what a fun tune. Thanks.

(sorry--I just had to delete the previous post as it did not originate from the correct i.d.
--L.)

wzgirl said...

I could've told ya that it was "Tin Roof - Rusted" & being the Geezer that I am, alls I had was the cassette of that album.....

FDChief said...

"actual NYT in hand on Sunday morning with good coffee and croissant, and fine company. (D'ya know where I might find some o' that?!)"

Lisa: Temptress! Lucky for my marriage I'm safely hitched and faaaar away in the PNW..!

I am also guilty of getting most of my news (outside of the World's Worst Paper) online. But I've never had the affection for news in print that I have for music and art and performance. Some things are just better live and personal...

Wzgirl: Your ears are an order of magnitude better than mine, then. Ever since Uncle Sam used my head for a noise testing device I've had trouble hearing certain things like lyrics in the middle of playing instruments or an individual conversation in a crowded room full of other sound.

I once had an annual physical down at the Portland MEPS station, where the new meat used to go to ship out to Basic Training. After a visit to the sound booth a very nice, very sheepish young medical specialist sidled up to me and informed my that with my hearing it was VERY unlikely that the Army would take me.

"HUNH!? WHAT?" I replied in a gentle bellow "What's that, youngster? Deaf? Aw, hell, the Army MADE me this way, it's too late for those rascals to back out NOW!!"

Anonymous said...

ABBA!?

Never!

Mamma Mia!

Then I guess you haven't rushed off to see "Mamma Mia" then?

But like you, if I like a piece, I'll buy the CD, as there might be some other goodie on it to hear.

..

Lisa said...

Lucky woman ;)

wzgirl said...

lol, chief. Well, sorta. xo

FDChief said...

"Then I guess you haven't rushed off to see "Mamma Mia" then?"

There are a few things that can chill my blood by the mere sound of the pronunciation of the words alone. And "Musical version of Broadway play starring Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan singing the songs of ABBA" is one of them.

I would have to claw my eyes and ears out withing moments of the opening credits.

Lisa said...

Yes, Chief, I'd rather clean cat litter boxes than sit through that one. It seems like some producer's cruel idea to prove the maxim, "a fool and his money are soon parted."