ghost of miles Posted January 21, 2022 Report Share Posted January 21, 2022 Perhaps a bit of premature exaggeration here, but still happy to see a prominent music writer taking up the cause of what remains my favorite (by far) physical music format: Jewel-Box Heroes: Why The CD Revival Is Finally Here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Duckworth Posted January 21, 2022 Report Share Posted January 21, 2022 Wow. Thank you for posting this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster_Ties Posted January 21, 2022 Report Share Posted January 21, 2022 Long discussion about this on the Hoffman board. Best as I can tell, it’s largely sales of Adele, Taylor Swift — but especially BTS (whose fans buy multiple different variations of each release, keeping their all sealed as collectors items). In short, I wouldn’t celebrate too quickly. Apparently Adele has a huge fan base among “women of a certain age” (who still only listen to things on CD). And I’m guessing Taylor Swift has something to do with her literally re-recording and re-releasing (new versions of) all of her prior albums, because she didn’t own the rights to that music (not sure I said that right, but that’s gotta be what’s going on). And BTS fans have like 8 (or maybe more like 14?) different versions of every cd of theirs (music the same, packaging different), all still perfectly sealed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted January 21, 2022 Report Share Posted January 21, 2022 who is BTS? Bachman-Turner Subwoofer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster_Ties Posted January 21, 2022 Report Share Posted January 21, 2022 16 minutes ago, JSngry said: who is BTS? Bachman-Turner Subwoofer? Don’t pretend like you don’t know who BTS is. I’d believe that from Chuck, but not you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost of miles Posted January 21, 2022 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2022 26 minutes ago, Rooster_Ties said: Long discussion about this on the Hoffman board. Best as I can tell, it’s largely sales of Adele, Taylor Swift — but especially BTS (whose fans buy multiple different variations of each release, keeping their all sealed as collectors items). In short, I wouldn’t celebrate too quickly. Apparently Adele has a huge fan base among “women of a certain age” (who still only listen to things on CD). And I’m guessing Taylor Swift has something to do with her literally re-recording and re-releasing (new versions of) all of her prior albums, because she didn’t own the rights to that music (not sure I said that right, but that’s gotta be what’s going on). And BTS fans have like 8 (or maybe more like 14?) different versions of every cd of theirs (music the same, packaging different), all still perfectly sealed. Oh yeah, and I think Sheffield acknowledges this to some extent in his article. I'm just happy to see somebody touting the format... for the past couple of years I've doodled around on a draft of a post for the Night Lights site extolling CDs. Darcy James Argue recently posted on Twitter about retaining all of his Ellington CDs because Spotify's Ellington catalogue is so spotty. And I was happy to see this item in the Hoffman thread that you mentioned: Generation Records in NYC selling new CDs again. "Just when I thought I was out...they pull me back in. It’s 2022 and we have started to sell new CDs again. We restocked hundreds of new titles this week, with many more on the way." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T.D. Posted January 21, 2022 Report Share Posted January 21, 2022 10 minutes ago, Rooster_Ties said: Don’t pretend like you don’t know who BTS is. I’d believe that from Chuck, but not you! FWIW, I hadn't the slightest idea who/what BTS is. Had to google. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted January 21, 2022 Report Share Posted January 21, 2022 yeah, i had to google as well, and now know (and care) even less now that i did before! but over the holliday, my daughter and her boyfriend played me some Korean house producer's work that was actually VRY nice. But it weren't no K-Pop, not at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel A Posted January 21, 2022 Report Share Posted January 21, 2022 I see the CD as an inconvenient storage device for a handful of digital files, coupled with either a jewel case that often cracks or a digipak where the holder often breaks. The only thing it does better than a cloud file storage is that it comes with a booklet. Despite several shortcomings in comparison with the compact disc, the LP is nicer to handle and look at as an object, and comes with more authenticity for anything released before the early 80s. The CD revival will not match the LP revival by any means, I think. I disagree with the author on this point, however: "They were less glamorous than vinyl, less cool, less tactile, less sexy, less magical." When the CDs arrived in the 80s, they seemed to have a lot of "magic" to them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted January 21, 2022 Report Share Posted January 21, 2022 I know what too often happens when you have an accident with a LP. Irrevocable damage. I also know what usually happens when you have an accident with a CD. Damn near nothing. Too bad that CDs were already on the market for 10 or so years before the recording/mixing/mastering processes caught up (and finally surpassed) their analog counterparts. But now that they have, hell, put it all on thumb drives for all I care, continue to consolidate and condense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dub Modal Posted January 21, 2022 Report Share Posted January 21, 2022 I don't think we're in for any kind of CD revival; not until I see CD players for sale at Costco anyway. But the author mentions Heart of the Congos and Lee Scratch Perry so kudos to him for that and the snappy writing through the whole piece. Keep those names and albums in the ether. It does the world a favor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
felser Posted January 22, 2022 Report Share Posted January 22, 2022 4 hours ago, ghost of miles said: my favorite (by far) physical music format: Mine too. Also FWIW, I'm another one who has never heard of BTS. Started to google it, saw "boy band", and stopped at that point. Also agree that CD mastering got really good in the mid-late 90's. Albums are cool in theory and to look at, but not in practice and to live with. So thankful for CD's, and for the miracle of the reissues that pumped out nonstop over a 10-15-20 year period (and still trickle out now - hello Lloyd McNeill CD's). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost of miles Posted January 22, 2022 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2022 I agree that a large-scale CD revival seems highly unlikely, though I wonder what the impact of the logistical issues that have been plaguing new vinyl production will ultimately be on that format's success going forward. After I shared this same story to Facebook, I did get a fun text from my youngest brother, informing me that he'd sent the story to my 16-year-old niece because she likes to listen to CDs on an old boombox. And her younger sister informed me at Thanksgiving that she loves CDs and flip phones. Undoubtedly my family's youngest generation is an outlier, but it's still a kick to hear such retro inklings from them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nessa Posted January 22, 2022 Report Share Posted January 22, 2022 Sigh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel A Posted January 22, 2022 Report Share Posted January 22, 2022 I just did a search, and found that Chuck has sighed 58 times in these forums. Only two times before 2011, but two times already this year. You're welcome to share what would cheer you up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjazzg Posted January 22, 2022 Report Share Posted January 22, 2022 But they're such thoughtful and constructive sighs... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmitry Posted January 22, 2022 Report Share Posted January 22, 2022 I don't know what BTS stands for, but I have a lot of cds, and never bought into the download culture. I don't own any downloaded music, but I do listen to Pandora. Some of their algorithms are spot on, some aren't. When I hear something interesting there, I may spring for a cd or lp. The excitement of going to the Tower Records, browsing the thousands of titles will never be replaced with sitting at a computer screen one on one with Napster or the like. Maybe the resurgence of physical formats, like the LP and the CD, will usher in the resurgence of the record store. Not the used kind, but where unopened, sealed disks are sold, and new releases slated for this and that day are to be found on that damn day. I still remember the early morning line outside Tower Records when the new U2 album was to come out. ...Keeping my fingers crossed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidewinder Posted January 22, 2022 Report Share Posted January 22, 2022 Bring it on ! More than happy with CDs and LPs. Never got into purchasing downloads and in general I use Spotify to check out albums I am unfamiliar with. CDs over the last decade or so have been a bargain. In contrast to the price-gouging (especially here in the UK) in the younger days of the medium. It used to be £15 and up here back in the early 90s ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjazzg Posted January 22, 2022 Report Share Posted January 22, 2022 1 hour ago, Dmitry said: Maybe the resurgence of physical formats, like the LP and the CD, will usher in the resurgence of the record store. Not the used kind, but where unopened, sealed disks are sold, and new releases slated for this and that day are to be found on that damn day. I still remember the early morning line outside Tower Records when the new U2 album was to come out. ...Keeping my fingers crossed. Couple of these have cropped up in London in the last few years. Also it's noticeable that once used-only shops are now stocking new releases Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porcy62 Posted January 22, 2022 Report Share Posted January 22, 2022 (edited) I think we could speak of CD Revival, when we will see CD Player revival, like happened with LP: lots of new records players on sale, Model T ones, not the Porsche's. Edited January 22, 2022 by porcy62 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
felser Posted January 22, 2022 Report Share Posted January 22, 2022 51 minutes ago, porcy62 said: I think we could speak of CD Revival, when we will see CD Player revival, like happened with LP: lots of new records players on sale, Model T ones, not the Porsche's. I hope it increases the options on portable CD devices (boomboxes, etc.). Those have shrunk severely in recent years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GA Russell Posted January 22, 2022 Report Share Posted January 22, 2022 19 hours ago, Dub Modal said: I don't think we're in for any kind of CD revival; not until I see CD players for sale at Costco anyway. I noticed throughout the past year that I never saw any stereo system components on sale except speakers. 5 hours ago, Dmitry said: Maybe the resurgence of physical formats, like the LP and the CD, will usher in the resurgence of the record store. It appears to me that shops of almost every kind have been on the decline, presumably because of the internet. I wonder if internet shopping has resulted in a decline in driving. 4 hours ago, sidewinder said: CDs over the last decade or so have been a bargain. Agree 100%! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stonewall15 Posted January 22, 2022 Report Share Posted January 22, 2022 Another revolutionary feature of CDs is the creation of the CD recorder! These recorders provided for the transfer of LPs to CDs (CDrs) via a turntable. A CD recorder allows for the recording from any source in addition to LPs. Basically anything that plays through your computer's speakers can be recorded on CDR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
romualdo Posted January 23, 2022 Report Share Posted January 23, 2022 totally agree with the section on CD Box sets (plus extensive/informative booklets in many cases, though the print was often miniscule) - CD is the best medium for listening to artists /various artists larger outputs. So suited to Mosaic's mission/game plan. I remember the early Mosaic catalogues only advertised vinyl & as CDs emerged the catalogues had addenda exhibiting the CD versions. Turning a vinyl disc every 20 minutes or so can get tedious eg the Keynote, Commodore massive sets - pity they were never given a proper CD Rx. I know that Fresh Sound did a digital job (basically bootleg) on the Keynote set - no alts though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidewinder Posted January 23, 2022 Report Share Posted January 23, 2022 The CD medium really came into its own for Mosaic on those gargantuan Basie Studio and Maynard Fergusson Roulette sets. Hernia-inducing on LP ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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