Date:         Sun, 26 Oct 2008 20:45:51 -0400
Reply-To:     Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
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Sender:       Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
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From:         "Steven C. Barr" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject:      Re: Cedar, was: Aren't recordings original sources?
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----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Don Cox" <[log in to unmask]>
> On 24/10/08, Bob Olhsson wrote:
>> -----Original Message----- From Tom Fine: "...I definitely believe
>> that part of the business cratering is due to putting out an
>> overpriced, bad quality product in a format that has been
>> antiquated..."
>> I totally agree about bad quality but strongly disagree with the idea
>> that music recordings are overpriced. Factoring in inflation,
>> prerecorded music is by far the cheapest it has ever been.
>> The problem is what people get for their 15 to 20 bucks which is
>> shoddy packaging, horrendous audio quality and too few great
>> performances of great material. There is no evidence that lower prices
>> will increase sales while everything points to the fact that people
>> will gladly pay a premium for any recording they consider worthy of
>> purchase. Too many labels and artists got lazy and greedy during the
>> CD era. They are now reaping what was sown. Selling the same garbage
>> at a lower price is not a solution!
> I think people will spend a certain amount on recordings. The price
> decides how many hours of music they get for that money.
> The horrendous audio quality is IMO mainly confined to pop music, and to
> super-budget compilations of material such as 1950s pop. The standard in
> classical music is high. The jazz I buy is mainly transfers from analog,
> and recent transfers from tape are often better than I have ever heard
> (this on material I know well on LP).
> Packaging varies. Naxos manages to provide informative booklets even at
> a low retail price (however, they are no longer a super-budget label).
> Brilliant Classics have moved toward PDF files on a CD for their
> extremely cheap box sets.
>
I have been able to buy some VERY nice CD's for $1 each, at a $1-store
chain called "Dollarama" (at least here in Ont'o.!). I have also run across 
a
fair number of 10-CD, 200-track sets for Cdn$21.99...which take full
advantage of the standard NON-US Of A 50-year term for copyright of
sound recordings!

Note that I cannot speak for their audio quality...being partially deaf 
after
two serious head injuries and a number of years playing harmonica on stage
while standing WAY too close to Fender Twins turned up to ear-destroying
levels...!

In times to come, I shall figure out how to transfer my half-vast shellac
archive into digital form...thus making innumerable ancient recordings
available to an anxious public...!!

Now...should I start with "The Complete Recorded Works Of the
Taylor Trio"...or "The Greatest Hits Of 19 and 12?!" :-)

Steven C. Barr