September 25, 2006

Record companies can go to hell. At every turn, it seems that the weasels who run the major labels go out of their way to alienate their best customers. Namely the ones like me who still bother to purchase actual CDs.

I suppose the RIAA's PR has gotten to me because I do believe in paying artists for their work. The vast majority of the 3938 tracks I have in iTunes come from CDs I own. Not to say I abstain from music downloads. I once paid for an eMusic subscription. These days when I discover a new band or song, I will buy the track(s) from the iTunes Store. (I have turned to file sharing services when I want to listen to a song from one of my LPs on the iPod. I don't know if it would stand up in court but I don't see much distinction between hooking up a turntable to the computer to capture a track or finding it online.)

However if an artist I like puts out a new album, odds are I will want the actual CD.

Why? Well there is the quality of the sound itself. I don't claim to be an audiophile but I can hear a subtle difference with well-recorded music, particularly on higher notes. For me though it ultimately comes down to the fact that a CD is a physical object. There's still something satisfying about handing over money and getting that thing you can see or touch. Plus a well-designed package makes the music just that much more satisfying.

And that's my big beef with the labels. I feel that overall they are going out of their way to cheapen the experience. Number one gripe is that stupid sticker wrapped over three sides of the jewel box top. They defy all reasonable attempts at removal, often splintering into a countless ribbons and leaving behind a nasty glue film. And the trend seems to be make them ever harder to remove. Several of my newer CDs sport a seemingly permanent adhesive smear that exists to attract gunk and bond with random objects.

More subjective but just as disappointing, a number of newish releases have left me scratching my head over the flimsiness of their packages. No liner notes to speak of, maybe the lyrics and a picture or two of the artists printed on thin stock and folded a couple of times to fit into the standard jewel case. And these aren't new acts but well-establsihed artists who've sold millions in the recent past.

What's happened to the inventiveness that produced sleeves such as the Rolling Stone's Sticky Fingers with its actual zipper and Some Girls die-cut fun? Or the lush materials Factory Records issued with Peter Saville's exquisite designs forNew Order?

Yeah, I realize that LP sleeves gave designers more room to work. But I know it's possible to create a rich experience even within the confines of a jewel box. I've bought several reissues from bands as diverse as Fleetwood Mac, Steely Dan and The Police over the past few months. Each delivers a variety of delights and surprises—even down to the silk screening on the discs themselves. Fleetwood Mac, Rumours and Tusk each reproduces the art from the original LP label.

I can't help wondering why labels keep throwing up barriers, such as the stubborn security seal, to buying their product. Maybe I'm simplistic but it seems reasonable to give people an incentive to hand over their money. Apple has found a way to do it by including bonus tracks and digital booklets with complete album purchases. Is it unreasonable to expect an even richer experience from the physical product?