Rolling Stone's Rob Sheffield heralds a "CD Revival"

[JSngry]

Seriously - digital files, thumb drives, keep the documentation, lose the discs, shift the paradigm, sorta 

[Stonewall15]

14 hours ago, romualdo said:

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.

Mosaic 105 "Art Pepper" was released on LP only. Via a CD recorder I now have CDs of that great 3-LP set.

[John L]

On 1/21/2022 at 3:48 PM, Daniel A said:

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.

 

Exactly, and add to that the fact that most young people don't even store music anymore.  They just stream.    CDs were once a convenient medium for accessing digital music.  But technology has moved on.   Now most people without music collections per se can access all that they want, any time that they want, anywhere that they want,.             

[JSngry]

25 minutes ago, John L said:

  Now most people without music collections per se can access all that they want, any time that they want, anywhere that they want,.             

Until they won't be able to...

[Rooster_Ties]

5 minutes ago, JSngry said:

Until they won't be able to...

Hell, I’m not sure I could access (stream, or download) even HALF my music collection right now (let alone 10-25 years in the future).

[ghost of miles]

8 minutes ago, Rooster_Ties said:

Hell, I’m not sure I could access (stream, or download) even HALF my music collection right now (let alone 10-25 years in the future).

Same here. 

[JSngry]

I'm not especially optimistic about the availabilty of free (as in ability) streaming to access all this stuff in the future. any number of ways it can be clamped down and/or shut off.

Am I paranoid? Yeah. But I don't trust the future, not too much at all. Looks kinda dark to me, eventually.

[ghost of miles]

17 minutes ago, JSngry said:

I'm not especially optimistic about the availabilty of free (as in ability) streaming to access all this stuff in the future. any number of ways it can be clamped down and/or shut off.

Am I paranoid? Yeah. But I don't trust the future, not too much at all. Looks kinda dark to me, eventually.

Agreed, except that things in a general sense look pretty dark to me right now, and will most likely get worse, sooner rather than later.  As a pessimist, I always hope to be proven wrong!  In that regard I tend to be frequently disappointed.

[Brad]

I never heard of BTS either. I figured it didn’t stand for Bacon Tomato Sandwich. Boy groups? No, thank you.

I never stopped listening to CDs, or buying them. They’re still the most convenient way to listen to the music. 

[GA Russell]

I get my daily dose of mainstream news from bing.com, and they have something on BTS twice a month.

Really creepy look.

[John L]

5 hours ago, JSngry said:

I'm not especially optimistic about the availabilty of free (as in ability) streaming to access all this stuff in the future. any number of ways it can be clamped down and/or shut off.

Am I paranoid? Yeah. But I don't trust the future, not too much at all. Looks kinda dark to me, eventually.

So let's pack up our CDs, LPs, Hi-Fi systems, multiple generators, gallons of fuel, and head out into those hills.    

[JSngry]

Off the grid and onto the thumb drives!

[Dmitry]

Well, that's weird.  I just stumbled upon a CD ONLY record store very close to my place of work. No records, no cassette tapes, just CDs, [and blu-rays/dvds]. The proprietor is stockpiling CDs,  thousands of them, aggressively buying them by the thousands, according to the clerk I spoke with.  Most of the disks are priced at $2, so I had to pace myself. Still managed to buy 7 or 8 titles.

 

[Teasing the Korean]

On 1/22/2022 at 3:27 AM, Daniel A said:

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. 

Not to brag, but I am willing to bet that he has sighed in response to my posts more than anyone else's.

Back on topic:  I can't speak for new CDs, but I think that all old objects will eventually hold some sort of value to people who want the tactile object.  

I love going to antique stores and looking through old photographs, postcards, Christmas cards, and LPs.  It makes me sad that the relics of our digital lives - jpegs, e-mails, and mp3s - will never be in antique stores.  

Edited February 5, 2022 by Teasing the Korean

[Teasing the Korean]

On 2/4/2022 at 0:32 AM, Dmitry said:

Well, that's weird.  I just stumbled upon a CD ONLY record store very close to my place of work. No records, no cassette tapes, just CDs, [and blu-rays/dvds]. The proprietor is stockpiling CDs,  thousands of them, aggressively buying them by the thousands, according to the clerk I spoke with.  Most of the disks are priced at $2, so I had to pace myself. Still managed to buy 7 or 8 titles.

I don't know if Stereo Jack still posts here, but IIRC they were on the verge of losing the store right when the vinyl revival happened.  All those LPS that used to be in their amazing dollar bin were marked up to $10.  I'm sure this will happen with CDs, at least certain titles.  I can tell you that there are hundreds of CDs that I want that are impossible to find for under $20.

[felser]

I'm actually doing pretty well selling out on ebay right now.  People are paying me decent/fair prices for some old rock stuff.

[Bluesnik]

On 2/5/2022 at 4:10 PM, Teasing the Korean said:

I can't speak for new CDs, but I think that all old objects will eventually hold some sort of value to people who want the tactile object.

I always think when I hear of the disappearance of something, in this case the CD, that a revival is just around the corner

[hopkins]

On 1/21/2022 at 9:48 PM, Daniel A said:

...The only thing it does better than a cloud file storage is that it comes with a booklet....

If you can read the small print! 

[Ste_S]

If you still want to collect music, and have it displayed on your wall, CDs are absolutely what you want to be buying at the moment. They're cheap, and the range of stuff when you go digging in the bins is still there. Unlike vinyl, which is expensive, and with most of the interesting stuff now on Discogs.

Sat here very much enjoying Louis Smith's debut on Blue Note via a used Japanese CD that I picked up from my local shop. There would have been zero chance of me coming across the equivalent on vinyl, and if I did, it would have cost at least 3-5x the price.

Love CD collecting at the moment, reminds me of collecting vinyl in the 90s.

[ghost of miles]

The Discogs blog weighs in:

Three trends that prove CDs are making a comeback

[JSngry]

10 minutes ago, ghost of miles said:

The Discogs blog weighs in:

Three trends that prove CDs are making a comeback

That's essentially a sponsored ad for Marantz. 

[Rooster_Ties]

1 hour ago, JSngry said:

That's essentially a sponsored ad for Marantz. 

I’m ok with that. The actual verbiage isn’t particularly obtrusive (or nauseatingly effusive) — and they’re transparent about it being a sponsored ‘article’ — and it’s all short and sweet at the end of the piece.

Looking for new ways to enjoy music at home? A Marantz CD player is a great option for making the most of your compact discs.

Published in partnership with Marantz. 

[JSngry]

Advertising should not be construed as objective data 

[ghost of miles]

1 hour ago, JSngry said:

That's essentially a sponsored ad for Marantz. 

Ugh—I didn’t notice the disclaimer at the bottom of the article. That should be at the top. I despise this kind of stuff and will avoid the Discogs “blog” if it’s going to engage in it. (The marketplace part of the site remains an outstanding resource.) 

5 minutes ago, JSngry said:

Advertising should not be construed as objective data 

… or presented as such. The data in the article may be accurate, but the credibility of any such piece tanks for me when it turns out to be an advertorial. 

[JSngry]

Yep. They're telling you what they want you to know, which is probably also lined up with what you want to hear.