Wednesday, March 03, 2004
Viability of Indie Record Stores Pt. 2
In his "Sound of the Industry" column, Douglas Wolk in the Village Voice recommends that we all take our $13.86 settlement that was mailed out this week for the CD price-fixing class action suit (everyone who registered online as having bought a CD in the past couple years was a class litigant) and go buy a used or budget-line CD (because a new CD would cost more than $13.86) from our favorite struggling record store, but he points out that it is too late to use the settlement at two New York indie stores (Holy Cow in Park Slope and Midnight Records in Chelsea) that have recently shut down. Alternately, if you no longer have an indie record store, you can buy a 50 pack of CDRs to burn DJ Danger Mouse's "Grey Album" (and I suppose 49 other records that you won't have to buy).
The problem is that even if you wanted to take your $13.86 (and supplement it with a buck or two of your own) and buy a legit copy of the Grey Album, you couldn't. In case you haven't heard, the Grey Album is a mix of Jay-Z's vocals from "The Black Album" over samples of the Beatles' "White Album" (officially "The Beatles"). Jay-Z released his album in a vocals only version as an invitation to mixing, but EMI will never consent to a use of Beatles material, and there is no right to use the material for sampling even with a fee.
Now, I have not heard the Grey Album, but with all the ballyhoo, I am curious. As I noted in a post a few days ago, I don't download. For one thing, I have dial-up, it would take forever. I would also like to think I have some respect for copyrights. Most importantly though, I like the album (or the single) with the art work. I relate to the physical object of the record as much as the music (that is the collector in me). I like to own the original punk 7" that was released in 500 copies. It is part of history. It is a connection to the music. I experience it the same way enthusiasts experienced it 25 years ago. That 7" was placed in the sleeve by the band, sold at a show, or sold at some hole-in-the-wall shop in London. Someone loved that record for a month, played it a few times for the rest of the year, and then grew-up and didn't care for punk. It went into storage for 20 years only to show up at a yard-sale or a used shop. Someone who knew what he was looking for found that little gem and placed it on ebay. I won it, and it flew all the way across an ocean only to spend a little time with me on my turntable.
Similarly, in part, I don't like CDs because they lack the physical connection of placing the stylus on the record. The CD goes in the black box, and who knows what is going on in there (well, I'm sure some engineers know, but that's not the point). You can't see tracks on a CD. With a CD you only have beginning, middle, end. With an LP, you have beginning, middle, minor ending, minor beginning, middle, end. It is much more dramatic. With a CD, the art work is 4.75 inches square. With an LP, the art work is 12.25 inches square. That is 6.7 times as much art. There is also something tragically sad but noble about the slow degradation of vinyl. You have a responsibility to care for the vinyl in order to keep it in good condition. But once again, I'm a Luddite, and my opinion on these matters should be ignored.
People who (illegally) download music that is readily available, instead of buying at their local indie store, are leading to the demise of said stores. However, that isn't true of Grey Album. Here, the record industry is leading to the demise of the indie store by keeping innovative music off the shelves and forcing people who want to consume it to become outlaws (many indie stores did good business in mixes until the record companies started raiding stores and confiscating their stock). What's more, once you are forced to become an outlaw just to hear what this Danger Mouse thing is about, it is probably all the more tempting to remain an outlaw for other releases. I imagine the first bank is the hardest one to knock off. Putting a needle in your vain has to be most difficult the first time you attempt it. In that, the industry isn't just destroying the indie stores (which they see as a nuisance), but they are taking away their bread and butter. I also find poignant Douglas' observation that the Beatles probably didn't seek permission for the samples they used on "Revolution 9."
I got my $13.86 the other day. I was excited because it is the only time I have received a legal settlement. I can't say I'm going to buy a record with it because I was going to buy the same number of records whether or not I got the settlement. But, hey, $13.86 is, well, $13.86, and who turns down $13.86, especially when it is coming from the music industry that won't let me hear the Grey Album?
The problem is that even if you wanted to take your $13.86 (and supplement it with a buck or two of your own) and buy a legit copy of the Grey Album, you couldn't. In case you haven't heard, the Grey Album is a mix of Jay-Z's vocals from "The Black Album" over samples of the Beatles' "White Album" (officially "The Beatles"). Jay-Z released his album in a vocals only version as an invitation to mixing, but EMI will never consent to a use of Beatles material, and there is no right to use the material for sampling even with a fee.
Now, I have not heard the Grey Album, but with all the ballyhoo, I am curious. As I noted in a post a few days ago, I don't download. For one thing, I have dial-up, it would take forever. I would also like to think I have some respect for copyrights. Most importantly though, I like the album (or the single) with the art work. I relate to the physical object of the record as much as the music (that is the collector in me). I like to own the original punk 7" that was released in 500 copies. It is part of history. It is a connection to the music. I experience it the same way enthusiasts experienced it 25 years ago. That 7" was placed in the sleeve by the band, sold at a show, or sold at some hole-in-the-wall shop in London. Someone loved that record for a month, played it a few times for the rest of the year, and then grew-up and didn't care for punk. It went into storage for 20 years only to show up at a yard-sale or a used shop. Someone who knew what he was looking for found that little gem and placed it on ebay. I won it, and it flew all the way across an ocean only to spend a little time with me on my turntable.
Similarly, in part, I don't like CDs because they lack the physical connection of placing the stylus on the record. The CD goes in the black box, and who knows what is going on in there (well, I'm sure some engineers know, but that's not the point). You can't see tracks on a CD. With a CD you only have beginning, middle, end. With an LP, you have beginning, middle, minor ending, minor beginning, middle, end. It is much more dramatic. With a CD, the art work is 4.75 inches square. With an LP, the art work is 12.25 inches square. That is 6.7 times as much art. There is also something tragically sad but noble about the slow degradation of vinyl. You have a responsibility to care for the vinyl in order to keep it in good condition. But once again, I'm a Luddite, and my opinion on these matters should be ignored.
People who (illegally) download music that is readily available, instead of buying at their local indie store, are leading to the demise of said stores. However, that isn't true of Grey Album. Here, the record industry is leading to the demise of the indie store by keeping innovative music off the shelves and forcing people who want to consume it to become outlaws (many indie stores did good business in mixes until the record companies started raiding stores and confiscating their stock). What's more, once you are forced to become an outlaw just to hear what this Danger Mouse thing is about, it is probably all the more tempting to remain an outlaw for other releases. I imagine the first bank is the hardest one to knock off. Putting a needle in your vain has to be most difficult the first time you attempt it. In that, the industry isn't just destroying the indie stores (which they see as a nuisance), but they are taking away their bread and butter. I also find poignant Douglas' observation that the Beatles probably didn't seek permission for the samples they used on "Revolution 9."
I got my $13.86 the other day. I was excited because it is the only time I have received a legal settlement. I can't say I'm going to buy a record with it because I was going to buy the same number of records whether or not I got the settlement. But, hey, $13.86 is, well, $13.86, and who turns down $13.86, especially when it is coming from the music industry that won't let me hear the Grey Album?
