What's your favourite recorded music format?

When I first started my blog I put up a poll asking ‘What is your favourite recorded music format’.  I gave the options Vinyl, 8 Track, Cassette tape, Compact Disc (CD) and Download.  19 people voted and you were allowed to vote for more than one option if you wished.  Here are the results.

Format                                   Votes                           Percentage
Vinyl                                          8                                 42
8 Track                                      0                                   0
Cassette Tape                            0                                   0
Compact Disc (CD)                    14                                 73
Download                                   1                                   5

What is your favourite recorded music format? (Voters allowed to vote for more than one option).

I was surprised with these results and expected a much higher vote for Downloads.  In fact the one vote it did receive came in the last two days of the poll and at one point I thought no-one would vote for it.  I included 8 Track for posterity and never expected any votes and I knew Cassette tape was always going to be a slim chance for votes as well.

I was pleased to see that Vinyl is still popular, as numerous articles about it’s resurgence will testify to and I am also glad to see that physical formats of music are still the most popular overall.

Don’t get me wrong, if Download will get more people listening to and appreciating some of the incredible music on offer then that can only be a good thing, but I do feel something is lost with this format.

Apart from the whole music piracy concerns, (which I am also concerned with and why I refuse to illegally download music) when people buy downloaded music they miss out on an integral part of the music experience.  I know this will sound overly sentimental, but I really love album artwork and some images have now become iconic and recognised art in their own right.  Pink Floyds ‘Dark Side of the Moon’, Mike Oldfield’s ‘Tubular Bells’, Nirvana’s ‘Nevermind’ and The Beatles ‘Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band’ are just a small example.  To hold a vinyl album in your hands and open it out and see the beautiful art on offer, at the same time as listening to the music, is a key part of the experience.

Some classic album covers

This was much debated at the time of the release of CD’s and everyone deplored the smaller covers and booklets and whilst they are smaller and have less impact, at least they are still there and can offer some of the experience.  Even this is gradually being lost as CD’s move towards the terrible digi-pak format.  I love reading artist and producer credits.  I love looking at album artwork.  I love reading liner notes about the albums creation to get a deeper understanding of the artist and the music I am listening to.  I love reading the lyrics at the same time as playing the music.  This is all lacking with a download.

I know people will say that all this information is available online, but it is about the way we access the information as much as the information itself.  What would you rather prefer?  Sitting on a comfortable chair, in a room with a balanced, rich sounding music system, with a glass of wine (or beverage of your choice), deeply feeling the music being played and reading about the artist and scanning the lyrics at the same time.  Or, sitting on a desk chair (as most of us have at our computer desks), listening to music out of tiny computer speakers and reading the information on a brightly lit screen.  It takes some of the atmosphere out of it to say the least.  I know some people have decent computer set ups with excellent sound (but these are in the minority), I also know that I am over romanticising it a little and that I may sound like a bit of a luddite, but my point is still valid.  It is as much about the experience of accessing information as the information itself. 

I love my music collection and will happily spend hours going over my shelves and will pull out an album to play a track or two before moving on to another album.  Like with your book collection, your music collection is a representation of who you are and what has coloured your life over the years.  You can learn so much from perusing someone’s book shelves or music shelves and whilst I know you can glean the same information from scanning a Kindle book list, or looking through a download music file or looking on itunes, some of the charm is lost along the way.  Plus, I know a few friends who have lost entire downloaded music collections because their computer crashed and they hadn’t backed it up properly.  It may be a hassle to re-rip your collection, but at least I still have the option.

I guess what I am trying to say is that I feel we are becoming less tactile and everything is becoming more detached, but I enjoy holding my recorded music in my hands.  It feels more tangible and the aspects I have mentioned here add to my experience and enjoyment.  It is worth saying, I know we are all different and look for different things in life and at the end of the day it is ultimately about the music and not how it is packaged.  I still baulk at downloading music, but I guess in time downloads may be the dominant music format and whilst I will never support it, you can’t deny it’s ease of access or success. 

After all that you will have to excuse me now, as I’m going to go upstairs to pull out some Hendrix vinyl and to sit back with a glass of red wine, read the liner notes and scan the cover art as I listen.


Postscript: To be fair I thought I’d better mention that I do occasionally download music, but only music that is only available in that format.  If the option for CD is there, I will always take it.  Plus, I’m sure download advocates would have as much to say about their choices as I do about my preference for CD and Vinyl and I look forward to reading some of your comments about this.

Are you distracted by music?

Do you listen to music whilst you write or read?  Do you play an album or put on the radio when you do the washing up?  Can you concentrate on whatever task is at hand at the same time as your favourite aria or rock chorus is playing in the background?  Strangely for me, as a man who lives up to the cliché of being unable to multi task in any meaningful way, I do all of these things.

Sometimes the music I listen to as I write inevitably colours the words that appear on the screen.  I remember many years ago that I sat at my desk and wrote a short story at the same time as listening to ’Blue’ by Joni Mitchell.  The story was progressing nicely enough, but it lacked a certain emotional core and then ‘The River’ came on and something within me switched on.  The story I was writing was quite brutal and raw and I was just getting to the emotional resolution when the plaintive, melancholy notes of ‘The River’ rung out and Joni’s willowy voice cut straight to the heart of the emotions I was trying to access for the story.  I remember writing a passage as I listened to the song and it flowed so well that I pressed repeat and played the song again.  Again, the words and emotions I wanted to convey just seemed to flow, so for the next half hour I played the song on repeat and wrote the remainder of the story with tears flowing down my cheeks and the full force of my feelings leaking out of me onto the page.  I like to think the story is more meaningful as a result, but additionally it was an extremely powerful experience and also very cathartic too.

I listen to music as I read (as I mentioned in my article ‘Forging a Golden Heart in Vienna’) and often certain albums will forever be linked to certain books, but I never seem to be distracted by the music I play.  Sometimes I have to tweak the volume so the music’s not too intrusive, but I think I tend to zone out a large portion of the music as I get progressively more involved in what I’m reading.  Yet a small part of me is always aware of the music, as I am responsive when a particular track or phrasing comes on that I love, or even if the music I have selected doesn’t match the tone of what I’m reading and it needs to be changed.

Both of these example are times when you need to concentrate and music may be a distraction, but I still manage to listen to my music and write or read at the same time with no problem.  One time I nearly always listen to music and it provide a welcome distraction is when I wash up the dishes.  I’ll put on the radio and dip my hands into the suds and pretty soon I am working methodically through the pots and pans and swaying to whatever music is being played that day.  There are times when I won’t put on the radio, mostly when I have house guests or friends over, but generally I am happy to have my hands in warm water with some tunes and a DJ’s voice in the background and it makes a household chore much more bearable.

This also applies to listening to music at work (as is mentioned in my article ‘Music helps me get through the working day’) and funnily enough, whilst I’m unable to focus or concentrate if someone talks to me at the same time as doing my job or when I’m on the phone (as my colleagues will testify to when my male brain freezes and I’m unable to do either of the things vying for my attention), I am able to carry out my duties and do paperwork at the same time as listening to music with no problem whatsoever and like with the washing up, it helps me get through the day in one mental piece.

I know some people who will never play music in the background as they go about certain tasks.  But for me it actually enhances some things I do, like with the story I wrote and it also helps me do mundane tasks that I’d otherwise not enjoy or feel motivated to do (like with the exercise mentioned in ‘Running to Music‘).  There is nothing better than sitting down and giving an album your full attention, but saying that, there is also nothing wrong with playing music in the background as you go about the various tasks of your day.  As long as your focus is still there and you are acting safely, then it can be another benefit of having music in your life.

Review of 'How Music Work's by John Powell

How Music Works by John Powell
Pages: 264
Publisher: Particular books.
ISBN: 978-1-846-14315-1

Review Rating 5*







‘How Music Works ‘ in an informative and informal look at how music has the power to move us as deeply as it does.

It covers a wide range of topics around this theme and includes discussions on Perfect Pitch, the distinction between notes and noise, how instruments differ in sound from one another, how we measure loudness, harmony, scales, the effects of major and minor scales on mood, rhythm, making music and listening to music.  As can be seen, pretty comprehensive stuff.

The ideas are laid out very clearly and you are left marvelling at certain aspects of music you never fully appreciated and fascinated by the impact it has upon our moods and the reasons behind this.

I initially enjoyed the authors relaxed, informal style of writing, but I have to admit by the end I wish he’d miss out the jokes and cut to the chase.  There is being informal and then there is being just plain silly!  This is only a minor niggle though and doesn’t detract from my enjoyment of the book.

There are plenty of diagrams and photos to illustrate the various points raised and you are never left guessing at the more complex issues explored.  The author also suggests plenty of musical examples you can look up which demonstrate the points he is raising.  There is also a ‘fiddly details’ section at the end where the more detailed parts are explained in greater depth.

You don’t have to play or read music to get something out of this book, in fact you will get plenty from this as just a music fan who enjoys listening to music.  There is loads here for musician and music listener alike.

Overall this made for an interesting and informative read and if you enjoy this then I can also recommend ‘Musicophilia’ by Oliver sacks.  All in all, this is well worth a read.

How much influence on a bands sound does a producer actually have?

When I first started listening to music I would wonder how much influence the producer had over the bands sound. I never quite ‘got’ what a producer did, or why some were praised over others. Funnily enough it was hearing an example of bad album production that finally clarified it for me and then I began to see a producers influence on many other albums I owned.

I guess I should start with the bad album that broke through my brain-lock on this issue. I have listened to and loved the music of Eric Clapton almost as long as I have been choosing my own music. One of my first albums was ‘Journeyman’ and one of my favourite live albums is still ‘24 Nights’. I have been a huge EC fan from an early age. Then he brought out ‘Pilgrim’ and although I enjoy the songs and music on offer, something is sadly lacking. It feels flat and lifeless and has none of the raw, honest musical feeling I love from Clapton’s previous work. I soon realised that the element at fault was the production. Clapton had chosen his friend, Simon Climie, to produce his album and whilst he may be a good friend and musician in his own right, his production skills were somewhat lacking. The album sounds over produced, everything is over compressed and the heart and breath of the music had been stripped out of it. It is harder than that to articulate quite what I mean. I still listen to this album, in fact that is what prompted this article, but I do wince at the sound now and again.

The influence of a producer on an artists sound cannot be underestimated. One producer who has a very unique sound is Robert ‘Mutt’ Lange. He produced a lot of the rock bands I liked growing up and his recording of backing vocals is very distinctive indeed. So much so that I have heard a song by Bryan Adams and thought it was Def Leppard, both of whom he produced during that period. This is most obvious if you compare the Bryan Adam’s track ‘Thought I’d Died and Gone to Heaven’ and Def Leppard’s ‘Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad‘, both of which are power ballads. Luckily I love both artists and this didn’t grate on my nerves, but it does go to show the impact the producer has on a bands sound.

Another highly influential producer is Rick Rubin whose production credits reads like a who’s who or the music industry. He is famed for his stripped back production style and hands off approach to the bands he produces and over the years has helped revive numerous musicians careers. Most notably, Johnny Cash, Metallica and Red Hot Chili Peppers. But as you will see he has produced such a range of musical artists, across a range of genres it is almost staggering. Names include (but aren’t limited to) Beastie Boys, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Rage Against the Machine, System of a Down, Neil Young, Slipknot, Audioslave, Jay-Z, Gogol Bordello and most recently Adele. I’m sure you’d agree that this is an eclectic list and the fact that all of these artists have sold multi platinum albums and have had huge success (whether before or after Rubin’s involvement) is testament to the calibre of his production skills and desirability.

I think Rubin’s success comes from actually allowing the artists sound to breathe on its own, without his own stamp being put on the music. Each artist mentioned here has their own individual sound and this isn’t altered in any way by Rubin, instead he pares back the elements that may be muddying the waters and allows the musicians to create an album that best reflects their music and talents. Maybe this is the best kind of producer anyone could wish for.

Just from these three examples alone you can see that the producer can easily make or break an album. Bad production can turn off new or existing fans, if producers use the same tricks with the bands they produce, they run the risk of sounding generic and if they get the balance just right they can allow a band to create the music they were destined to make and help it on it‘s path to the wider world.

I will always check the producer when I buy albums these days, more often out of interest than anything else, but some producers names make me ponder what I’m about to hear, whereas others, like Rick Rubin, are a mark of quality. Why not go over some of the favourite albums in your collection and see if any of them are linked by the producer who worked on them, you may be pleasantly surprised.

Sharing my online emotions via music.

An old friend and I used to regularly play online chess each day when we both got in from work.  We’d get home, turn on our computers, make a cup of tea as we waited, then turn on our online messaging screens and chess game and start our evening of chess, chat and inevitably where I am involved, music.

As we played our game, discussed our day and shared our views on a variety of topics, I would be hunting out the best tracks on YouTube to compliment what we were talking about or our mood at that time.

There was a definite seasonal aspect to the musical choices and during the light spring and summer months the music was more upbeat and fast paced and during autumn and winter it was more introspective and gentler.

I loved sharing the music that has shaped me with my friend and it also made a wonderful backdrop to the chess battles we had on our screens.  Usually we would start our evening listening to a particular track, normally our hot favourite of that week or month.  For a time it was ‘The Walk’ by Imogen Heap, then it was ‘Hide and Seek’ by the same artist and another one I remember was ‘Crosses’ by Jose Gonzalez.  We would sing (type) the lyrics back and forth to one another and revel in the sublime music and lyrics on offer.

The best part of this was that although we were in separate locations, we were still able to connect our emotions via the listening of music.  It is all well and good to write ‘I am feeling happy’, or ‘I am feeling melancholy’, but to write the same thing and then send over a link to a song that embodies that emotion is far more expressive.  It was wonderful to share our thoughts and ideas and have the connection that music gave us.  Plus, it was good to see my friend the next day for morning coffee and laugh about our shared ‘online singing’ or relive a specific track that had particularly resonated for one of us.

Not only can music express what I am feeling for myself, but in this instance it also expressed what I was feeling to someone else who I wasn’t physically with.  Even if my friend didn’t understand exactly what I was feeling or trying to explain, they had a better idea than normal due to our shared experience of music.

I will always remember those evenings of chess and chat fondly and when I hear certain songs I am transported back to those many hours we spent putting the world to rights, wrangling over a chess position and sharing our love of all things that move us to our very core.

Music helps me get through the working day.

I was at work one day when it dawned on me that I listen to more music at work than I do at home these days.  Over the years I had invested considerable time and expense in building up my home audio system and yet it was being severely under utilised.  Hours spent configuring cables and settings, placing speakers in optimum positions and replacing stylus’ and other components and the whole thing was being used for a few hours at the weekend.  On the other hand at work I had these two tiny, cheap computer speakers that I had taken from an old computer when I had upgraded.  The wires were flimsy and the sound was dire and yet I spent over 8 hours every day playing my music collection through these!  Something had gone wrong somewhere along the line.  So, I set about finding a decent ipod dock to use at work.  It had to be small enough to not take up too much space and yet with a decent enough sound to do my music collection full justice.

I did my obligatory online research and read various reviews of assorted ipod docks that would fit the bill.  I went to the apple store and checked out what they suggested I use with their equipment. I went to music stores and asked advice and by the end of it all I had whittled my choice down and I decided on the Sony SRSGU10IP Ipod dock.

I have to say from the outset that the sound from this ipod speaker dock belies its small stature.  From this beautiful, glossy little unit comes a sound that is balanced, warm and rich and it manages to fill the room with sound whilst taking up minimal space. It also seems to put out a sound comparable to larger, higher spec competitors that I tried out.  It came with assorted cradles so you can fit various ipod/iphone units in it and I could also plug extra external devices into it in case I changed my ipod to another manufacturer down the line.  One bonus from using the cradles is that my ipod is always fully charged and I know that when I grab it at the end of the day it’s not going to die half way through my homeward journey.  The dock also has a small remote control to adjust the built in volume and bass boost, as well as other settings on your ipod.

Although sound was of prime importance it has to be said it looks impressive too, the piano wood cabinet is a nice touch and I have had many complimentary remarks about how it looks and sounds.  It isn’t heavy and yet it feels sturdy and reassuringly well made too.

Luckily for my technology addled mind it was easy to set up right out of the box and it was all fairly intuitive to use as it was based around the ipod software.  Overall I have to say I am very happy with this purchase; it is relatively inexpensive (compared to some other units out there) and the sound really is very impressive for such a small, compact speaker dock.

So at last I had a decent enough speaker system at work to lose myself in and when things gets hard now and then, I can turn the volume up that extra notch and block out the stresses and frustrations of my day.  I know how fortunate I am to be able to listen to music at work and the acquisition of a decent speaker dock has truly made all the difference.  I am able to hear things that were previously lost with the tiny computer speakers and now everything sounds warmer and fuller.  When music is such an integral parts of your life and we spend so much time at work, it seems churlish not to do whatever you can to optimize your listening pleasure as much as possible.  Whether that be setting up a decent system at home or, as my company allows, at work as well.

Music News: June 2011 Archive

June 2011 

30.06.11 Queen announce £44 Million profit.
Queen productions limited have today annouced a £44 million profit, with the three surviving members receiving a £10 million dividend each.  The profit comes largely from the recently reissued, re-mastered albums, the first 5 of which were released in March of this year and the second 5 earlier this week.

http://www.nme.com/news/queen/57687

30.06.11 Macca hints at Gorillaz collaboration.
Paul McCartney has hinted that he may well collaborate with Damon Albarn on a Gorillaz project at some future point.  He has said that they have spoken on a few occasions, but have so far never had the time

http://www.nme.com/news/paul-mccartney/57321

29.06.11 Annie Lennox collects OBE for charity work in Africa.
Singer Annie Lennox collected an OBE from the Queen at Buckingam palace in recognition of her charity work in Africa.  Lennox was accompanied by her two daughters and is an ambassador for Oxfam.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-13940772

29.06.11 U2 to sell their 'Claw' stages for permanent venues.
U2 have announced that they will sell 3 of their 4 Claw stage designs so they can be turned into permamnent music venues. The Claws have been used on the bands current 360 tour and the tour director Chris Evans has said "It represents too great an engineering feat to just use for [the tour] and put away in a warehouse somewhere."  Each claw costs between 15 and 20 million pounds.

http://www.nme.com/news/u2/57653

27.06.11 Lady Gaga sued for £3 Million over Japan Earthquake relief wristband.
Lady Gaga is being sued for £3 million after allegedly pocketing part of the proceeds from a charity wristband she designed for victims of the Japanese earthquake.  Lady Gaga claimed all proceeds would go to charity but additonal costs for shipping and tax were added to the price.

http://www.nme.com/news/lady-gaga/57601

27.06.11 Jools Holland set to receive top music honour.
It has been announced that Jools Holland is to receive the Music Industry's Trust award.  Jools (53), who already has an OBE, is well known for his decades in the music industry, his 16 albums and his renowned television show 'Later...with Jools Holland'.

http://music.uk.msn.com/news/articles.aspx?cp-documentid=158388411

26.06.11 Michael Eavis says Galstonbury 2013 headliners are already lined up.
Micahel Eavis has claimed that the headliners for Glastonbury 2013 are already lined up, although he won't go into further details at this point.  Next year the festival is on a break to allow the site to recover.

http://www.nme.com/news/jay-z/57583

24.06.11 Radiohead confirmed as secret act on Park Stage at Glasronbury tonight.
After much speculation it has been confirmed that Radiohead will play the Park Stage at Glastonbury tonight.  Radiohead's 1997 set is often cited as Glastonbury's best ever and tonight will be their fifth appearance. 

http://www.nme.com/news/radiohead/57526

24.0.11 Rage Against the Machine hope to make upcoming gig an annual event.
RATM are due to perform a gig at the LA Coliseum on July 30th to celebrate their 20th anniversary.  Tom Morello has said he hope the gig can become an annual event and that all they are "concentrating on is making sure that July 30 is awesome."  There is still no news on new material or future tour dates, but he says that the band will not be keeping either news a secret when they have it.

http://www.virginmedia.com/music/news/story/2011/06/24/rage-against-the-machine-want/

23.06.11 Glen Campbell has Alzheimer's.
It was announced today that Glen Campbell has Alzheimer's, his wife Kim Campbell revealed the news in an article to People magazine.    Grammy winning Campbell has been having memory problems for many years, but was only diagnosed with Alzheimer's in the last six months.  He will start a 'Goodbye Tour' in the UK in October of this year.

http://music.uk.msn.com/news/glen-campbell-has-alzheimers

23.06.11 Springsteen honours Clemons at Funeral.
Bruce Springsteen honoured Clarence Clemons at his funeral in Palm Beach Florida.  Springsteen described Clemons as "a man of unconditional love".  In addition to the eulogy Springsteen also performed live.  Clemons pased away earlier this week after complications arising from a stroke.

http://www.nme.com/news/nme/57517

22.06.11 20th Anniversary of Nirvana's 'Nevermind' due for release in September.
It has been announced that a special delixe version of 'Nevermind' will be released on 19th September to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the originals release.  It will feature B-Sides, alternate mixes, live performances and a DVD.   

http://www.nme.com/news/nirvana/57477

22.06.11 Kings of Leon hint at solo projects.
When launching their recent 'warts an' all' documentary KOL frontman Caleb Followill has hinted that the band members may pursue solo projects.  The band are renowned for their fiery inter-band relationships and the fact that they have differing musical tastes has lead to the suggestion of future solo projects.

http://music.uk.msn.com/news/kings-of-leon-hint-at-solo-projects

 20.06.11 U2 to use own stage at Glastonbury?
There is speculation that U2 may be using their own 'Claw' stage deisgn at Glastonbury this year.  Whilst this is unusual, it isn't unheard of for a main act to use their own stage design and Michael Eavis' comments about the best Glastonbury yet may have a ring of truth about it. 

http://www.nme.com/news/u2/57437

20.06.11 Disapponting return from Amy Winehouse.
Amy Winehouse has cancelled the next two live dates after being booed offf stage in Belgrade.   Apparently she appeared unsteady, slurred her words and threw her shoes and microphone into the audience.  She agrees with her management that she cannot perform to the best of her ability and will return home.  This is a disappointing setback for fans who hope to hear new material from her in the new future.

http://music.uk.msn.com/features/articles.aspx?cp-documentid=158303079

http://www.metro.co.uk/music/866878-amy-winehouse-cancels-tour-dates-after-disaster-serbia-gig

19.06.11 Clarence Clemons passes away due to complications from his earlier stroke.
Bruce Springsteen has released this statement, regarding Clarence Clemons, on his website http://brucespringsteen.net

'It is with overwhelming sadness that we inform our friends and fans that at 7:00 tonight, Saturday, June 18, our beloved friend and bandmate, Clarence Clemons passed away. The cause was complications from his stroke of last Sunday, June 12th.

Bruce Springsteen said of Clarence: Clarence lived a wonderful life. He carried within him a love of people that made them love him. He created a wondrous and extended family. He loved the saxophone, loved our fans and gave everything he had every night he stepped on stage. His loss is immeasurable and we are honored and thankful to have known him and had the opportunity to stand beside him for nearly forty years. He was my great friend, my partner, and with Clarence at my side, my band and I were able to tell a story far deeper than those simply contained in our music. His life, his memory, and his love will live on in that story and in our band.'

19.06.11 Imogen Heap will begin Heapsong2 on Monday 20th June.
Imogen Heap has announced that she will begin work on Heapsong2 on Monday 20th June 2011.  She will be seeking ideas and inspiration from her fan community who will help shape the final song. The press statement says 'As with “Lifeline” – this track, artwork and video will be created in 2 weeks, again with involvement from her community.'

http://imogenheap.com/news/articles/432.html