Jon Bon Jovi (or John Bongiovi to his parents) has recently blamed Steve Jobs for the crippled state of the music industry.
He pines for the days when kids were "making a decision based on the jacket, not knowing what the record sounded like." This does not sound like the catch cry of someone who's confident in their musical ability. Well, do you know what, Mr Bongiovi? Maybe I don't like to gamble with my entertainment money. Maybe I delight in being properly informed by the Internet.
How many copies of this sold based on the album artwork? In the bad old days if you wanted to own music you had to make the call based on the two tracks that you'd heard off the radio and hope to Christ that the rest of the tracks held up. $30 for 12 tracks.
That's $2.50 a track (or for fans of rap music... Two dollars Fiddy). Each track that you listen to once and then skip for the rest of your life drives the perceived cost of the remaining tracks upwards. Worst case scenario you end up with two $15 songs in your collection.
Oh sure, you can nurture an album. Force yourself to acquire an appreciation for that 'experimental banjo serenade' that the artist was so taken with, but really, there's so much music out there, is it really worth your time forcing yourself to enjoy stuff you don't really like when there is so much out there you have an immediate eagerness for.
How many albums have you listened to with no skip-worthy songs on them? I have three. Frente's 'Shape', Barenaked Ladies 'Stunt' and Jonathan Coulton's 'Our Bodies, Ourselves, Our Cybernetic Arms'.
I don't need to take risks any more. If I like a song, I buy it. $1.60. Boom! There it is in my iTunes library waiting to provide me with delight when it next comes up on random. No nasty little time bombs like 'Great Big Brain' (off the otherwise excellent Young Einstein soundtrack), 'Race Car Ya-Yas' (off Cake's tour de force Fashion Nugget), or anything off Ben Lee's 'Breathing Tornadoes'.
The MPAA are blaming piracy for their massive losses but you know what? I no longer have to spend a fortune to get the songs that I want to buy. I just stopped being forced into buying the chaff with the wheat.
Film executives are pining all their losses on piracy too. Those guys aren't your problem. You know what is? www.RottenTomatoes.com
Time was that you'd go see a film based on the trailer. That's like asking your dealer what the quality of his smack is. It's a biased point of view. You could read a couple of reviews but art is subjective. There are plenty of times I've disagreed with a reviewer. And so I'd take the risk, and often I'd wish I hadn't.
I've sat through Reckless Kelly (27%), Eddie Murphy's 'Metro' (15%) and walked out of Robin Hood: Men in Tights (48%).
Oh I get it! They're making fun of the Gays. Very droll. Hold on! Is the fourth one in line my brother?My favourite films? Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (93%), Fight Club (81%), The Iron Giant (97%)
Sure there's a chance that I'll end up missing a film that I may love, but statistically I won't be wasting my time. Although using this system I would have missed Primer (72%) and the Bank (61%) so maybe I should make sure it's not a Maths Adventure before I write it off.
Because I do like maths a lot.
Perhaps that's why I don't like gambling.
Or perhaps I would just prefer more of a guarantee than simply 'Living on a Prayer'.
beeso
So so right. I have Paul Kelly's excellent album Foggy Highway with the Kasey Chambers song permanently deleted.
