This is never been a site that I’d published, mostly because it’s a place where I write about the messed up shit that goes on in my head. Really the only people who know about it are the only ones that should be following it.
No one.
I’m rethinking that choice, I’ve found I have more to talk about things that interests me the more they are starting to pile up and clutter in my brain. Something I want to do in the next few months is take a real look at what it would take (cost?) to be a full time writer. I have a severe passion for putting my mind on paper, piles and piles of words that I want to share. Illiteratemind.com is where I talk in my politically correct voice, it’s a driving force for my books and so it needs stay in that theme.
Not the case here…
The reality is I want to talk about all KINDS of things. Not all of them good, but not all of them as offensive as the original plan for this blog either. So what do I do? Make another site for my brain to fill up? No, I don’t believe that’s what’s needed. I’ve been wrong before. I could be again. With all this in mind and a writing plus editorial team of one…
Let’s give this a try.
Feel free to share, delete, set on fire, or criticize as you wish.
I’ve always loved music, I mean I can’t think of a day where I haven’t listened to something. In fact I have a record spinning as I edit this. Also, I’m an eclectic person, I got into collecting vinyl. Is it art? Is it music? Why can’t it be both? Half to the time I can’t tell if I’m a damn hipster or anti-hipster or what. What I do know; I like my music to sound amazing and vinyl helps. I see you judging me, well fuck you!
A friend of mine posted this:
http://pitchfork.com/features/articles/9467-wax-and-wane-the-tough-realities-behind-vinyls-comeback/
This chart belongs to Pitchfork and Joel Oliphint
It was a good read, but it also pissed me off.
I mean holy shit, over 6 million sales with 3+ month waits to get your music pressed? Seems like all it’s all upside for the press companies. But they aren’t adding more presses to keep with demand?
How is it prohibitively expensive to make more vinyl presses? What are they made out of?
“We need another press in here!”
“I’m sorry, but the cost of virgins to fuel the tools, is just too expensive now that we have a Human Rights Act.”
“Curse you 1998!”
Wait? The Human Rights Act took till 1998, da fuck? They drafted this thing in 1949 and it’s not put in place till 1998? We live in the Dark Ages my friends. Also I didn’t know it was the UK that made this right.
Lost myself again… Oh right. I wanted a price tag on these presses. I started to look into it.
First site I found was a place that will press records for you, seems to start at about 100 record minimum. Anyone want record of me belting out the oldies? I’d never thought about making a record before.
If internet can be trusted… It says that the last presses made were done in the 80s by some Russian company and most of the machines used today were created in the 60s and 70s. Who repairs these things? I got to believe the markup on that work is epic.
I guess, what they are trying to say is; you don’t only need to make presses, you need to make companies that create presses. And when vinyl still only counts for 2% of all music sold in a year, you can go fuck yourself. Where did all the tooling to make these machines end up, I wonder?
If the “Projections” are correct, vinyl could hit somewhere near 8 million sold this year, and that’s awesome I love the idea of records becoming an expected format when I go to buy my band’s new album. But I feel the cautious edge to this whole tale.
It’s got a fad feel.
I think the biggest reason…
How much life is left in the record? At the speed we have improved everything else in our world, is the record going to stay the audiophiles’ choice? It doesn’t sound like pressing process is going to changing anytime soon, and if mastering is going almost full digital, what the win of going analog with your release? Records aren’t cheap and they take work to make. That’s cost in the labors of love.
Then you have systems like Pono, DVD, Blue Ray , and HDTracks. How long before they sound better, more convenient, and cheap.
Or maybe it’s here to stay? Let’s not forget, when we landed on the moon we didn’t believe it would be long before everyone would own a flying cars.
Well I have to replace the tires on my car and I’ve not been to Mars yet. So long live vinyl, even if is just prettiest sounding swan song I know.