[ARSCLIST] The Future of RECORD Collecting - an interesting documentary

[Steve Ramm <Stevramm@xxxxxxx>]

We were recently discussing the future of record collecting and formats.  
Sort of tangential to that, I watched a fascinating Documentary last night on  
DVD that I'll HIGHLY recommend to anyone with an "open mind" as to musical  
styles.
 
The film was made in 2001 and is titled "Scratch" (From Palm Pictures). I  
rented it from Blockbuster but I'm sure other video stores have it. It's about  
Hip-Hop DJs. Before you say "hey I don't like rap", let me point out that  
-except for one group of DJs who use the F word and really sound ignorant  using 
it, this is not about rappers but the history of "turntablists" who  "scratch" 
records and have been doing it since the 1970s when jazz star Herbie  Hancock 
made it "commercial" with a DJ on his hit "Rock it". 
 
What's important from collector and archival standpoint is that the source  
of much of the "sampling" is from classic vinyl records - and even SPEECH  
recordings. And the culture is HUGE! These guys - and even a female (whose dad  
wrote the "have a Coke and a smile" jingle) are dedicated. I found this  
documentary very revealing and well paced.
 
About 75% of the way in you'll see the story of a guy who goes to a HUGE  
record store in San Francisco area and is one of few allowed in the basement  
where there are more vinyl Lps stacked up than I have EVER seen. And his  
comments are revealing.
 
Anyway, I won't spend more time on this now, but will recommend that you  
rent this DVD and give it 90 minutes. Shelve your musical tastes and watch it as  
a culture thing. It will give you a new perspective on what the future of  
"records" is at least in one part of the musical culture of the 21st century  
(still hard to say that after 6 years!).
 
Steve Ramm