----- Original Message -----
From: "Tom Fine" <tflists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
I should probably say something else here. Those of us who speak with
strong words about a high
quality ethic don't say this just to be arrogant or to elevate ourselves
to some alleged plain of
"golden ears." It comes down to what Steve Smolian and Bob Ohlsson have
been saying about being
respectful and true to the original artist and product. THAT was where the
real talent lay -- in
both the musicians who made the unforgettable takes and in the engineers
and producers who captured
them for history. We do those people a disservice and show disrespect when
we settle for less than
the excellence they practiced.
Nevertheless, your comments come across (at least to me) as saying "Record
collecting must be limited to only those who can afford state-of-the-art
equipment, in order to extract every last iota of the recorded
performances...and, as well, collect only mint-condition phonorecords!"
The sad fact is that, first, one's disposable income is not an accurate
reflection of one's interest in discographic history (in fact, I suspect
the reverse may be partially true)...and, second, there are many recorded
performances that no longer exist in any remotely acceptable condition
(especially in the areas of "race records" [blues and jazz] or early
country music).
Steven C. Barr