Re: [ARSCLIST] OK - Does Anyone Know More About This?

[Don Cox <doncox@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On 18/06/07, Roger and Allison Kulp wrote:

> We need to wake up to the fact,that the "golden age" of recorded
> sound,and the playback of same,is over,and it's not coming back.It has
> been quite a while,since I heard a record that has really impressed me
> sonically,and production-wise,be it vinyl or CD.The last one that
> comes to mind,is "Rock Star God",by The Makers, and that came out in
> 2000.

I think there are as many good recordings as there ever were. We have
forgotten that alongside the famous recordings that appeared in the 60s,
there was plenty of dross.

Some good recent recordings:

Haydn - Scottish and Welsh songs - Brilliant Classics (an ongoing series)
Echo and the Bunnymen - four live concert recordings on the Instant Live
    label
Ali Farka Toure - "In the Heart of the Moon" and "Savane" (both recorded
in the same group of sessions) - World Circuit label
Frank Peter Zimmermann and Heinrich Schiff - Music for violin and cello
by Honegger, Martinu, etc - ECM label
Nigel North - Dowland lute music (ongoing series) - Naxos label
Dvorak - two CDs of string music conducted by Jakub Hrusa on Supraphon

These are just from the CDs that happen to be near the computer. All
have excellent sound and good or excellent music. All were released in
the past couple of years.

I'm sure there are dozens more.

> 
> The long,slow death of all music formats is well underway.We have
> entered a world where The iPod has become the new reference.This is
> the brave new world we have entered.There will always be an interest
> in what used to be called"high end audio",or "HiFi".That will never
> fully die,but it will always be a tiny niche market.It is just one
> small part of the general decline of society.Economically,
> socially,culturally,politically,or any other yardstick you care to
> use.
> 
Good audio equipment was always a niche market. Good anything is a niche
market.

Sound archives are an even smaller niche market. That doesn't mean they
are not worth preserving. Fifty million Frenchmen can be wrong and ten
right, if those ten are the ones who would see the point in preserving a
historic recording.

Nor do I agree that there is a general decline of society. Certainly
there is a great deal of cant washing around, but there always was, as a glance
at Ambrose Bierce or H L Mencken will tell you.

Regards
-- 
Don Cox
doncox@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx