Re: [ARSCLIST] Soapbox

[Paul D <pdrockton@xxxxxxx>]

It would seem that an index of some sort would be as critical as the collection. We have always relied on research to bring archives to life! Web-based indexing would be great!



Paul


One would think (hope) that the archives would be the valuable asset that would be worth acquiring out of bankruptcy. So I doubt there would be mass-dumpstering. Perhaps more at risk is the last decade or so of dreadful and mostly profitless music that was released by the majors.?
?
The big worry, though, would be that a bargain hunter would bite off more than he could chew and the archives of something culturally important would then fall into disrepair or be accidentally destroyed. It's hard to prevent such a thing, like the sea swallowing the Alexandria library. It just happens sometimes in human history.?
?
Bob O's point about small labels is very true, but one mitigating factor is that most but not all of the small-label stuff that was deemed important enough to have asset-value years after the fact is now owned by the majors. Before you start throwing out dozens of obscure examples of niche things lost to the sands of time, re-read the beginning of this paragraph. Most, not all and stuff that was deemed important enough to have asset value. Record companies have always been a for-profit business so obscure or culturally-fleeting stuff that can many-years-later become the object of intense niche interest has fallen through the cracks, but this is not an indicator that "most" small label stuff is lost, just that little piece of obscura that is suddenly fashionable to a passionate niche. In a perfect world, all artistic expression would be preserved but again, consequences of human behavior in an imperfect world.?
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-- Tom Fine?




-----Original Message-----
From: Tom Fine <tflists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Thu, 29 Jan 2009 3:31 pm
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Soapbox


One would think (hope) that the archives would be the valuable asset that would be worth acquiring out of bankruptcy. So I doubt there would be mass-dumpstering. Perhaps more at risk is the last decade or so of dreadful and mostly profitless music that was released by the majors.?
?
The big worry, though, would be that a bargain hunter would bite off more than he could chew and the archives of something culturally important would then fall into disrepair or be accidentally destroyed. It's hard to prevent such a thing, like the sea swallowing the Alexandria library. It just happens sometimes in human history.?
?
Bob O's point about small labels is very true, but one mitigating factor is that most but not all of the small-label stuff that was deemed important enough to have asset-value years after the fact is now owned by the majors. Before you start throwing out dozens of obscure examples of niche things lost to the sands of time, re-read the beginning of this paragraph. Most, not all and stuff that was deemed important enough to have asset value. Record companies have always been a for-profit business so obscure or culturally-fleeting stuff that can many-years-later become the object of intense niche interest has fallen through the cracks, but this is not an indicator that "most" small label stuff is lost, just that little piece of obscura that is suddenly fashionable to a passionate niche. In a perfect world, all artistic expression would be preserved but again, consequences of human behavior in an imperfect world.?
?
-- Tom Fine?
?
----- Original Message ----- From: "Dave Lewis" <dlewis@xxxxxxxxxxxx>?
To: <ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>?
Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2009 1:32 PM?
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Soapbox?
?
When I spoke to folks in the Grammys, admittedly some time ago, they?
were having problems with the majors disclosing even basic information?
about their holdings. Perhaps something has relaxed in the interim,?
though I wouldn't bet on it. And if push comes to shove, it will take a?
lot more than NARAS to keep the integrity of these collections together.?
We cannot say "keep them stored" safely, as we cannot insure that is the?
case even now.?
?
Dave Lewis?
?
-----Original Message-----?
From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List?
[mailto:ARSCLIST@xxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Karl Miller?
Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2009 1:22 PM?
To: ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxx?
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Soapbox?
?
--- On Thu, 1/29/09, Bob Olhsson <olh@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:?
?
From: Bob Olhsson <olh@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>?
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Soapbox?
To: ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx?
Date: Thursday, January 29, 2009, 10:37 AM?
?
The Recording Academy has been working on this for many years.?
?
http://www.grammy.com/GRAMMY_Foundation/Preservation/?
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Have they developed a working solution?Karl?