The ridiculous price of CDs

JAYJO

The crackle to an lp is like the fading of a pair of jeans. Unfortunately the fade becomes a tear and you have to buy a new pair. Why should one copy of an album last a life time, not much else does.idk Its all a big mish mash to me, pass the custard creams.

Phil_aka_Pip

ICBM said:

Phil_aka_Pip said:

don't argue. One EllPee will rush you a minimum of £25

This is partly why I don't quite understand the resurgence of vinyl. Sure, it sounds different in a way that a lot of people find pleasing - but for about ten times the cost, and in a format which wears out, picks up dust and crackles almost no matter how careful you are, usually suffers from those imperfections even when new, and is thus hard to buy second hand because the condition is usually questionable.

I know, this is a community of people who mostly don't see a problem spending ten times as much on a guitar as what a perfectly functional one will cost, but at least you're getting something that will often last longer and usually retain its value, as well as being fairly objectively better in the first place.

As Rocker said, if you want to get something of that old-school vinyl sound without the cost and hassle of vinyl, run your CDs through a valve amp or old-fashioned speakers - the things that make vinyl 'better' subjectively are actually because it's *less* hi-fi, not more .

I understand the wears out bit, but all the new vinyl I've bought hasn't had the imperfections of which you wrote. Maybe that's one of the reasons for having to spend £25 on one EllPee. The gear that keeps the EllPee clean and static-free needn't be bank-breakingly expensive either. You're right about s/h vinyl being variable in quality, but most dealers give you a decently honest assessment of its condition before you buy it online so you know what you're getting, and the bloke in Guildford lets you look at the vinyl before you buy it, and when I've bought stuff from him and then cleaned it up I've usually been happy with the result.

littlegreenman

I think we all know what "actually" sounds the best!

http://cdn0.notonthehighstreet.com/system/product_images/images/001/875/860/original_bakelite-iphone-gramophone.jpg?1413365506

richardhomer

TTony;420326" said:

At the risk of turning this thread into a Joni Mitchell lovefest, The Circle Game is one of my favouritist tracks @Megii

There's nothing wrong with a Joni Mitchell lovefest; she's awesome!

Megii

richardhomer said:

TTony;420326" said:

At the risk of turning this thread into a Joni Mitchell lovefest, The Circle Game is one of my favouritist tracks @Megii

There's nothing wrong with a Joni Mitchell lovefest; she's awesome!

Indeed not! awesome is too small a word! Are you able to pick a favourite Joni track @richardhomer ?

ICBM

Phil_aka_Pip said:

I understand the wears out bit, but all the new vinyl I've bought hasn't had the imperfections of which you wrote.

I'm pretty sure that I read recently that there's no such thing as a vinyl record with no pops or crackles, even when brand new - they just can't be made like that. I know when I used to buy new vinyl, they were mostly pretty good but you always got some. Sometimes in the most annoying places!

On the other hand a CD will usually play perfectly even if quite visibly scratched, and can often be polished out even if it doesn't. The error correction will cope with bad bits up to quite a high level.

littlegreenman said:

I think we all know what "actually" sounds the best!

http://cdn0.notonthehighstreet.com/system/product_images/images/001/875/860/original_bakelite-iphone-gramophone.jpg?1413365506

That's very cool.

As you're probably bored with hearing, I play my mp3s back through an old Goodmans "hi-fi" cab from the 50s which is so efficient it can run directly from the headphone socket of a computer or iPod, and still produce loud-background listening level. It is the size of a fridge, but since it also doubles as a computer table it's not too bad.

viz

Phil_aka_Pip said:

don't argue. One EllPee will rush you a minimum of £25

there's a new record shop (yes records) opening in cambridge tomorrow if you're interested mate - and they're offering free cake too!

fretmeister

I got a 5 CD set of Bootsy Collins stuff for £12. P-Funk, Parliament, Bootsy's Rubber band - loads of it

Marvellous value

Sambostar

I got the whole of VH on CD as the records just about had worn their grooves away.  Still can't find the import Quiet Riot I and II EP's though.  I am a bit scared to get the first four WASP albums on CD as they might not sound so good.

richardhomer

Megii;420480" said:

Indeed not! awesome is too small a word! Are you able to pick a favourite Joni track @richardhomer ?

I like a lot of the later stuff - which I gather I'm not supposed to! - the Night Ride Home album is one of my favourites. Chinese Cafe was a stunning song.

One of my favourite artists is John Martyn and I see their careers as very similar. Both came from acoustic/folky roots and moved into jazz/electronics and god knows what else. Neither ever stood still musically - and though one album could sound radically different from another, there is no mistaking who made it.

To me, that is the hallmark of a great artist.

Megii

richardhomer said:

Megii;420480" said:

Indeed not! awesome is too small a word! Are you able to pick a favourite Joni track @richardhomer ?

I like a lot of the later stuff - which I gather I'm not supposed to! - the Night Ride Home album is one of my favourites. Chinese Cafe was a stunning song.

One of my favourite artists is John Martyn and I see their careers as very similar. Both came from acoustic/folky roots and moved into jazz/electronics and good knows what else. Neither ever stood still musically - and though one album could sound radically different from another, there is no mistaking who made it.

To me, that is the hallmark of a great artist.

Interesting points you make. I did used to totally love Dog Eat Dog, though some might say it sounds a bit dated now. Will have to get my old vinyl copy of that out and give it a spin! And I have to agree that Chinese Cafe is very lovely - she had such a subtle touch on that one. Another John Martyn fan here btw.

randomhandclaps

I was working in an independent record store in the 90s.  It was before retro became cool and despite having UK suppliers, to get back catalogue material by the Byrds, Beach Boys, Small Face, Face etc. we had to get it on monthly import from Germany.  It always astounded me that even after shipping it was equating to something like £1.50 - £3 for a CD.  It makes you wonder what the artist are making off it.

Later I ended up working in HMV's head office.  By this time back catalogue classics were far more popular in the mainstream and were available from UK suppliers who were presumably importing it the same route we used to but at 2-3 times the price.

The exceptions are EMI artists.  It's very rare to see Beatles, Stones, Queen or Floyd stuff going particuarly cheap.  EMI and all it's umbrella companies seem to have taken a stand on their classics which could explain why they were last man standing at one point.

ICBM

randomhandclaps said:

The exceptions are EMI artists.  It's very rare to see Beatles, Stones, Queen or Floyd stuff going particuarly cheap.  EMI and all it's umbrella companies seem to have taken a stand on their classics which could explain why they were last man standing at one point.

I've got a fair few Stones and Queen albums from HMV at two for a tenner in the last few months, but I've never seen the Beatles in any discount promotion, and I'm not sure about Floyd.

Rocker

You can get excellent used LPs from Grammar School Records in Rye.  They have a website too.  Definitely worth looking up if you want vinyl.

ThePrettyDamned

fretmeister;420491" said:

I got a 5 CD set of Bootsy Collins stuff for £12. P-Funk, Parliament, Bootsy's Rubber band - loads of it

Marvellous value

Ooo where from? Very interested.

english_bob

ThePrettyDamned said:

fretmeister;420491" said:

I got a 5 CD set of Bootsy Collins stuff for £12. P-Funk, Parliament, Bootsy's Rubber band - loads of it

Marvellous value

Ooo where from? Very interested.

Amazon?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Original-Album-Pack-Bootsys-Rubber/dp/B003097AFQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1416824945&sr=8-1&keywords=bootsy+collins

dafuzz

Yeah loads of cool deals going on - bought Billie Holiday's Lady In Satin on impulse from Amazon on Friday cos it was £4ish and came with the mp3s via the autorip thingy.

Thank you insatiable internet pirates for forcing the greedy music companies to slash prices or die. Thank you very much indeed.

TTony

Amazon just dropped the price of the Joni Mitchell set to £20.73.

Bought!

not_the_dj

£20.65 now  :P

Megii

TTony said:

Amazon just dropped the price of the Joni Mitchell set to £20.73.

Bought!

Insane price! And have a wisdom