On iPods

I don't really believe in iPods too much. Its not some anti-Apple elitism, although Apple fans are pretty elitist themselves. Most people who hold a strong stance on something as trivial as an operating system tend to be assholes though, regardless. I'm not really against iPods more than I am any other mp3 player, but iPods are the most prevalent.

Belief in iPods? They're not a religious deity, so its not that I lack faith in them; although how they break like clockwork every two years it seems to speak volumes as to their durability. I don't like the concept of them. A piece of metal and plastic that holds thousands of songs with ok sound quality. It weighs less than a pound. Its shiny. Its chic.

It also allows you to play whatever songs you want, in whatever order you want, whenever you want. I'm against this freedom of choice.

A lot of old albums were put together in a specific order to convey a message that the artist was trying to attain. When you can just skip around and just play a band's greatest hits with the touch of a button (or touch sensitive wheel in this case.) When you don't listen to the whole album, you miss a lot of filler material and hidden gems. Like the Who's cover of the Martha and the Vandellas' Heat Wave on a Quick One. Who remembers that?

I listen to records and CDs myself for the most part. I'm not one of those elitists who shout that vinyl is the best format ever. Its sounds great because its analogue but I still listen to CDs and MP3s. A lot of the stuff I have I picked up cheap or found (tons of people toss old records) and I haven't found a replacement on CD. Its not some crap about 'owning the music' or looking at the cover art and all that crap. Its the process and I'm in love with it.

With records you have to take care of them. Wipe them down with the anti-static cloth, change needles, all sorts of things. You have to remove them from the sleeve and play them from start to finish. Or at least half way through since you have to flip it over. When you play them you watch them spin as the needle drags on those old familiar grooves and music just comes alive.

Its a different experience. When you do it, it also entails that you actually have something set up for it; a dedicated space. It takes time. With space and time dedicated just for the sole purpose of listening to music, you pay attention to it more.

Its no longer just background noise.