The Wall

Guy and Gals,
I have a question for you. I love "The Wall", it is a masterpiece but the one thing I wish is that the radio would not play it so much. It seems to lose something when the masses are into it. Can you picture a 16 year old listening to "Run like Hell" for example? What does that 16 year old know about Pink Floyd? They were not even born when it came out. Don't get me wrong. I think it is great that teenagers would like classic rock but those are the kind of so called fans that would download the song on their I-POD. I think too much technology is not good. I-POD's are for people that don't really search out a band, they just play songs which is kind of shallow. When I was a teennager, I loved the fact that I had the tape or album in my hand and I can look at the pictures of the group or the lyrics the album came with. I can see who was in the group and who produced the album. Does this sound harsh? What are your thoughts?
Russ
Farmingdale, Long Island.

I agree with you to a certain extent, but such is the nature of format radio: to overplay the same few "accessible" songs over and over. This has been the case ever since The Wall was released (the disco-influenced songs were guaranteed heavy radio play) and at the time it enticed more people to seek out the whole album. I don't think this concept changes with the age of the listener. I was only about 14 when I bought a copy of The Wall on CD, there's nothing stopping young people from getting it and understanding its message. In fact, it's much easier for fans nowadays to get into the lore of Pink Floyd and all the trivia associated with it because of websites like this one.

What I do sympathise with is your concern about how music is increasingly consumed more than appreciated by the iPod generation. Liner notes, artwork, and even the long-playing album format itself are being jeopardized. But that's what the market is demanding, and there's nothing the small minority of LP-fans can do to stop consumer trends from sidelining us. I think (well, I hope) that there will continue to be artists who cherish the album format and release their music on physical media. As long as that option remains open, then I'm not going to stand in the way of how other people experience their music.

An instructive example lies with the modern rock of Nine Inch Nails. The band's latest release, With Teeth, works well as a complete album just like most of their long-players. Those who choose to experience the work as a whole are rewarded with the discovery of minutely executed crossfades between songs, repeated lyrical and musical motifs, and the like. Unfortunately, their albums are now instantly and easily available (usually a few weeks before their physical release date) split into individual files on the Internet. People can listen to them in whatever order they please, delete the ones they don't like, or whatever.

So, the band decided not to load up the album package with extras as some have done in an effort to grab more sales. Endless special editions, bonuses and so on usually serve as nothing more than distractions from the music itself. With Teeth, by contrast, is offered in a minimal design but buyers get the opportunity to download a large printable poster with lyrics, credits, artwork and so on from the official website. Everybody wins.

I own a Creative Zen Micro which is basically the same as an iPod. And I'm nothing like that, and I know of people with an iPod or a similar mp3 player who aren't like that also. So I don't see the connection.

The thing is, you and I were around before music was primarily delivered through a computer.

I think it's harsh, at the end of the day it's music. It's there to be enjoyed by anyone who wants to through which ever medium they choose to. To be a fan you have to like a bands music... thats it... not know evreything about them or listen to there music in a certain way.

You sound like my grandfather. He once said to me that technology ruined music, because in the days without technology these so called musicians, wouldn't be able to play a single note (his words). As for iPods, well SHUT the **** up. Since I listen to the Wall in its entirety while commuting, the iPod is the only way for me.

So to summarize,

Shut the **** up

Well that is the most well thought out rational aruguement I've heard in a long time.

So to summerize,

grow up little boy everyone is entitled to there opinion...

(I do realise that this is just your - be it completely irrational- opinion, but this is mine so to summerize )

What in the world does "summerize" mean??

it's the season after spingarize

Everyone doesn't fit your little stereotypes. I have an MP3 player so I can take my 300 cd collection with me without physically taking 300 cds.. its a pain in the ass. How does it affect you how other people enjoy music anyway?

i have an mp3 cd player, and i am constantly ripping 8-10 of my cds onto 1 disc at a time and listening to them while i work. it's great to have a disc that will play for 8-10 hours at a time. i wish i had an i-pod so i could fit even more. maybe some day. but, i don't see how this technology has hurt music?

I don't entirley agree with you, or at all for that matter.
What im saying is that im 13 and You say that you basicly don't like young people. I'm all for the thing about I-pods and stuff because it is ruining the bands such as the doors and pink floyd and it does keep people from enjoying the cd but you say that just because they are young means they dont know about the band. Personally i think any age can enjoy any musics they want so long as they know who it is. Not every one has to know Roger Waters birthday or the exact day that Syd Barret met Roger Waters. It's nice if you know that but if they dont its time for them to learn.

Im 14 and don't have an I-POD, whenever I listen to Floyd it is always the whole album, I never skip a song I also have a small vynl collection of Floyd.
I agree with you in some ways, but for my case, too harsh.

So in short,
Shut the Fu ck up!

He doesn't have to. He hasn't done anything but express his opinion.

But you're over the line, and I'd appreciate it if you'd attack the argument instead of the person.