Prog and the state of the music business

hey friends,

I love the digital revolution, especially since there are no decent record stores about any more. I just download from amazon, rip to a blank CD and my MP3 player, and off I go.

It's a double-edged advancement. The convenience is nice, but the sentiment of going to the record shop is gone.

Long story short I am a supporter of the "revolution" and maybe...(though in my opinion not terrible) it would impact some older/established artists, but  newer or upcoming prog artists benefit greatly in my eyes. It's easier to get your name out there, and if you choose to DIY that means you are not restrained by pressures. Pressures to make a hit and all that.

Also if you DIY that means even if you charge less than the standard for album...you still get more money since you dont have to pay others.
I see it as a good thing for music and especially prog, and I would agree the prog fanbase is more inclined to buy CDs/collect so there is still that.

edit: I am upset at the slow extinction of the local record store, mine seems to support itself on air because there is no one ever there, but while this isn't a popular answer (even for me) that's progress.....and you can't stop progress.
Especially when it is best for the hundreds of millions of music fans out there.


Edited by JJLehto - December 10 2011 at 12:40

I still do not like mere downloads - I am 51 and definitely like to have something in my hands even though the important thing is the music itself.  Nor do I care to jump on the re-release bandwagon.  I will buy if it is something I do not already have or if the price is really low.  And since I buy a lot of older recordings, that is a distinct possibility.

But the revolution has had advantages and brought many artists into the light. I will say that. 

AlexDOM wrote: Mp3s are nice and convenient for songs, not albums. And for prog, albums define a band not a song. Therefore I love the cd or vinyl. There's something about the physicality of them. You can touch them, feel them, smell them, and read along with the lyrics. Some artists do a fantastic job with the lyric booklets as well. I am someone that buys a lot of Morse since he's my favorite. He packages stuff very well and all his booklets are awesome, filled with pictures, notes, lyrics that are in cool fonts, and such ha ha. I mean yeah I rip them to my computer and put them on my sony walkman, but I still enjoy the physical cd. And recently I got into vinyls which I've grown to love. This is dorky, but I love taking them out of the giant sleeve in a giant case. Then put the needle on it and watch it spin. It's part of the whole experience. Plus the sound quality is so organic. It's vintage. Sure I like to buy an mp3 here or there of some song or something. I sometimes get mp3 albums (but not often). But I will always support the physical any day. And used cds are always cheap.  Or I buy from the artist or record company site giving them 100% support.

Totally agree with you. I'm a vinyl fan and I usually buy music in this format. LPs (and CDs) are much better, i mean the sound quality, the packaging, the cover art in front of you and so on. With mp3s it's all faster and easier, but I usually use them to discover new artists

I've always bought, and will always buy CD's. I would buy Vinyl, but I don't have record player. Hopefully I get one soon. I don't really like downloading because I like to have actual,physical copies of my music. Plus CD's come with the album cover art,lyrics, liner notes, photos and a poster if your lucky! Also the quality of sound from a CD is much better then a file from the internet.

Edited by Fox On The Rocks - December 11 2011 at 09:36

Profit and worldwide marketing with it's internal destruction caused misfortune for the future of progressive rock. Due to the moronic move the industry took to close the doors on it completely. It was promoted selectively by promoting prog bands like Jethro Tull and Yes who were signed to huge internationally known record labels. Bands like Gong, Guru, Guru, Amon Duul II, were signed to labels that were subdivisions of the larger ones. All or most of their domestic releases ended up in the bargain bins for a $1.99 This prog audience of today is a devoted one. There are cities in the U.S. were this so called prog following dominates the music scene. The bands played Nearfest and several other gatherings over the years which is positive input. However something is dead wrong with this picture when a prog vendor/promoter can't possibly make any profit for himself. When the promoter is only making enough money to pay the bands, the fan should feel lucky. Not a very long list of people in general would gamble on something that is business wise....a mouse trap. This whole entrie circus of events I find unjust.

tupan wrote: lazland wrote: I love the digital revolution, especially since there are no decent record stores about any more. I just download from amazon, rip to a blank CD and my MP3 player, and off I go. Don't forget the free releases! Some of them even have booklets in pdf or jpeg format.