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This could well be true. Audio-only entertainment is a recent and short-lived thing. And basically, its demise began the day TV broadcasting began. But, then, why are what used to be called "the record companies" so stupid about not changing their business to meet demand. MTV hit the cable waves nearly 30 years ago now. Surely the few "music guys" left in these mega-glomerates saw the inevitable. You read audio-recording mags today and you see the biggest growth area is ringtones and gaming sound. Music is just wallpaper for busy lives for younger folks. A CD is a relic and yet that's what these companies still base their business on. It's crazy to me. There are so many ways to leverage the iconic and copyrighted sounds they own in their vaults, but they all keep most of their total vault locked up and keep gambling on talentless hacks tied to the whims of Wal-Mart's buyer. It's insane. It wouldn't matter if so much cultural heritage wasn't tied up in those vaults. It's there because there WAS a time when audio-only entertainment was huge and some of the finest talent and resources in western culture went to its furtherment. That time is long passed, unfortunately. I put on a great jazz CD and I feel a bit like a archaeologist. I'm glad my tastes tend to when this stuff was very culturally relevant because I haven't liked nor felt the need for practically any new-issue music for more than a decade now. -- Tom Fine ----- Original Message ----- From: "Andes, Donald" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Wednesday, May 02, 2007 5:35 PM Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] SACD fans -- some discounts.... A hypothesy Could it be that the world is simply tiring form audio only simulation? I mean really, not that I hope this is the case, but really, cars equipped with DVD players, VIDEO iPod, elevators and taxi's with "moving image billboards" and news feeds. I'm not talking about a distant George Jetson future, I'm talking about present day, average joe culture. Not to mention that our kids playing video game simulations that rival what the government uses for training military personnel. I love Audio, as I'm sure most of us do here, but Audio's realist place in today's culture may be other than where WE all hope it to be, or what it once was. The same could be said for linear moving image, as more interactive technology emerges from the internet and video game markets, what will the become of TV? Sad but true??? Don Andes EMI Music -----Original Message----- From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Don Cox Sent: Wednesday, May 02, 2007 2:49 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] SACD fans -- some discounts On 01/05/07, Tom Fine wrote: > Amazon has some very aggressive pricing right now on some SACD titles. > Especially some the BMG/RCA titles. Big in-general classical sale > right now, too. Wonder if this is clearing out classical overstock > that can't be sold in now-closed Tower stores. Good buying opportunity > as some titles may go out of print. > > -- Tom Fine > > PS -- cannot post here due to copyrights but interesting story last > week in Wall St. Journal about how 1/4+ of CD sales now through > big-box stores and those retailers demands for quick turnover hampers > any attempts at variety. Then CD sales keep slumping due to overpriced > and boring product, and it becomes self-perpetuating as Best Buy and > Wal-Mart are reportedly cutting floor space for CD's. Not a good time > to be in the music biz. Practically all the small companies now sell direct over the web. Regards -- Don Cox [log in to unmask] - -------------------------------------------------------------------- Music from EMI This e-mail including any attachments is confidential and may be legally privileged. If you have received it in error please advise the sender immediately by return email and then delete it from your system. The unauthorised use, distribution, copying or alteration of this email is strictly forbidden. If you need assistance please contact us on +44 20 7795 7000. This email is from a unit or subsidiary of EMI Group plc. Registered Office: 27 Wrights Lane, London W8 5SW Registered in England No 229231. - --------------------------------------------------------------------