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12 Inches Of Pleasure

11:04 AM GMT 11/01/2008

12 Inches Of Pleasure

Why the album still rules, by MOJO’s David Sheppard.

TYPE ‘DEATH OF THE ALBUM’ into Google and you’ll be avalanched in caffeinated articles rejoicing in the unchecked march of download culture at the expense of ye olde elpee. It’s enough to make any self-respecting gramophile feel like a member of the Flat Earth Society. Downloading, so its shriller advocates decree, is the victory of self-curated ‘consumer choice’ over the album’s passé dictates. The future, so they’d have us believe, is on shuffle play. For a significant rump of listeners (and, tellingly, the majority of artists) however, this ‘victory’ feels distinctly Pyrrhic and the longplaying album – especially the vinyl model - remains the dyed-in-the-wool music aficionado’s format of choice, as fundamental as celluloid and a darkened theatre are to the true cineaste.

A good album is more than a collection of songs; it’s an auteur statement played out in measured episodes – a rounded narrative as opposed to the MP3 library’s incongruent one-liners. Album buyers are connoisseurs of the exceptional, not librarians of the infinite. The iPod squad also neglect the album’s half-century- long history as the gold standard of progressive popular music, from Revolver to Funeral and beyond. Slotting a random flurry of MP3s among the painstakingly honed greats of the rock pantheon would be like laying down a Bacardi Breezer in the cellars of Château Lafite-Rothschild.

A felicitous quirk of vinyl technology it may be, but the album’s forty-odd minute standard running time happens to be the optimal length for a single sitting appreciation of music, while the natural division into two sides (or more for the prolific and proggy) enforces a narrative structure, making the sequencing of albums an art in itself - one that the processional, ‘hits at the front’, CD format has all but consigned to history. A vinyl album is a perfect play in two acts (six if you’re the Clash or Stars Of The Lid). Would David Bowie’s Low have been as ground-breaking without its separation into song and instrumental sides? Would Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks have been as absorbing without its ‘In The Beginning’ and ‘Afterwards’ segregation? No.

All is not lost. Recent albums like Damon Albarn and co’s The Good The Bad & The Queen, or Arcade Fire’s Neon Bible are fighting a rearguard action by sequencing songs in non-linear arrangements – valiantly reserving some gems for the latter half. Neon Bible even comes in a lavish, 180-gram vinyl version, with three sides of music and an etching on the fourth - there’s the whole multi-sensory appeal of the vinyl album right there (try etching your iTunes library, Junior!). And let’s not even bother with the weary fluff-on-the-needle ‘debate’. Any audiophile worth their salt prefers stylus-on-vinyl action to the emasculated crackle of the bit-crushed MP3 file or the antiseptic digital fizz of the CD.

In the year when sales of vinyl albums have actually increased substantially for the first time since the late 1980s, the most deafening sound seeping out of iPods is that of the baby being chucked out with the bathwater.

Posted by Danny_Eccleston at 11:04 AM GMT 11/01/2008

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  • Whilst I am a lover of the album as an artistic statement, or a snapshot of a band, a time or a place, I still greatly enjoy the excitement of not knowing what my newly-shuffled playlist will throw up next. And it also keeps me on my toes in terms of making sure I take in a wide variety of stuff, constantly throwing in my path tunes I'd have otherwise passed over, reminding me of my love for them. So by all means, keep on listening to that warm crackle on that sexy black plastic, but keep an eye on where the futures headed, lest you should be left behind.

    Posted by Nich S. Brook-Hart at 7:28 PM GMT 11/01/2008 Report Abuse

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  • An iPod is just the realization of a cassette mixmasters dream...perfect for the auto, perhaps a mood mix for a friend, but not for listening. Listening is truly the lost art of the digital age. Everyone talks...nobody listens. Phil Sutcliffe makes this point in the chattering concert crowds...who did we spend our money to hear?

    We live in a "sound byte" world, so how perfect is a mechanism that works so magnificently in a fractured medium?
    My students will come in with their iPod and say,"Listen to this!" Less than a minute later they are asking,"What do you think?" When ever I have said listen to this, it is going to take at least twenty minutes of lag time before I pop the question.

    This does not mean earcandy has to be long winded. I bought my share of singles in days gone by, and played them on a all-in-one player. Jamaican reggae was built on the single, as were most local scenes.
    Ahh, but albums went on the stereo in the living room...to be listened to for all of the detail in sonic expression that the artist had in mind.

    mp3's are easy and work well for singles play. But have you tried listening for an extended period on an iPod: ear fatigue. With all of the compression used to elevate the sound levels on mp3's listening to one artist for more than a tune will wear out your brain.

    So maybe we are back to the start of rock with the return of the single play unit...the question is: where will it lead us in the future?

    Posted by david gorrill at 6:33 PM GMT 27/01/2008 Report Abuse

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  • there's room for all ways to play your music , hopefully , i've got a lot of cassettes still stashed away ,when i get time to listen.also a lot of minidiscs etc. collecting lp's , singles ,is great if you have the room.

    Posted by Anonymous at 8:13 AM GMT 02/02/2008 Report Abuse

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  • Yes, the album is more than a string of individual songs/tracks. The best albums are sequenced with this in mind, and the creative choice of the artist extends to this stage of the work. While each song is a piece of work in and of itself, so too is the album. The way we hear, perceive and experience a song (assuming we're actually listening, - and yes, David Gorrill's reference to Phil Sutcliffe's piece on concert talkers is right on the money here) can be hugely affected by what we've heard immediately before it. The best albums are also a kind of musical journey (and, no, I'm not referring to any kind of proggy 'conceptualism' here).

    Many artists put way too much material on CD's just because they can. Apart from the argument that the relative brevity of the vinyl album could enforce a stricter quality control in song selection, there's also the issue of fatigue. I would argue that it's difficult to listen actively to music for more than about 40 minutes.

    Hey, - I use my iPod much more often than use my turntable to listen to my old vinyl albums. But mostly I use it to listen to complete albums I've put on there.

    Regards,
    Karl

    Posted by Karl Farren at 11:45 PM GMT 07/02/2008 Report Abuse

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  • used to have loads of vinyl. e bayed it all. put the money towards the wedding.

    my mp3 player's sound. move on folks. or should we all have stuck with wax cylinders?
    or writing on papyrus?

    Posted by Avidfan at 8:08 PM GMT 06/03/2008 Report Abuse

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  • Listening for extended periods of time and to really appreciate what a musician intended us to hear I use my Linn Sondek LP12 and vinyl. The analogue sound is easier on the ear and there is little listening fatigue. With CD I tend to lose concentration and press the forward buton on the remote before the track finishes. MP3 is even more fatiguing and those albums I have downloaded I don't think I could tell you the track listing of. With vinyl there is more ownership, greater involvement and more audio satisfaction. It is more of a listening experience. I have 600 vinyl and twice that on CD but for listening pleasure, in my opinion, you can't better vinyl.

    Posted by Islwynpaul at 6:41 PM GMT 22/03/2008 Report Abuse

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  • Down loads are like the Pick & Mix of the sweet shop. It incourages you to pig out on all the sugar. Have to many sweets and you'll end up being sick.

    LP/Albums are the meat an two veg. Nice meal with that satisfied feeling. Often with a classic track (say the pudding) and finally washed down with a fine drink (last track)

    Long line the LP.... it is a work of art from artists.... complete.... total.... fully formed....

    Posted by surealneil at 8:51 PM GMT 28/03/2008 Report Abuse

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  • I see the future - or at least my own listening future - as a hybrid of both models.

    Agreed, the 35 to 50 minute presentation has a certain optimum quality. It's the perfect canvas on which a vital, fecund artist or group can showcase their range. It can be a varied gallery, or a medium for storytelling or point-making. Long live the concept album! Let's preserve that as an artform with all the scope and opportunity it rightly embodies.

    On the other hand there's a strong counter-argument that pop music has always been about hits, songs, 45's. One hit wonders. There's an enormous wealth of great music that, frankly, was always rather overlooked during the 'album era' and it's my view that for all its downsides, the 'shuffle epoch' has done wonders to re-instate all those one-off pop gems to their rightful place in the auditory panoply.

    The fact of the matter is that nowadays we have a choice. We can 'consume' (yeuughh!) our music in any way we want, be it full-length or playlist. To me it seems a case of empowering the listener, there's nothing that inherently undermines the notion of LP as collection of songs if that's the way artists present their work. It's up to us as consumers (yeuughh) to respect that - or not.

    I fully endorse the comments of Nich S. Brook-Hart. If it's 'Treefingers' versus 'Popscene' I know which side my digital bread is buttered.

    Posted by Oysterfrond at 12:10 AM GMT 11/04/2008 Report Abuse

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  • I am a passionate vinyl lover myself. I've just been treated myself to The Doors Vinyl boxset. I think you get it from Rhino? (www.rhino.co.uk). The sound quality is so much better than an Ipod and it make's listening to great artits such as The Doors and Led Zep a pleasure.

    I am offcially a new convert to the black stuff!

    Posted by Rosie at 9:42 AM GMT 29/05/2008 Report Abuse

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  • Used to be a big fan of vynil. At some point I owned nearly 400 LPs and some 50 7-inch singles. When CD's became available to the masses (late 1980's) I started to buy the CD version of my vynils and concluded that they excelled in every respect (with the exception that the bigger cover arts were more enjoyable). As time passed, I got my own i-Pod and started downloading music (including the one I already had on CD).

    However, years later the vynil reappeared (even though I would argue that -at least in Europe - it never disappeared). Some of the new albums include the possibility of a digital download, while some don't. Some LP-afficionados say that "their sound is deeper". In this blog, some give prevalence to the order of the songs.So, what am I to do?

    My opinion so far is as follows: - the order of the songs becomes important for conceptual albums and some other exceptions. It is not the rule; - I am ready to buy a new turntable just for the purpose of indulging myself anew in the art of listening in my living room an entire work. However, I will do that provided that I can have that music in my i-Pod as well and will not apply that logic for each and every piece of music that I buy; - unless vynil proves that it has improved to the point that it is far better than the CD, I will go with the new flow and continue to combine CDs and downloads.

    Posted by Chilango Power at 9:44 PM GMT 14/07/2008 Report Abuse

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  • About the text i only have to say that:
    I admit that i download a lot of stuff, just to ear it first... But if is good enough, i'm going to buy!
    I have the complete discography of Coldplay and Muse on digital versions, but on cd's too! It's just missing Viva La Vida and Absolution, and i'll still buy them! The only problem with vinyls is that they are very expensive... Here (in Portugal), a vinyl costs about 20 to 30€, and a cd costs, from 5 to 15€, and that makes all the diference... But, anyway, i have an vinyl of Gravity's Rainbow from Klaxons remixed by Soulwax and i'm very happy with it!

    Cheers

    Posted by João Gonçalves at 1:00 PM GMT 17/07/2008 Report Abuse

    Reply to this post

  • RE: Islwynpaul
    I have to agree entirely as a fellow LP12 listener.
    The problem for me is that all this downloading, file sharing etc is actually cheapening music and i dont mean inexpensive. The MP3 heads out there are shooting themselves in the feet and slowly killing the recorded music business,
    The vinyl records raison detre is to play recorded music, and in my experience there is no other format, that to those who have ears, plays MUSIC.
    Digital media is a side product of the computer industry and was not devoloped for playing music, it may make a pleasing sound to some, but is it MUSICAL?
    I challenge any MP3 nut to download a piece of music and compare the same played on a decent vinyl. One sounds like REAL MUSIC !
    Oh, just for the record, I am not a total luddite. My ire is reserved for downloadists, MP3ers, Ipodists etc. There is nothing wrong with a well recorded CD bought from a MUSIC STORE, but the vinyl issue invariably sounds better.

    Posted by Bongo at 10:43 AM GMT 02/08/2008 Report Abuse

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  • The problem with vinyl is mass. A growing collection of LPs gets heavier and heavier and takes up more and more space. Depending on where you live, space can be quite a premium. If someone with a 10,000-LP collection was ever caught in an apartment fire, they'd be majorly f-cked!!! am I right? There are those who catalog their CD's as if they were LPs (get rid of the thick jewel cases in favor of clear plastic sleeves). In terms of sound quality, for those who are really snobbish about vinyl-vs.-CD, doesn't an EQUALIZER go a long way toward adjusting sound quality properly for CD sound?

    Posted by JoJo at 7:00 AM GMT 11/08/2008 Report Abuse

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  • What's wrong with a cd? They sound great when played on a decent sound system. Vinyl can sound like sheeeite if not played on a good sound system. JoJo above me basically says, and I agree, it's the quality with which you treat the particular format. I do agree that mp3/digital-downloading takes the artistic life out of the music and the general listening experience, and usually compromises the richness of the recording quality, therefore rendering an inferior copy. But not all of them. But I must say as of yet I have no complaints whatsoever about cd's. The cd format works quite well. As does the lp.

    Posted by James at 7:17 AM GMT 11/08/2008 Report Abuse

    Reply to this post

  • What's wrong with a cd? They sound great when played on a decent sound system. Vinyl can sound like sheeeite if not played on a good sound system. JoJo above me basically says, and I agree, it's the quality with which you treat the particular format. I do agree that mp3/digital-downloading takes the artistic life out of the music and the general listening experience, and usually compromises the richness of the recording quality, therefore rendering an inferior copy. But I must say as of yet I have no complaints whatsoever about cd's. The cd format works quite well. As does the lp.

    Posted by James at 7:18 AM GMT 11/08/2008 Report Abuse

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  • RE: JoJo
    NO an equalizer cannot correct the sound quality of a CD. A well recorded and properly EQ'd source, wether it be analogue or digital should not need an equalizer in the replay chain.
    The thing with CD and even worse with MP3, downloads etc, is that large amounts of the music signal are lossed in the conversion to digital data. You cannot restore what has already been lost, furthermore the additional processing of an equalizer will only make matters worse.

    Posted by Bongo at 4:47 PM GMT 13/08/2008 Report Abuse

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  • RE: david gorrill

    Ear fatigue? Give me a break. I think you are all getting very hot and bothered about nothing. Ipod's do not only shuffle, they can play whole albumns as well you know?!! Are all Ipods glued to random? I am an avid "albumn listener," and my ipod is fine for this purpose. The first time i cracked on Neon Bible was strutting down main street and let me tell you I was walking on sunshine. Technology is not the issue here, its the people that are using it! A random feature on a gadget does not neccesitate a shallow or "instantanous" level of artistic appreciation. You are all very pretentious.

    Posted by Marshall at 1:29 AM GMT 29/09/2008 Report Abuse

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  • I use vinyl, CD and even the odd cassette in my search for new music.

    I rate my albums by what I would call complete albums (every track is good), sides (1 side is good) and others (a few tracks are good but there is plenty of filler).

    I find that most CDs are overlong to listen to in one go unless they are 45 minutes or less. For Islwynpaul I would suggest that you put the remote away, turn off the display on your CD player if possible and listen to the music, since I have been using a player without the knowledge of which track is playing and how much time has elapsed I feel much less likely to fast forward. If you haven't got the remote handy you are less likely to get up and change the track.

    I plan to keep all of my complete and side albums and record the tracks from the others onto a hard disk recorder or something similar to save on storage space. That would probably leave me with about a third of my albums to store and I would probably listen to the other tracks more that don't get a frequent airing because they are not on the regularly brought out LPs.

    Also don't forget that there are Lps that are unlikely to see the light of day on CD and vice versa so players for both formats are essential

    Posted by P.Ross at 12:55 PM GMT 29/09/2008 Report Abuse

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  • The problem with CDs is not so much with the format, but with the way music is mastered these days. The record companies compress the sh*t out of the music in the mastering, which leaves a lot of volume but very little dynamic range. The music is squashed like a bug. It's very hard to judge the sound of any digital format when most of today's music sounds like crap in ANY format. A Beatles album from 40+ years ago will sound better on vinyl, with more nuance, range, and separation, than most newer CDs. That's not progress, that's devolution.

    The record companies need to get their heads out of their azzes and start being consumer-friendly, but they seem incapable of doing anything but antagonizing and ripping off their customers. Is it any mystery why their business is dying? Hint: it's not just downloads. It's sh*tty music that sounds sh*tty. Nice job ruining the business, guys.

    Posted by J.C. at 7:34 PM GMT 29/09/2008 Report Abuse

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  • RE: Marshall

    I agree. I think there are 2 arguments being confused here. One is about technology: Vinyl, CD or Mp3. The other is about format: having albums vs single songs. Certain formats work better with certain technology (ie. albums and vinyl or songs and mp3) but there is no reason why 'albums' i.e. 45 minute well sequenced, cohseive collections of music and artistic statements cannot be enjoyed on any format, given the right discipline by artists and the choice of those that isten. All my albums are on CD and I also listen to then in full on an iPod. Also, the shuffle function is good too. Its about wider choice. Although the album discipline should also remain.

    Posted by Simon Peake at 9:30 AM GMT 08/11/2008 Report Abuse

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  • RE: Bongo
    I after many years and 700+ vynil records on the shelf eventually made the switch to cassettes, they fit in the car and my kids were young so I could copy a lot from the Public Library. The sound was okay, remembere a lot of my records had travelled and been partied so there were scratches and pops and hisses. Consequently these transferred to my cassetes in the same fashion, I knew that at 1m 48sec of 'Ride My Seesaw" I would hear "queecchh" and the song would go on. Then I went to 1000+ cd's and the sound was better. Now I am an iPod baby with all my cd's transferred to MP3 and any downloads paid for. To say that you can use an EQ to make it sound better is perhaps altering the way it was intended to be, I always try to have a first listen at mid range settings to find out if I like how it was intended, then I change it to my ear. The bonus is I can take all my cd's in my car, plan a set list of whole albums, concert or random shuffle depending on the drive and the company.

    Posted by Keith at 2:01 AM GMT 12/11/2008 Report Abuse

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  • RE: Keith
    I still own all my media and it drives my wife nuts, I tell her some people collct cars, some stamps and hockey cards. It is all a part of the process, now to drive her nuttier I have bought a converter that will transfer my deleted and unavailable records to digital (I hope!!)

    Posted by Keith at 2:05 AM GMT 12/11/2008 Report Abuse

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  • Довольно, не катит работа

    Posted by jubbappeque at 10:53 PM GMT 01/12/2008 Report Abuse

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  • С большего, афтар нетипично накреативил!

    Posted by jubbappeque at 1:32 PM GMT 08/01/2009 Report Abuse

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  • Писака убей себя

    Posted by Anomiarom at 9:12 AM GMT 09/01/2009 Report Abuse

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  • Должен признать, тот кто писал кошерно написал!

    Posted by candaTypedopy at 4:05 PM GMT 09/01/2009 Report Abuse

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  • Текст хороший удачный, добавлю сайт в закладки.

    Posted by exteveCag at 10:59 PM GMT 09/01/2009 Report Abuse

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  • Убежден, получилась статья

    Posted by exteveCag at 4:51 AM GMT 10/01/2009 Report Abuse

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  • Забыл где я уже видел похожую тематику хотя пофиг

    Posted by jubbappeque at 8:11 AM GMT 10/01/2009 Report Abuse

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  • Довольно, неуместная заметка

    Posted by VodeRototon at 11:02 AM GMT 10/01/2009 Report Abuse

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  • Ничего себе, тот кто писал нетипично написал!

    Posted by Anomiarom at 9:03 PM GMT 13/01/2009 Report Abuse

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  • С большего, автор удачно опубликовал.

    Posted by KitaSnitNeept at 8:50 AM GMT 14/01/2009 Report Abuse

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  • Афтар умница

    Posted by spoiggicy at 2:51 PM GMT 14/01/2009 Report Abuse

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  • С большего, автор оригинально опубликовал!

    Posted by ReloZondelp at 5:02 PM GMT 14/01/2009 Report Abuse

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  • Не поспоришь, удалась новость

    Posted by peespicicky at 8:50 PM GMT 14/01/2009 Report Abuse

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  • Писака умница

    Posted by Foeniaintaf at 2:05 AM GMT 15/01/2009 Report Abuse

    Reply to this post

  • Автор шарит в теме

    Posted by ReloZondelp at 6:22 AM GMT 15/01/2009 Report Abuse

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  • В целом, написавший оригинально опубликовал.

    Posted by DottenceDgick at 8:01 AM GMT 15/01/2009 Report Abuse

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  • Как обычно, афтар нетипично накреативил!

    Posted by InsictHenhist at 10:29 AM GMT 16/01/2009 Report Abuse

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  • Где-то я уже видел похожую статью, но все равно спасибо

    Posted by dyedohync at 10:37 AM GMT 16/01/2009 Report Abuse

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  • Ничего себе, хозяин сайта четко написал!

    Posted by ZoowPavAkaw at 11:21 PM GMT 16/01/2009 Report Abuse

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  • Класно! Нашел, наконец толковый блог на просторах интернета) Ура!

    Posted by royardSoymN at 2:15 AM GMT 17/01/2009 Report Abuse

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  • То ли в википедии, то ли еще где я уже читал похожую подборку инфы хотя пофиг

    Posted by Narlibracauby at 9:40 AM GMT 17/01/2009 Report Abuse

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  • Не поспоришь, грамотная заметка

    Posted by BubTeesssox at 4:39 PM GMT 17/01/2009 Report Abuse

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  • Камрад прострели себя коленку

    Posted by paksgyprora at 9:55 PM GMT 17/01/2009 Report Abuse

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  • В целом, автор качественно накреативил!

    Posted by excatuche at 6:26 AM GMT 18/01/2009 Report Abuse

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  • Думаю, как для меня статья

    Posted by narkcrash at 6:31 AM GMT 18/01/2009 Report Abuse

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  • Не поспоришь, для профессионалов работа

    Posted by augmekheede at 9:14 PM GMT 18/01/2009 Report Abuse

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  • Как обычно, хозяин сайта оригинально отжег.

    Posted by sothhiesY at 9:42 PM GMT 18/01/2009 Report Abuse

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  • Ничего себе, афтар весело написал!

    Posted by ImmutsRuini at 9:44 AM GMT 19/01/2009 Report Abuse

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  • Чего и следовало ожидать, вебмастер расово верно отжег!

    Posted by SymnEmombot at 9:43 PM GMT 19/01/2009 Report Abuse

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  • Кризис, говорят, в марте усилится. Хотелось бы знать, кто затеял все это
    и как вообще мы докатились до такой жизни.

    Posted by bellamind at 2:39 AM GMT 25/02/2009 Report Abuse

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  • Hello Guys,

    Greetings. Introducing me.

    By the way, I am looking for book I ching translated by Kerson Huang. I cannot find those book anywhere. Do you know where I can find those? Thanks

    Posted by SeekersISeek at 11:30 AM GMT 02/03/2009 Report Abuse

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  • Спасибо Яндексу, именно благодаря ему я нашла этот замечательный форум.
    Думаю здесь я останусь надолго.

    Posted by risyblery at 6:31 PM GMT 21/03/2009 Report Abuse

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