Yes, I still miss Vinyl. Hindsight is always 20/20 and it's easy to see that we had a good thing going all along. I guess it's possible that we could get back together, but it seems unlikely. Things just wouldn't be the same. I'm still living with Compact Disc, and for the last seven years or so, I've been seeing someone much younger. Her name, as you probably already know, is MP3. In some ways, she's not as good to me as Vinyl was, and she's nowhere near as impressive to my friends and family.
When I first heard about MP3, I wasn't the least bit attracted to her. Zero appeal. But then my friend made a statement about her that forced me to reconsider:
Doug - showing me his iPod: I have practically my entire music collection in this device that's smaller than a pack of cigarettes - that's pretty fucking cool. (Paul Mason, if you're reading this, I believe this to be a direct quote.)
I know I questioned the fidelity, and yes, it's more than a little ironic that: a) The word fidelity has two meanings that can both be applicable - 1) The degree of exactness which something is copied or reproduced 2) Faithfulness to a person, cause or belief, demonstrated by continuing loyalty and support., b) That I would expect and/or demand fidelity when I am openly admitting to having cheated on Vinyl with others, and ultimately leaving her for another woman. (metaphorically speaking, duh)
In terms of the degree of exactness that music is copied/reproduced in an MP3 format, I'll use the example sentence on my Mac widget dictionary:
The 2013 recording in MP3 format provides reasonable fidelity.
I uh, changed that sentence a bit to accommodate the subject matter, but that's a pretty good way to say it. The fidelity of MP3 music is reasonable. A perfect match for smaller speakers connected to my Mac, the smaller shelf systems that I listen to music on these days - and in the car. Also a perfect match for the iPod(s) - and that, good people, is what I like best about MP3 - she travels light. She's always up for road trips - short ones, long ones - doesn't matter, if I'm going, she's in. She's ready to go on a moment's notice, never asks where we're going or why we're going, doesn't care how long we stay, doesn't care what we do. I've yet to not have enough room for all of her things.
On trips to the store, or to work, she entertains me. At the gym she entertains, motivates, and guarantees that my workouts aren't interrupted by mindless chatter. She doesn't bitch or complain about the days when I use one song repeated over and over to motivate my entire workout - sometimes it's a tune like The Allman Brother's version of Statesboro Blues - because she knows that I don't want to hear the crap music that's booming out of the spinning class. Like I'm gonna workout with something like Lady Gaga in my noise canceling/isolation earphones?? Gimme a flippin' break - though if I did want to listen to bubblegum music, all I'd have to do is say so - MP3 will do whatever I want.
I'd never say as much to her, but she's not much to look at. Zero cover art, same for liner notes. But she travels lighter than anyone and she'll do whatever I want, as best she can. I'm not gonna lie and say she sounds as good as Compact Disc or Vinyl, but she does sound reasonably good. Not as thin and tin-ie as I'd thought - and that came as a surprise. It's an odd mix of being completely for the ears, which, when we're talking about music, is admirable, and being against the ears in terms of lack of pure high quality fidelity. It's more about the music itself being the very air that my soul breathes.
It's also a little mind boggling, that I can download a tune I like through mid air - no wires needed. Having a large music collection guarantees me that if I have a song stuck in my head, it's a good one - because when you have a large music collection, you like a lot of songs. Songs are air, food and water for my soul - and I can never not hunger for more. In an odd way, and one that I never thought I'd like at all, MP3 seems to capture this vibe perfectly. She's so much more than Cassette could ever have dreamed of being in terms of convenience. She's a bit like having a concealed carry license with the ability to hide it from everyone. Oh the songs I can walk around with - and I do.
A friend recently commented on one of these posts, that once he met the younger Compact Disc, he never looked back. Another friend once told me that I couldn't move forward if I kept looking back. Yet when it comes to my love affair with recorded music, I can't help but look back at the days I spent with Vinyl. No matter what technological advances that will come in recorded music, Vinyl will always be my favorite - even if I never see her again. No complaints, I accept full responsibility for the choices I made.
1 comment:
This is fantastic.
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