Bob Dylan has gotten a lot of press this morning for a quote that initially comes across as quite harsh. "Modern recordings are atrocious," so says the legend in a new Rolling Stone interview.
A few bloggers, at the expense of only reading headlines, took offense and blasted Dylan for insulting the musicianship of modern performers. What Mr. Zimmerman is referring to though is actually the sound quality of modern recordings. And I can't say that I disagree.
I can't claim to be an audiophile, but having DJ'd for over 10 years in the past and being in a position where I had to care about sound quality, I can say that I do understand what Dylan is saying. There are plenty of technical reasons why this is true, but there are also plenty of non-technical ones. The main one being that the a vast majority of people just don't really care about the quality of the music that they hear on their iPod.
When the MP3 craze initially hit, I - being the music snob that I am - simply refused to squander my scruples and my collection of over 500 CDs and 1200 pieces of vinyl to listen to a DATA FILE of immeasurable poor quality. Yes - the quality of an MP3 is that bad. Just go ask you favorite DJ to play the MP3 of the latest Paris Hilton atrocity over his sound system at your favorite club, and you'll understand what I'm saying. I guarantee that the response probably won't even be verbal. It will come in the form of a who-in-tha-fuck-do-you-think-you-are glance ... or a massive coronary.
But the DJing stopped and I sold my turntables and my entire collection of vinyl. I got a real job, a nice car, a white picket fence, lost a few piercings, covered up the tattoos and started shaving. And to conserve space, I even put my entire CD collection into those hateful binder-things. Can you believe it?
Just last year though, I reduced myself to the level of the musically uneducated majority and surrendered to the sexy bitch that is convenience and portability. I bought an iPod. Lord have mercy on us all.
But I won't put anything on it except the highest quality .acc files. I still have dignity, you know.
My iPod has brought me some unexpected advantages though. I can put dozens of full albums on the thing, giving me an incredible selection of music at work, at the gym, or in the car. I can make incredibly fun playlists, much like all the mixtapes I used to create in high school. Most importantly, the iPod has allowed me to once again enjoy all the cool Headphone Albums that are out there like 'Dark Side of the Moon' (or anything by Pink Floyd for that matter), The White Album, 'The Yes Album', 'Houses of the Holy', and 'Infrared Roses'.
Contrary to what Dylan says, there actually have been quite a few exceptional recordings released over the past 20 years or so, most of which I would classify as Headphone Albums. Here are a few of my favorites:
The KLF: Chill Out
This album arguably forged the way for the entire ambient house movement which inhabited chill out rooms at raves all over the world. In between all kinds of trippy soundscapes are hints of KLF favorites that keep the record moving. If you can actually find a copy these days, you won't be disapointed.
The Orb: The Orb's Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld & U. F. Orb
Actually, anything by The Orb is good headphone music, but these just happen to be my two favorites. Jimmy Cauty from The KLF teamed up with Alex Paterson to form The Orb and have put out well over 15 full albums of work - not including several live recordings and singles. The Ultraworld album is an amazing debut with a more danceable vibe, but U.F.Orb is pure headphone indulgence. Additionally, if you're ever presented with the opportunity to see them live, do not pass it by.
The Clarke & Ware Experiment: Pretentious
Martyn Ware of Heaven 17 and Vince Clarke of Depeche Mode, Yaz and Erasure fame teamed up to create what I can only describe as ambient trip-hop.
Radiohead: Kid A
This album alienated a lot of Radiohead's rock groupies who still to this day scream "betrayal" when given the opportunity. I saw it as an amazing progression with all sorts of subtleties that can only be enjoyed in a huge set of headphones. Thom Yorke's new debut solo album "The Eraser" is seen by many as the sequel to Kid A and definitely has it's quality moments.
Richie Hawtin: DE9 - Transitions
In my opinion, Richie Hawtin IS techno. For years, he's been at the forefront of the DJ scene throwing massive experimental parties like 'Kompress' where the plan was to slowly lower the ceiling of the dancefloor throughout the life of the party. Hawtin's history is filled with innovation and exploration and the Canadian's former U.S. Immigration ban only adds to the mystique. This latest effort, the first mix CD recorded in Dolby Pro Logic 5.0, only solidifies his reputation because it's truly ahead of it's time.
The Flaming Lips: Zaireeka
This album consists of 4 CDs that are supposed to played simultaneously. I'm sure the effect is amazing, but I wouldn't know because I don't currently possess (or have ever possessed) 4 sound systems. Regardless, it's a really cool album.
A few bloggers, at the expense of only reading headlines, took offense and blasted Dylan for insulting the musicianship of modern performers. What Mr. Zimmerman is referring to though is actually the sound quality of modern recordings. And I can't say that I disagree.
I can't claim to be an audiophile, but having DJ'd for over 10 years in the past and being in a position where I had to care about sound quality, I can say that I do understand what Dylan is saying. There are plenty of technical reasons why this is true, but there are also plenty of non-technical ones. The main one being that the a vast majority of people just don't really care about the quality of the music that they hear on their iPod.
When the MP3 craze initially hit, I - being the music snob that I am - simply refused to squander my scruples and my collection of over 500 CDs and 1200 pieces of vinyl to listen to a DATA FILE of immeasurable poor quality. Yes - the quality of an MP3 is that bad. Just go ask you favorite DJ to play the MP3 of the latest Paris Hilton atrocity over his sound system at your favorite club, and you'll understand what I'm saying. I guarantee that the response probably won't even be verbal. It will come in the form of a who-in-tha-fuck-do-you-think-you-are glance ... or a massive coronary.
But the DJing stopped and I sold my turntables and my entire collection of vinyl. I got a real job, a nice car, a white picket fence, lost a few piercings, covered up the tattoos and started shaving. And to conserve space, I even put my entire CD collection into those hateful binder-things. Can you believe it?
Just last year though, I reduced myself to the level of the musically uneducated majority and surrendered to the sexy bitch that is convenience and portability. I bought an iPod. Lord have mercy on us all.
But I won't put anything on it except the highest quality .acc files. I still have dignity, you know.
My iPod has brought me some unexpected advantages though. I can put dozens of full albums on the thing, giving me an incredible selection of music at work, at the gym, or in the car. I can make incredibly fun playlists, much like all the mixtapes I used to create in high school. Most importantly, the iPod has allowed me to once again enjoy all the cool Headphone Albums that are out there like 'Dark Side of the Moon' (or anything by Pink Floyd for that matter), The White Album, 'The Yes Album', 'Houses of the Holy', and 'Infrared Roses'.
Contrary to what Dylan says, there actually have been quite a few exceptional recordings released over the past 20 years or so, most of which I would classify as Headphone Albums. Here are a few of my favorites:
The KLF: Chill OutThis album arguably forged the way for the entire ambient house movement which inhabited chill out rooms at raves all over the world. In between all kinds of trippy soundscapes are hints of KLF favorites that keep the record moving. If you can actually find a copy these days, you won't be disapointed.
The Orb: The Orb's Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld & U. F. OrbActually, anything by The Orb is good headphone music, but these just happen to be my two favorites. Jimmy Cauty from The KLF teamed up with Alex Paterson to form The Orb and have put out well over 15 full albums of work - not including several live recordings and singles. The Ultraworld album is an amazing debut with a more danceable vibe, but U.F.Orb is pure headphone indulgence. Additionally, if you're ever presented with the opportunity to see them live, do not pass it by.
The Clarke & Ware Experiment: PretentiousMartyn Ware of Heaven 17 and Vince Clarke of Depeche Mode, Yaz and Erasure fame teamed up to create what I can only describe as ambient trip-hop.
Radiohead: Kid AThis album alienated a lot of Radiohead's rock groupies who still to this day scream "betrayal" when given the opportunity. I saw it as an amazing progression with all sorts of subtleties that can only be enjoyed in a huge set of headphones. Thom Yorke's new debut solo album "The Eraser" is seen by many as the sequel to Kid A and definitely has it's quality moments.
Richie Hawtin: DE9 - TransitionsIn my opinion, Richie Hawtin IS techno. For years, he's been at the forefront of the DJ scene throwing massive experimental parties like 'Kompress' where the plan was to slowly lower the ceiling of the dancefloor throughout the life of the party. Hawtin's history is filled with innovation and exploration and the Canadian's former U.S. Immigration ban only adds to the mystique. This latest effort, the first mix CD recorded in Dolby Pro Logic 5.0, only solidifies his reputation because it's truly ahead of it's time.
The Flaming Lips: ZaireekaThis album consists of 4 CDs that are supposed to played simultaneously. I'm sure the effect is amazing, but I wouldn't know because I don't currently possess (or have ever possessed) 4 sound systems. Regardless, it's a really cool album.