Call me old fashioned, but I hate all this download stuff. It seems to devalue the music. When you had a vinyl disc that you had to handle carefully and keep clean, the commitment required to purchase, own and store such a relatively fragile item represented your appreciation of what was enshrined in the grooves.

I still feel the same way about CDs (although I took a long time to get used to them!). I don't purchase or keep CDs which are fingerprinted, scratched or otherwise damaged in any way. I treat them and value them just like my treasured vinyl.

The age of MP3s and the download seems to have devalued the essence of what the music means, when that is measured against the commitment the listener needs to make towards the music itself. My own children download and delete tracks on a whim and have no concept of the music they listen to being a carefully crafted and presented piece of art - it is only a throwaway product to be consumed and discarded, quickly replaced by something new (or better?, maybe?) when it comes along. I listen to recordings (on vinyl and CD) that I have owned and enjoyed for thirty years and more. Many people today seem to listen to their downloads for only days, weeks, maybe months, before moving on.

Anyone out there feel the same as me? Or am I just the old ostrich with my head in the sand that my children say I am?

th'only thing I don't like about EMusic is that if you download say a live album and burn to cd you get a short but distinct gap between tracks.

Emusic have several albums available for download by Gary Lucas and Moris Tepper. It's also possible to listen to a short snippet of any track before choosing whether or not to download.

Sorry to say the Zappa stuff has now gone from Emusic, though the other items are still available.

ANONYMOUS:

the fact is that evrybody must listen to beefheart, and outside US, the records are almost unknown and xxxtremelly xxxpensivvvv. me poket cannot afford the price that the stupid company wants to make me pay...und´er´stand?