The Chronic Curmudgeon

How can you say there's "no point" in buy albums anymore? You imply that the artwork and liner notes, as they appear in the artwork, have little value.

You also belittle the notion that most albums are collections of songs the artists decided to present in certain orders for certain reasons. Being artists, their opinions on how the presentation of their art should not be taken lightly, let alone ignored.

And, just in case you think you can deflect this whole argument with a snide pot shot at the '70s, remember: While someone as bereft of intellectual prowess as Britany Spears may produce trite nonsense that doesn't need the album format, Green Day's "American Idiot," very much a current offering -- and something I recall you may have raved about here -- is an album meant to be listened to as an album, and for a very good reason. Just listen to the sequencing of songs. They run into each other to convey a message that means different things to different people. Those messages weave throughout, and the listener just can't receive them, never mind comprehend them, by listening to just one of the songs or by listening to a handful of them out of order. And those messages are important ones that raise a healthy middle finger to the powerful.

Art moves culture. Art is the people's politics. We can agree on this. Just listen to "Dark Side of the Moon," another album clearly meant to be listened to in its entirety; it's songs run into each other and work together in a certain order the artists chose -- and, I would argue, for poetically political and philosophical reasons.

The death of the album is testament to technology's encroachment into our lives. In this case and others, technology doesn't always help us or further intellectual thought. In fact, it sometimes does the opposite, all in the name of a superficial facade we call "progress." And it makes the world just got a little duller, a little more susceptible to the baser elements who would destroy art if they could. And why do you think they want to? Exactly.

My comment is riddled with typos, but you get the point.

Bottom line is: why should I waste $20 on a CD for a collection of 13 songs, only three of which I like or care about? I don't give a poop about the artist's "vision" about how their songs are presented... I'm supposed to waste $20 so I can see a "vision?"

I respect your point, but I've never believed in "cover art" -- always seemed quite pretentious to me, and was one of the things I liked least about the 70s (the IMHO overly elaborate covers from bands like Yes and Genesis and even Zeppelin always shouted to me, "look, I am a serious artiste!" to which I always replied in my head, "Dude, it's rock and roll... get over yourself."). Yes, I know that entire Web sites and books have been devoted to cover art, and that many consider it to be a high art form. They're entitled to that opinion, but I'd disagree. Strongly.

As for liner notes, I get that a band needs to have a place to thank everyone they dealt with on the way up. Beyond that, do I need some self-serving jabber explaining the artist's vision or concept for the album? No. I need to be listening, not reading the backstory for someone's motivation for the album.

Just a thought, man. I want the songs I want. That's all.

"I don't give a poop about the artist's "vision" about how their songs are presented."

I think we can all agree that an analagous attitude among Red Staters is precisely the reason why they'll only watch FOX News, etc.

LOL...