Who listens to CDs anymore?

It seems to me like it wasn’t that long ago we were asking, “Who listens to vinyl anymore?” Okay, maybe it was a while ago but hey, I’m old. Yet vinyl came back in a big way, which then spurred the reproduction of turntables and record players in new and interesting design choices, which spurred increased vinyl LP sales and so on. Perhaps it was a reaction to digital recordings and the sense that we didn’t “own” anything tangible anymore. Perhaps vinyl LPs simply harkened fond memories of what seemed like simpler times. Sitting on your bed, playing records and reading the liner notes and lyrics from the album jacket once offered hours of entertainment. And let’s not forget the soothing, visceral reaction to the sound of a needle drop on vinyl as well as the accompanying hiss and pop that has led some electronic and ambient artists to often add this effect over the top of their tracks to provide a sense of warmth.

I have fond memories of hanging out in my bedroom, plopped in my beanbag chair, listening to an album with headphones on while reading the lyrics, admiring the artwork of the jacket, and combing through the liner notes. But can I honestly say that vinyl sounds better than CDs or digital recordings? No. It’s not even close. Recording and duplication technology has improved so much over the last four decades that, when it comes to authentically reproducing what the artist intended you to hear, nothing at present surpasses the digital/CD medium.

It’s also worth noting what I don’t have fond memories of when listening to vinyl - things we too often gloss over when thinking of “the good ole’ days.” Things such as carefully removing the shrink wrap only to discover the vinyl record you just spent your hard earned money on is warped beyond playability. Or having to deal with skips. How about wishing you could take your music with you on the go? Enter cassettes and the Sony Walkman. See where this is going?

If I had to break it down, what I really miss about vinyl albums isn’t the sound quality. It’s the artwork and tactile feeling of holding a work of art in my hands. I was always looking to the future with the hope that technology would make music sound better and yes, portable. It was the album jacket that I didn’t want to let go of. Even when I began collecting CDs, I held on to some of my favorite vinyl LPs - some of which I still own today. Not to one day play again on a turntable (though I may.) But rather to hang on to the album jackets and the visual treasures they contained. And sure, to some degree, a piece of my past.

When iTunes and the iPod came along, it paved the way to make music on the go easier (like the Sony Walkman before.) You could access your music across devices, and it was easy to catalog and create playlists. I was ecstatic. This was what I had yearned for so many years ago. I could play my music on my stereo in the comfort of my home or put in my earbuds and workout or go for a run - all while getting the highest quality possible and not having to worry about needle skips or cassette players eating the mix tape I spent hours creating!

Once I began purchasing music digitally, there was a transition, just as there had been when I began purchasing CDs. But something was different this time. Something I wouldn’t fully appreciate until much later when I began getting rid of and selling off most of my CDs. There was nothing left to hold. There was just the music. It sounded great and I could take it anywhere and I could depend on it to play when I wanted it to play. But I couldn’t enjoy the art, the fonts, the lyrics, the information about how the record was recorded, who worked on it and when.

When rock music moved beyond being just another genre and began emerging as a legitimate art form in the late 60s, bands began collaborating with visual artists of the day to package their music in something that was just as appealing to the eye. This launched a new industry for graphic artists and enhanced the portfolios of already established visual artists. In the 70s and into the 80s, names like Hipgnosis, Hugh Syme, and Roger Dean would become known at least as much, if not more so, for their work on album covers as they were for any of their more traditional projects. One could argue music videos and MTV were bound to happen once it was understood how powerful the experience could be when combining the visual arts with a style of music known for being so symbolic of freedom of expression and imagination.

That’s when I realized the bridge between past and present that CDs represented. While the artwork was reduced in size, it was still there. And in many respects, you received more as bands (like us) began including booklets inside the jewel case. And the music could still easily be downloaded into iTunes or any music cataloguing app. Of course, one big problem that arose was that CD/DVD drives began quickly disappearing from computers. And even as I type this, I recognize that I no longer own a stand-alone CD player. Even our vehicles no longer have CD players. Not that I couldn’t go purchase a decent player for cheap to add to my entertainment system. Hmm, might have to look into that.

As Steven Wilson (founder of the prog-rock group Porcupine Tree) said in a recent interview, CDs have been given a bad rap. As highly touted as the medium was when it was first introduced, it has also received plenty of (undeserved) criticism for somehow “destroying” a golden era of how we all used to listen to music and laying the foundation for the purely digital format, thus making the music listening experience more passive and in the background. I would argue that one can sit down in a comfy chair and devote 45 minutes to a collection of music (and one should) that’s stored on a computer or CD as easily as they can to an album of work that spins on a turntable. But perhaps I can agree that it might be more enjoyable as a music fan to have a nice big album sleeve or booklet to view/read while listening - just like when I was a kid.

As we began to consider the packaging details of our own project, I even mentioned to Jim, what if we produced an old-school album jacket that also served as a jewel case for the CD? I still haven’t abandoned the idea. It would cost more for sure. And would anyone buy it? Who knows? I’m convinced there’s a market for all of the platforms that people prefer for listening to (and viewing) an album of work. Why not the CD/LP Jacket format? Or maybe CDs as we know them will come back the way vinyl did. Maybe The LTV will be the first to start a new trend!

Stay tuned…

-Daryl Vogel