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To: Win-Lose-Draw who wrote (46613)	8/23/2005 1:14:47 PM
From: Lizzie Tudor	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 213172

CD sales decline -- Is quality a factor? Industry experts: Album quality may be one issue To Abrams, the peak musical periods of the last half century were: * 1955-57, when rock 'n' roll emerged as a major force, led by artists such as Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley. * 1964, when The Beatles made their first U.S. tour. * 1967-1969, when guitarist Jimi Hendrix's explosive style began to galvanize a generation of musicians and fans. * 1980-81, when punk rock and rap emerged. * A "mini-peak" in 1990-91, when grunge came to the fore, and hip-hop had one of its better creative periods. In between, the lull periods have been marked by a distinct lack of imagination on the part of record companies, Abrams says. But Alan Burns, a consultant to radio stations in the U.S. and Europe and founder of PickTheHits.com, says the issue is more subtle. "I think that to a limited degree, the number of "great" albums has declined over the years, largely because of economics," he said. "But there's another factor: the continuing fragmentation of music tastes and sources. There's less consensus about what's 'good' so there are fewer albums being widely proclaimed as 'great' CDs." In the 1970s, when LP sales overtook those of 45 rpm singles, part of the reason, says Burns, was that "it happened over a time period when there were huge artists whose fans wanted to hear everything they recorded, and those artists spent two years in the studio crafting their own unique sound." Abrams agrees. "Bands like Pink Floyd and The Police, on the first album, they were getting the hang of it," he said. "And usually if they had what we call 'It,' the magic that'll transcend, then in those cases, it's the third album where you really started hearing it. And so I think a lot of artists aren't given a chance [to record with the backing of a big studio]." marketwatch.com So economics is the problem, according to these consultants, but whose economics?

To: Win-Lose-Draw who wrote (46613)	8/23/2005 1:16:37 PM
From: Don Green	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 213172

There is ALWAYS an active retro subculture. It is as "significant" now as it was when some kids were yearning for Pat Boone during Beatlemania. You got to be kidding! How many times did anyone ask to listen to their father's Frank Sinatra or Bing Crosby albums in the 60's? There is a void in music today and people like Bob Dylan and Eric Clapton have both recently blasted their country's musicians about the lack of creativity and quality being produced today.