Jimbo the CD is DOOMED

Invisible Pedestrian · **Joined:** 24 Sep 2006 **Posts:** 26169

Linda wrote:

On this board there are about 60 threads about remasters posted this month alone. Depends on the person's tastes in music for sure, but I'm not seeing any slowdown of releases at all ... in fact 2008 is already looking a lot more expensive for my collection than 2007 was, and 2007 wasn't cheap!

I just don't get this doom and gloom stuff. Yes, the major companies are idiots who rarely get things right and often sabotage themselves, but this has always been true. CDs won't stop being made because of the digital boom anymore than CDs stopped being made in the 1990s when cassettes outsold them. They're still 80% of the market whether they're "cool" nowadays or not, they still sell even when the bands release music digitally months ahead of the physical release (see Radiohead thread), anything there's a market for will continue to be manufactured by someone. We don't need them to be supported by Sony or EMI. It's enough if niche labels license everything for physical release, and believe me they will more and more.

Far as I can see the only thing that's really changing is that the walk-in stores are going away, and bands are learning to release and promote stuff without major label help. If one has a computer to access the information and the mailorder sources — which I know you all do because I see you posting here! — then we'll have absolutely no problem continuing our collections far into the future. Smile! JIMBO THE CD IS ALIVE AND WELL.

Oh, so eloquent Linda! I agree with your post 100%. I don't undertsand the doom and gloom either. The January 2008 issue of Classic Rock, while lamenting the state of the CD, had a brief article mentiong that 1.7 billion CDs were sold worldwide last year. 1.7 billion. Hardly a dead issue. Yes, I know it's way down from the previous year, and the one before that, blah, blah, blah.
Something that still baffles me is the labels pricing CDs to the point where there is no chance in hell a kid is gonna plunk down 14.99 instead of steal it. If CDs were 6.99 or 7.99, piracy would still occur, but a kid really might think about actually buying the product.
In any case, reissues I believe will continue and are aimed squarely at us. I enjoy the hell out of back catalogues getting remastered if they're done properly and with respect. I'm so excited for the UFO remasters, I can hardly wait for the first three to come out next week. As for The Beatles, I'm not a fan and I could care less, but I do hope those come out because it would attract interest for CDs even if they're available as legal downloads.
I also think that remasters will not come down in price any time soon, because labels know we'll buy them-making me even more confused as to why in the world they would think download-only remasters would interest any of us-I could give a damn about those.
Anyway, I believe CDs are still Ok for now, though it's alawys on my mind when I order stuff that the end could be around the corner.

Greg Carrier · 25 Nov 2006

Just because more and more material is only available as a download doesn't mean the end of the CD is near; it just means the CD isn't absolutely essential. The stuff that's download only probably wouldn't come out at all if CDs were the only choice. Are things changing? Sure. Is the CD dead? Hardly. The LP isn't even dead. I've seen more LPs lately, new releases and re-releases, than I've seen in a long time. It's all fluid; the only constant is change. We all get to die with huge, wonderful collections of music.

JohnG · 03 Aug 2006

Oh the CD is not dead. Not yet anyway. It still has about 10 years left. But since everything has virtually been released in the format already....its a matter of diminishing returns.

I would imagine every home in 10 years will have a server connected to the internet where all your music will be downloaded when you want it. Movies are moving in that direction too. I saw an example of how these systems work at the 2007 Hi-Fi Show. It is pretty neat.

72stones · **Joined:** 12 Jul 2006 **Posts:** 2109

You will likely notice more U.K. remasters/reissues than domestic U.S. releases as time goes on. The domestic U.S. market is dying off. I find it a shame, but that's the way it goes. I do believe there will always be CDs around, but they will only be purchased online eventually. With that, there may be more boutique labels that one an choose from and, likely, higher prices to go with them.

Music4Life · 01 Oct 2006

TSmithPage wrote:

Once again, I think this reflects that the labels just don't get it. The main consumers of digital music are younger listeners who are disinclined to buy CDs. Conversely, the main consumers of reissues such as those listed above are older listeners who have continued to buy CDs while the format has otherwise declined. I doubt that I am alone in my inclination to decline to spend any money on digital only releases, so I expect that the purchasers of these digital only titles will be few and far between...

Exactly. They don't get it. Most of my friends who are in thier late 40's, are technically ignorant when it comes to downloads. When these digital only downloads dont sell what they expect they'll collectively scratch thier heads and wonder why, instead of realizing we stil want them in the CD format...

Jeff

Blair G. · 03 Aug 2006

pkessler8 wrote:

Digital only US reissues:

Scott Baio - The Chachi Albums
Tommy Tutone - Self-Titled & "Tommy Tutone 2"
Grand Funk Railroad - "Grand Funk Lives" & "What's Funk"
Bob Newhart- "Bob Newhart Faces Bob Newhart", "The Button-Down Mind On TV", "The Windmills Are Weakening", "This Is It!"
Black Sabbath - "Born Again", "Eternal Idol", "Seventh Cross"
Eric Carmen - "Tonight You're Mine"
Peter Frampton - "Where I Should Be" & "Breaking All the Rules"

EMI, Sony, Warner, & Universal are now DIGITAL only for the majority of catalog remasters
Amercian Beat & Wounded Bird license the physical CD of SOME of the reissues but insiders tell me our days are numbered

Jimbo I feel your pain

Has it been confirmed that these labels are actually going digital only, or is it a rumour?

I recall a couple of Mott the Hoople albums being digital only initially that eventally came out on CD.

I'd buy the Tommy Tutone, Grand Funk and Frampton for sure... on CD. Not on download

Music4Life · 01 Oct 2006

I'd probably get the Frampton ones, and the Carmen one Ive had on import for a few years...Scott Baio?????

Jeff

Warren F · 16 Feb 2007

The Frampton titles are currently available on CD on an import label called Lemon. Amazon and Deep Discount have them.

Jimbo · 19 Jul 2006

The Collectables label issued a twofer of the two Tommy Tutone albums, it's still easy to find.

pkessler8 · **Joined:** 02 Dec 2006 **Posts:** 2

Fellow silver collectors let me tell you that the major labels in the US have NO plans to ever do full on remasters and reissues that we have cherished in the past.

The best example is the recent Elvis movies campaign from BGM:
Elvis at the Movies - New CD Set from Sony BMG April 28, 2007
Elvis at the Movies CD
On June 11, 2007, Sony BMG Music Entertainment will release Elvis At The Movies – the most comprehensive Elvis Presley 2 CD movie package ever produced. The double-disc, 40-song collection features some of the popular tunes from Elvis Presley's remarkable run of 31 Hollywood movies, including show-stopping numbers like 'Jailhouse Rock', 'What I'd Say' from Viva Las Vegas, and 'Rock A Hula Baby' from perennial fan-favorite Blue Hawaii. Also included are such #1 hits as 'Love Me Tender' and 'Teddy Bear' plus 17 more Top 40 singles and classic contributions from legendary songwriters Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller, Doc Pomus & Mort Shuman, and Otis Blackwell.
At the same time SONY BMG Music Entertainment will make the following 5 Elvis movie soundtracks exclusively available for digital download: G.I. Blues, Frankie and Johnny, Girls! Girls! Girls, Spinout and Kissin' Cousins.
(from the AU Elvis Fan Club)

We will still get greatest hits and compilations on CD for the Wal-Mart & Target crowd but catalog titles ONLY in digital from the big labels.

American Beat, Friday Music, Shout! Factory and Wounded Bird are now allowed to license catalog titles from
the labels to release in physical CD form. Search Amazon for some amazing releases from American Beat in February and Wounded Bird in April.

All is not lost as at least the majors will retain DIGITAL rights and allow these boutique labels to produce product we can look forward to.

We can also import some awesome UK & Japan reissues but in the US the majors have changed strategy.

I can end by telling you guys that Amazon is getting orders from me in Feb then again in April.

Geff R. · 27 Sep 2006

Nothing for me in either of those batches, but glad they're both still at it.

AMW · **Joined:** 26 Sep 2006 **Posts:** 4543

It should be noted that while Elvis hasn't had a major mainstream release of previously unissued material in several years, Follow That Dream, his "official bootleg" label is still pumping out titles. http://www.shopelvis.com/Dept.aspx?cp=796_11143_11184

These discs are expensive, however.

Gary Dunaier · 20 Jul 2006

AMW wrote:

These discs are expensive, however.

At $30.00 a pop, yes, definitely. But in the context of bootlegs, and maybe we should look at these as "authorized bootlegs," perhaps that's what genuine silver-disc boots from labels such as Yellow Dog might go for today. When I started buying Beatle boots on CD, possibly sometime in the early 1990s, I was paying $20.00 apiece for them at Revolver Records on 8th Street in NYC... so with inflation and all that, $30.00 doesn't seem that unreasonable.

Unless, of course, you're a cheap-a** schnorrer like me. :twisted:

Jimbo the CD is DOOMED

Who is WANline