What are you listening to NOW?

[Stavros]

A splendid version of Strauss's Aridane auf Naxod from the Garsington festival, though there are some moments when the singers and the orchestra threaten to head off in different directions. Spot the singer who was on Britain's Got Talent, employed as an opera singer.

[Stavros]

[Stavros]

Daft, but clever, and a seductive Carmen! From La Gran Scena-
La Gran Scena - Opera Company di New York (DVD): VAIMUSIC.COM

[BlüeKarma]

Whatever this is, it would never have made the BBC's Top of the Pops...I am not even sure subtitles would help.

Might want to check your calendar, it's not the 60s-70s anymore.
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[Stavros]

[QUOTE=BlüeKarma;2088877]Might want to check your calendar, it's not the 60s-70s anymore.
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The more things change, the more they stay the same. Is this so different?

[BlüeKarma]

I don't know, musical taste is subjective, a song may speak to someone and another may not get it.
Probably why there are so many different genres and styles so there's something for everyone.

[Stavros]

Rick Beato on the state of music and technology -it's not really my thing but his illustration of how technology deals with John Bonham's drums compared to the real thing is astonishing. It could be a depressing thing if AI were to replace real musicians and above all, spontaneity, though I think most people are happy plugging in to their music through the internet rather than other means -is it nostalgia alone that holds on to records, record players/sound systems, and dare one mention it -live music?

[filghy2]

Interestingly, vinyl records have been making a comeback, so many people clearly do find today's technology unsatisfying. Recently my CD player stopped working, so I went to various electrical goods stores looking for a replacement. I was surprised to find that stand-alone CD players have almost disappeared, but there were several turntables in stock.

The paradox of technology seems to be that the easier it is to access stuff, the less we value it.

[Stavros]

Interestingly, vinyl records have been making a comeback, so many people clearly do find today's technology unsatisfying. Recently my CD player stopped working, so I went to various electrical goods stores looking for a replacement. I was surprised to find that stand-alone CD players have almost disappeared, but there were several turntables in stock.

The paradox of technology seems to be that the easier it is to access stuff, the less we value it.

If you mean Sony Walkman players or similar, they can be purchased online as they don't seem to be sold in shops, though the independent CD/DVD/Vinyl shop in my town used to and not so long ago -but they also sell the decks to go with their vinyl. Shops here like Currys/PCWorld also sell stereo systems, some may even have a cassette player though I am not sure about that, and I do have an external DVD/CD drive which I use on my computer. I also have a radio/cd player in the kitchen though the quality of sound is not great -indeed, I think the record decks and super-expensive stylii now mean you get better sound out of them than in the past, though I think it also depends on the speakers you have. So yes the technology in all areas is better, yet people prefer online content, on average I expect. Where the danger lies, and this is what I think Rick was aiming at, is the source material -the people who choose to make original music, how, and then how it gets played. The dystopian future fear is that everything will be homogenized, that people's brains will follow suit, that Elon Musk will change his name to Tyrrell, and you won't know if your neighbour is human or android. And the sheep are electric.

[filghy2]

If you mean Sony Walkman players or similar, they can be purchased online as they don't seem to be sold in shops, though the independent CD/DVD/Vinyl shop in my town used to and not so long ago -but they also sell the decks to go with their vinyl.

I mean a CD player that plugs into an amplifier as part of a stereo system. I did manage to find one in an old-fashioned hi fi store, though I had to drive across town. I guess a few people can still make a living servicing niches that the big chains ignore.