The History of Cool

We tend to have a schizophrenic relationship with technology; we either think something is really cool, or we take it for granted.  Or maybe one viewpoint evolves into the other, as illustrated by Rolling Stone’s 24 Inventions That Changed Music.

From Thomas Edison’s phonograph in 1877 to the microphone to LP to the Compact Disc to the Internet  …  they’re all there.

It’s interesting to trace the evolution of media from wax cylinders through tape and vinyl to CD’s and computer drives.  Even more interesting, is to consider the evolution of playback devices from the Victrola to the cassette deck to the CD player to the iPod/phone.

The romance is connected to the playback device, of course.  I still remember the big honking furniture cabinets that housed the stereos of my youth.  More importantly, I remember how much I loved my first transistor radio.  It gave me freedom, independence, and the power to live in my own culture.  The transistor radio is probably the single biggest factor in the dominance of rock and roll.

That said, I remember how badly we all wanted a Walkman the moment they came out.  By then it was mug’s game though.  CD’s, mp3’s, iPods … I don’t miss my cassette tapes but I do get tired of replacing and re-organizing my media every few years. 

The stated theme of the list is recording and playing back music, so it’s more than a little curious that the Marshall amplifier is on the list.  Sure, that amp is the most famous, but it doesn’t relate to recorded music any more than the first Les Paul guitar or the first effects pedals.

The dates of some of the innovations are interesting, too.  When you think about how fast we moved from cassettes to CD’s to mp3’s, it’s amazing to realize the LP was invented in 1931 but 78’s were sold into the mid-50’s.  The biggest surprise, though is the vocoder, invented in 1940 for military use!  Take that, Daft Punk.

Producers Rule

I keep stumbling over all these interesting lists, but it’s curious that there doesn’t seem to be one about record producers.  Let’s face it:  production can have a huge impact – positive or negative – on a recording.

So who should go on the list?  Well …

For sure:

George Martin, Sam Phillips, Jimmy Page and Roy Thomas Baker.  Geniuses, whose impact is undeniable.

Probably:

Bob Ezrin, Phil Collins, Glyn Johns and Bob Rock.  Successful, sought after, respected.

I Would Hope:

Jeff Lynne, Muff Winwood, David A. Stewart, Steve Lillywhite and – my favourite under-rated guy – Ian Thomas.  Talented guys who know their stuff.

I’ve left band-as-producer off the list because it’s too hard to tell who should really get the credit.

But no question producers are important.  Dunno about you but I have frequently had the same attitude about record producers that many people have about movie directors.  You know: if such-and-such made this, it must be good.

And I’m rarely disappointed.

Status: Single

Thank goodness for iTunes and other music download sites (not so much the ones where piracy prevails). Otherwise it would be hard to get a single.

Back in the dark ages, when vinyl was king, singles ruled. If you liked a song, you bought the single. You only bought an album if you were really a big fan or if you had confidence that most of the songs on the album would be just as good as the single.

I got burned more than a few times. Everyone did.

By the late 70's, when tape was king, singles had virtually disappeared. CD's put an end to the idea once and for all.

Don't know about you, but I started buying less. A whole CD for one song? No way. So if I liked a song, I waited for the next album/CD - and the next one and the next one and the next one after that. Assuming I remembered who was who and the band stayed together long enough to put out a greatest hits - and I still cared - eventually I would buy a CD knowing I was getting value for money.

That is, unless the record company ripped you off by inserting a live version of one of the songs to try and force you to by two CD’s.

Sheesh!

So thank goodness you can now buy singles. You can always by the whole CD when you know - you know - you really like everything by the artist, but it's nice to get away from that "yuck-why-did-I-buy-this?" feeling.

Here's to singles!