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.
