Classic buying procedure

I just watched the Google Goes GaGa interview from a few days ago. There was one part of the interview that I quite enjoyed regarding the process of enjoying music. In the interview, GaGa mentioned about how today's music-buying public seem entranced with how well the music they enjoy is doing. They focus so much on the success of their favourite songs and artists, buying the song on iTunes and watching it rise, rise, rise, that they lose sight of the actual song they've bought and the whole enjoyment factor as it applies to just the music.

I can't say I fully agree with this but at the same time, I feel like how we enjoy music has changed immensely over the years, and I've only been a music fan for a decade and a half. Most of my friends, that I know of, download their songs from the internet (possibly even legally!) and put them on their iPods (a few might have alternative media devices). The focus is either on the brand spankin' new songs ("hey, did you hear the new song by -insert act here-?") or really old songs (60s, 70s, maybe 80s rock, or obscure 2000s music). But it's pretty much always digital and most likely sourced from the internet.

I've lamented before about how listening has changed. Gone are the days of waiting for our favourite singer's new album to hit record stores and showing up the day of its release to buy the CD, rush home, open it, pop it in a disc-player and listen to the songs for the first time... with the exception of that one song we're already familiar with from the radio.

Here are the days of leaked albums, records with multiple songs available before the album drops for multiple exposure and going through the CD collections of my friends. Because most of my friends don't own CDs. Going through iTunes playlists and mp3 collections aren't nearly as fun because anyone can download any song out of curiosity at no cost.

I've considered going digital myself. Yep. I still buy CDs. At a rate of maybe half a dozen a month, give or take. But to go digital would mean accepting defeat, getting rid of/selling my CD collection, losing one of the biggest thrills of listening to music and that's the adventure and effort of tracking down a rare record store, picking up the wrapped CD for the first time, paying for it, rushing home, opening it, smelling the freshly printed liner notes and... popping the CD into my computer and ripping it for my iPod.

Yeah, I'm having it both ways. Or trying to. I still get the joy that I've had since I was 10 and that millions before me have had for nearly 50 years. But I also get the convenience that today's generation have with digital audio devices. I can carry my entire CD collection in my pocket (well, a portion of it. Until I get a larger device), I can have said collection in hard copy to show off to guests and should any of those artists come to town, I have something for them to autograph. Because really, how many autographs can fit on my ipod?

I've decided that, come May 23rd, upon the release of Born This Way, probably the most highly anticipated album I've ever waited for, I'm going to go the completely classic route. Head to HMV, pick up my copy, head home, open it up, go through the liner notes, smelling the freshly printed paper, and this time, pop the CD in my CD player and listen as it was meant to be. As GaGa herself said she wants to happen with its release.