Friday, April 22, 2016

Bic Pen Optional

There's probably a reason why the audio cassette won't die. But I can't figure out what it is. And I don't know if this is supposed to signal an end to the resurgence of vinyl that will resurge again once the cassette resurgence dies off, or if it will wait for a return of 8-tracks.

Or maybe we'll go back to the original format of the album, a booklet of sleeves holding several discs that each contain a song or two. Whichever is the most obscure and difficult method available to play the music, I expect, will wind up being the ultimate favorite of the people who are cooler than me.

Yeah, I know. Doesn't narrow the field much, does it.

Oh, the Bic Pen reference is to a method of rewinding your cassettes if they're not in the player. You're welcome, I guess.

3 comments:

fillyjonk said...

Mixtapes, maybe? (Or maybe it's just that there are enough Gen-Xers like me who are nostalgic for a time when things seemed simpler.)

I dunno. In some ways I'm a Luddite but I prefer to keep music in a physical format rather than as mere electrons in a cloud somewhere, where it could be hacked or deleted by the corporate owner, or where the format could go away. (Then again: try finding a tape player today).

I still have a few crumbling cassette tapes. Haven't played any lately to see if they're still okay. I do have a lot of CDs but one of my CD players has died....I need to see if I can replace it. My parents have a lot of vinyl and even a few lacquer records and they found a record player...

CGHill said...

I have a few tapes that have managed to survive three, even four decades. And the CD and/or DVD drive in most desktop computers can be persuaded to play audio CDs with the appropriate software.

Friar said...

I'd love to keep more of my albums, especially on vinyl. Not because my ears can tell the difference in the sound, but because I like the opportunity for real artwork and legible liner notes.

But my profession moves me around a little too often to cart those things with me everyplace, so I've drastically reduced the physical component of the library. Maybe when I retire...