No more Classics?

Whats happening people,

Another LONG post but its something on my mind and I guess if I cant say it on my blog - where am I gonna say it?? There IS a song at the end of the rainbow though - enjoy!

So recently, I picked up Kanyes new album, Ndubz album, and Wretch 32s album (soon and eager to pick up Bashys!) all are excellent in there own ways but I dont think id put any of them down as CLASSIC albums like id put say a Michael Jackson "Off the Wall" or a Jay z "The Blueprint" or Raekwons "Only built for cuban linx". It got me thinking..."WHY NOT THOUGH? Has the era of classic albums faded? When was the last time you got an album - a new album that is, and BATTERED it and played it over and over for a couple months?" - for me its been a long time...but...why?

My conclusion is that first of all, hiphop is not dead - its not the quality of the music - people are still making amazing, thought provoking, reflective,emotional
music (in between all that click snap business") as Ive heard on the recent albums ive got. I blame Technology - two aspects ;
1. The Internet and Mp3s
2. The "Skip" function.

1. Mp3s.

I am THE original downloader - straight - ill admit it. Im an eager beaver and I wan hear things as quick as possible and so I download - DONT WORRY THOUGH - artists I like and especially alot of Uk artists, I WILL and DO go and buy the album after and just leave it jammin in my bedroom in the shrinkwrap (Cds are played (played out that is...seeing as cds can actually be played..) anyway!) - i got my ipod in the car - the purchase is purely for support - kanye understands this the most which is why he leaked like half his album as a free download and still has the number 1 album out - people including myself WILL buy regardless of downloading).

Ive been downloading from college - from around 1999 - I had 115kbps broadband with homechoice before most people had internet. But even with my relatively fast connection for those days, I had to leave my computer on overnight to get an 1 album which would take around 12 hours to download so when I got it, even for free, I would be appreciative of the time it took to get and listen to the WHOLE thing - however, I wouldnt appreciate it as much as an album that I went out and paid for.

Now though - people get 2mb broadband for FREE with they sky subscription and 10mb connections for change - every tom dick and susan knows how to use limewire at least (more advanced with torrents etc) and so you can get the song you saw in the hmv advert on the TV probably before xfactor comes back on - its ridiculous! (Im not complaining as an artist about sales - like i said, people will still buy - this is my observation though). And so the value you put on songs isnt the same as when you had to save your weekly money to go buy that single on TAPE cassette back in the day. PLUS the sheer volume of songs that everyone has these days means that you will move onto something else quite quickly, easily and for FREE!! songs/albums havent got the chance to be classic because your itunes library expands on a day to day basis. 20000 songs on something that can fit in your pocket!?!?!? surely the workings of a witch or wizard of somesort!

2. The "Skip" function.

With the invention of cds, we have been able to tap that little button and "skip" a track. You buy an album, put it in...hear something you dont like straight away....SKIP...another one....SKIP!!! With tapes (that you had to BUY) you couldnt skip so easily so you were forced to take the album in - listen to the whole thing - fwd and rwd is long on tapes and so you could sit down and listen to the entire tape and take in the album properly because as well as you aint getting another tape for a couple weeks/Internet, Mp3s, and Skip...or a lack thereof - THATS what i reckon made albums classic.

How many times have you slept on a song on an album you had - skipped past it even, then saw the video for it and realised the song is actually DECENT, went back and saw it jammin on that album you had there all along - its because you CANT SKIP music videos you were able to take the song in!!!

How many times have you DOWNLOADED an album - yes you! thought it was actually quite good, in fact very good...but then forgot about it quite quickly because you downloaded something new the next week.

I guess we need to try appreciate albums more and take time with them - I know I do. There are one or two exceptions that ill recognise - you can argue that "The Blueprint" was out in a cd skip function era - downloading wasnt so prominent but still around - also Robin Thickes "Evolution of robin thicke" I reckon is a classic which came out in the download era - one or two exceptions but maybe because ive paid more attention to them like I should to all albums...

I feel like putting out a 1 track album. Not one song...but one 60 minute track - you know like those mix cds you cant skip tracks with - then you'll be FORCED to listen to it all (put evil laugh here)...or not at all...could be quite annoying though - when you have your favourites and have to hold your finger down on the button till 45 minutes in! lol.

Anyway...Ive said FAAAR too much - just some food for thought...

I touch on this issue in a song I did an while back (more on the second verse: "He got gigabytes/so he aint listen right...)

Incisive : Coming Up



'Cisive

P.s 24 is back - New season! Jack Bauer is a badman (well he actually catches badmen but...is a badman in a michael jackson bad sorta way...*sigh...u know what i mean!!) :-)