Bob Dylan says Recording Technology Sucks
Aug. 23rd, 2006 06:18 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
thewaynehttp://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,71636-0.html
Bob Dylan says the quality of modern recordings is "atrocious," and even the songs on his new album sounded much better in the studio than on disc.
"I don't know anybody who's made a record that sounds decent in the past 20 years, really," the 65-year-old rocker said in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine.
Dylan, who released eight studio albums in the past two decades, returns with his first recording in five years, Modern Times, next Tuesday.
Noting the music industry's complaints that illegal downloading means people are getting their music for free, he said, "Well, why not? It ain't worth nothing anyway."
"You listen to these modern records, they're atrocious, they have sound all over them," he added. "There's no definition of nothing, no vocal, no nothing, just like ... static."
Dylan said he does his best to fight technology, but it's a losing battle.
"Even these songs probably sounded 10 times better in the studio when we recorded 'em. CDs are small. There's no stature to it."
He's one artist that will probably never find a place in my collection, but I do respect his views (to a degree). I like being able to understand my lyrics, and I don't care much for atonal harmonica: which is why Blues Traveler and a couple of other bands also don't really work for me.
Bob Dylan says the quality of modern recordings is "atrocious," and even the songs on his new album sounded much better in the studio than on disc.
"I don't know anybody who's made a record that sounds decent in the past 20 years, really," the 65-year-old rocker said in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine.
Dylan, who released eight studio albums in the past two decades, returns with his first recording in five years, Modern Times, next Tuesday.
Noting the music industry's complaints that illegal downloading means people are getting their music for free, he said, "Well, why not? It ain't worth nothing anyway."
"You listen to these modern records, they're atrocious, they have sound all over them," he added. "There's no definition of nothing, no vocal, no nothing, just like ... static."
Dylan said he does his best to fight technology, but it's a losing battle.
"Even these songs probably sounded 10 times better in the studio when we recorded 'em. CDs are small. There's no stature to it."
He's one artist that will probably never find a place in my collection, but I do respect his views (to a degree). I like being able to understand my lyrics, and I don't care much for atonal harmonica: which is why Blues Traveler and a couple of other bands also don't really work for me.
no subject
Date: 2006-08-24 12:46 am (UTC)When I listen to many newer albums, such as Rush's "Vapor Trails", I actually experience hearing fatigue by the end. Of course, since record companies and radio stations are more concerned with selling things one track at a time, they don't care.
However, there have been albums (most notably by Iron Maiden and Paul McCartney[!!!]) that I have gotten to listen to in the store and refused to buy because of how they were recorded. My desperate hope is that in a few years things will swing back towards audio quality and some of these recent recordings will be remastered so they actually sound good (but I'm not going to hold my breath).
--Llarry