Technology and Music

'Technology and Music' has come a long way since I bought my first mono single record from Woolworth way back in the early sixties (and even then it was a 'cover' version of the hit). Along came 'Extended Play' (EP), Long Play (LP) and all in 'Vinyl'. 'Mono' players soon turned to 'Hi-Fi'.

The time of the 'Beatles' and 'Stones' (the later sixties), 'Stereo' was born along with headphones to really enjoy listening to those new sounds left, right and sometimes moving across. This was also a great time for the introduction of 'Tape-recorders' for those of us who could not afford to purchase the latest hits. We could tape them from our friends music or by plugging into Sunday's 'Pick of the Pops' on BBC radio. It was a skill to monitor and record whilst cutting out the interrupted chat from the host.

Radio pop shows were mostly non-existent back then, unless one tuned into 'Pirate Radio' but not long after, the BBC introduced Radio One allowing more chances for us to 'pirate' their hits.

Come on., we all did it even though it was illegal!

As time progressed through the seventies and eighties, technology moved very fast: we had more updated and larger speaker systems, amplifiers and stack units. The tape-recorder improved vastly with Akai and suchlike. Then along came another revelation that outdid most - the 'Cassette Player'. Now people could listen to their favourite songs (Mixed-tapes), not only in their homes but on the move by foot or vehicle with the aid of a 'Walkman' or 'Car Radio/Cassettes'.

As all that technology improved, along came another in the early nineties that changed it all. CD's arrived and everybody ran out to update their music stock believing it was a much better quality sound and the product was 'indestructible'. CD's also were introduced to fast and improving desktop computers where discs could be 'burned' and played in the latest portable or car CD radios. But you needed to carry many discs which was not really practical.

Now I move on more to today. We have had MP3 music but now everybody seems to be turning more to all other downloaded music from the internet, especially now with 'Smart Phones', 'Wi-Fi' and 'You-tube'.

However, unlike my early days I mentioned, this all comes at a cost each time. Sharing Broadband and 'Wi-Fi' at home with television, computers and listening to music is okay, but when out and about it costs a fortune to max-out on contract entitlement, even if just listening to live radio.

I made a big mistake when 'CD's' came out: I sold all my many LP's at a 'Boot-sale' for around fifty pence a time. Vinyl is coming back and are worth a fortune. I am now turning the clock back on 'Cassettes': I am so glad I kept all mine. I am about to purchase a new portable 'Cassette-player' (they are still around), and will go back to listening to all my music: mostly recorded from my own collection, as I travel around on my merry way by foot or otherwise.

Music technology is improving all the time and I am glad of it. Yet sometimes, I think it is a far more affordable to step back in the past.