Quick–who remembers liner notes? Ok, who knows what they are?
Years and years ago there was printed media that came with albums or cd's they would have all sorts of cool information on them. Who is playing what, who is singing what, who is the band thankful for. One of the coolest things about the mid 80's (for me anyway) was checking to see if I was included in the bands notes of thanks. I was at times and wooo I felt famous.
Today with all the digital and streaming we never really know if the band is thanking God, or the caterer or me for their success. Well, no band is thanking me for their success but it is a glimpse into the inner workings of bands that I certainly miss. Now there are 'teaser videos' and leaks but there is nothing tangible to hold in your hand where the singer of band X is thanking their hairdresser. Trivial? Not at all there is more info- a background vocalist could be your new favorite singer, guest guitarist could be from a band you love but you will never know. Music is sound waves floating in your head, and like cereal in a clear bag- nothing to read while you're digging it.
The Recording Academy is with me on this one and has launched a "Give Fans Credit' campaign, claiming you deserve more than just the song. And I completely agree. Lets hope they can make this happen- roll credits (and quote!)
Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy, said:
"The staggering pace of digital innovation gives consumers access to more and more information, but in this case — digitally released music without liner notes — the music fan is getting less information. We can watch movies online with the credits included, and the same should be true for digitally released recordings. If music devices can access millions of tracks in the cloud, we're confident we can find a way to acknowledge those who created the tracks here on Earth."
Indeed. You're being robbed of some pretty cool info that could potentially make you a whole lot of friends at your next gathering. The trivial info alone is worth the fight. Lets hope they figure out a way to get us the info to enhance our experience.
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