The Citiblog

The Day The Music Died
January 23, 2006, 12:45.52 am ET

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I happened to be walking past NYU the other day. It amazes me how out of touch young people are these days, or maybe too in touch. I looked around and couldn't find one person on the street who wasn't yapping on a cell phone. Being lost, as I usually am, I had trouble finding anyone to ask for directions. Everyone was either on the phone or had their iPod "earbuds" jammed in their ears, oblivious of everything around them (see my earlier iPod rant below). Anyway, I thought I was the only iPod hater, but then I went into Subterranean Records in the Village, a place that believe it or not still sells vinyl and lots of it.


I was rummaging through old Pretenders albums, Cool and the Gang, even an unopened Prince: Purple Rain album and I was amazed that the prices were just as I had left them in the 1970s, from about six or seven bucks to around $20 in pristine condition. Then I got talking with the shopkeeper, who when I asked if there was still a lot of vinyl around, said with a sort of you're-an-idiot grin, "Do you know how many albums the Rolling Stones sold?" It was sort of a V-8 moment. And yes, I can be an idiot at times. Then I asked about the impact the iPod is having on the music biz and he went on a bit of a tirade. "It's pathetic. It's killing it!" he said, "People don't know what good music sounds like listening to it through tiny headphones." As I left there was some old country music crackling on the record player. I felt like I was home again!

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