Alvin Lee Message & Discussion Board
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Stop - listen - no, for longer. Do you hear that?
That's the sound of anticipation and expectation of you average Alvin Lee fan. Now that's a contradiction in terms, there's no such thing as an 'average' Alvin Lee fan, we all like to think we're that bit special - and so we should. We know what we like, and we like what we know in music.
I just wanted to lay down one rule, and one rule only for the forthcoming release of
'Still on the Road to Freedom'. So far, I've seen nothing to indicate whether downloads of the album will be available on the same day as the 'hard copy', but as far as hearing it first -
Downloads Don't Count!
It's cheating!
It's not fair!
There should be laws!!! 
I must be hopelessly old-fashioned, but I rarely if ever download music, just as I NEVER read on a Kindle. I like the physicality of albums and books. Not only for their own individual and collective tangibility and portability (wow, my old Latin prof must be proud of me in that Great Linguistics & Etymology Convention in the Sky!), but also for their aesthetics (Greek! How'd that get in?) and design: the photos, artwork, lettering, etc. Yeah, yeah, on a Kindle I could see a cover briefly on the screen. Whoopee. But with a mere device, could I line up a whole bunch of books or albums I like in a row or stack them in a pile and gloat over them simultaneously on a mad miserly whim, or play show and tell with them in the company of like-minded cohorts, I ask you? Noooo. Clearly inferior media.
That's the sound of anticipation and expectation of you average Alvin Lee fan. Now that's a contradiction in terms, there's no such thing as an 'average' Alvin Lee fan, we all like to think we're that bit special - and so we should. We know what we like, and we like what we know in music.
I just wanted to lay down one rule, and one rule only for the forthcoming release of
'Still on the Road to Freedom'. So far, I've seen nothing to indicate whether downloads of the album will be available on the same day as the 'hard copy', but as far as hearing it first -
Downloads Don't Count!
It's cheating!
It's not fair!
There should be laws!!!
There's no greater feeling than listening to a new album and reading the sleeve notes. It's part of the experience. Although as the years go by, reading the sleeve notes on a CD becomes increasingly challenging without the aid of 'specs'.
I do download what I call 'casual purchases' or the odd track off an album....the same old story, some albums only have one or two good tracks, so why buy the whole deal?
As far as Alvin's music goes, it's hard copy all the time then loaded on to the iPod for the car, the CD remains for playing at home. I hear what many of you say, that there is nothing to beat the sound from vinyl - I don't know if I'll ever persuade Madame Alan to let me buy a modern turntable (I guess they're not called record players no more) so I'll just have to take the devotees of vinyl's word for the quality in the meantime.
For a total sound experience, Alvin's music should played from vinyl record through an old tube/valve amplifier feeding a stack of large speakers. Guaranteed eargasm.. 