Why I Still Buy CDs

Regardless of whether it is stolen or I bought it from a mp3 site, I am more like a 62- year- old when it comes to music, then a 26- year- old. Digital downloads are too techno for me. The internet is a marvelous place to find out all the information I ever could want to know about my favorite artists. I mean I have written a couple articles about one of my favorites Marques Houston, so I know that the info is there, so if I want to know the date his new album will be released I will do a search, but I would have to make a stop at my nearest retailer and pick up an actual CD. The internet may be cheaper and in my home, but nothing beats unwrapping a brand new CD, and now that they make those GREEN CDs I am sure the Compact CD will be around for years to come.

I like to have the liner notes.

I am really into music and I don't just listen to the artist sing. I like to know who the producers are and who wrote the song. Sure the singer may have a great voice, but he or she might not have written the song. I mean if all the songs on the CD were produced by one person, but the only one you like is the one song produced by someone else then that artist might want to take note of that. Since there are plenty of review sites where anyone can write a review about something, artist would want to know about it. Plus I am just a trivia type person who has to know everything about a particular artist like the fact that Stevie Wonder wrote the track "I Can't Help It" from Michael Jackson's Off the Wall album. I was listening to Chris Brown's album Exclusive and heard a song called: "You." Listening to the lyrics and the music I figured singer, song, writer, and producer The-Dream produced that track. I grabbed the CD and saw that he did.

Appreciate the artist

As I stated before I am a big fan of Marques Houston and I have bought all of his albums. He has an album titled Mattress Music coming out this summer, but with the sound of the first single "Kicking and Screaming", I don't know how much I will like this particular album, but I will be going to the store the DAY it comes out and I will be purchasing it, purely out of support. Matter of fact everytime someone makes a purchase of any music they are taking a chance on being totally disappointed. For instance about 10 years or more ago, I bought "So So Def Bass All-stars Volume One and loved it. This was southern music before Lil' Jon came out throwing his YEAHS, OKAY, and WHAT in songs, Jermaine Dupri was like the only person really trying to rep for the south and was making good music. Soon Volume Two came out and I bought it of course expecting it to be awesome like the first one, but was sadly disappointed. It happens but I buy CDs primarily to support the artist. If I wrote a book that was a romance novel, but my best friend only reads sci-fi I would still expect her to buy the book, preferably from a bookstore and not a bootlegger of books. I guess I look at buying music from my favorite artist the same way.

I think it is still cool to have a Super CD collection.

Maybe it's because I was born in the 80's and raised in the 90's and find the Compact Disc to still be cooler then Vinyl or cassette. It's probably because I refuse to become a product of the IPod nation. Regardless I like having a collection of CDs, something tangible that I can hold in my hands. I know too many people who lose those expensive IPods or has a computer that decides to crash losing all music files. I don't have to worry about those things, because all my music is stored on round plastic items, and when I can carry all 200 plus with me, I just add a few albums I like to my simple MP3 player with a simple rip and sync on the computer. (Yes I do have a MP3 player, 1Gig, that I used in my car that is also techno-less because its year is 1992.) Like I said there is something about opening a brand new wrapped CD, and the frustration the tape around the edges causes, for me that is the best part. After I look at the liner notes, pictures of the artist and listen to the CD, I find a spot on my CD case (alphabetically of course) and place the CD among the rest. Maybe I will listen again, maybe I won't but I love stepping back to look at my collection. Not sure what I will do with all of them as time goes on, I guess as they continue to find innovative ways for us to have music maybe they will figure it out for me, in the meantime I will admire my collection.