FolkWorld #67 11/2018
© Editorial by Walkin' Tom

The F Word

The other night I came upon a TV report about the current music industry: CD sales are still number one, closely followed by streaming services, whereas music downloads are suffering.

It is quite interesting how popular music is adjusting itself to streaming practices. Today's audience gives a song a mere 30 seconds to get hooked upon. So hit songs have no musical intros anymore, often quickly starting with the chorus. Is that an approach to produce quality? I doubt it!

Every morning when I drive to work I pick a couple of CDs to listen to. I sometimes feel like a dinosaur, or the Last Mohican. Both where swept away by forces beyond their control unable to adapt to changing times. But I cannot help it. I love music very much and I want to show respect for the artist and his/her creation. I want the full monty, not musical snippets.

Because of FolkWorld I have to listen to loads of CDs and decide which reviewer might be best for it. If anything I learned one thing: it takes more than 30 seconds to appreciate a song. There are also albums that must be digested completely, and not bit by bit.

The dinosaurs passed away, never realizing their fate. However, the Mohican did fight to the very end. He didn't succeed either, but did fight anyway. So there is still hope. I rely on reason and humanity. The enemy is an industry that's only in it for the money. Its victim is the mindless music consumer who actually thinks he has a choice.

Anyway, it might turn out that the music on FolkWorld.eu is barely affected by these developments. So let's just carry on, and keep on folking! All the best, T :-) M


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