Alex Van Halen From Modern Drummer Magazine: MD: Isn’t it great that kids can have instant singles downloaded to their iPods? AVH: I thinks it’s destroyed the whole idea of having an album. To have a collection of songs that are somewhat connected, but not. The idea to have a cohesive piece of work to be representative of a certain period of your life, those things that have depth and add meaning to what you do, aren’t there anymore. This is a disposable society and everything is a one-minute wonder. And that’s unfortunate, because the next generation will do th same thing. Who do they have to learn from?

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Comment by Mike Radcliffe on March 30, 2009 at 12:36pm
Iphones tell you where coffee is within 100 yards, right?

I have yet to buy a "download" song or album. Not only do I prefer the 45mb file over the 6mb one, but I also prefer to own my music outright and not have some douche-nozzle controlling how many times I can copy it or what players i can put it on. Also, I hear too many friends talking about their hard drives or iPods crashing and losing all their music.

But yes, the "album" still appeals to me. I want to hear all those songs and how they tie together.
Comment by Steve Forrest on March 30, 2009 at 12:17pm
So, Mike, if I understand correctly you are saying that when you listen to it you are listening to the entire "album". That's great if you download the entire album and not just pick and choose singles to download, which is the problem originally stated by Alex. Now if I can just get my son to think like you he will get the album concept, and also know where the nearest Starbucks is at any given moment. :-)
Comment by Mike Radcliffe on March 30, 2009 at 11:30am
I have a digi-music player, and I can't remember EVER playing it in shuffle mode or playlist mode (except for gig set-lists).
If I want to shuffle, I'll listen to radio.
Comment by Steve Forrest on March 30, 2009 at 10:24am
My 14 year old puts his iPod on and sits behind his kit playing along with tune after tune in his playlist, but after reading this it reminds me that he is missing something VERY important (good spot for a drummer joke here!). Albums sometimes carry a theme, have movements from one mood to another and the music from album play can connect at a different level than just a mass of singles on a playlist. I don't think I've ever heard a kid say "I've got a new playlist, come on over and we'll jam with it!". Albums are an event. Singles are, well, singles. Put away the iPod and play with an entire album. He will just have to get up and turn the record over after the first few tunes! Remember playing along with an album and it always got to that one song that you really didn't like but you played through it anyway? I'm sure that practice has helped me out more than I realized.
Amen, Alex.
Thanks for posting it, Mark.
Wait, over a year ago?
Comment by Jon Roniger on March 2, 2009 at 7:30am
Mr. Van Halen is dead on! Here's the problem, not one has any sense of what it's like to hear a song on the radio and wait for the album to come out. That feeling of joy when you get home and play THE ENTIRE RECORD for the first time....on a stereo...NOT A PHONE!
Also, why would anyone, some years down the road, bother spending the time and money to make an entire record with real mics, great pre-amps and the tone warming tools when it all ends up in an MP3 file on a phone.
Comment by Jaymi on March 2, 2009 at 12:43am
He's right on with that!!! I guess the next generation needs to learn from those of us who still buy whole albums...
Comment by Roy Vogt on March 1, 2009 at 11:56am
I don't need to learn music-I can just copy the hand movements of someone on Youtube....
I feel your pain, Alex...
Comment by Rich "Grooveboy" Redmond on March 1, 2009 at 12:04am
Mark!!
Great stuff there!!! he was a hero growing up!!! I hope to see ya soon!!! Love your drum sounds!!!!! Cheers,

Rich
Comment by Mark Capps on February 12, 2009 at 4:05pm
I'm just glad that someone still reads my blogs...... Thanks Guys.......
Comment by Mike Radcliffe on February 10, 2009 at 10:25pm
That carries some weight coming from Alex, considering that most drummers could listen to a measure or two of solo'd drums from almost any VanHalen song and tell you what album it's from.
Alex always seemed to have drum sounds, techniques, and grooves which were unique to each album, especially later on.

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