AN OPEN LETTER TO THE NAPSTER COMMUNITY AND IT'S DETRACTERS

WHEN I FIRST BECAME ABLE TO ACCESS AND USE THIS WONDROUS UTILITY, I
WAS INITIALLY DISAPPOINTED.  MY INTERNET CONNECTION WAS PAINFULLY 
SLOW, AND DOWNLOADING EVEN THE SMALLEST FILE WAS ENORMOUSLY 
FRUSTRATING.  

HOWEVER, NAPSTER AFFORDED ME MY ONLY LINK TO LONG LOST MUSICAL 
MEMORIES.  MANY, IF NOT MOST, OF MY MUSICAL RECOLLECTIONS HAVE BEEN
LOST IN FAVOR OF WHATEVER TIN PAN ALLEY'S DESCENDENTS HAVE DEEMED
PROFITABLE THIS WEEK AND NEXT.

WHEN THE DIGITAL CD REPLACED THE ANALOG CASSETTES AND LP'S, FEW OF MY
CLASSIC REVERIES WERE INCLUDED.  OH, THE BIG HITTERS OF MANY PAST 
GENERATIONS WERE EVENTUALLY CARRIED ON THE BAND WAGON, BUT FAR MORE
WERE LOST IN TIME.

GROWING UP IN THE SIXTIES, I REMEMBER 45'S, LP'S, AND EVENTUALLY 8-TRACKS
AND CASSETTES.  WITH EACH NEW FORMAT, THE AVID MUSIC COLLECTOR FOUND
HIMSELF SHELLING OUT MORE AND MORE OF HIS HARD EARNED CASH.  

THE MUSIC INDUSTRY SELDOM SHOWED MERCY TO THE CONSUMER.  45'S WERE 
CRUDE AND SELDOM LASTED MORE THAN A FEW PLAYS.  LP'S WERE BETTER, BUT 
DELICATE AND PRONE TO DAMAGE.  

THEN CAME REEL-TO-REEL AND CASSETTES.  I DON'T REMEMBER ANY UPROAR OVER
COPYRIGHTS THEN!  THE VERY NATURE OF THE MEDIUM SCREAMED FOR COPYING,
AND THE SCREAM WAS HEARD!  TO THIS DAY I HAVE NEVER SEEN A PRE-RECORDED
REEL-TO-REEL.  CASSETTES WERE INITIALLY PRERECORDED, BUT VERY DELICATE.

8-TRACKS INITIALLY CAUGHT PART OF THE MARKET, PARTICULARLY IN THE CAR,
DUE I THINK TO THEIR CONTINUOUS PLAY FEATURE.  HOWEVER, THEY SOON LOST 
FAVOR WHEN THE SMALLER CASSETTES ADOPTED A RECORDABLE FEATURE.  NOW CD 
PLAYERS HAVE TAKEN UP THE CRY AND RECORDABLE CD-ROMS ARE HERE TO STAY.  

THROUGHOUT MY MUSIC COLLECTING YEARS, I WAS FORCED TO ADAPT CONTINUALLY 
TO NEW FORMATS AND PURCHASE EXTRA EQUIPMENT IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN MY 
MUSICAL DATABASE.  

FOR EXAMPLE, AS A LONG TIME FAN OF THE BAND "RENAISSANCE", I HAVE OWNED 
AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER, COMPLETE CATALOGS OF THEIR RECORDINGS ON LP'S, 
8-TRACKS, AND CASSETTES.  I HAVE PAID TO SEE THEM IN CONCERT.  I HAVE 
TWO OF THEIR GREATEST HITS COLLECTIONS ON CD, WHICH OFFER AN EXTREMELY 
LIMITED CROSS SECTION OF THEIR CAREER.  I FEEL I HAVE PAID MY DUES FOR 
THEIR RECORDINGS AND I FEEL NO GUILT IN CURRENTLY DOWNLOADING THEIR 
MUSIC TO MY PC.  FOR THAT MATTER, I'M SURE ANNIE HASLAM WOULD BE PROUD
TO SHAKE MY HAND (THOUGH I'D RATHER SHE KISSED MY CHEEK!).

RECENTLY A DEAR FRIEND OF MINE ASKED ME TO FIND SOME EXTREMELY RARE 
BITS OF JAZZ AND COUNTRY.  EVEN I HAD NEVER HEARD OF THE SELECTIONS HE 
REQUESTED.  I WAS FLABBERGASTED WHEN I FOUND MOST OF THESE RARE GEMS 
ON NAPSTER.  "GID TANNER & HIS SKILLET LICKERS" "MAW RAINEY" "DENVER 
DUKE & JEFFREY NULL".  HEY, "RECORD TOWN", "ASCAP", AND "BMI"; SHOW ME 
A CD WITH THIS STUFF!  FOR THAT MATTER, HOW MANY DOLLARS OF COPYRIGHT 
MONEY WILL THESE PERFORMERS EVER SEE.  THEY'VE BEEN DEAD FOR DECADES.
 
INCIDENTLY, I WAS A MUSICIAN FOR MANY YEARS.  I SANG AND PLAYED RHYTHYM
GUITAR FROM BAR TO BAR.  PUN INTENDED.  I JAMMED WITH OTHER MUSICIANS,
DRANK BOURBON, VODKA AND TEQUILA WITH THEM, AND LISTENED TO THEIR 
TALES.  I WROTE SOME SONGS, MOSTLY BLUES, AND "COVERED" HUNDREDS OF
OTHER PERFORMER'S WORKS.  IT'S WHAT MOST OF US DID.  WE'D MAKE MENTION
OF ANOTHER'S WORK.  SOMETIMES WE'D TELL A LITTLE STORY ABOUT HOW THEY 
CAME TO WRITE IT, OR SOME OUTRAGEOUSLY FUNNY LIE, ABOUT HOW THEY 
DIDN'T.  THE LIFE HAD IT'S UPS AND DOWNS.  MOSTLY DOWN.  I NEVER 
RECORDED A HIT SINGLE, NOR DID I EVER GET DECENT BILLING.  BUT I HAD
SOME FUN, AND CRY NOW THAT I CAN'T PLAY A LICK FOR WANT OF STEADY 
HANDS.

WHAT I FIND THE SADDEST CUT THESE DAYS, IS THAT MOST OF THE "HOW-DE-DO" 
OVER NAPSTER HAS LITTLE TO DO WITH THE MUSICIANS THEMSELVES.  OH, I 
KNOW THERE'S A FEW JEALOUS HAS-BEENS WHO FEEL THEIR LAST ALBUM DIDN'T 
SELL WELL BECAUSE SOME TEEN-AGER IN DULUTH DOWNLOADED THEIR "HIT SINGLE" 
AND SHARED IT WITH HIS FRESHMAN CLASS.  BUT MOST OF NAPSTER'S PARADIGM, 
WHETHER INTENTIONAL OR NOT, SEEMS TO BE THAT OF AN ENORMOUS LIBRARY.

THE BIGGEST WHINERS ARE THE MUSIC INDUSTRY'S BEAN COUNTERS, WHO WOULDN'T 
TAKE A PEE WITHOUT CHARGING A NICKLE FOR THE CUP.  MOST OF THESE TONE-DEAF 
"WINDSHIELD RACONTUERS", NEVER FOUND THEIR BLISS AND WANT NOTHING BETTER
THAN TO PROFIT FROM BOTH ENDS OF THE SLUICE GATES.  IF PROFESSIONAL 
MUSIC MAKERS FEEL THEY'RE NOT GETTING THEIR SHARE, THEY SHOULD LOOK TO
THE MARKETING CLOWNS WITH WHOM THEY HAVE SIGNED THEIR NAMES IN BLOOD.

THESE DAYS I AM SEVERELY DISABLED.  I LIVE ON ABOUT $600 A MONTH.  I HAVE
A MODEST APARTMENT, A DECENT STEREO, AND A PRETTY GOOD PC.  I HAVE RECENTLY
ACQUIRED DSL AND NAPSTER IS AN ENORMOUS JOY.  FORTUNATELY, I MADE MONEY IN
THE LAST FEW DECADES, OTHERWISE I'D HAVE NOTHING.  

I ENJOY MANY GENRES OF MUSIC.  I HAVE RECORDINGS FROM THE THIRTIES, THE 
FIFTIES, AND ON AND ON.  I HAVE NEVER LIKED "POP" MUSIC.  THE REAL GEMS
ARE USUALLY FOUND ON THE "B" SIDE.  THE RECORDINGS THAT I LOOK FOR CANNOT
BE FOUND AT "RECORD TOWN".  NOR CAN I AFFORD TO PAY $17 FOR A CD (ASSUMING 
I COULD FIND IT IN THE FIRST PLACE!).  

THE MAIL ORDER CLUBS ARE FILLED WITH "POP" SWILL AND LITTLE ELSE, THOUGH 
I ADMIT THEY DO MUCH FOR THE COST.  I RECENTLY RECEIVED AN OFFER FROM 
COLUMBIA HOUSE.  YOU KNOW THE ONES I MEAN.  15 CD'S FOR A PENNY!  NOTHING
MORE TO BUY EVER!  I COULDN'T FIND 15 CD'S THAT I WANTED.  

I CAN ALWAYS FIND WHAT I WANT ON NAPSTER...

LEAVE 'EM ALONE!

(HEY, IT JUST OCCURED TO ME!  IF THE COURT'S RULING REMOVED ALL OF THE 
CURRENT "POP" HITS, IT COULD NARROW MY SEARCHES!)  THAT'S THE ONLY 
ARGUEMENT I CAN MAKE FOR THE RECORD COMPANYS.  TSK. TSK.  

WAYNE "THE WIZARD OF ODD" BROWN
1B 16 MALLORY STREET
CORINTH, NEW YORK 12822
USA
(518)654-9697
USER:  WHIZARDOFODD
WZARDOFODD@adelphia.net
http://www.angelfire.com/ny2/wzardofodd/index.html

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