Tangible music

Following on from this morning's post about something that pushed the limits of existing, today I decided to talk about something that 100% exists. CDs!

Music is quite an important, and quite a novel, thing for me. I only really started to listen to songs 6 years ago (The Beatles, courtesy of my friend). My music tastes can best be described as a mixture of whatever is floating past me at the time (primarily rock/alternative/indie though) from friends, adverts, the radio in the minibus. As a result, I tend to mostly buy the odd song or two off an album on iTunes because it's generally more convenient. But if I like an entire album and one of my friends hasn't already lent it to me, I'll step out from the digital age and will order a lovely tangible copy.

Yes, I know that there shouldn't really be a difference. The songs will be the same regardless. I upload them straight away on to my computer and I don't have a CD player (or at least, not one that still functions). CDs can get scratched, they take up space, they use up resources that could be used for other things. Sometimes they are more expensive than downloads (although, on the whole, they seem to be cheaper...)

But despite all the logical reasons why I shouldn't get a physical CD, I just like it more. Album artwork looks much nicer in reality - all my CDs are displayed in a toast rack (Don't ask). They give me some back up so that if my computer mysterious dies and takes my precious music to it grave, I have a selection of songs to tide me over until I can restore them. It's nicer to hold the CD case, to spin the disc round and flick through the front cover bit (especially when it has lyrics!). In short, I like the tangible feel of having music (yes, materialistic, I know). And it keeps reminding me that I do actually now have a music 'collection' which is something I find strangely satifying.

So, counter arguments aside, I think I will be stick with tangible discs for the time being. Hopefully, MP3 files and downloads won't completely overrun us in the foreseeable future!
(P.S. I got some new CDs today! Hence the post. I am currently importing the songs and listening to them as I go. So far, so good!)