dreamwarrior

Anyway, for all the passionate Neapolitans, there is a record fair on Sunday in Pozzuoli. I don’t know if I should go, also because I already know I would spend an entire salary :-)

Oh my god, even the CDs often arrive with damaged cases, but for 10 cents you can change it and it’s all good. Usually, I don’t leave negative feedback for scratched cases; just replace it…

In fact, the talk about sending the 33 RPM record by mail leaves me a bit perplexed unless super-padded packaging is used to cushion the impacts.

It's logical that if a CD is left in the sun, left in a car (I would send to jail anyone who takes original CDs in a car), exposed to heat, or treated carelessly, the chances of it becoming unusable increase significantly. But if it is left at home, peacefully in its case, I believe it can last for many, many years.

I would be very careful with copied CDs or DVDs, like those with photos from our vacations. You burn them, everything seems fine, then after three or four months you put them back in the player and at some point they start to freeze or not all the photos are readable. This most of the time depends on a defective burner during writing that gives the illusion of a good read the first time but then gradually leads to data loss. Unfortunately, many times you only realize that a burner is defective in this way.

Well, maybe try uploading it onto another player...

The notion that a CD would have a limited lifespan is the result of a misunderstanding. Burned CDs definitely have a shorter lifespan compared to an original CD, as the burning process, which is a hot process, irreversibly alters the physics of the optical medium. The process of creating an original audio CD is completely different: it is not a hot process and there is no "pocking" phase; essentially, the tracks are directly etched onto the medium. A burned CD, therefore, can never be like an original.

Well, undoubtedly vinyl records have a charm that surpasses that of CDs, especially regarding the size of the cover which allows for details impossible to notice on CD covers. For example, I have the double vinyl of Iron Maiden's Live After Death, and it's a sight to behold. However, apart from a nostalgia trip, I honestly don’t see the reason to repurchase everything on vinyl, considering that nowadays it costs even more than a regular optical medium, takes up more space (and anyone with a lot of records knows how precious space is...), and, additionally, requires much more maintenance. Then there’s also the issue of used records: I would find it hard to buy a used 33 RPM record, precisely because even a small scratch can cause it to skip and clip... CDs are a whole different story, more durable, and unless the scratches are made with a plow, they always sound good. In fact, I’ve even re-acquired some of my 33 RPM records in CD format, just for the sake of convenience. As for sound quality, it's the usual debate: it depends on where you listen to it, what you're listening to, etc...

And let's not forget that in some tracks (Keep the faith, I'll sleep when I'm dead, In these arms) the Midas touch of Desmond Child is present as a songwriter.

Really nice album. Bon Jovi shed the sequins and hairspray to deliver a pure rock record, under the direction of Bob Rock.