An interesting article which explores that question.
Are pop lyrics getting more repetitive?
ATM: New Adventures in Hi-Fi?
I’m thinking of replacing my malfunctioning Arcam hifi. Technology has moved on in the fifteen years or so since I bought it, with new features like streaming & multi-room capability coming into play. And this is where I would like some advice before I start getting bamboozled in hifi shops. I guess the key question is what is hi-fi these days? With wireless speakers and Sonos-type multi-room systems, is there still a need for the combination of various boxes of tricks and two carefully placed speakers to get what would be traditionally required as high fidelity sound quality? How does the sound quality of these newer types of system stack-up against the more traditional ‘hi-fi’ set-up? To what extent have improvements in technology ‘improved’ the sound quality of traditional systems since I bought my current black boxes? I know a lot of this is subjective but I’d value the opinions of a bunch of music fans above the reviews of magazines that are a little too dependent on advertising, so over to you folks for any views or advice you can offer.
Bowie tributes
Madonna did one, Kanye threatened one, Gaga did one, there’s a big one planned for New York, and an all-star supergroup are rumoured to be performing one at the Brit awards. But do we really need all of these Bowie tributes? Now don’t get me wrong, I was surprised at how upset I was by his death, and much of the last month has found me rediscovering Bowie’s music and being struck by how varied its is and how well so much of it stands the test of time. But isn’t that enough? Blackstar by itself stands as a much greater tribute to what he was about than a bunch of rockstars performing meat-and-potatoes cover versions of his greatest hits. Looking at the line-up of the New York shows (see link) I can see a few acts with a real Bowie connection, whether through history or spirit, but equally there are others whose presence is mystifying to say the least. Then there’s the rumoured line-up for the Brits; lots of star-power for sure, but it fair makes the heart sink to imagine what it’s going to sound like.
No doubt Bowie meant as much, if not more, to many » Continue Reading.
