Michael wrote in reply to my initial rant/post: (which, in retrospect, I 
would have toned down a bit, but still held fast to my primary point).

Jeff wrote..
>>
>> Just one curmudgeonly mans humble opinion (and pardon my rant), but 
>> I,
>> for one, will never pay *anyone* $2.00 per track for a download 
>> *ever*.
>> $24.00 for a twelve track cd? You can throw in all the liner notes,
>> artwork and "commentary" you can muster, and make each song 6 minutes
>> long, it wouldn't make any difference to me.

<snip>

>> Most everyone is still trying to find their way in this new
>> method-of-delivery market reality, but charging 2 bucks for a digital
>> download is surely the wrong direction. It's bone-headed and
>> self-destructive. I have no idea who  David Grahame is, I'm sure he's
>> terrific from what most of you have said, but I'll damn sure never 
>> find
>> out at $2.00 per unheard digital file. Mr. Grahame, I'll pay you .65 
>> per
>> track, paid directly to your paypal account *IF* you'll give me a 
>> place
>> to at least her 30 second snippets of your new songs. To each his 
>> own.
>> Adapt or die.

>I do see your point. My main beef with this is no samples. Really.,.. a 
>30
second sample would have saved a lot of trouble..

>Back when i was a kid, i wouldn't think twice about spending $2 on a 
>single.
I'd spend every spare dollar on singles. Go straight home and put them
straight on a compilation tape. When i'd filled up the tape, it was ALL 
that
i listened to, until the next tape was filled up. This sort of thing is 
one
of the big things i remember from growing up. So for me, this is kinda 
like
buying a single again.

I see your point as well Michael, and I believe it was Gene Good who 
made a similar point. In reply, let me just say that downloading a 
digital file, to me, is NOTHING like buying a 45 or an LP or even a CD. 
It's not even remotely the same experience to me, not even "kinda like" 
<smile>. I mean really, a compressed digital file on your computer is 
worth $2.00? I still can't even fathom it. I'm guessing the folks at 
iTunes and eMusic feel the same way? Aren't most people balking at 
paying $1.30 for the DRM-free mp3's now being offered?

>As for the price... i have this theory that just because everybody is 
>doing
everything for free doesn't mean that it's always right. There's gotta 
be
some value to things.

Precisely! I'm with ya on this point 100 percent. This entire discussion 
may simply be about "perceived value", and that's certainly a personal 
thing.

>This isn't $24 bucks for an album, as much as it's
being able to experience the new music in real time, as it's being made.

I just can't follow you with this, but I see what you're saying. "In 
real time", "as it's made", isn't that similar to including "comments" 
from the songwriter, etc.? Should I pay extra to be part of his creative 
experience? Do I want to download scanned images of his lyric sheets? 
No. Explain to me though, how I wouldn't end up paying Mr. Grahame $2.00 
per track until I have his entire EP or LP? I may truly be missing 
something here. And let me add this for now as well: Are we applying 
this rationale selectively, using David Grahame, where we maybe wouldn't 
if it were an artist not held in quite such high regard by members of 
this list? If we are, let's say so and agree (in theory at least) that 
when all the Beatle titles (for example) are available as download, 
they'll all be $2.00 each also, and all the less worthy and popular 
(subjectively, of course) artist tracks will be priced considerably 
less. (Or try this: it's no secret that Cliff Hillis has been writing a 
bit with Willie Wisely. A couple of weeks ago, I was lucky enough to 
hear one of those new songs performed live. It blew me away. I'm the 
newest Wisely fanatic anyway, Parador being my new fav album from last 
year, can't stop playing it, etc. So ... would I pay $2.00 per track if 
Cliff and Will were to "leak" their first two songs (even demos) to us 
via a web site? I'm not saying yes or no, I'm just trying to make sure 
that we're framing this discussion properly, what it's REALLY about.)

>It's a concept some of our heroes were very into, until marketing and 
>the
'bizness' made it difficult. "All You Need Is Love". "Instant Karma". 
"Band
Aid". I think it's worth it, and don't have any issue with the price. 
It's
like a boutique thing, and i don't begrudge him that at all. I would 
have
priced it similarly... maybe.

Hmm ... I'll really be surprised if this works out for him or if anyone 
else follows his example. If I'm wrong, I promise to be the 1st to admit 
it and shout it from the rooftops. I'll have seriously misjudged part of 
the market.

> But he REALLY should put some samples up..

No doubt about that. (Michael and Jeff finally raise their glasses and 
enjoy a frosty beverage on a sun drenched deck on some distant shore).

MC
www.mcarp.com
www.lovehzstudios.com
www.myspace.com/michaelcarpenter

JT