Wil Wheaton on crying hey man this is babylon :
See, this is why the loss of Tower Records is going to seriously hurt a generation of young artists, because it was in a Tower Records that I found all of these things. Sure, it's great to have the convenience of buying and instantly downloading records and stuff, but the damn kids today who will grow up without ever setting foot in a record store or talking to a hardcore music geek who works there just don't know what they're missing.
Exactly. While I purchase 90 percent-ish of my music online now, there is nothing like spending a few hours just looking through the stacks. Some of my best musical purchases were made as a result of something I heard on the store's speakers or came across after sifting through a pile of cassettes and LPs.
Growing up in Central Illinois, I spent countless hours at J.R.'s in Northwoods Mall in Peoria and Rock of Ages in Pekin. After getting stationed at Camp Lejeune I spent even more hours at the Record Bar in Jacksonville just looking and reading and listening and dreaming. My kids will not have that experience and won't know what they are missing. FYE just isn't the same.
The internet has revolutionized music delivery and helped place some artists on a more equal footing with the labels, no doubt about that. However, what makes a good music store is also present in the atmosphere I encounter when walking into an independent neighborhood bookstore, comic book shop or a gnarly old diner on the side of the road.
Some things just can't be duplicated online…
Relevant Links:
http://wilwheaton.typepad.com/wwdnbackup/2008/05/crying-hey-man.html