Punk,  Rock

Love Trilogy: to my CDs, it’s “see you later”, not “good-bye”

Well it was inevitable I guess. My 20-month old daughter, you see, had shunned modern technology, and had embraced the Compact Disc ®. So much so that every time she set foot in our loft where the racks of my CD’s were so meticulously displayed, she would stoop to her knees, and begin to explore the inner workings of these amazing jewel cases. Nashville Skyline, Exile on Main Street, London Calling, it mattered not to this inquisitive little person. She tore into them with unbiased fervor – removing the discs, removing the inserts, switching them around with each other.

Yes, for me – as proud I am of her for exploring this fading medium – it was time to pack them up in plastic storage bins. It is there they will remain for another 20 months, probably. Now, most of my CD’s (and a few cassettes and VHS tapes, as you can see) lie encased, merely a staging area for my little one’s adventures in Upstairs Land. Plastic drinking cups, snacks, sandals, a note pad… all play an important role.

Nostalgia paid a visit as I packed up the CD’s. Here’s one that brings back the memories… this album experienced heavy rotation in my first couple years of college (88-89). The Uplift Mofo Party Plan was the Chili Peppers’ third studio album, and the last Chilis’ album that included their original lineup: Anthony Kiedis, Flea, Hillel Slovak, and Jack Irons. It was released in 1987. In June of ’88, Slovak died of a heroin OD, and Irons left soon after.

This song was a staple in my dorm room “pre-parties”. I can’t remember if it was this song that shook one of my three-foot speakers off of the ledge above and on to my head. May have been.

Red Hot Chili PeppersLove Trilogy (mp3)

[audio:11lovetrilogy.mp3]

Buy Uplift Mofo Party Plan (also on Red Hot Chili Peppers - The Uplift Mofo Party Plan)

10 Comments

  • Michael

    I have literally thousands of CD’s boxed and stored away in my son’s closet. Once day I’ll convert them all (uh, I mean I’ll listen to them again…).

  • Jim

    Convert the tapes! The reliable life of those media are not long. According to The Commission on Preservation and Access your VHS tape is only good for 10-30 years depending on two storage parameters: relative humidity and temperature.

    “humidity is more important in determining the lifetime of the VHS tape than the storage temperature. At 68° F and 50% RH, an estimated LE (Life Expectancy) value of ~30 years is indicated. If the storage temperature is raised to 76° F at 50% RH, the LE is reduced to ~10 years. However, if the humidity is raised to 80% at 68° F, the LE is reduced to ~5 years.”

    Fortunately you are in a desert, but the humidity inside the house is the critical factor here. Your readers in Miami and Atlanta may want to “inspect” those old tapes. you can even buy a USB Casette deck (http://www.thinkgeek.com/electronics/audio/9778/) to speed your digital salvage expedition.

  • Jim

    Oh, the artwork! iTunes will allow you to add several images to your album art from the “Get Info” screen. So warm up that 1200 dpi scanner and get to capturing your artwork!

    OK, I will try to stop my geek freak out now.

  • Pete

    Jim you’re so . . so . . scientific!

    I actually play my cassettes once in a while, and they’re still sounding a-ok for the most part. And I have all the cabling / software set up to convert them. And I do convert from time to time – but it takes a – long – timmmmeezzzzzzz…..

  • Jennifer

    Love that you still have CDs. I still buy CDs and play CDs. I am not that big of a fan of music downloads. I prefer having the artwork and having the item in my hand. I know I am ole school. Oh well! =)

  • Jim

    Sorry, had my heart broken by magnetic media SOOO many times I am on a crusade to purge it from my life.

    Jennifer: I do miss the full art. The cover only stuff you get at 300 px is crap. Some albums do consider the art, though. I have an Offspring album with art, a small ebook with the liner notes, it’s pretty nice that someone thought about that dimension of the album experience. I know we shied away from this because it takes so much space on our cramped little iPods, but with my desktop I want it!

    Jeffro: My brother has his Mac Mini hooked up to the big screen with a screen saver / visualizer that displays cover art from his iTunes. On the large screen the individual covers are “life sized” (That’s CD, not Vinyl Size) and it flips them randomly. I really like the effect. Way better than the spine only CD racks I had.

    Jeffro (2): It’s OK to weep for lost art. CONFESSION: I restore old arcade games, not just for the game but for the art. Getting these electronics running is cheap, but restoring the cabinet artwork is a labor of love. I had to sell some masterpiece when I move across country, still looking to reclaim them.

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