Re: Bootlegs ( realm of the forbidden )

[asteg@k12.ucs.umass.edu (Albert Steg (Winsor))]

In a previous article, nessus@mit.edu (Douglas Alan) says:

>I think that every few years some record company decides to crack down
>and snags a few record stores.  Word of mouth about this probably
>travels quickly, and all the other record stores pull the records from
>their shelves for a while until the narcs give up.  Then the bootlegs
>go back out on the shelves until the next scare.  I'm not sure why all
>the record companies don't get together and hire a few people to
>drive around the country and periodically visit all record stores.  I
>guess they don't think it is worth the trouble because anyone who
>would buy bootlegs is clearly a devout fan and buys all the legit
>stuff too.  Perhaps record companies quietly condone bootlegs because
>they help to fuel fandom.  On the other hand, record companies take
>counterfeit pressings of legitimate albums much more seriously, as
>well they should.
>
>|>oug
>

This sounds right to me.  As an illustrative example, I recall being tempted
by a $100 colection of 10 vinyl Bob Dylan records called "Ten of Swords". 
It was a fabulous collection of the most valued Dylan rarities.  The
collection was so comprehensive that Rolling Stone did some sort of review
of it, at which point Columbia REALLY went after the bootleg sellers.  The
release of this bootleg collection may have had somethhing to do with
Columbia's subsequent willingness to pry open their archives for some of the
"Bootleg Series" collections they've put out over the past eight years.

Chances are this won't work with the Cathy demos.  :)

Albert
-- 
"When it was proclaimed that the Library contained all books,the
first impression was one of extravagant happiness. All men felt
themselves to be the masters of an intact and secret treasure.
                       -Jorge Luis Borges, "The Library of Babel"