Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2007 7:44 pm
good topic, and as we can see from the replies, one that isn't very clear-cut.
Personally I've never messed with getting bootlegs except in a few cases, and some of those i thought were 'legit' issues at the time. I would never knowingly spend much $$ for a bootleg. I'll admit I don't have a strong moral conviction against bootlegging, but it's not something I'd readily condone either.
One thing I don't have much sympathy for is when someone buys a boot and then complains about the sound quality and/or packaging. The fact that it's a boot tells you the person is out to make a quick, shady buck, so why in the world would you buy it expecting a professional looking- and sounding product? Yes, some bootleggers put out nice products, but that's the exception.
The bootlegging issue is inextricably tied to the colelcting boom. With so many people clamouring to hear every single demo, live show, compilation appearance, etc from every small-time band that existed 20+ years ago, it creates a demand that is only gonna be met by bootlegging. Many of the bands people wanna hear are never gonna put out new, official copies of their material.... alot of them probably don't even have original masters or good-quality copies to work with. And even if a nice, legit version is available, they tend to be limited pressings on small labels so many folks may not know about the release.
File-sharing on the internet can help reduce demand for bootleg copies, but even that has some limits. Some items are difficult to find downloadable copies of, much less copies with good sound quality. The situation is getting better, but it still has a ways to go. While some collectors are very cool about making stuff available to others, there are still lots of people that 'hoard' their collection, refusing to record stuff for anyone out of fear that it will reduce the prestige and value of thier own collection. And there are those folks who are just not satisfied with mp3s; they want a tangible product in their hands, even if it's not 'legit'.
Personally, I've become pretty content to settle for decent mp3s of many items. Alot of stuff is well beyond my price range, so my options are thus:
1- break the bank to pay for an original. I refuse to do this; I am not putting myself in debt to buy records. Trading for them is also an option, but it can be very difficult to work out a trade among high-dollar items; the other person doesn't want your rare item, or one side feels the trade is uneven, or you just don't have an item of similar value that you want to get rid of.
2- buy a bootleg or reissue if one exists. If one is available, nicely put together, and I can get it for a reasonable price, I'll do this for an album I like.
3- download/trade burns for it. Yes, mp3s aren't 'collectible' (no artwork or inserts or such) but they are a very convenient format AND you can enjoy the music just fine (unless they're very low quality or you're one of those people that insist "only vinyl is tr00"). They also work well for me becuase, while I like to hear alot of the obscure releases, I try to limit my collection to music I really like, regardless of how rare or valuable it is. Thus, mp3s offer an easy, cheap way to check things out for fun.
Personally I've never messed with getting bootlegs except in a few cases, and some of those i thought were 'legit' issues at the time. I would never knowingly spend much $$ for a bootleg. I'll admit I don't have a strong moral conviction against bootlegging, but it's not something I'd readily condone either.
One thing I don't have much sympathy for is when someone buys a boot and then complains about the sound quality and/or packaging. The fact that it's a boot tells you the person is out to make a quick, shady buck, so why in the world would you buy it expecting a professional looking- and sounding product? Yes, some bootleggers put out nice products, but that's the exception.
The bootlegging issue is inextricably tied to the colelcting boom. With so many people clamouring to hear every single demo, live show, compilation appearance, etc from every small-time band that existed 20+ years ago, it creates a demand that is only gonna be met by bootlegging. Many of the bands people wanna hear are never gonna put out new, official copies of their material.... alot of them probably don't even have original masters or good-quality copies to work with. And even if a nice, legit version is available, they tend to be limited pressings on small labels so many folks may not know about the release.
File-sharing on the internet can help reduce demand for bootleg copies, but even that has some limits. Some items are difficult to find downloadable copies of, much less copies with good sound quality. The situation is getting better, but it still has a ways to go. While some collectors are very cool about making stuff available to others, there are still lots of people that 'hoard' their collection, refusing to record stuff for anyone out of fear that it will reduce the prestige and value of thier own collection. And there are those folks who are just not satisfied with mp3s; they want a tangible product in their hands, even if it's not 'legit'.
Personally, I've become pretty content to settle for decent mp3s of many items. Alot of stuff is well beyond my price range, so my options are thus:
1- break the bank to pay for an original. I refuse to do this; I am not putting myself in debt to buy records. Trading for them is also an option, but it can be very difficult to work out a trade among high-dollar items; the other person doesn't want your rare item, or one side feels the trade is uneven, or you just don't have an item of similar value that you want to get rid of.
2- buy a bootleg or reissue if one exists. If one is available, nicely put together, and I can get it for a reasonable price, I'll do this for an album I like.
3- download/trade burns for it. Yes, mp3s aren't 'collectible' (no artwork or inserts or such) but they are a very convenient format AND you can enjoy the music just fine (unless they're very low quality or you're one of those people that insist "only vinyl is tr00"). They also work well for me becuase, while I like to hear alot of the obscure releases, I try to limit my collection to music I really like, regardless of how rare or valuable it is. Thus, mp3s offer an easy, cheap way to check things out for fun.
