Anyone remember liner notes? My first experience with liner notes would have to be my Off The Wall album. I mean, besides the fact that the album cover actually opened up to a dapper, dark-skinned, afrolicious, glow-in-the-dark-sock wearing hell of an entertainer; the notes were where it was at. I recall seeing all the lyrics to each song, the producers, writers, background singers, musicians – name it, it was listed there. I was always a reader at heart and I was enthralled for hours about who wrote what, who sang what and who produced what. Unbeknownst to me, I was embarking on a journey that would take me into another world. A world where I felt only a limited few entered. Each album I purchased, the liner notes sucked me into a vortex and I wanted to learn more. Purchasing an album was like a drug for me. I was not only feigning for the exhilarating moment of placing the needle on the rotating record, but I looked forward to the influence that the liner notes would have on my musical education - if you will. Right down to the Thank You’s, I was like a pig in mud, in the artist’s world giving thanks to the supporters for their contributions to the amazing album that now became part of my collection.
I can say that my generation was lucky enough to know and live through 8 Tracks, vinyl, cassette tapes, CD’s and now Mp3’s (wow, did I just show my age?). So we have been able to see the rise and fall of the importance of liner notes. iTunes does sell the cover fold with the purchase of an album, however it’s not tangible. Perhaps I am old school that way, I like to have it in my hand. I like to mark it, give it character and make it mine. Having to use zoom is really not an option in my book, it is more of a deterrent. I know some of you will say, "Well why don’t you just go buy the CD" and my answer to that is, I receive a lot of albums by Mp3’s. My aforementioned Off The Wall album looks like it has been, used and abused. Okay, it has been, but that’s beside the point. I have read those notes long enough to know that Quincy Jones pulled everything out of his magical hat to produce one of the greatest albums of all time. I know that Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson wrote songs on the album and I know that Patti Austin killed the duet with Michael on "It’s The Falling In Love." And I knew all of this then, when I received the album. I am ashamed to say that I am not really up on who’s producing what anymore, unless I do some research myself. The information is no longer at my fingertips; therefore I tend to not spend time on something that used to come naturally to me. And that right there my friends, is a damn shame.
So tell me, am I just being nostalgic or am I speaking the truth? Do you all miss liner notes as much as I do? Did or do you care to know those minute details about your favorite albums? Share your thoughts!!
