Sameer Halai Thoughts, comments, ideas

11Mar/07

Music Subscription Services: Partial Album Catalogues

I do not quite understand at this point what could result in only a partial album to be available through a subscription service. Maybe since this is a Motion Picture Soundtrack comprising of different artists, each of the individual artists is prevented by their labels from being available through particular subscription services. I am glad that each of the subscription services isn't mutually exclusive though, it would be really bad!

Filed under: Music No Comments
16Dec/06

Personalized Auto-Mix on URGE

So now URGE is trying to close the gap between it's service and Yahoo! Music Unlimited. I hope it is at least as sophisticated as Yahoo!
URGE screenshot

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11Dec/06

The sanctity of a complete album

Does having playlists of mp3s in random order mask the "full album" experience that we used to have a not so long time ago? Back in the tape days, I would have complete albums which I would play and get used to - discovering more songs, hearing the artists' (or music label's) version of what they value and in what order.

Anyone who has heard albums like "Dark Side of the Moon" by Pink Floyd would probably feel unhappy when they meet people who have only heard an individual song from that album. Unless one has experienced the continuity of the entire album, the heart-beats and voices in between songs, one can not fully appreciate why it was one of the longest running albums of all times (It was on US Billboard Top 200 for 741 weeks).
But today, more and more people are listening to only individual songs. I always felt like an old purist debating the sanctity of the complete album, but I just became aware of how our listening behavior can actually destroy the concept of an album altogether. This gentleman has explained how the science of economics will catch up with our listening experiences.

Maybe individual songs could be priced in such a way that it would be cheaper to download a complete album; that would be one incentive to make people still download all songs from an album. Or maybe people can use one of the subscription services from Yahoo or URGE. [I am working on a comparative review on Yahoo Music Unlimited 2 Go and URGE All Access To Go. I have used them both, but currently am siding with URGE for reasons I will explain in the review]. These services do allow complete album downloads and URGE seems like a savior since it really retains the flavor of the complete album; it even throws in an album review from All Music Guide in the mix.

I sincerely hope the album does not die. But I am not sure if I am simply resisting a good new-age trend or am concerned about the loss of an experience which is too valuable to forgo.

8Dec/06

Conversations at SI

Him: What was your undergrad major?
Me: Computer Engineering.
Him: Wow!!!

Me: How about you?
Him: Psychology.
Me: Wow!!!

[We both are interested in Human Computer Interaction]

Filed under: General, Music No Comments
22Oct/06

Sultans of Swing – Dire Straits – Alchemy Live!

Alchemy version of Sultans of Swing seems to be one of the most beautiful songs ever!
He had performed it again when he was in Mumbai - it was really amazing - but not quite like the Alchemy version.

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6Mar/05

Mark Knopfler in Concert in my Hometown

Sure I went for it ! ! ! ! Me at the Concert More pics coming soon. Shot the whole concert. Almost the whole thing. The cd will be available soon somewhere!

Filed under: Gumption, Music 2 Comments
24Nov/04

Romeo & Juliet – lyrics explained

Finally I understood what that line in the song refers to.

http://www.songmeanings.net/lyric.php?lid=33130

The Lyric: "There's a place for us you know the movie song " Refers to West Side Story. A Musical based on a Romeo and Juliet relationship. And A song from the show is titled "There's a place for us"

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12Nov/04

Dire Straits Discography

Dire Straits Discography (In order of release dates)

Dire Straits
self-titled album
Dire Straits
Comminuque Communique
Making Movies Making Movies
Love Over Gold Love Over Gold
Extended Dance Play
Extended Dance Play
Alchemy Alchemy
Live in Concert
Brothers in Arms
The most popular Dire Straits album. Also, of the first albums to be released on CD
Brothers in Arms
Money for Nothing Money for Nothing
got a grammy for the Best Video for the song by the same name
On Every Street
The last album
On Every Street
On the Night On The Night
Live in Concert
Live at the BBC
Originally recorded years ago when they were "new comers", this album was released only in 1995
Live at the BBC
Sultans of Swing Sultans of Swing
the very best of Dire Straits - a Compilation - World Wide release

They disbanded after the On the Night tour. Since then, Mark Knopfler (the lead vocalist & guitarist) has been pursuing his Solo career (which had started even while the band was together) and has released three albums:

  • Goldenheart
  • Sailing to Philadelphia
  • The Ragpicker's Dream

He has also composed the SoundTrack for many movies, including "Wag the Dog", "Cal", "Local Hero" etc.

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11Nov/04

Dire Straits – Entire Discography

I am a great fan of dire straits. I really like that band.
Though I like Mark Knopfler (the lead singer - now in a solo career) the sound of the band during their legendary albums can never be recreated.

I have been trying to download the "Entire Discography" of Dire Straits since almost 4 months. now.

winMX-DireStraits

It was stuck at 90% since the last 2 months. Finally today it's getting ahead. Feels nice.
I already have bought all their albums in the form of Audio Cassettes.

Filed under: Gumption, Music No Comments
9Aug/03

Cannibals – Mark Knopfler

Cannibals - Mark Knopfler

"Daddy, is he a goodie or baddie ?

Daddy, why do people go to war?"

"Once upon a time there were cannibals around,

There are no cannibals anymore!"

6Jul/03

Zoo Station – U2

Time is a train

Makes the future the past

Leaves you standing in the station

Your face pressed up against the glass

6Jan/03

Lemon

U2 - Lemon

A man builds a city

With banks and cathedrals

A man melts the sand so he can

See the world outside

A man makes a car

And builds roads to run them on

A man dreams of leaving

But he always stays behind