[ExI] externalization of knowledge again

[spike]

> ...
> > http://www.pandora.com/#/
> >
> > ...create a personalized internet radio station that you 
> > will like.  And it is free!  No advertisement, no pledge drives, no 
> > yakkity DJs, such a deal!
> >
> > Life is gooood.  Living now is even better.
> >
> > spike
> > 
> I use Last.fm a lot, same deal... awesome. Just 
> brilliant. I threw out all my CDs.
> --
> Emlyn
 

OK, that might be an important point Emlyn, you threw out your CDs.  I have
noticed something odd: on Pandora many or most of the songs seem to not be
the exact versions of the same songs that are on the original vinyl or CD.
I noticed it particularly on a selection from Simon and Garfunkel's
Wednesday Morning 3AM album, one of my favorites, but the recording was not
the best.  Perhaps it was crummy recording equipment of the day (1964) and
it was their debut album, so they didn't have a lot of money for studio
optimization perhaps.  In any case, I like every song on it, but the
recording itself sounds muddy.  Same with John Denver: Pandora uses later
versions of his songs, when his voice and the recording equipment was even
better than before.  

So the Pandora version is better than the original album.  I think they must
be using later, better versions of most of the songs than are on the
original albums, but they are actually advertising the CDs.  So if someone
heard material on Pandora and bought the CD, they would likely be
disappointed.

So then, Emlyn, you being a musician can scarcely miss the obvious lesson:
it is not to the artist's advantage to have her work on Pandora.  It would
be a sales killer, ja?

spike