Surviving — HiFi Continued

Is it choice, design or Devo?

We are in trouble, and mostly not the good trouble. Our collective selves are in a destructive us versus them race. Yes, this is also about audio, if I was talking exclusively about politics I would have used the word deadly in place of destructive, and I would have added a Zappa quote.

Tubes vs solid state, vinyl vs digital, magnetic tape vs modeling… meaningless arguments ideologically flawed. What got you into music and high fidelity was very likely the exploring of sound and the art expressed through it—patterns, tones, phrases and ideas… then the devices for exploring it, the tools. Sure, I have specific kit I love, within context. Discrimination in absolute terms leads to censorship, and censorship is always, or at least nearly always, destructive. Expensive, thoughtful and well made gear can sound terrible, just as poorly designed and made gear can sound amazing. You need context, systems, talent—within the right hands most anything can be used to create/recreate music.

I find it interesting in an antithetical kind of way that some of the music we hi-fi people love most was born out of the need to simply survive. Art created out of the need to exist, jazz and blues, and nearly all forms of folk. When Tom Morello said all music is protest, he was not wrong. Play that harmonica son.

What first spoke to my emerging mind was not just hardware or a type of music it was ideas, patterns and tone deliberately expressed within a phrase or song or whole album. I would like to think this is true for the vast majority of humanity, not just those with audio gear. In and around 1980 my young mind was soaking up Johnny Cash, Rush, Sabbath, Blue Oyster Cult… The Clash, The Damned, The Sex Pistols… rebels and punks that helped me to think for myself, never mind perfection and Never Mind the Bullocks.

If you believe there is a best song, guitar or amplifier you’re likely in trouble. If you believe the MC5 self-censored their petition to kick out the jams “brothers and sisters” you have been brainwashed.

Explore, think, doubt, circle back from time to time, share and continue the search.