Record Companies are Killing Music (not kazaa)

Years ago when I bought vinyl L.P.s, there would often be a large label on the inner sleeve stating, "Home Taping is Killing Music". This is the same rubbish they're spouting now about downloaded, pirated MP3s. Home taping wasn't killing music, it was promoting it. We were doing the hard work for the Record companies. When my brother taped Elvis Costello's first album, "My Aim is True" for me in 1977 I didn't realise that I would go on to buy every album he's made since, even though he hasn't recorded a decent one since 1986 (Blood and Chocolate). We all made compilation tapes for our friends. The aim was to convert them to one of your favourite bands and demonstrate your superior taste and knowledge.
Of course quite often someone with very poor taste would try to persuade you that Soft Machine or Barclay James Harvest would be a valuable addition to your collection. They would fail of course because the music was rubbish.

L.P.'s are now C.D.'s, Cassettes are MP3s and Soft Machine are Muse. (Barclay James Harvest are probably still Barclay James Harvest). I've lost count of the number of people I have made into fans of Grandaddy, the Dandy Warhols and Evan Dando by copying them MP3s.
This isn't because I have great taste (though obviously I have) it's because these artists have recently made fantastic records. All Record Companies know that music
is only part of the deal - I want the packaging - the pictures, the lyrics the bonus live video, so I buy the CD. I want to own it in the same way that I want to own a copy of "Catcher in the Rye" even though I've already read it. I want it there on the shelf
to gaze at adoringly and once again demonstrate my good (if boringly conventional) taste to visitors who browse my shelves.

HMV know about selling records, that's why when you buy a CD from there, they give you a free compilation CD of artists you may not have heard of.
After hearing The Thrills on one of these compilations recently I bought their excellent album, "So Much For the City". Cheers HMV. Lots of music magazines do this too.

Record companies seem to want us to buy stuff unheard, they want us to buy Victoria Beckham's new album because we like the single, even though they know we're going to hate the album because it's all filler. Musicians moaning about losing out on royalties take note - if you make good music, people will want to buy it - as long as they get a chance to hear it in the first place.

Do you agree or am I talking rubbish?
Heard anything good lately? - let me know, add a comment.