I've read good things about the most recent
and was prepared to purchase it. However, at Amazon, the record store for (overloaded with work) shut-in's like myself, this phrase gave me pause: [CONTENT/COPY-PROTECTED CD]. Since I rarely, if ever, listen to music other than on my iPod or my desktop via iTunes (like now), I didn't really want to buy an over-priced coaster. I wrote Amazon with my concerns, and within a few hours, Amazon wrote me back:
Such CDs limit your ability to make multiple digital copies of its content, and you will not be able to play this disc or make copies onto devices not listed as compatible. Additionally, it has been reported that, in rare cases, these CDs may not be compatible with computer CD-ROM players, DVD players, game consoles, or car CD stereos, and often are not transferable to other formats like MP3.For this reason, we are not able to guarantee that you would be able to download this item onto your computer in order to load it onto
your MP3 player. I apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause you.
Such bullshit. I did a little research on the internets, and apparently, if I use my step-child PC, I can hold down the shift key while rebooting to (temporarily) disable the DRM, and copy the files, and make my own CD. So, it isn't that I cannot evade the DRM, it is that I don't wish to encourage artists and labels who release their music with such stupid restrictions. I own a Mac, and I'm happy with it: why should I have to purchase new equipment/software just to listen to music that I purchased?
Instead, I won't buy the album. So while it is My Morning Jacket's loss, it is also mine.
Oh well, I've bought 19 new CDs so far this month (including a great 4 disc Townes Van Zandt compilation that I'm listening to at the moment), so it isn't that I have a dearth of anything fresh to listen to, only that I wanted to add the new Morning Jacket Cd to the mix. And no, I don't always purchase that many CDs every month, but sometimes I do. Record labels don't seem to care about folks like me.
update: 10-21-05- the band responds, claims they had no input in Sony's decision.
