[jpelg]

OK, so say, like, someone really, really is a fan of a band, right? And, like, just has to hear EVERYTHING ever recorded by the coolest band ever, ya know? Stuff like old concerts from the early days, 'n ****. Even, like, if alot of the stuff is really poorly recorded demos, b-sides, or other unreleased versions and stuff, and ya just gotta have it anyway.

Is this cool to do? I mean to maybe, like, pay someone to somehow get that material, maybe, possibly without the artist really knowin' bout it, or maybe even, like them makin any dough off of it?

I'm sure no one here would actually do suttin like dat, but wadda ya think 'bout it? Especially assumin that there was no commercial way of getting it, ya know, legit-like?

 

[jpelg]

**** MODERATOR ALERT ****

I don't want this to be come a typical piracy thread, along the lines of mp3 threads. I just remember the old days of bootlegging concerts (not me, of course), which even sometimes became commerically released albums. Just wondering where that kind of thing is today and what people think about it. Otherwise, just lock and delete, OK?

Disclaimer: I, in no way, manner, shape, or form advocate nor practice in the stealing of commerically produced music in ANY way. There has never, nor will be an mp3 on my computer systems for any appreciable length of time that I do not own according to the legitimate purchasing system(s) of the music industry as it stands at this time. "Whew!"

 

[gloco]

I don't believe in paying for bootlegs and i'm sure just about every taper out there feels the same way. The whole bootlegging thing is a pretty gray area, even though some artists strongly oppose them, many others don't really care either way as long as an exchange in funds isn't involved.

There are a lot of communities out there where people actually help each other out regarding tracking down a certain show they may have attended years, if not decades ago. I guess for them its re-living their younger days. For me, i'm just a nut who enjoys listening to the raw emotion poured out into a live venue.

 

[zowie]

I think boots of commercially available material are despicable.

Although I'm an MD guy, I've never illicitly taped a performance. However, I've bought a small number of commercial boots - they sell them in some local record stores - of artists I really like them and already bought copies of all of their commercially released material.

 

[gloco]

Quote:

Originally posted by zowie However, I've bought a small number of commercial boots - they sell them in some local record stores - of artists I really like them and already bought copies of all of their commercially released material.

I think this is where the focal point of the argument lies. Sure, i think just about anyone interested in live concerts has purchased a bootleg in the past, like i have. However, once you get broadband or find people who are willing to do B&P's or trade, then there's no reason to buy these at all, especially when people are ind enough to upload the artwork that accompanies these bootlegs, basically you can have a copy for free...the way it should be for everyone.

 

[skippy]

i think bootlegs of concerts and stuff are fine. sometimes tickets sell out quickly or are just too damn hard to get. and if the record company wanted to squash bootlegging all they would have to do is release a cd. who buy a poorly made audience recording for a high price, over a recording made from the soundboard for a standard cd price?

i've bootlegged performances, but only for my own personal listening. i don't see how it hurts anyone.

though i do think trying to make cash off someone else's art without their consent is pretty screwy.

 

[chadbang]

The quality of most bootlegs turn me off. I know I should see past the quality of the recording and listen to the nuances of the live performance, but too many bootlegs sound exactly like they were miked from inside someone's lapel. One exception would be Grateful Dead bootlegs (but those aren't really bootlegs, are they? Since the Dead okay'd taping) which always manage to sound just like the Grateful Dead!

 

[qutius]

I really love seeing live music, and the majority of the music I listen to has been recorded live with the blessings of the band that is playing - most of these 'bootlegs' sound pretty damn good, as they come from VERY expensive taping rigs. We are talking Neumann, Schoeps, or high end AGK mics (plenty of other choices for mics), high end preamps, high end AD/DA converters, and high end DAT recorders. Basically, a studio on the road! Some bands still allow soundboard patches which are always a treat due to their great sound. Even better is a matrix copy of a soundboard + audience recording - the best of both worlds.

Personally, I would NEVER buy (nor sell) a bootleg recording. Often times, the quality of the recording is subpar when compared to someone taping the show for personal listening or trading. However, it is probably much harder to find live recordings of bands that don't allow audience taping.

 

[carlo]

How do you guys feel about bootlegs being bought and sold when they're on vinyl?

I say every concert should be bootlegged, every rare demo cut released for the public, and that all those recordings be put out there to listen to. If the artist or label released their soundboard recordings in the first place maybe this wouldn't be as big of a problem.

I also think uber-rare analog stuff should be placed on a digital medium so more people can hear it. A certain head-fi'er was cool enough to trace down a digital bootleg of a very rare Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan home studio recording, the limited pressing LP of it is in the land of the legendary, that I've wanted to hear for two years. I'm a huge Dylan fan and I couldn't have heard this otherwise, the record labels that be won't offer it and I'll never be able to afford one of the very few playable records around. I say bootleg and share all of it, if its on vinyl its alright to sell or buy it (I'm just biased like that), and that music is more important than money.

 

[chadbang]

A friend of mine spent two weeks reassembling that Johnny Cash/Bob Dylan album from MP3s off of Kaaza. He gave me a copy, I'm sure it's not the best quality, but what a kick to hear. Funny how Cash is so smooth and leads Dylan who just can't seem to decide what register to sing in! To reference a thread below, "can you hear pitch corrected singing?", not on that album.

But I still enjoyed hearing it. Very cool.

 

[carlo]

Exactly. Its JOHNNY CASH and BOB DYLAN messing around and singing songs, its so damned cool that worrying about sound quality is dumb. How N'SYNC gets a Christmas album and this doesn't make it on to CD escapes me.

 

[KR...]

I own two bootlegs, one filled with demos and the other filled with rare live tracks that were never recorded in the studio.

I don't regret buying them, but I didn't pay a lot for them.

 

[williamgoody]

I really don't see anything wrong with bootlegs. I've bought some by groups I'm a big fan of, and it hasn't detered me from buying any of their releases or anything like that. People I'm assuming won't buy a bootleg to "sample someone's work"; they'll buy then to get more "insight" (I guess, for lack of a better word) on groups they enjoy already, especially in a live setting.

 

[gloco]

Quote:

Originally posted by qutius I really love seeing live music, and the majority of the music I listen to has been recorded live with the blessings of the band that is playing - most of these 'bootlegs' sound pretty damn good, as they come from VERY expensive taping rigs. We are talking Neumann, Schoeps, or high end AGK mics (plenty of other choices for mics), high end preamps, high end AD/DA converters, and high end DAT recorders. Basically, a studio on the road! Some bands still allow soundboard patches which are always a treat due to their great sound. Even better is a matrix copy of a soundboard + audience recording - the best of both worlds.

Ahhh, you know your stuff.

Have you ever heard any of those Howie Day matrix shows? They sound very sweet.

There's plenty of audience recordings that i own that sound horrible, but there's some that sound AMAZING.

For all you broadband subscribers: The best way to get these bootlegs is to get your ass a news reader, like Agent or Xnews (xnews is free btw). Once you set up xnews, there's quite a few bootleg newsgroups (for example: alt.binaries.music.shn). There's even one newsgroup just for led zeppelin shows

 

[Bobes]

As a taper myself, I have absolutely no problems with bootlegs. The problem I have is with buying them. Too often people pay way too much for poor sounding recordings that were transfered poorly and are really not worth the media they are burned on. I have never bought a bootleg but hearing those that friends do have makes me very proud of the recordings I make. Even some commecial or "authorized" bootlegs are of so poor quality that they are not worth listening to.
I believe it is wrong for anyone to profit from an artist's work except the artist. Those artists that allow or encourage taping are some of the highest grossing tour acts in the country, if not the world. Encouraging free distribution of high quality recordings is a great way to attract people to the next live performance. As long as this is done with no exchange of $$$, is the artist hurt? Paying the record store for a poor quality boot is a crime in my eyes. I will not do it and I no longer listen to purchased concert recordings.

Chadbang... there of lots of other great recordings of other bands besides the Grateful Dead. I encourage you to check them out.

My. $0.02
Bobes