Way Way Back

Back catalog. When you say those two words, you might think of golden oldies or classic hits. But, the previous works of recording artist can often be of more value then their current work. And in some cases, the previous work of a particular can be reissued and give current Pop successes a run for their money.

One of the most notable catalog releases, is Pink Floyd's, "Dark Side Of The Moon," which was reported in 2001 as being on Billboard's Catalog Chart for 1,285 weeks or just under 25 years. That's staying power.

I bring this up because as a fan of music and a music consumer, I once believed that I would never get caught up in the quest for older tunes. And, as a musician, I try to keep up with what's going on in today's music. But, what happens when you turn on the radio, looking for something, anything that fits the mood you're in, and ultimately end up playing a CD? Maybe even a CD of music from ten or more years ago.

While it's clear that every generation believes that it's music is "the" best music ever made, how do we account for the success of the Beatles recently released on iTunes. Is there something in the music of non-mainstream artist that music fans are longing for a return to? That's probably still up for debate.

Still, there's an overall decline in music sales that has lasted for more than a decade. No one seems to have the answer. After a while, the reasons given tend play on like a broken record. There are CDs, downloads, steaming, and, oh yeah, file sharing, all of which have been listed as contributors. But, what if is as simple as putting the melody back into the music? Too easy, right? I will say this, I'm just guessing, but I'd be willing to bet that the average age of a reissue buyer is probably falling. And, I think this is so because everyone who enjoys music wants to hear a good melody every once in a while. Maybe, they may even want to hear words they can actually sing along with. Sounds old fashion, I know. But what would it hurt to hear some music that really touches your soul?