Ripped: How the Wired Generation Revolutionized Music

Being a music lover and an MP3 downloading addict, I've seen firsthand the revolution in music distribution, and, frankly, I didn't think a book like this would have much to teach me. Happily, I was wrong. "Ripped" takes the reader from the payola-infected radio monoliths that would put the payola scandals of the '50s and '60s to shame, through the rise and fall of Napster and the other sites that took over where Napster left off, the cultural explosion that was (and is) iPod, to the artists who wrested control of their careers from the huge record companies and subsequently control their own distribution. The record corporations were clueless concerning the new MP3 technology, using copyright law as an excuse to sue students and housewives instead of harnessing the MP3 revolution early on to their own advantage. In fact, free downloads can be used as a promotional tool to sell CDs or full-album downloads, especially for artists who are largely shut out from radio play. The success of Death Cab for Cutie, Conor Oberst, and others are attributable to the distribution innovations that come from the artists (and friends) themselves. Also mentioned is how the hip-hop culture was dependent on sampling, which, when hip-hop reached the mainstream, again spurred record companies, the owners of the recordings which were sampled, to sue even for the most miniscule samples used. Do they think that hearing a small snippet would have a detrimental effect on the sales of the original records? It doesn't matter when corporations get so huge as to devalue actual logic. The final straw is when established artists such as Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails offer their music for "Whatever you want to pay" or free in its most basic MP3 form with tiered pricing for more elaborate packaging. Coming out too late for inclusion was NIN's "The Slip" (although the instrumental "Ghosts" was covered) and Coldplay's free live download "LeftRightLeftRightLeft. I found much helpful information here such as free (legal) download sites and websites that review independent releases that often get overlooked by the likes of "Rolling Stone" and "Spin." Anybody with an interest in modern music should immediately grab a copy of "Ripped."

You would have to be totally unaware if you haven't noticed that people get most of their music from sources other than traditional stores. One of the most popular methods is peer-to-peer networks, like LimeWire, Napster, BitTorrent, and others. Since the consolidation of radio stations into just a few corporate entities, new music from new bands takes a back seat to established ones and the programming of these radio stations is done outside of the listening area. It is no wonder that no matter where you travel, radio sounds pretty much the same. How this came to be and the change that the internet has had on music is the subject of Greg Kot's excellent book, Ripped: How the Wired Generation Revolutionized Music. Contents: Introduction:Chaos and Transformation; Consolidated to Death; Payola Blues; Napster vs. Metallica; Customers or Criminals; Is Prince Nuts?; "Do Not Insult Death Cab"; Conor Oberst: "He Was Thirteen and Kicking Our Asses"; "Screw the Record Companies, Screw MTV, Just Go Out and Play"; Everyone's a Critic; Arcade Fire: Chocolate Fountains Everywhere; Innovation Out of Necessity; GirlTalk's Illegal Art; Future Shock from Wham City; "George Bush Doesn't Like Black People"; A New Boss, Same as the Old Boss; Steve Jobs and the iPod "Burglary Kit"; "The Feedback Loop of Creativity"; "I Love Picking Fights"; "It's Up to You"; "Steal, Steal, and Steal Some More"; Acknowledgements, Index There was a time when you found new bands simply by listening to the radio. You may have had to wait a while, as the station went through it's playlist, but it was there. But then the FCC relaxed its station ownership rules and in came Clear Channels, Viacom, and several other large corporations. They bought up the small players, changed the playlists to only the most popular music, and programmed the stations from some corporate office far from the listeners. At about the same time, the internet was becoming more than just a network for universities and governments to share information. It was becoming a way for people to find bands that were getting no airplay and for a way for the same people to share music, against the large corporations' copyright laws, using peer-to-peer networks. The corporations, caught totally unaware even through they were being warned by technologically savvy individuals, reacted by suing their customers, taking Napster to court, and other heavy handed methods. But, if they took the time to look at music consumption, they would have noticed that more music was being bought at a higher rate than at any other time in history. They would have also noticed that bands that they snubbed, were enjoying some surprising success. Bands were realizing that there were alternative methods to finding their fans - MySpace, televisions shows and commercials, streaming web sites, and more.Live shows saw an increase in attendance. Bands like Prince, Radiohead, Arcade Fire, and Death Cab for Cutie saw no need for the large multinational recor

I don't work in the music industry, but I am currently employed in another business that's facing a sea change due to electronic distribution of our product. That's why I originally picked up this book -- to see if I could learn anything from another struggling industry. But as a music lover, I found myself totally swept up in Kot's meticulous reporting, amazing interviews, and grand scope. It's one of the most informative and enjoyable nonfiction books I've read in a long time. I'd read a chapter, and then grab for my iPod (full of mostly legally downloaded music, thankyouverymuch) wanting to listen firsthand to the bands he'd chronicled so carefully on the page. If you love music or are enthralled by new technology, I highly recommend this book.

As a student that was at Illinois State University during the time of this book, it's right on the money. I worked for the student radio station at the end of the 90's and early 2000's, moving my way up the radio chain to Chicago. This book is dead on...it's written as if Greg were there, sitting with us, seeing all of this happen, students taking hold of thier musical passion and stickin it to the record company. (the man) I was 20 years old and had no business buying $20 dollar CD's, especially when they release a "Greatest Hits" and have the one new song on the album... If the record industry refuses to change, then so be it...this new generation of music lovers will find other means to fill their musical void. It's a sad thing that record sores are almost gone...but it's amazing how the record company could have avoided all of this. Yes, Kot focues on the music industry in particular...but this trend is happening in all ares of entertainment. Look at radio stations in big markets, thier a joke to what they one were. (or least the XRTs of the world, the other stations sucked anyway) of the radio stations, the ones tha played different songs...not the same damn songs every 75 minutes to get that quater hour number up. It's so black and white for radio and tv, you have to give people what that way, rather than shoving what you think they want down thier throats..if you keep doing that, you wont have much of an industry left. Well done Mr. Kot, well done.

Chicago Tribune readers have enjoyed rock critic Greg Kot's music reviews for years. Now he's set his sights on the broader topic of the transformative changes roiling the music industry, and with great results. Ripped is a highly readable look at the watershed changes brought on by the digitization and internet distribution of music, told largely through the voices of the musicians who have lived it. The central point of Ripped is this: when it comes to music, the more the merrier. Availability means exposure, which ultimately works to the benefit of both artists and audiences, even if it doesn't immediately translate to revenue for rights holders. Kot highlights the music buiness missteps that have led to an industry in crisis, but without harsh judgments and drama. He also recognizes that there's a long road ahead before we get to the Celestial Jukebox -- the nirvana of easy, affordable and legal access to all the music, all the time, from the device of our choice. But above all, Ripped recognizes the opportunities in and Kot's keen optimism for the "future of music," an assuredness born of the sheer joy of being a passionate fan. I tore through the kindle version of Ripped in no time, as Kot's mix of industry insight and reliable criticism combine to make a light read of a heavy topic. Highly recommended. Kevin Parks