GZ/ZFT currently in a lawsuit over iTunes and other digital music services due to music that is far too compressed
ZapRatz
Posted by Jonny on September 22nd, 2008 under Apple, News
http://distorted-loop.com/2008/09/22/itunes-napster-others-no-good-for-zappa/
Gail Zappa, the widow of Frank Zappa, is furious with iTunes and other
digital music services, complaining the service offers music that is
far too compressed - more so than the artist himself ever intended.
“It was Frank’s concept to limit to a format so that it was accurately
represented, that being 16-bit technology - CDs. He didn’t want it
compressed. So we’re currently in a lawsuit over this issue,” she
said.
Zappa’s widow stressed that the music her husband made was meant to be
heard at a certain quality - 16-bit, in fact.
“iTunes has been from the get-go massively compressed,” she said,
“That’s fine perhaps if you’re Britney Spears… but it’s not fine for
Frank Zappa’s music, and he was interested in protecting that,” she
told the LA Times.
Speaking to Distorted Loop, musician Toby Marks (Banco De Gaia) has
made similar complaints, saying “I absolutely hate the fact that it’s
possible to release music at the same quality it was created, yet the
market has moved backward to something that’s little better than
cassettes.”
It remains a huge puzzle as to why it is that CD-quality download
services haven’t yet made any wide appearance - after all, if films
can be purchased and downloaded online, then why not CDs, which max
out at 650MB, after all?
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Dave
"ZapRatz" <zapratzR...@newsguy.com> wrote in message
news:a24hd4d2m4411l25q...@4ax.com...
> Gail Zappa, the widow of Frank Zappa, is furious with iTunes and other
> digital music services, complaining the service offers music that is
> far too compressed - more so than the artist himself ever intended.
Where were lawyers when the standard
was crackly recycled vinyl, shitty 8-tracks
and hissy cassettes, all of which were worse-
sounding than the AAC junk?
Martin Gregorie
Not needed, because that was mostly pre-CD material. From DHBIM onward
this became relevant but the question to ask then is 'why did FZ go on
releasing vinyl after DHBIM?'
--
martin@ | Martin Gregorie
gregorie. | Essex, UK
org |
computeruser
> On Tue, 23 Sep 2008 12:44:36 -0400, Dave wrote:
>>
>>> Gail Zappa, the widow of Frank Zappa, is furious with iTunes and other
>>> digital music services, complaining the service offers music that is
>>> far too compressed - more so than the artist himself ever intended.
>>
>> Where were lawyers when the standard
>> was crackly recycled vinyl, shitty 8-tracks and hissy cassettes, all of
>> which were worse- sounding than the AAC junk?
>>
> Not needed, because that was mostly pre-CD material. From DHBIM onward
> this became relevant but the question to ask then is 'why did FZ go on
> releasing vinyl after DHBIM?'
>
> --
> martin@ | Martin Gregorie
> gregorie. | Essex, UK
> org |
Vinyl still had Commercial Potential. CD's weren't adopted by 100% of his
potential customers or fan base, and Gail need to pay some Flakes.
Plus, at that time he could get pressings of vinyl accomplished rather
easily. CD pressing plants were not as common until the medium became widely
used.
Dave
If she doesn't like the lossy formats available for itunes
I dunno, hey, how about she doesn't sell FZ music
via that medium, just like the way it is now. What
damn business is it of hers to sue a company over
what file formats they sell? Nobody's forcing her
to sell FZ on itunes.
She could put up shn or flac files on her own web site
that people could buy, maybe with one of the lossy formats
as a cheaper alternative. This is what Robert Fripp did and
you don't see Toyah Wilcox hiring lawyers over it.
If she put up The Guitar World According To FZ for
sale on iTunes as a digital download for $9 it would sound
better than the cassette she was selling 15 years ago
for $7, and it would have no manufacturing costs.
computeruser
news:gbbopu$s5h$1...@aioe.org...
When no calls her for interviews and interest is waning for the catalog,
Dweezil's tour(s) and Diva's knitting, she gets a little cranky. Plus, this
way at least Frank Zappa's name is in the news, yet again. You've got to
start thinking like an "Agency Man", or you'll never understand what's
happening at the ZFT. Manufactured Controversy, grabs headlines.
Charles Ulrich
"Dave" <chick...@nospamgmail.com> wrote:
> I don't get the basis for this suit.
>
> If she doesn't like the lossy formats available for itunes
> I dunno, hey, how about she doesn't sell FZ music
> via that medium, just like the way it is now. What
> damn business is it of hers to sue a company over
> what file formats they sell? Nobody's forcing her
> to sell FZ on itunes.
My understanding was that Ryko was claiming that *they* had the rights
to sell the catalog on iTunes. So the lawsuit is really about what was
covered in the deal with Ryko circa 1994.
--Charles
Poot Rootbeer
> Vinyl still had Commercial Potential. CD's weren't adopted by 100%
> of his potential customers or fan base, and Gail need to pay some
> Flakes.
So what you're saying is that "what the market demands" is, at least,
co-important with "providing the best possible fidelity".
Gail's crusade against compression might come across as a little more
authentic if FZ himself hadn't signed off on the ass-sounding CD
masters for YAWYI.
-Poot
Bill
Charles Ulrich <ulr...@sfu.ca> wrote:
That's my understanding too.
But she's undermining her side of the argument by providing iTunes the
ZFT-produced AAAFNRAA Birthday Bundle.
ZapRatz
<ona...@postmaster.invalid> wrote:
>When no calls her for interviews and interest is waning for the catalog,
>Dweezil's tour(s) and Diva's knitting, she gets a little cranky. Plus, this
>way at least Frank Zappa's name is in the news, yet again. You've got to
>start thinking like an "Agency Man", or you'll never understand what's
>happening at the ZFT. Manufactured Controversy, grabs headlines.
I like the "Agency Man" reference!
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