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All this fuss over downloading an album before you buy it is getting a bit hysterical.
I see downloading music as the same thing as trying on a pair of shoes. If I see a pair I like, by a maker that I respect, then I'll try them on.
If I like the fit and they suit me, then I'll buy them.
Same with music.
In the past (before the internet) I have bought some dreadful albums based on hearing the only decent track on them because that was all you could hear, because that was the track released as a single and played on the radio. It used to really piss me off. I felt like I'd been ripped off.
Now I can try before I buy. It seems fair, you can do it with virtually every other commodity, so why not music?
Another thing on the plus side about downloading is that you can get to listen to bands you never heard of before, and if you like what you hear, buy their stuff.
I reckon that about 30% of my record collection is comprised of bands that I was introduced to via random downloads from slsk or some other 'non legitimate' source. Artists like 'Circle', 'Harold Budd', Susumu Yokota, Mono, Explosions in the Sky, Calla, Giardino de Miro, Sigur Ros, Clouddead, Buck 65, and many others are only part of my record collection because I downloaded a track or two, liked what I heard, and went out and bought as much of their back catalogue as I could find.
Downloading has enabled me to buy more of the music I really like and to support lesser known bands at the same time. What's wrong with that?
Of course it's wrong to download copyrighted music with the intention of copying it and selling it for profit, and I have never done that. But I maintain that I have the right to know what I'm buying, because there aren't many record shops or companies that will take you seriously if you ask for a refund based solely on the premise that, in your opinion, the record you just spent £15 on, is shit.
If people want to choose to listen to 'Rather Ripped' only on the day of release, and rely solely on the bands reputation as a reason to buy, then that's up to them.
Personally, I prefer to make an informed choice about what I spend my money on.
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