From: utzoo!decvax!harpo!seismo!hao!woods
Newsgroups: net.music
Title: Re: tape tax
Article-I.D.: hao.440
Posted: Fri Feb 18 11:12:41 1983
Received: Sun Feb 20 03:59:38 1983
References: nmtvax.192

  The problem with a "tape tax" is simply that there are a lot of other
uses for blank recording tape besides copying copyrighted material. Musicians
use it to record themselves, people actually even record things besides music
(God forbid!). It isn't really fair to ask everyone to pay for those who
use the tapes to copy records.
  The best solution to sagging record sales is to make the price reasonable.
I stopped buying albums when the price passed $7 apiece. I think it's 
outrageous. Concert tickets average around $15 these days as well. Maybe all
the superstars will have to switch from Rolls Royces to Cadillacs for a while
(breaks my heart :-)  ). I realize that the non-superstar artists suffer more
than the superstars. I think what we are seeing here is more people want to
be musicians than the market will support, which accounts for the troubles
of the "non-mainstream" artists a lot more than taping records, and the 
superstars are WAY overpaid. I love the Stones, but $20 to see Mick Jagger 
prance around for maybe 90 minutes is a blatant rip-off. Those of you who have
sent me mail asking why I like the Dead so much, here's one reason. They usually
play for 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Most bands, however, don't even give you 2 hours for
your twenty bucks. Cut down on the number of artists and lower the price of
records. I'd much rather have the album with cover and associated artistry
than a blank cassette with my hadwriting on the outside any day, but my 
principles take over when the price is up around $8.50 to $12 a record,
I'll buy a blank tape for $2.50 (or even $3 if they imposed a tape tax!) over
paying a ridiculous price for a record.

                        GREG
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